Chapter 54

The moment we get back to the ranch, everything seems to take a turn for the chaotic. Dakota storms off immediately with a refusal to explain what the fuck is happening. Everyone is buttoning up the ranch roads to make sure no one can come in. Besides that, all the trailers from the cattle drive are being unloaded and parked. I climb from Dakota’s truck with no idea what to do, my eyes wide at the chaos of it all.

“What the hell is going on?” I ask, not sure where to go and where to help.

Levi is watching everything the same as I am, a solemn frown on his face. “They know where you’re at for sure now and they’re sending people to take you.” He turns to meet my eyes. “Dakota essentially sent that asshole back with a challenge, and we have to assume that they’ll rise to meet it.”

Wiley grimaces. “I think it’s time you moved into the big house, Kate.”

“What about William?” I ask, my brows raised. He’d ridden home with Naomi. She’d taken Fuzz as well. Both critters are fond of her so it wasn’t a big deal, and now that I know what was waiting for us, I’m glad they went ahead of me and were never in danger.

“Bring him with you,” he says. “I need to go check on the horses. Levi, you got this?”

Levi crosses his arms. “Yeah.”

Wiley rushes off, leaving me standing with Levi on my right, more confused than I’ve ever been. I don’t really know what to do, or even how to handle this situation. It feels so overwhelming, like at any moment, all the pins are gonna drop and we’ll lose control. All these people, all in danger.

Because of me.

Guilt starts to eat at me. Naomi. Her family. Wiley, Levi, and Dakota. They’re all in danger now because of me. They’ve gotten mixed up with the Crows for me and me alone.

I should have left when I had the chance.

“Come on,” Levi grumbles, gesturing toward my little cabin. “Let’s pack up your essentials and get you squared away in a room in the big house.

There’s not really any arguing with that. Levi already starts walking toward the cabin, leaving me no chance to even bring up a protest.

“What if I don’t want to move into the big house?” I ask, my voice starting to shake.

He pauses and looks at me over my shoulder. “Why wouldn’t you? It’s safer.”

For me, maybe, but not for them. “I like having my own space,” I try.

“You’ll have your own room,” he counters, frowning. “It’s big enough, you could avoid everyone if you wanted to. Trust me. I do.”

I hesitate. “I think I should stay in my cabin.”

He turns back fully toward me and steps close, his fingers on my chin to tip it up. He’s so tall compared to me, my neck has to crane back almost painfully. “What is it, sunflower?”

“I just don’t want to inconvenience anyone,” I whisper.

His eyes trace my face, studying it, and I can tell he doesn’t exactly believe me. “No inconvenience. You’re staying over there so we can better protect you. Not only will Dakota not allow you to stay anywhere else, I won’t.” He releases my chin and instead takes my hand. “Now come on. We can do this fast.”

We spend only about fifteen minutes getting everything. Levi makes quick work of shoving everything he can find into my suitcases and starts dragging them to the house. He leaves the toiletries to me, letting me gather it all. William dances around when Naomi brings him back in, sniffing at the bag in the search of a sleeping Fuzz, but he’s mostly happy, even if he’s distressed when Levi comes back and takes his litterbox and cat supplies. Within the hour, he has me in a large room in the big house and leaves me to get settled.

I stare at my chaotic overflowing bags shoved in the corner in the big, clean room. Terror claws at my throat. The danger they’re all taking on for me is so large, I don’t know how I could ever repay them. And will it ever stop? As long as I’m here, will the Crows always come? Will they continue to search for me as long as I’m alive?

Will they kill the people I care about?

The answer is yes. They won’t hesitate to kill the people I care about to make a point. And the point is that they want me. The boss, whoever he is, wants me. I don’t know why it’s so important to them, why this is some great thing, but it is. Here I am, on the run from a gang on the other side of the country, and they just keep coming. I’m in the middle of fucking nowhere and they still found me. Where could I even go?

I realize now it was probably a mistake to stop here. I should have known not to get close to anyone. Stupid. This was so fucking stupid!

I glance over at William where he sits on top of a dresser, my eyes taking him in. “This was a bad idea, William,” I rasp. “I think we’re gonna have to leave.”

He meows in answer, and maybe it’s my imagination, but it sounds sad.

“I know you don’t wanna leave,” I croak, tears springing to my eyes. “I don’t wanna leave either, but I think we have to. To protect the ones we care about.”

I look at the suitcases shoved full of my clothing and sigh. I won’t be able to take it all this time. I’ll never get so many bags past the guys. A single bag is all I’ll be able to take. William and a single bag. I’ll figure out the rest later.

I move over and start shoving essentials into a small duffel bag. Clothing, toiletries, William’s favorite toy. It all goes in until I can’t fit anything else. It’s already late, but it’ll be a few hours yet before everyone goes to sleep. So I sit on the edge of the bed and wait, my mind running rampant with thoughts.

They’ll never forgive me for leaving. No matter how much I explain it was for their own protection.

At some point, someone knocks on the door. “Kate? You asleep?”

Wiley. He doesn’t try to open the door. He just waits for an answer and when none comes, I hear his boot steps disappear as he moves to his own room and goes inside. The house settles into quiet, and I know it’s only a matter of time before we can leave. I wait at least an hour before I hoist up my bag and scoop a sleepy William into my arms. Fuzz hangs in his satchel on the bedpost with a note explaining that I don’t know how to take care of him and to ask Wiley to please give him a good life. I also apologize in that letter, but I can’t think of that right now. I can’t think of how many times I wrote I love you, or that I had to write the note three times because of the tears that kept staining it. That doesn’t matter now. I need to leave. I have to.

I crack open my bedroom door and listen. When I hear no sounds, I ease it open on thankfully quiet hinges and step into the hallway. The floorboards creak every now and then. Each time they do, I pause and wait to see if anyone comes out to investigate. When no one does, I continue, William being thankfully silent in my arms, as if he knows what’s at stake right now. If we make it out of here without anyone knowing, it’ll be a wonder.

I stick to the edges of the stairs to avoid the steps that creak. I don’t know which ones are the ones that make noise, so I do my best not to step on any of them in the center to avoid the entire matter. I reach the bottom and take a deep breath, gathering my senses before rounding the corner. . .

. . . and freezing.

Before me, Dakota sits in a chair, a shotgun across his lap, his eyes hard on me. Levi is leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen, his eyes heated. Wiley is lying on the couch, not asleep, but barely moving.

Dakota leans forward. “And where exactly do you think you’re going, darlin’?” he purrs.

I drop my bag with wide eyes.