Chapter 58

Part of me worried that it would be too much for Kate, that we would be too much, but although she came out sore the next day, she didn’t seem anything but herself. The way she’d blushed when our eyes had met made me want to take her again, right there in front of everyone. I restrained myself only because she needs to eat. She spent a lot of energy last night, first with us and then with Dakota, and after the two weeks of cattle drive, she’s gonna be exhausted for quite some time.

Dakota acts like his normal self, as he always does, despite the way he’d slept curled around her last night. I don’t even think he realizes how much Kate heals each of us. For me, it’s not nearly as soul deep. For Levi, it’s about him feeling like he has something to offer again, like he can be her sunshine. For Dakota, it’s something else.

It’s feeling as if his darkness isn’t a flaw.

We’ve all seen some shit, and Dakota most of all. He’s always been the protector, of us, of Kate, of everyone on this ranch. Having someone want to protect him back besides just the two of us, it’s healing him.

Just as she heals us all.

We’re in the middle of breakfast when there’s a notification that someone’s at the gate. When I pull up the cameras, it’s only a single guy, his posture crumpled in on himself, his body frail.

“What the fuck?” I say, handing my phone to Dakota. “What’s this you think?”

Dakota frowns. “Ask him what he wants.”

Kate is sitting a few chairs down, happily digging into her breakfast of pancakes and eggs. Naomi always outdoes herself with meals and the pancakes come in a variety of regular, blueberry, and strawberry. They’re delicious as always, not like her cherry moonshine. I could never have any of that again and be happy, but she’s proud of it, so I drink it.

“Hey,” I say into my speaker, knowing he’ll be able to hear through the intercom. “What business you got here?”

The man stumbles over to the intercom and I get a good look at his bludgeoned face. He has two black eyes, but one of them is swollen shut. He’s clearly been beaten recently, and a lot, but he’s not someone I recognize.

“I’m looking for Kate,” he grunts, his voice strained. “Kate, are you in there?”

Kate jerks up, her eyes widening. “That’s Josh.” At my questioning gaze, she adds, “My ex.”

“What do you want?” I ask the man, my hatred for him growing by the second. Kate had told us what he’d done, that this was all his fault because of some gambling debts. Apparently, those caught up with him.

“I need to talk to Kate,” he grunts. “Please.”

Kate meets my eyes. “What do you think?”

I shrug. “I say we go out there and see what he says.”

We all look at Dakota as he sits, contemplating the situation. “We go,” he finally says. “But we keep the gate closed and we don’t get close enough for him to grab Kate.”

We nod and stand, breakfast forgotten.

It’s such a shame, too. The blueberry pancakes are amazing today.

We all climb in a side-by-side and head out, some of the others following behind in another. Everyone is armed. When I tuck a small handgun into Kate’s hand, she looks up at me in question.

“just in case,” I whisper. “Safety is here.”

She nods and tucks it away, her eyes worried, but her chin held up strong.

“You gonna be okay?” I ask, worried for her.

“Yeah,” she answers. “I’ll be fine. I never really cared for him much. It was only a year long stressful relationship and when he stole from me, that ruined any feelings I might have still had. With this Crow business, it makes me hate him.”

I shrug. “I didn’t mean if you liked him. You just seem worried.”

She meets my eyes. “For you. For the three of you.”

Warmth fills my chest and I tug her closer. “We’ll be fine, Katie Cat.”

Dakota gets in no hurry as he pulls up about fifty feet from the gate. We all walk forward as a unit, stopping about ten feet from the gate where Josh stands with his hands hanging over it, waiting. His eyes look just as terrible in person as they do on camera. I forget I didn’t warn Kate about his appearance until she covers her mouth.

“What the hell happened to you?” she asks, her eyes taking in his appearance.

“I need your help, babe,” he rasps, his body clearly hurt. He’s wearing a baggy jacket zipped up despite the weather, his clothes all hanging from him as if he lost a lot of weight recently. “I need your help real bad.”

“I can’t help you,” she says.

“And don’t call her babe,” I growl.

Josh’s eyes go to me and take in the way I stand close to Kate before he does the same to Levi and Dakota. I see the moment it dawns on him.

“Wow,” he says, chuckling darkly. “And here I thought you were picky about who you fucked, Kate. Hillbillies? Really?”

Kate stiffens. “If that’s all you came here to do, you can leave.”

She turns and he holds out his hand. “No! Wait! I. . . really do need your help.”

“With what?” she asks, her eyes narrowed on him. I can feel her unease though and her guilt. “Who hurt you?”

“Who do you think?” he laughs. “When I couldn’t pay my debts and you ran, they weren’t happy with me. In fact, they nearly killed me.”

Guilt flashes in her eyes despite the hell this man has caused her. But that’s Kate. She never wanted anyone to get hurt, but she had to do what she had to do. That’s life.

“I’m sorry for your suffering, Josh,” she says. “I never wanted that, but you threw me to the Crows, and I couldn’t let that happen.” She straightens. “I can’t help you. You should leave.”

He sighs. “I thought you’d say that,” he rasps, his head hanging in defeat as he slides to his knees. We can see him through the gate panel clearly. It doesn’t really stop people from crawling through, only cars from driving in. “You always were a worthless bitch,” he says.

Anger fills me at the insult, but fear quickly follows when he tugs open his jacket and reveals the bomb strapped to his chest. I spent enough time in Afghanistan that I recognize it. Panic fills me.

“Bomb!” I scream, grabbing Kate and throwing her to the ground before immediately covering her with my body.

I hear the shouts of everyone else, hear their panic, but there’re literal seconds before the bomb beeps. I cover as much of Kate as I possibly can before the explosion rocks the air around us.

I grunt in pain when I’m peppered with small bits of shrapnel.

Beneath me, Kate begins to scream, but it fades when the ringing in my ears takes over.