1. Chapter One

Chapter One

Dante Carrillo, the suave former head of the crime family of the same name, walked along the road in front of the cabins, listening intently to the forewoman of the construction crew as she told him how many more workers' cabins could be added.

"There is great flat space at either end that would need minimal bulldozing before we could build," Jody Mitchel said as she gave Dante another tour of the place.

Roland Brady, the architect, was looking over his tablet as he stood in the field off to the south of the cabins. "Dante," he said as Dante sauntered over to him. "I think Jody is onto something. These cabins are great, but we can fit in a lot more. It would save the people working here a ton of money if they didn't have to rent or buy homes nearby."

"I love the idea. I'd like them to feel like the homes are theirs, however. It would serve two purposes. For one, they are more secure, happier, but it would also save on upkeep if they took care of it on their own. If they can, of course."

"Lovely idea," Roland agreed, sticking the tablet between his legs so he could get his long, curly hair into a ponytail as the wind was whipping it in his face. "We're already building thirty guest cabins, so after those are finished, that same crew can come here and build a series of cabins for the workers. Some could be two-story, for those with kids, adding an extra bedroom or two."

"Roland, how are you doing all this? I'm overwhelmed and I couldn't draw a stick figure house."

Roland preened at the compliment. "It was overwhelming, I'll grant you, but the more I do it, the easier it gets. I just have about a hundred folders in all my computers and tablets."

"I'm sure," Dante gave him with a smooth chuckle. "Alright, then, you two put your heads together and build more. The families living here, working here, it's what I've dreamed of for this place. The ranch hands are enjoying their private spaces."

"The bunkhouse is completed, too. Adding to it and building the private rooms was a lot easier than we guessed," Roland told him, and that made Dante happy.

"We're rolling right along."

"How's your home?" Jody asked. She hadn't been given that job as she was so busy with the rest of the place. Dante brought in other crews as soon as winter broke to build what had been one home, but had turned into a compound of homes and buildings.

"It's near completion. Thank you for asking. It's beautiful. Blaine's pouring over samples the interior decorator keeps sending him," Dante told them, proud of how his husband, Blaine, had kept on the construction of the compound so Dante could oversee the rest of the resort.

With more plans set in motion, Dante left the cabins and was taken by his driver and bodyguard, Bruno, a tall drink of water with daggers for eyes and the ability to crush a man's throat in a single punch. He'd been trained from the time he was a young man in martial arts, then added more training in the military.

Dante missed his old bodyguard, who'd become like a brother to him. When Nick left him to start a family with his husband Peyton, Dante knew it was time to think about starting his own.

"Bruno, am I insane?" Dante asked from the passenger seat of the SUV. He'd grown tired of hollering from the backseat. The vehicles running over dirt roads made it nearly impossible to hear a conversation from that far.

"You've asked me that most every day, boss."

As he chuckled, he realized Bruno was right. Bruno scratched through his trimmed beard, and Dante asked him, "Well, do you usually answer?"

"Sure, boss, let me tell you how crazy you are. You had a dream and you're seeing it through. Blaine had a dream and you're giving it to him, and they just so happen to be two dreams that could easily become one. So, the money, the time, and trouble you've gone through would make most men crazy. You? I've never seen you happier."

It was true. Dante watched the land outside the window as they passed, the mountains standing all around them, the extensive fields of emerald-green. Serenity is what he'd found on this land. Sure, they'd had some road bumps that would have sent most people running as far and as fast as they could. They'd had a serial killer on the loose when they first began the tedious construction. Still, when the end of the day came, and he could hold his husband as they watched the sunset setting the sky on fire with brilliance…all he felt was serenity.

"Heard from your nephew, boss?"

From his reverie, he was harshly yanked, thinking of Selestino's stubbornness. "He's heading to Colorado as we speak. He's not happy, accusing me of giving him busy work."

Bruno had an amazing laugh, deep and sexy as all hell. Just thinking that, however, made him feel as if he were cheating on his husband. And Blaine would likely feel the same. Smiling, thinking of his jealous husband, he almost missed it when Bruno asked, "Aren't you?"

Bruno was just turning thirty, a mostly quiet man, but deadly. He was speaking more now that he and Dante had been almost constant companions for over a year. "Bruno, don't piss on my parade today."

"Whatever you say, boss."

Dante gazed distractedly at his nails, noticing he needed a manicure. "Bruno, do you think it's over? We have had no one come up missing in months."

"I wouldn't count on it. Once a person starts down a path like that, they don't give up easily."

They were talking about the man, Alex Brooks, who'd kidnapped several people from the area and kept them in a secret panic room in the farmhouse's basement that was formerly occupied by his father, Josiah Harrison.

Since their discovery of it during the winter, they'd freed the captive men and upped their security on the ranch. Still, Dante worried about it almost constantly. "If it wasn't for that, I'd let my nephew come here."

"I get that, boss. I know that's why you won't let him come here. Still, you're treating him like a child, in his estimation. And he feels like a man now."

Dante narrowed his eyes as he stared pointedly at his handsome, deadly bodyguard. "You seem to know a lot about it."

"I can relate. I have two older brothers, much older, and they constantly treated me like a kid. Bullied me, maybe a little, but their friends were worse. So, I started taking karate when I was six. Then other disciplines. I joined the Army Special Forces. I learned to fight for myself, but more importantly, I learned to not have to fight."

"What? You broke cinder blocks instead of faces?"

"Yes, something like that. I see that in you, Dante. Surely, you've had to prove yourself as the gay younger brother of the head of the family, and you did. Did you kill everyone that didn't think you were worthy of the Carrillo name? Fight them all?"

"We wouldn't have had a family left if I'd have done that, so no."

"Proving yourself, you had to. He has to do it now, Dante. You were the younger brother, and he's the third in line, the son. The gay son, to boot."

When Selestino had come out to the family, he'd done it with Dante at his side and his chin high in the air. Defiant, even to those who would support him no matter what. "I guess he has to prove himself, eventually. What do I do?"

"Nothing. I'm guessing he'll show up here. Maybe even under your nose. Let him, just…make sure he's safe."

"You're a good friend, Bruno."

"I'm just a gay kid brother to two very straight men who had to figure out the hard way I wasn't an easy punching bag."

When they got to the ranch, he was greeted by a weary Dallas McIntyre, the ranch manager. A lovely man with a shock of white-blond hair that barely showed under his hat, he shook Dante's hand as he said, "This place is sure coming along."

"It is, it is," Dante sighed. "I'm pretty happy with the progress. Importing more workers, given what happened to the others, wasn't easy."

"You were upfront, which was good. The ones that came aren't shy to show they're brave about it," Dallas admitted, laughing. "Any word on Brooks?"

"None. My contacts with the government say the feds are at a loss as well. The last spotting they think was real was in New Mexico. Straight shot to Mexico. I have a lot of contacts there who are on the lookout for him."

"Good to know. I'm still comforting Ruben from nightmares," Dallas whispered, then looked over to see his partner coming toward them. "Don't mention it."

"Of course not, Dallas." To Ruben, Dante greeted, "How is my favorite ranch hand?"

Ruben's bright smile hid his constant fear of the man who'd terrorized them all. He'd come close to being a victim of him. His dark eyes were always clouded, and it was one reason he wanted to be the one to catch Brooks. To take that from the handsome Latino sweetheart.

"I'm great, Mr. Carrillo. How are you?"

"Dante, Ruben. Dante, remember?"

"I'm sorry. I was raised with manners," he laughed.

"Well, Ruben, Blaine and I will join you and the other workers soon, with a roof over our heads. The house is almost done and if Blaine has anything to say about it, we'll move in before the paint and paneling is on the walls."

"I'm guessing he's tired of that little trailer?"

"It was a rough, cold winter in that thing. No matter that we had the heat on the entire time, that wind…"

Ruben nodded once and confirmed, "It can freeze a person quick."

"Where is Marius?" Dante asked of the couple's third, effectively making them a throuple.

"He's around here somewhere," Dallas said,

"He's at the bunkhouse, talking to Vic about how the sheriff gig is going."

Victoria Meyers was the bunkhouse den mother who recently ran and won the job of sheriff for the small town nearest the ranch, Redbud. "Vic, yes, she's a keeper. Hired another deputy, she told me."

"She's got the place organized better than anyone thought it could be. It frees her up to still work here."

"Good! I'm happy to hear it. Does the ranch need anything?"

Dallas and Ruben looked at each other, and Ruben nodded before Dallas turned back to Dante, took off his hat and said, "Dante…I know you're already putting out a whole lot of money. It's…it's a doctor. We had a hand nearly break his leg, and Jet's doin' a fine job," he said, speaking of the Creek Nation veterinarian that doubled as a doctor for the place. "He's just stretched thin, especially trying to treat the cattle without the usual drugs and such."

Finally, Dante could pat himself on the back for thinking ahead. "I'm hoping to be securing that as we speak, Dallas."