Chapter One

L ivia walked straight up to a big construction worker sitting at her bar and tapped him on the shoulder. "Everyone out. Sorry."

Swinging his gaze to her, he lowered the burger from his mouth. "What?"

"I need you to leave. Your friends too. There's a problem with the…um…building." She searched her brain to come up with an excuse to back her lie.

He set his burger on his plate. "You want me to check anything out? I am in construction."

The last thing she needed was heroics. The urgent necessity to get all the lunch customers out of her bar made her stomach cramp. Only minutes before, one of her dear friends had been kidnapped—right here, in the parking lot behind her bar.

She shoved a foam takeout container at him. "No, no. I've got a contract with a service provider through the insurance company. You can take your food with you."

Quickly, she moved down the line of barstools, passing out the containers as fast as possible.

Livia's stomach burned with fear for her friend. She and Ivy didn't get a lot of time for things like pedicures or girl talk, but they always had each other's back. That sinking sensation in her stomach was a heavy reminder that she had failed her friend.

How could she know that, after picking up enough food for the entire Gracey Ranch, Ivy never made it to her truck?

Rushing to the exit, she held open the door. "Everyone out now!"

People began to file past her, looking confused, carrying their boxes of food.

"Thanks for coming. Make sure to come back later in the week."

Would Badlands Bar and Distillery even be open later this week? The cops could shut it down. After all, it was a crime scene.

As the crew of regulars ambled past her, she slapped a bright smile on her face. But her stomach wobbled with fear.

Ivy was gone .

Her truck was still out there, the food dropped on the ground. When one of the guys from the Gracey Ranch told her what happened… Well, Livia couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Until she opened the back door a crack and peeked out to see for herself. Sure enough, Ivy's truck with the Gracey Ranch logo was parked there.

Livia had a suspicion that someone was lurking around, keeping an eye on it. If Livia were a criminal, she'd be watching.

After the last patron left, she did a quick sweep of the back of the bar to make sure no one lingered. With a lot of trepidation in her throat, she peered out all the windows too.

Undecidedly, she turned in a circle. Everything about her bar was the same as usual—it smelled like beer and the rum she distilled on Wednesdays. Each morning she tidied up, wiped down the tables and mopped the floor.

But everything was wrong.

She rushed to the back door and paused, hand hovering over the handle. Her fingers trembled.

Should she take another look outside? It wasn't like the kidnapper would return Ivy, no matter how much of a pain in the ass her friend could be.

Even that thought didn't make her smile.

She strode to her office and leaned over the desk. Only occasionally did Livia pull up the footage from her security cameras placed on the perimeter of the building. Usually to see if someone who'd had a few too many had caused damage to personal property or a vehicle.

She was glad she had the security system in place, but she dreaded what she would see.

She pulled up the view of the parking lot on the screen.

At that very moment, a guy pulled in.

Without hesitating even a heartbeat, Ivy whipped around and pulled the gun and her Taser out of the desk drawer. Both were hand-me-downs from her late father. He always told her that if one didn't work against a threat, then use the other.

Movement on the screen caught her eye. A man had jumped out of his vehicle and was walking with purpose toward Ivy's truck.

In three long strides, Livia reached the door. She threw it open just in time to see the man swipe something off the ground.

Oh god. It looked like Ivy's purse. How had Livia missed it before?

The guy jumped in his vehicle and took off, tires peeling when he reached the road.

Gripping the gun in one hand and the Taser in the other, Livia barely got a chance to gain her wits before another vehicle turned into the parking lot.

What was going on? They sent two guys to fix the bad kidnapping job?

She darted behind the dumpster and pressed her back against the wall of the bar. Chest heaving, she listened hard.

Footsteps grated on the asphalt parking lot. The man wore cowboy boots, if she had to guess by the sound.

Compiling clues in her brain, she stole a peek around the edge of the dumpster. The man walked away from an old beat-up blue car, striding with purpose toward Ivy's truck.

Before she could consider her actions, Livia leaped out from behind the dumpster. When she closed the short gap between them, she held her Taser at the ready.

The electronic current struck the man in the ribs, and he hit the ground. His scream got cut off by the electricity arcing through his body.

She let off the taser, and he rolled onto his hands and knees. Feet away, a truck was still idling with a driver who'd dropped him off—to get Ivy's truck? She clenched her fingers around the grip of her handgun.

"Dammit! Fucking woman!" The guy tried to heave himself to his feet, and Livia darted forward, prepared to hit him with the electrical current again.

He leaped up. The icy silver flash of a blade whipped past her vision as he pulled a knife on her.

But she had a gun.

He lunged at her with the blade. She jumped back and fired a shot in the same movement.

Blood spurted from his lower leg, and it buckled underneath him. He collapsed with a bellow.

Then Livia swung toward the driver. Behind the windshield between them, his eyes widened.

Livia lifted the weapon and aimed it right between his eyes. She wasn't good with the physics or trajectory of a bullet through glass, but she was pretty sure her aim would be true.

The man writhing and bleeding on the ground picked himself up, limped to the side of the truck and threw himself into the bed.

The driver took off. Livia didn't shift her glare from the taillights, and she definitely wasn't going to lower her weapon. If they came back, she had enough rounds in the chamber to take them both out.

When the driver laid on the gas to make a getaway, they left black marks on the pavement.

Livia watched them go, prepared to squeeze that trigger just like her daddy taught her to do back at the gun range when she was fifteen.

As the truck disappeared, she tried to make out the license plate but could only get the first two digits before they vanished out of sight.

Her hand wavered. All at once, her muscles seemed to give out, and her arm swung to her side, the gun loosely gripped in her hand.

The next few minutes were a blur, but she managed to go back inside her bar and lock the door. She laid the weapons on her desk and pulled out her phone. When her friend's boyfriend plugged his number into Livia's contacts, she never thought she'd actually need it.

"C-Colton?"

"Livia. What happened?"

"They came back and took Ivy's purse. Someone else came and tried to take her truck too."

"Tried to?" His tone was low, deadly.

"I stopped them."

"Fuck! Lock yourself in the bar, Livia. Don't open the door for anyone but me. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Her legs folded, and she sat down hard on her desk chair.

"I'll be there soon."

He ended the call. Livia stared at her phone screen for several heartbeats before turning her attention to the security footage again.

The parking lot looked empty. To a bar owner, no customers meant no money earned. With high overhead costs, that was very bad. Payroll came at the end of the week. She had shipments of alcohol arriving and invoices to be paid. Her rum distillery business hadn't taken off the way her father expected, which meant the bar carried the secondary business.

When Colton appeared on the security camera, she leaped out of her chair and rushed to let him in.

He took her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. "You're okay? Not hurt?"

She shook her head. Her friend Meadow was so lucky to have a man like Colton in her life. And Ivy had Hunter. God, the man must be going out of his mind.

Livia had never felt so alone.

"Let me have a look at the footage." Colton released her and moved behind her desk.

After a minute of replaying the video, he met her gaze.

"What is it?" She wet her dry lips with her equally dry tongue. She owned a bar. She should never be thirsty.

His gaze burned into her. "You were brave as hell, woman. But you just made yourself a target. You need a bodyguard."

* * * * *

Carver Wolfe had no business being on a ranch. While the place was scenic, and quieter than any place he'd ever stayed, he had only come because of his men. Colton and Hunter had come to take care of business on the ranch that their late friend, Forest Gracey, had talked so much about.

Wolfe had been back with his fellow SEALs for all of a few hours and they had already stepped on a landmine. But he had their six.

He met the gazes of his men. At least he thought of Colton and Hunter as his men—they were practically babies when they joined the SEAL team that made them into men. He'd watched them grow as warriors and took pride in shaping them into the badasses who stood before him.

"What the hell have you gotten yourselves into?"

Colton filled his chest with air.

"I see there's a story. There always is. I've been here for hours now, and nobody's told me a fucking thing. Debrief me, guys. I'm ready." Carver wagged his fingers to coax the tale out of Colton. Since Colton was always known for bucking authority, Carver could guess that he'd stepped into quicksand.

Hunter issued a grunt. "We'd hoped to welcome you to the Gracey before throwing you into the flames, but there isn't time. A woman's in trouble."

At that, Carver stiffened. "What kind of trouble?"

He already knew half of it. The woman Hunter had claimed as his had been kidnapped. The men got her back and returned to the ranch with her just as Carver arrived.

The breeze kicked up into what could only be called a stiff blast of wind, and he caught the scent of nature in a way he hadn't experienced before. He was well-traveled when it came to foreign countries. Deserts and jungles he knew, but the country felt foreign.

Lush fields with cattle in the distance were framed by the stark steely gray of the mountains. Thick, dark evergreens filled the space in between. Yeah, he'd never seen anything like this place.

"Short story is that a woman in town requires protection." Colton scrubbed a hand over his face.

"Who's after her?"

Hunter's expression hardened, and he curled his fists. "The guys who kidnapped Ivy returned for her purse. When they came for her truck, the bar owner put a bullet in one."

"Jesus. Tough woman."

"Country girls are a breed of their own, at least around these parts." Colton sent a look toward the house.

In the few hours since Carver stepped foot on the Gracey Ranch, he saw for himself that their buddy Forest hadn't been exaggerating when he told him that his father had been fucking things up in Montana.

"Sounds like you guys are in a world of shit. What do you need me to do?"

Hunter and Colton traded a look.

Colton spoke first. "We need someone at the saloon to protect the owner. Her name's Livia, and she owns Badlands."

Hunter gripped Carver by the shoulder. "Your timing is as impeccable as always, Wolfman. Once again, you've lived up to your reputation. How many times did you come out of nowhere and save one of us?"

His own burning torment ripped through his chest. Not often enough.

His one regret was that he couldn't save them all . So many friends lost. Men with mommas at home, devasted by the news that their sons died, even as heroes.

At least he could keep telling himself the part about their being heroes. Operation Nicklaus was the worst screw-up Carver ever had the misfortune to be a part of.

How many times had he asked himself, if he had to do it again, would he join the fight or run for it? Without question he had gained a new nightmare every night, but not even that would stop him from leading his men during the strike.

Someone had to look out for them—same as his reason for being here now.

Instead of responding to the question, he directed one of his own at Hunter. "I see they saved the leg."

With a nod, Hunter rubbed his palm over his thigh absently, a faraway expression in his eyes. "You're perfect for this job. You're new in town. Nobody knows you, and you don't have any ties to the ranch."

He cocked a brow. "I understand the woman needs a bodyguard, but are you sure that's a good call? I might be of better use to you here."

Hunter cleared his throat and shot another glance toward the house. If Carver had to guess, his brother-in-arms was itchy to return to Forest's little sister, Ivy.

Carver took in his surroundings. Too many outbuildings dotted the ranch. Too many places to hide. Without more men, they didn't stand a chance of securing the ranch. They all knew too well that it only took one armed man hiding in a building and everyone was dead.

Hunter swung his attention to Carver. "Believe me, Wolfman, we could use your skills here. But we can't keep watch over the bar too, and Livia's plastered a target on her back by getting involved."

A sudden idea floated to the surface of his mind. "Three of us are already here. Why not send for more of the team?"

The guys stared at him with blank looks.

"Call Ledger."

Their buddy had been with them in every battle damn near since the beginning. Through thick and thin, Ledger was their guy. Last Carver knew, though, he took off to the mountains of California and nobody had heard from him in months.

Colton steeled his spine. "Think he'll come?"

"Ledger sticks to himself, but he's always got our six."

The guys nodded.

"Give me the coordinates and I'll head to this bar. Good thing I haven't unpacked yet."

Colton compressed his lips. "Livia is strong, but she's stubborn too. Her only worry is for her friends—Forest's sisters. She didn't believe me when I told her that the trouble is headed for her and won't just stick to the Gracey."

The guys spoke of the ranch with an undertone of fondness that he'd never heard from them before. From what Forest had shared with him, Carver knew it was a special place—but he got the feeling that the rancher's daughters had more to do with Colton and Hunter's ties to the place.

In minutes, he was in his truck, following the long, winding road that circled the mountain and led to a small town called Eden. When he pulled into the packed parking lot of Badlands, he let out a groan.

His buddies weren't kidding when they said that Livia was stubborn. The woman hadn't even closed the bar. The parking lot was full, which meant the inside was packed with people who could attack her any moment.

Grabbing his duffel, Carver set off across the parking lot of Badlands Bar and Distillery. Before he ever reached the front door, loud music reached him.

A huge, muscled guy stood sentry at the entrance. As far as Carver was concerned, the guy didn't have enough brain power to protect a flea. He'd seen guys like this before—all brawn and no tactical abilities. All the bouncer seemed capable of doing was throwing a punch.

Carver eyed him. "Livia inside?"

His brows shot up. "Who's askin'?"

"Her new bouncer."

Narrowing his eyes, he folded his thick arms over his chest. Carver's arms were thicker, his chest broader, but he didn't need to flex.

"Livia said you can go for the night."

Now the guy appeared confused. Just as Carver thought—he wasn't too bright. Which was dangerous. If he was so easily led, he was useless to a woman who had somebody after her.

"She didn't tell you I was coming? That's just like her. Look, I'm sure she'll pay your night's wages." He clapped a hand on the bouncer's shoulder. "I got this."

He stood there a moment, mulling it over. Then he shrugged and walked off into the parking lot.

"Good choice," Carver muttered under his breath.

That was far easier than it should've been. The bouncer should have put up a huge fight and at least attempted to rip off Carver's head.

He'd bet anything that Livia hadn't told her employees about shooting a man earlier.

He walked into Badlands. Moving through the crowd of bodies, he arrowed straight for the bar. In his experience, the owners liked to sit back and watch their customers drop money on the drinks that paid their bills.

When he saw a skinny waitress walk up to a redhead behind the bar and start waving her hands in animated conversation, he looked harder.

The redhead squeezed her forearm and then gave it a pat. Then she took the tray of empty glasses from her and set it aside. In distress, relief or both, the waitress threw her arms around the woman in a big hug.

The redhead patted her back in a genuine way, though she wore a surprised expression.

Carver walked up to a guy seated at the corner of the bar and gave him a nudge. He looked up from his shot glass.

"Is the redhead the owner?"

He glanced around at the woman, eyes glazed with inebriation, and bobbed his head in a nod.

Wordlessly, Carver walked right behind the bar and stepped up to the woman.

She broke away from the waitress and reached for a baseball bat propped within reach.

If she didn't look so worried, he might have chuckled.

He dropped his duffel. "You Livia?"

Annoyance pinched her pale red brows as she glared up at him, fingers curled around the handle of the bat. "Who the hell are you?"

"Your new bouncer."

She cocked one hip forward, showing off the petite curve of her waist wrapped in a black cotton apron. "I already have a bouncer."

"Yeah…I sent him home."

"What!" She shoved her way around Carver, pushing her way through the crowded bar to reach the front.

He tailed her, amused by her shocked outrage but irritated that she'd take risks with her life after what she'd been through.

Reaching the entrance, she swung her head left and right. "Dammit!"

When she whirled to go back inside, she barreled right into Carver. Hitting his chest hard, she issued a loud grunt. "Oof!"

He gripped her by the shoulders to steady her.

"How dare you dismiss my bouncer! Who the hell are you anyway?" Sparks shot from her eyes like burning sapphires.

"You can call me Wolfe. Colton Nox sent me to guard you."