Chapter 32
Sawyer
I’ve had a few panic attacks in my life.
Once, when I was younger and learned that my birth mom had surrendered me to the state but not my siblings.
And again when the doctor told me I’d go blind before I hit forty.
That’s the only reason I know that Jules is deep in a panic attack when she freezes.
I can sense it. Her pulse flutters painfully, her breathing slows, and she’s not talking.
“Pick her up,” I instruct Oak. “She’s about to lose it.”
Oak does as I tell him, scooping her into his arms and moving faster. We’re practically running now. When we make it to the truck, we make record time of getting her inside.
“Everything okay?”
The voice behind us makes me curse, but when I see it’s only Dakota Steele with his partner, Kate, under his arm, I relax a little.
“Trouble,” I say.
Dakota tenses. “What kind of trouble?”
I glance at Jules in the back seat where she stares, wide eyed and blank, straight ahead. “I don’t know yet. But bad trouble.”
Oak climbs into the driver’s seat and starts the truck, hitting the panel out his window to let us know we need to go.
“When you figure it out, give me a call,” Dakota says. “I’d hate for Kate to lose her favorite cheese. And Naomi mentioned she rather likes your new friend, Jules.”
Kate glances up at him lovingly and then peers around the door. “Do you need anything for her?”
I grimace. “I don’t know yet.”
She nods. “Let me know. I’ll send Naomi out there tomorrow if I can’t get there. There’s a whole town behind you. The thirteen stick together.”
“We will. Thank you,” I say, before hopping into the backseat with Jules.
Oak makes record time back to Udder Nonsense Farm and honestly, as we drive through the gate and the cattle guards, I realize we don’t exactly have the most secure set up.
There’s no need out here usually, but clearly, we’ve lapsed on that, especially with all the trouble that seems to find Steele lately. I’ll need to address it right away.
Only once we’re back at the farm do we gather her out of the truck and cart her inside the big house. Oak sets her on the couch, but she doesn’t move, her eyes focused on the wall. I can hear her shallow breathing and know that she’s going to devolve quickly if we don’t do something.
I take a seat in front of her and take her hands. “Jules?” Her head turns toward me so I assume she’s looking at me. “What’s going on?”
The dam collapses and I smell her tears before I hear them. I wrap her in my arms, holding onto her as she starts to talk.
“My name is Juliet Ward,” she chokes out.
“I’ve been on the run for four years. That man at the carnival is the man my father arranged a marriage for me with.
He isn’t a good man. He has ties to something called the 27 Foundation and .
. . oh god.” Her voice cuts off. “He’s found me,” she whispers. “He’s found me.”
Foreboding hangs heavy in the air. I know who the Wards are, but I never connected that Juliet was one of those Wards.
It seemed a common enough last name, I didn’t immediately think she’d be related to them, let alone the fucking heir.
Senator Ward recently announced his run for president the next go around.
He’s powerful, and if she’s running from him .
. . This is bad. This is really bad. “Jules,” I murmur, squeezing her hand. “What will he do when he finds you?”
It’s Oak that sees her expression. I can’t see but I can feel it.
It’s worse than I thought.
“Christ,” Oak whispers.