Chapter 58
JAKE
The drive back to Blackthorn is quiet.
I've been running perimeter checks on the north pasture, assessing fence lines and checking the new motion sensors Mason installed last week. Operational tasks. The kind of work that keeps my hands busy and my mind sharp.
Shadow perches on the passenger seat, his head hanging out the window, tongue lolling. He's settled into ranch life better than any of us expected—follows Mason around like he's found his person, sleeps in the barn most nights, and only occasionally tries to herd the nonexistent cattle.
My phone buzzes in the cupholder.
I have my phone read it to me through the Bluetooth speakers in the truck.
Ace
Installation complete at Circle H. System's live.
Good. I exhale, the relief tangible. I may not like Emma being over there alone, but at least now I can rest a little easier.
I focus on the road. The ranch comes into view—ten thousand acres of Montana wilderness that's supposed to be our future. With horses now. Our way out of the life we left behind.
Mason, Luke, and I will have to discuss what we want to do about Hendrick’s offer, but I have a feeling we’re going to do it. I have Emma, and Mason has his horses now. But Luke? Luke left bored causes destruction. His nickname is Riot after all.
I park the truck near the barn and let Shadow out. He bolts toward the house, probably looking for Luke or food. I follow at a slower pace, my mind already shifting to the next task—Emma coming home.
The kitchen smells like chocolate when I walk in.
Shadow’s at his bowl, lapping water. Luke's leaning against the counter, a mug in one hand, his phone in the other. There’s a pan of brownies cooling on the counter. He looks up when I enter, his expression unreadable.
"Thought you were picking up supplies," I say, heading for the coffee pot.
"Did that already." He looks at me over the rim of his mug. "Stopped by Iron Ridge Diner on the way back. Figured I'd grab lunch."
“I hope Emma didn’t see you.”
“Please.” He makes a dismissive sound. “Who do you take me for? An amateur?”
Shaking my head, I pull open a drawer and take out a knife. "So you stopped at the diner. And?"
"A guy sat down with Emma and Officer Hot Stuff.”
I raise my brow. “Officer Hot Stuff?”
He shrugs carelessly. “Harper Garrett fills out her uniform good.”
I move the brownie pan and begin cutting into it. Luke doesn’t cook often or much, but his brownies? Fucking amazing. “Fucking the sheriff’s daughter will only get you run out of town.”
“Sounds like fun, right?” He grins. But then he sobers. “The guy who sat down with them looked familiar, so I came back and looked through the files. It was Eli Turner’s brother, Cole.”
My hand stills mid-cut. "Describe him."
“Six-three, maybe six-four. Built like a linebacker. Wool coat and dark slacks, custom, expensive. Drove a black Silverado 3500, new, fully loaded. Montana plates.”
Fuck. Certainly sounds like Cole Turner.
Luke’s eyes narrow. “He didn’t ask to sit. He just took the seat like it was his. Officer Hot Stuff shut down. Got real careful.”
“And Emma?” I ask tightly, setting the knife down.
“Emma went still, like she knew exactly who she was looking at and what he could do.”
My mind shifts immediately into operational mode.
Threat assessment: Cole Turner is bigger than Eli, smarter, more controlled. He's not a small-town bully—he's a businessman with resources and connections. If he's confronting Emma directly, he's escalating. If he's trying to draw on her fear to get her to make a move he can exploit.
Threat level: Lethal.
Response: Eliminate.