Chapter 59
MASON
Ifollow her to the clinic—not home. She drives straight to the veterinary clinic on the east side of town and pulls into the back lot like she's got appointments to keep, patients to see, a normal day to finish.
Like she hasn’t just broken her word to me.
My jaw clenches so hard I feel the muscle jump. I park two spaces down and watch her get out of the truck—movements controlled and professional.
Then I see past all that to the fear cracking the edges of her mask.
I open the door and stride toward her, aware of Shadow right behind me.
“I’m sorry,” she says as she approaches, her hands fisted and her eyes glassy with shock.
Pushing my anger aside, I gently take her arms, keeping some distance between us, just in case. “What happened?”
She looks up at me, regret making her beautiful eyes sad. “I didn’t think I was breaking the rules. I got a call, and I thought it’d just be a routine visit.”
“What happened, Lily?” I ask calmly, like I’m talking to a spooked mare.
She takes a deep breath. “Kelly recognized me.”
Fuck.
Fuck.
Shadow leans against Lily’s legs, offering support, but he looks up at me. The dog knows. He can feel the tension radiating off me in waves—the barely contained need to move, to act, to fix this, and he’s looking at me like he’s wondering what I’m going to do.
I’m going to make sure my girl is safe.
Stroking up and down her arms, I look her in the eye. “Tell me everything from the beginning. What were you doing at Turner Ranch?”
“My job,” she says with reassuring feistiness. Then she blows out a breath and begins again, more calmly. “I got a call about a bull. I didn’t think it’d be a problem since I was only going to see the animal. I examined it and I was leaving, but then Kelly came over.”
If he put a hand on her, he’s a dead man. “And?”
“He asked if he’d seen me before. I tried to play it like it was just at the bar, but then he remembered me from back then.” She fists her hands in my shirt. “He remembered I was the one who got away, and to prove it he grabbed my arm to look for the tattoo.”
He’s a dead man.
I shutter my thoughts, trailing my hand down to her wrist. “He did hurt you?” Not that it matters because he’s already targeted as far as I’m concerned.
“No.” She exhales again, her grip on my tightening. “He asked about you. He asked if we were together. Did I put you in danger? I don’t want that.”
My heart pings that she’s worried about me. I brush her cheek softly. “You don’t need to worry about me, pretty girl. You’re the one we need to protect.”
She clears her throat, trying to mask her fear, not knowing I can see it clear as day. “He’s going to tell Turner, isn’t he? I’m going to have to leave Iron Ridge.”
“No you don’t.” No fucking way was she leaving me. “We’ll handle this. You’ve got me now, but you’ve also got Jake and Luke.”
She shakes her head. “They don’t know me. Why would they bother? My own parents didn’t do anything for me after I came back.”
I frown. “They’re still alive?”
Nodding, she says, “When I came back, they said they couldn’t look at me without thinking about what had happened to Mandy. My dad thought it’d be better if I didn’t see them, because my mom’s health was delicate. So they moved away.”
The fuckers. Not that my parents had been better, but this was Lily. I lift her chin up. “Want me to go take them out?”
A hint of a smile breaks. “Mason.”
I’m not really joking.
The humor fades from her expression, leaving a fierce warrior goddess look. “I’m afraid if Kelly knows I’m here, he’ll disappear again, and so will Turner. I can’t let that happen, not because of me. I need to get Kelly, Mason.”
“I know you do.” I pull her closer, needing to hold her. “And you will, but not alone. Not with your cover blown, and not with the possibility of Turner's people actively hunting you.”
She opens her mouth to argue, but I'm done with words. My hand slides into her hair and I tilt her head up to look at me.
Her breath catches, her lips parting.
Good.
“I want to kiss you.” The confession feels like it's being ripped out of me. I grapple with the need to grip her tighter, keeping my hands loose. “I want to make it so clear that you're mine that no one would dare touch you. But I can't do any of that if something happens to you, Lily.”
She's staring at me like she's never seen me before.
“You're under my skin,” I say quietly, staring into her eyes. “You've been under my skin since the first time I saw you walk into the Rusty Spur. I will not lose you.”
“Mason—”
“So you don't get to dismiss this.” I lower my head to make sure she sees I mean business. “You don't get to pretend Kelly recognizing you doesn't matter. You don't get to keep operating like you're invincible when we both know you're not.”
Her brow furrows. “What do you want me to do?”
“Come to the ranch.” The words are out before I can consider them, but the moment I hear them out loud, I know it’s the right move.
Lily blinks. “What?”
“Blackthorn Ranch. Come stay with me. It's fortified. It's protected. Jake and Luke are there. Emma’s there. I'm there.” I hold her gaze. “At the ranch, Kelly won't be able to reach you.”
Her chin sets stubbornly. “I'm not hiding.”
“I'm not asking you to hide.” My voice gentles. “I'm asking you to operate from a position of strength instead of being afraid you’re walking into a trap every time you go home.”
She's silent for a long moment. I can see the war playing out behind her eyes—the need for independence battling against the tactical reality of what I'm saying. The part of her that's spent thirteen years trusting no one warring with the part of her that's starting to trust me.
I wait. I don't push. I just hold her gaze and let her see exactly how serious I am about this.
“Okay,” she says quietly. “Okay, I'll come.”
I exhale, not realizing I'd been holding my breath. “Okay. Good.”