I lied.


    I made up a story about how I was being robbed, how Jake happened to be there and stepped in to save me, and how the guy who was trying to rob us was now sending people after us.


    It made no sense, but my family did not live a life where they saw crime happening in front of them.


    They bought it.


    ra was grumbling, “You need to find the name of this fucker and we can do a background search. I’ve got friends who are online detectives. We call ourselves Cyber Sleuths. You might’ve heard about us. We’ve been featured in documentaries. I bet we could unearth all his dark secrets and ckmail him, get him off your backs that way.”


    Graham was still frowning, sitting on the edge of a chair with Oliver. “Why can’t we call the police? That doesn’t make sense to me. Robbers don’t get all vengeance like this.”


    So they weren’t totally buying it.


    I said quickly, “Uh, it wasn’t just the robber guy. It was his family. They sent two other guys after us. When Jake stepped in, he really messed him up.”


    Bess mumbled, “That sounds like the O’Malleys in Bridger. If one gets crossed, they’re all crossed.”


    ra was nodding. “Your friend must’ve put him in the hospital or aa for them to still be sending people after you.” She breathed in almost awe. “That sounds like some Mafia shit. Didn’t he say a price was on your head? That is like the Mafia.”


    Oh, fuck.


    “The Mafia?” Graham fell backward, but Oliver was there to rub a hand down his back, steadying him.


    Voices were heard suddenly from the other side of the door, along with footsteps and moremotion.


    Oliver crossed the room.


    Everyone followed, huddling up behind him as he opened the door an inch. We jostled so we could see. ra knelt down. Bess pushed her head farther down so she could take ra’s ce, and Graham moved up on the chair beside us, angling to see from a higher point of view. I nudged Oliver to the side so we could share the same space.


    “Oh, Lordie. Who is that?” Bess oohed. “Your man is fine, but so are all of those men. I like the real big one.”


    ra snorted softly. “Get in line. Or I’ll take the other big one with the dark brown skin. He looks like he could handle a roll with Miss ra here. He could eat me for breakfast, which I would find delightful.”


    Oliver stifled augh.


    Graham snickered before he whispered sharply, “Who is that?”


    Oliver agreed. “Mmmmm mmmm.”


    I angled my head a little more so I could see better. Jake moved to the side and two beast-like men came into the room. He motioned and they went upstairs, but another man stepped in behind them. This man was almost startlingly handsome, looking as if he’d stepped out of a boardroom where he was a CEO of a top 100pany that Forbes would cover in their magazine. Caucasian. Square jawline. He was the same height as Jake, with a smoothness that Jake didn’t have. This guy came off smooth and sleek with an aura of danger too.


    “I didn’t call for you.” Jake’s tone was pitched low.


    Jake did not like him.


    The other guy shrugged before lifting his head to look up the stairs. “I was the closer option. Ashton felt speed was more important than made-up grudges—”


    “Fuck made-up.” Jake took a step toward him, his voice rising.


    The other guy registered all of that, his gaze ncing to Jake before doing another longer sweep around the first floor, finding our closed door and holding.


    We all went still.


    He pulled his gaze away, but shifted on his feet so we could see his face. His eyebrows arched. “Do you want to hash out facts from how your brother died or do you want to move forward? Ashton’s kept me abreast. I’m the one whopiled that nice little file you received earlier on our mutual threat.”


    “Oh, fuck off, West,” Jake growled, pulling his gun again. He didn’t raise it, but the gesture was noted by the other man, who grew still. Jake added, “My brother wouldn’t have died if he never met your woman’s fr—”


    “I am done with you ming Jess for what your cousin did—”


    Jake pushed back, not fazed. His words were savage. “Justin would’ve handled it differently if he hadn’t been with her. She’s the reason he was considered a threat.”


    “Your family killed your brother, and they’re the reason why your little girlfriend is locked up in that room over there. Stop putting the me on other houses and start looking within your own.” The other guy was like ice.


    “Trust me. I am.” Jake’s tone sent a shiver down my spine. The tightly held promise of violence and bloodshed. I suppressed a second shiver, feeling the heat from his anger.


    ra and Bess were both panting.


    Oliver noticed and snorted, trying to smother it but failing.


    Graham nced his way and Oliver gestured toward my aunts.


    Some drool was happening.


    A grin cracked on Graham’s face, hisughing eyes finding mine and for a moment, the stifling threat of violence and hatred from the other room dissipated, lifting off my chest.


    I couldn’t hold back a chuckle, but then squeaked and pped a hand over my own mouth.


    “What?” ra was looking between all of us.


    Bess was chewing on her bottom lip, trying not tough too. Her forehead dipped toward the door. “I can’t help it. They are both fine. I don’t know who your new boyfriend is, but Beck is going to shit his pants when he sees him. He walks and breathes violence.” She shared a look with her sister, dropping her voice. “I bet he fucks violence too.”


    “Aunt Bess!”


    Aunt Bess only grinned at me, not admonished one bit.


    “Hmmm mmm.” ra’s head bopped along, agreeing. “The other one looks like he’s from a GQ magazine. They’re both top shelf.”


    Graham’s hand went to his husband’s shoulder. “You aren’t seeing us arguing.”


    “Oh, god. Another one came in.”


    We all looked at Bess’s groan.


    Those four were now enjoying all of this. They weren’t realizing the real danger that was lingering and falling down over me like a fire nket. I didn’t know who those other men were. A part of me didn’t want to know. They belonged to that world. No police badges were being shed.


    That other guy came into the brownstone. Two more men followed him, going upstairs like they’d been told ahead of time where to go.


    ra and Bess were oohing and aahing over thistest addition, and I could see the appeal. He was a little leaner than the Forbes Magazine guy, but he was no less dangerous. He held the same authority and power the other did, but his eyes had a darker and meaner glint in them, matching the smirk on his face. He sped hands with Jake, whose shoulders rxed an inch.


    This guy was who Jake had called. He was the one Jake wanted to be here.


    He walked around to stand in front of Jake and Forbes, his eyes zeroing in on us and staying. He shouldn’t be able to see us. The door was barely open. His smirk went up another notch before his shoulders lowered. He faced the other two, his back now to us and blocking our view. All three of their heads folded together, their voices as well. We couldn’t hear a thing.


    “Fuddruckers.” ra’s mouth twisted in a pout.


    Graham closed the door with a sigh.


    Oliver asked, when we all moved to the couches, “What do you think they’re doing out there?”


    “Cleaning up those bodies.”


    Graham turned ra’s way. “How long does that take? You pick up the bodies and carry them outside, right?”


    She wrinkled her nose, leaning forward on her seat. Both of my aunts were in their sleep kimonos and slippers. Bess was wearing jersey cow slippers with the cow head on top of her feet. ra was wearing fuzzy mingo slippers.


    She tugged up her kimono end so it draped just above her knees, where she rested her elbows. She looked very take-charge, that fierce expression on her face. “Not if they’re cleaning it like pros. Those out there, they look like pros.”


    “What do you mean, pros?” Graham leaned closer.


    Her eyes got big, real big, and she made a point of closing her mouth, but she sent me a meaningful look.


    Everyone followed, their gazesnding on me. My stomach rolled, but I sat up higher. “What?”


    Maybe they hadn’t bought my story. Maybe I should just tell them those guys were Mafia, but if I said that word, that would set my aunts off in a whole different way. Thinking it was a family with a grudge was different than a real-life, official, organized-crime viin.


    Just then, the door opened with Jake appearing as Bear and Pooh darted in, running to their dads.


    “Oh, Bear!” Oliver opened his arms and Bear jumped up with a big woof. He caught the giant ck Lab, falling backward on the couch as Bear began licking all over his face, his tail wagging and hitting Bess in the face.


    Pooh did the same to Graham, making it up in one dainty jump, and her excitement was more controlled. She leaned up, one paw to his chest, licking his jaw before jumping down and starting her way over all of ourps. She got to me, giving me one quick lick before Jake moved her, putting her on the next person’sp. He grabbed my hand, tugging me up with him, and dragged me from the room.


    The other two were waiting in the kitchen, both keenly watching me.


    “Wait a minute. Where are you taking—” Bess cried out, but all of them mbered to follow us.


    Jake stopped them, an arm hitting the doorway and blocking them. “I need to talk to her. You”—he looked at all of them—“stay.”


    ra growled, her head down, and I recognized the look in her eye. She did not like what Jake was putting down, and she sure as shit was about to throw it right back in his face. Only, Jake wouldn’t react in the way ra was ustomed. She was used to guys from home backing down from her. She was older than them, sometimes bigger, and she had sass. It was known in Bear Creek, Montana, not to mess with Aunt ra.


    Jake came from a different world. He was living in the world ra sometimes thought she was living in, and the difference between reality and fantasy was sobering. ra hadn’t learned that.


    She wouldn’t, not if I had a say in the matter.


    I hurried to get between them, pushing Jake backward as I walked in reverse. I brought my hands together and made a pleading look to everyone. “Give us a minute. Okay?” I didn’t wait for their permission, hurrying forward to shut the door. When it inched open again, I red at them. “For real, a minute.”


    Someone grumbled on the other side and someoneughed.


    The door closed thatst inch.


    I had no doubt they had their ears to the door, listening as much as they could, and knowing that, I whipped back around.


    Jake and the other two were watching to see what I’d do.


    I didn’t want to talk to them. They were powerful and dangerous and I was suddenly so exhausted from everything that had happened over the course of the week. I dropped my gaze, focusing on Jake. Moving a little closer to him, I didn’t look up. “Can we go somewhere private?”


    A strange stillness came over him. He reached forward, took my hand and led me outside. He threaded our fingers as we went down the back stairs.


    I stopped after we went a few more steps. “This is good.”


    Jake considered me as he stepped close to me, his jeans brushing against mine. He moved our hands to the side, his thumb rubbing over mine. “They’re still cleaning upstairs. We can talk in my truck.”


    I shook my head, stepping back. “No. My family will freak, thinking I left again. We can talk here. We just have to be quiet.”


    A resigned look came over him as his eyes flicked over my shoulder. “Right.”


    There was movement behind me.


    I started to look, but Jake held me firm.


    What? My eyes went wide. Panicked.


    Jake met my eyes, his face grim. He leaned in as I felt a pinch in the back of my neck, and he whispered, “I’m sorry, Sawyer. I really am, but I know there’s no way your family will let you go. We don’t have time.”


    Not again.


    Everything went ck.