Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
“I can get up and down the stairs and dressed and showered alone.”
“Definitely stubborn,” Alec said.
“I am not!” It suddenly occurred to her that she was basically arguing with these men without a single concern that they might get upset with her. That they might hurt her or, worse, someone close to her.
On some level, she trusted them. Or trusted Tanner enough to trust that he wouldn’t let anyone hurt her.
She glanced up at him in wonder.
“What is it, pretty girl?” he asked, cupping the side of her face.
“You wouldn’t let anyone hurt me, would you?”
Leaning in, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “No, baby. Never.”
“Right. Shall we talk about where we’re at, then,” Alec said.
“Please,” she replied.
“We were worried that Stefan would know about us, that he might think that Ryleigh would come to us.”
“It’s why we didn’t do that straight away,” she said. “And also, we weren’t sure that you were the type of men who’d want anything to do with us. No offense.”
“You were right to be cautious, Lilac,” Alec told her. “And I want to reiterate something before we keep going.”
“Yes?” she asked cautiously.
“That we can never thank you enough for keeping our sister and nephew safe. And thank you for keeping yourself safe too.”
Oh, dear Lord.
She was about to cry.
“I don’t know if I did that good of a job, but I did the best I could.”
“You did perfectly,” Alec told her. “We might wish you’d taken better care of your health. But you have Tanner to do that now.”
Yikes. Okay, yeah. She got it. She needed to let Tanner help her.
“Now, like I said, we figured that our father might have told Stefan about Ryleigh having brothers.”
“It’s possible,” she said.
“Ryleigh said that she used her mother’s last name, Reynolds. And that our father was going by the name Thomas Sanders, so we’re hoping Stefan didn’t know about us, or if he did, he doesn’t know our names.”
“I think that might be a stretch to hope for that,” she said. “Stefan has a way of ferreting out secrets. I was so certain he was going to catch on to what I was doing. I knew I had to act normal, but it was nearly impossible. With Stefan, it’s always best to prepare for the worst. Ryleigh told me I was being a pessimist. She wanted to come to you guys straight away. But I knew it was safer to keep our distance. For you and us. I wouldn’t have come here if we weren’t desperate. But keeping Kye safe . . . it was more than I thought I was capable of.”
“You did the right thing,” Tanner told her.
Alec nodded. “You’re where you’re meant to be.”
“If he knew about us, wouldn’t he be here by now?” West asked.
She licked her lips. “Maybe he sent someone to begin with, then drew them back . . . I don’t know. Perhaps he sends someone here every so often. Or perhaps he doesn’t know at all.”
“You researched us,” Alec said. “Do you know about our cousins? Who they are?”
“Regent Malone and his siblings,” she whispered. “Yes. I’ve heard of him. Stefan actually mentioned him a few times.”
“I’ve spoken to Regent about all of this. He’s looking into him and he’s sending us some of his men. I’ve spoken to Mateo Marceras as well.”
“I don’t know him,” she said.
“Our old man got in deep with Mateo’s father, then he bailed and left us to pick up the pieces. Mateo helped us extract ourselves from that situation,” Alec explained. “He’s got connections to the underworld as well. He doesn’t know your brother, but he’s making some discreet inquiries. He thinks he knows some people who know him.”
“They need to be careful,” she said.
“They will be. In the meantime, I’m pulling everyone in. We’re all doubling up. Raid and Hannah are moving in with Clem and Jaret. Butch and Lara will stay with Beau, Maddox, and Scarlett. I want the same promise I extracted from Ryleigh and Opal, that you will not leave the Ranch.”
“But my jobs?” she asked.
“Devon and Peggy understand the circumstances and are fine with it,” Alec told her.
She narrowed her gaze at him. “Did you call my bosses and quit my jobs.”
“I did.”
Wow. This guy.
“And you thought I was bossy and arrogant,” Tanner whispered. “Bet I’m looking like a good catch right now, aren’t I?”
“You might have competition for the title of Meanie Malone,” she agreed.
He laughed and she had to smile at the sound. Something inside her eased.
Alec sighed, proving he could hear them. “Well?”
It didn’t feel right not to work and contribute. She glanced up at Tanner, biting her lip. “Are you okay with that? I don’t have much in savings, but I can give it to you all for groceries and stuff.”
“Dear Lord, are you going to shut her up?” West grumbled.