And if Dean no longer wanted to train me to shoot like a sniper, I would be okay with that too. What mattered was that he’d chosenmeover vengeance against Ryan Garrett. Nothing mattered more than that.
We’d chosen each other. We’d chosen love.
That night after dinner, we watched a movie together on my tablet and then made love, slow and deep. We were both on our sides in bed, facing each other with my leg hooked over his hip as he thrust lazily into me. Kissing. Touching. Just enjoying each other.
I fell asleep with Dean spooned behind me, his even breaths warm against my ear.
Something pulled me out of sleep. Dean was already sitting up, rubbing his face. “Think it’s your phone,” he said gruffly. “It’s buzzing.”
I reached for my device on the nightstand. I’d left it on silent but still able to receive notifications.
Stephie was calling.
“It’s my sister.” Adrenaline pulled me to awareness. It was one in the morning. She wouldn’t be calling unless something was wrong. “Hello? Stephie?”
“Kiki.” Her voice was a rough, agonized whisper, and it wrenched my heart.
“What’s going on?” I asked, trying to stay calm. This was not a time to panic.
Dean’s hand rested on my thigh.
“I…” She sniffled. “I snuck out to meet Colby.”
Thatwas his name. The ranch hand she’d been seeing. Disappointment made my shoulders sag.
“What happened? Where are you?”
What had Stephie been thinking? But lectures would wait until later. Whatever this guy Colby had done, I would deal with him.
Dean got up, grabbing clothes. Seemed like he’d heard enough to start thinking ahead. I stood as well, still holding the phone to my ear.
“We went to a party at a house. His…his friend.” She could barely speak for crying. I heard faint music in the background, but it was muffled. Like she was in a bathroom or bedroom.
“Is Vivian with you?” Stephie’s best friend, who’d been dating the other ranch hand. Vivian was also Trace Novo’s daughter, and if Vivian had snuck out too, I’d have to tell him.
“No. Vivian didn’t know about it. People are drinking and…I want to leave, but Colby wants to stay. Please…please come get me.”
Oh, I was gonna make this Colby very sorry for messing with my sister. I just hoped nothing worse had happened. “I’m coming, okay? Dean and I are coming. But maybe I should call dispatch and have them send someone to?—”
“No. No, Kiki, you can’t. Don’t tell anyone else.” She cried harder, struggling to breathe before she calmed again. “I’m texting the address. Please hurry.”
“Okay. I will. I’ll get there as soon as I can. Just lock yourself in a bathroom or something and don’t come out till I arrive.”
The line went dead.
“Do you have the address?” Dean asked. I handed him my phone as I threw clothes on.
“She said she would text it.”
“Got it,” he said. “I’ll plug it into Maps and check the directions. It’s forty minutes away. Out in the middle of nowhere.”
Forty minutes. A whole lot ofbadcould happen in that time. “We need to get there faster.”
“Then I’ll drive. My engine’s a V-8.”
I’d been about to suggest the same. I’d seen his high-speed driving skills.
But before we left the house, I grabbed my service weapon and holster. We headed outside. Dean eyed me as I got in the truck. “You’re not going to shoot the boyfriend, are you?”
