“She knew she’d be in trouble for throwing a ball inside the house.”
Dave tried taking a deep breath.
With the amount of pain he was in, Brett wouldn’t be surprised if Dave had cracked some ribs. “Pat said the frame is broken, but the painting looks okay.”
“That’s good.”
Silence stretched across the small room. Brett wanted to bundle Dave into his truck and take him to the hospital. But he needed to give him a chance to do the sensible thing and ask for help.
“Mrs. Chapman freaked out when she saw me.”
“I bet she did.”
“I made her promise not to tell anyone.” He fiddled with the edge of the blanket. “I’m worried about my family.”
Brett nodded. “I don’t blame you. Did you recognize the men who attacked you?”
“I think one of them might have been the same person who left his wallet at the ranch, but I’m not sure. It all happened so fast that I…” Dave swallowed the grief written all over his swollen face. “I couldn’t stop them.”
The heartfelt words left Dave’s throat on a sob. “I’m sorry, Brett. I shouldn’t have run off. You’re always teaching us to be respectful and listen. I messed up, big time.”
“It’s okay. We all make mistakes.” He patted Dave’s leg, hoping the small gesture made him feel better. “We can’t change what’s happened, but we can change the future. What are we going to do next?”
“I want to make sure my family and Hannah are safe.”
“Hannah?”
Dave stared miserably at him. “The men gave me an envelope. It’s on the dresser.” Tears filled his eyes. “I don’t know what to do.”
With a sense of dread, Brett pulled a handful of photos out of the envelope. His pulse raced when he realized why the intruder had been on Pat’s ranch. Someone was targeting other people close to Dave. Hannah was in most of the pictures. Without knowing it, she was just as unsafe as the rest of Dave’s family.
Brett pulled his phone out of his pocket. He needed to call her and then the police. And after that, he was taking Dave to the hospital.
