I mouth a silent ‘thank you’ to her as I saddle my horse.“I’ll be back soon, Dylan.Promise.”
The fence is exactly as Tyler described—deliberately cut.Someone’s been on my property, and after everything that’s happened, my nerves are on high alert.We spend the next hour securing the fence and searching for tracks, finding boot prints that lead toward the main road.
By the time I’m heading back to the barn, my mind is racing with possibilities, none of them good.I need to call Shadow.We need to increase security even more.
A scream cuts through the air, high-pitched and terrified.
Dylan.
My heart slams against my ribs as I dig my heels into my horse, urging him into a gallop.The sound came from the direction of the barn.
I don’t even wait for my horse to fully stop before I’m jumping off, nearly stumbling as my boots hit the ground.I sprint into the barn, following the sound of Dylan’s anguished sobs.
“Dylan!”I shout, my voice echoing off the walls.
A whimper guides me to one of the back stalls.The sight that greets me stops me dead in my tracks.Dylan is huddled in the corner, his face streaked with tears, clutching his arm against his chest.Even from here, I can see the unnatural angle.
I drop to my knees beside him.“Jesus Christ, Dylan.What happened?”My hands hover over him, afraid to touch and cause more pain.“Where the hell is Della?”
His whole body shakes as he tries to speak through his sobs.“They—they took her.”
Everything in me ceases, and my brows pinch together as I try to process what he’s saying.
“What?Who took her?”
“Men.”He hiccups, wincing as the movement jostles his arm.“They were gonna take me, but Della—” His voice breaks.“She told them to take her instead.Said I was just a kid.”
Ice floods my veins.“Do you remember what they looked like?”
Dylan shakes his head, tears still streaming.“They had masks on.Black masks.”
I force myself to take a breath, to think clearly through the rage building inside me.“It’s going to be okay,” I tell him, though I’m not sure I believe it myself.“Can you stand, or do you need me to carry you?”
“I can stand,” he says, but his legs wobble as I help him up.
“Easy,” I murmur, supporting most of his weight.“We need to get you to the hospital for that arm.”
As we make our way slowly to my truck, I pull out my phone and dial Shadow.He picks up on the second ring.
“Someone took Della,” I say without preamble, my voice shaking with fury.“Don’t know if they were armed, but Dylan says they were wearing masks.Are you hearing me, man?They took my sister right from my fucking barn.”
“I’m hearing you,” Shadow says, his voice tight.“Who?When?
“Just now.They were going to take Dylan.He’s hurt.”I help Dylan into the passenger seat, careful of his arm.“Your fucking enemies are invading my fucking ranch, hurting my people.They were gonna take a goddamn child, Shadow.”
“I’m sending everyone I’ve got.We’ll find her.”
“You fucking better.”I end the call and slam the truck door shut.
“How you holding up?”I ask Dylan, careful not to jostle his injured arm.
“It hurts,” he admits, his voice small.“Is Della going to be okay?”
The question punches me in the gut.“We’re going to find her,” I say, hoping like hell I’m not lying to the kid.
The doctor approaches us with a tablet in hand.“The X-rays confirm a fracture to the radius,” she explains, showing us the images.“It’s a clean break, but I’ll need to consult with the orthopedic to determine if we need to reset?—”
“Dylan!”Amelia’s voice cuts through the doctor’s explanation as she charges through the double doors, her face pale with fear.She rushes to her son, dropping to her knees in front of him, hands hovering over his arm.“Baby, are you okay?What happened?”
