Page 11 of Untamed Sinner

I nod and head that way, aware of his eyes on my back the entire time.

The stablemaster's cottage sits a hundred yards from the main barn, tucked into a grove of aspens with a clear view of the pasture beyond. It's a small structure—two bedrooms, maybe, new construction, same as everything else. The corral stretches out behind it, split-rail fencing enclosing half an acre of grazing land where three horses stand in the evening light.

Lily Carter is at the fence, brushing down a bay mare. Her blond hair is pulled back in a ponytail, and she's wearing jeans and a flannel shirt rolled to the elbows. On the inside of her wrist is a barcode tattoo—a remnant of her brief time in Turner’s trafficking ring.

Except for the hair, she looks like her sister. Same sharp features. Same hazel eyes. But where Lily's eyes are direct, Mandy's are guarded. Also, Mandy’s barcode is augmented with a black widow, perching right on top. I noticed that during our first meeting when she pushed up her sleeves.

Mason Rivera stands a few feet away, leaning against the fence post with his arms propped on top. He's watching her with the kind of focus that tells me he's always watching her. Protective. Possessive. The Blackthorn boys are the kind of men who'd burn the world down if someone threatened what was theirs.

He sees me first and his posture shifts—subtle, but I catch it. He straightens, uncrossing his arms, and steps closer to Lily.

"Hendricks," he says. His voice is flat. Not hostile but not welcoming either.

Lily looks up, and her expression goes carefully neutral. "Hendricks."

"Lily." I stop a few feet from the fence, hands visible. "I’d like to ask you some questions about Mandy."

Her expression goes blank. "Why?"

“Because I need to find her,” I reply honestly.

Lily gasps, and Mason moves closer, positioning himself between us. “What’s going on? Is she in trouble?”

“Not yet.” I focus on Lily. "When's the last time you saw her?"

She swallows audibly. "The raid. A little over a month ago."

"Have you been in contact since?"

"Emails. A few texts. Nothing deep." She reaches for Mason’s hands, but her eyes narrow on me. "Why do you need to find her?"

I could lie. I should lie. But Lily's not stupid, and she'll see through it. She also has Callahan, Bennett, and Rivera on her side. I'm not going to alienate them. "I've been hired to locate her."

The color drains from her face. "By who?"

I shake my head. "Client's confidential."

"Bullshit." Her voice goes hard.

Mason steps closer to her, as if he’s shielding her with his body. "Who hired you, Hendricks?"

I don't answer because he knows I’d have told him if I could.

Lily faces Mason, her hand on his chest. "If someone's after Mandy, I need to know. She's my sister. She's—" She stops and takes a breath, regrouping, before facing me again. "I only just found her. I don't want to lose her again."

"She's not in immediate danger." Technically true. Once Ashford gets his hands on her, all bets are off, which is why it’s important I find her first.

Lily stares at me, and I can see her mind working. She's putting pieces together, running scenarios. She's not tactical like Mandy, but she's smart and observant. I remind myself that she’d been hunting Turner too and not to underestimate her.

She must have seen something reassuring because she finally asks, "What do you need from me?"

"Anything she might've told you. Anything unusual in her emails. Places she mentioned. People she's been watching. Where she's been going."

"She doesn't tell me that stuff." Lily's voice cracks just slightly. "When I think about it, I hardly know her at all. It’d been thirteen years since I saw her, and I haven’t seen her since we took down Turner five weeks ago."

Mason's hand clasps her waist, steadying her. He's still watching me, assessing whether I'm a threat.

"The last email I got from her was three days ago," Lily says. "She said she was in Billings."