Page 105 of Barbed Wire Hearts

“If you hurt a single hair on any of their heads, I can guarantee I’ll kill you,” I warn.

“I’m winning,” he says in my hair, his gun trained on Dakota and Wiley. “Alone, you can’t do much harm.”

I snort. “You’ve gotta sleep sometime, Crow.”

A whistle rings out across the yard, not from any of us. I glance around, searching for who I know is the source of that whistle.

“What is that?” Lennox snarls.

I whistle back, just like Levi taught me, and grin when Lennox shakes me.

“What the fuck is that?” he snarls. “The cops?”

“They don’t call 911 out here, silly,” I laugh. “They call each other.”

And then Levi crests the hill before us, but he doesn’t do so alone. He does so on the back of Kill Dozer, the bull spitting mad and ready to rumble. He looks beautiful, like an avenging angel, as he rides the bull that once took his career, and almost his legs. Ninny is beside him, her little feet pawing at the ground, and then more and more animals appear. Chickens, goats, pigs, all spilling over the hill. When Levi charges forward, other cowboys on their horses follow, our neighboring ranches. Tears spring to my eyes. God, it’s beautiful. So fucking beautiful.

Jimmy shoots his arms high and whoops. “Say it, Ms. Kate! You gotta say it right now!”

Despite Lennox still holding me, despite everything going on, I grin. “Yee fucking haw!”

ChapterSixty-Three

Kate

It turns into a full out battle, but not like any battle I’ve ever seen. Levi rides Dozer into the group of goons rushing toward him, mowing them down like they’re bowling pins. The bull stomps on them, slices them with his horns, and happily causes destruction, completely uncaring of the man on his back, his archnemesis. It’s the first time Levi has ridden a bull since his accident, and the first time Dozer has been ridden since then. Together, they make an insane force of nature. Someone tries to shoot at them, but the other animals dispatch him quickly, the bullets going into the air instead of hitting anyone of importance.

If I thought I’d been bad when I first came to the ranch, nothing prepares me for the hilarity that is the goons reacting to the animals. Pigs grab their pant legs and bite them. Roosters flog those that come too close. The goats slam into the backs of their knees, taking them down before they can do anything. The dogs come streaming from around the house, snarling, protecting their herd of people. Even Old Red comes around and bays for them to attack.

And the cowboys? Our neighboring ranches circle us, caging everyone in, lassoing a few of the goons and hog tying them.

Lennox looks around and seems to realize that he can’t win this one. Levi has tipped the balance and the goons still standing start retreating, running to get back to the suburbans. Lennox snarls in my ear, realizing he’s about to lose. When the sirens start up from the road, he straightens with a heavy sigh.

“Clearly, I’ve underestimated you all,” he says, and releases me suddenly. I stumble away, quickly moving over to Dakota and Wiley where they wait for me. He takes us all in before tipping his head up to the air. “The air is so clear out here. Less pollution.”

I stare at him curiously. Here he is, about to lose, the cops showing up, and he comments about the air?

“It’s nice, isn’t it?” I say, watching him carefully.

“It is,” he nods. “I see why you chose this place.” His eyes crinkle as he studies the men surrounding me. Levi rides up on Dozer and faces him, Dozer’s hooves pawing at the ground. I lay my hand on Dozer and the bull surprisingly lets me.

“It’s my home,” I say, tipping my chin up. “I don’t belong to you. I belong to them.”

He studies me, his eyes taking in everything about me, from my disheveled appearance to the people coming up around me, offering support. Neighbors, family, people I care about. Naomi comes up and loops her arm through mine, her eyes hard. Lennox looks at her with interest, but focuses back on me. Suddenly, he bends over at the waist, bowing, and it’s such an old world move, it surprises me.

“My apologies, Kate,” he says. “I had not realized the snakes I was messing with.”

I grin despite it all, despite the injuries we all sport. “Did you know a rattlesnake bite can kill you within six hours if you don’t make it to any antivenom?” At his smile, I add, “Maybe remember that next time you find yourself out here.”

He takes a step back. “I think. . . you have my respect, Kate,” he says, amused as the cop cars come screaming up behind him, caging in the suburbans.

John apparently handled what he needed to.

“I don’t think this will be the last we see of each other,” he comments as dozens of cops aim their guns at him and order him to hold his hands up. He does so without argument.

“It will be,” I declare, raising my chin.

His grin widens. “No,” he answers. “It won’t be.”

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