Page 47 of Barbed Wire Hearts

Dakota’s eyes widen and then fire ignites there, anger, fury. He’s drawn conclusions and he’s probably not wrong. No one who sends a collar in the mail and it elicits my reaction does so with good intentions. “Who sent it, Kate?”

“I have to go,” I rasp. “I have to leave.”

“What do you mean?” Wiley demands, stepping forward. “Why would you leave?”

“I can’t stay here,” I ramble on. “Your kindness has meant everything but I can’t stay here. I can’t do it anymore. I can’t pretend I’m safe and that—” My voice chokes off and I fight the rising tears in my eyes. I don’t want to leave. God, I don’t want to leave. This is the only place I’ve ever felt like a part of a family, the only place I’ve felt like I belonged. I’m falling in love with all three of the men before me and I can’t stay without putting them in danger. I won’t watch them die because of me. “I have to leave,” I whisper, tugging at my arm again.

“Explain,” Dakota commands, his eyes hard. “Who sent the package?”

I shake my head, and my tears start falling anyway. “I can’t?—”

“Let her go,” Wiley growls, jerking Dakota’s hand off me. “Can’t you see she’s overwhelmed? Give her a minute.”

He offers his arms, and I shouldn’t. I really shouldn’t. But I throw myself against his chest and let the sobs wrack my body. Dakota stares at me with wide, pained eyes, because he wants to help but doesn’t know how. Levi lingers back, as if he thinks he’ll make it worse. But Wiley, sweet, gentle Wiley holds me until my sobs start to subside, until I’m able to breathe again, until I’m raw with emotion.

“Come on,” Wiley murmurs. “Let’s get you inside. We’ll talk there.”

My body tenses but he rubs my back. “No, don’t panic. We’re only trying to help. There’s no animosity here, witchy woman. You’re fine.”

I let him lead me into my small cabin. William meows at me until Wiley sets me on the couch and then he jumps up and cuddles against my chest, sensing my emotions. I stroke my hand along his back, trying to calm my racing heart, and it helps a little. Petting William always helps.

Levi stands against the wall, his eyes on me. Wiley takes a seat in the chair beside me. Dakota doesn’t even bother. He sits on the small living room table in front of me.

“We want to help,” he says, far gentler than he’d been before. “Will you please tell us what’s happening?”

I take a deep breath. I, at least, owe them an explanation if I’m going to leave. I know that. And maybe they’ll understand once I tell them everything. Maybe they understand I don’t want to leave.

My voice is shaky when I start, quiet, as if speaking it too loudly will manifest them here.

“I’m from New Jersey,” I say, my hand still stroking William. “I had an ex-boyfriend?—”

“Did he hurt you?” Levi interrupts, his face hard. Wiley and Dakota shoot him a glare, clearly worrying I won’t continue after the interruption.

“No,” I answer. “Josh isn’t that kind of guy. He’s an asshole with a gambling addiction, and he’ll rob you blind, but he’s not the kind of guy to hit someone. He’d rather save his pretty face.”

“Go on,” Dakota encourages, reaching forward to take my hand.

I sigh and nod. “We only dated for a year before I broke up with him. He ended up stealing a bunch of money from me, from places I had it stashed around my apartment. I thought that was the end of it. I thought him begging and crying and being an asshole was the end of yet another bad relationship.” I shake my head. “It wasn’t.”

“What did he do?” Wiley asks, his arm wrapping around me to offer comfort as he comes to sit beside me on the couch.

“A year after we broke up, he showed up again, asking for another chance. I declined like any rational person would. I told him to get lost.” I take another shaky breath. “And thentheycame.”

“Who?” Levi asks, coming closer.

I meet his eyes and then look back down.

“There’s a. . . gang in New Jersey, relatively new, but they’ve made headlines because of how quickly they’ve been able to organize. They pay off the cops. They pay off city officials. There’s no place where they haven’t infiltrated. Saying their name is akin to talking about the boogeyman. It got worse and worse over the years until you could walk down the street and see their symbol on the walls, carved into bricks, tagged in graffiti.” I meet Dakota’s eyes. “The Crows.”

Levi takes a seat next to Dakota on the table, his fingers clenching the dog collar. “I think I’ve heard of them, but don’t know much information.”

I nod. “They cover it on the news but even they’re paid off now. They specifically choose what to release. And they like people being afraid.”

“So why were they at your door?” Wiley asks. “Why you?”

I frown and look down at my hands. “Apparently, Josh borrowed money from them for gambling. He thought he’d win it back but it’s an addiction. He would win some and put it right back into the game. He always leaves empty-handed. Apparently, when they came to collect, he threw my name at them, claiming I had enough money to pay it. And he showed them a picture of me. The deal was I pay them within the week, or they were coming to collect me for their boss.”

“How much money was it?” Dakota asks.

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