Page 27 of Live for Me

Mags leaving his cabin to come to the bunkhouse to get me at midnight wasn’t just concerning—-it scared the shit out of me.

Something was wrong.

I looked over to the twins’ bunks; both of them were still out. Lawson on the top bunk, his mouth open, his arm hanging over the edge. Lance was on the bottom, on his back, one arm behind his head and the other hand resting on his chest, mouth close. Lawson’s snores would scare the damn horses if we kept the door open too fucking long.

“Outside,” Mags ordered, his voice low.

My head snapped back to him, and I nodded, rising from my bunk and grabbing a pair of jeans. I didn’t bother with a shirt, walking out into the cool, summer night, finding Mags leaning over the corral gate, his hands clasped in front of him as he stared up at the moon.

“What is it? Did you see the grizzly on the trail cameras?” I asked, coming upside him.

The shadow of his hat concealed his eyes, but I knew they were on me as he said, “I’m not going to bother telling you not to freak out or to keep your cool, because that’s just not in your nature when it comes to this.”

Comes to what?

“Mags, what the fuck are you talking about?” I bit off, my muscles tensing.

“Got a call from Red Snake Investigations,” he stated.

I clenched my jaw, waiting for him to give me more. “Ash is there for the next few weeks while they move everything to Portland,” he reminded me. I knew this. Grayson and Carrie lived in Astoria. Having a Red Snake office in Denver didn’t make sense anymore.

“What is it, Mags?” The words came out cold—distant. It was poor attempt to tame my mind as fear threatened to invade it.

Mags sighed and rose to his full height, turning to face me. “Ash got a call from a woman claiming to have a stalker. She sounded like she was about to have a panic attack, and Ash gently advised her to take a breath. She must’ve gotten the wrong idea, thinking Red Snake wouldn’t be able to help with her situation and she hung up on him. Now, Ash being Ash, he wasn’t going to let that go, so he had Jake run her number,” he explained, pausing for a moment. I didn’t move a single inch, frozen as he continued, “The number is registered to Abbie Spears.”

There was only one word I could focus on, echoing in my head like Pop’s old broken record player.

Stalker.

Someone was trying to hurt my wildflower?

Anger swarmed through my blood, filling my veins with violent thoughts as my hands began to tremble at my sides.In order for them to stop, I folded my arms over my chest, knowing Mags had more information to give me. “What else?” I demanded, my voice dark.

“Before she hung up, she went on a panicked ramble, telling Ash that a few weeks ago, the stalker broke into her home while she was in the shower—”

“—oh hell fucking no,” I growled, moving then.

My body was in control now, my feet carrying me to the bunkhouse as Mags called out to my back, but it was too late.

I was a cowboy in love, and my woman was in danger.

There was nothing on this fucking planet that could stop me from getting to her.

The door to the bunkhouse swung open, banging against the wall as I turned on the lights, not giving a single shit about the twins as I crossed the space to my bunk, tossing a shirt over my head, then my hat.

“What the fuck?” Lawson groaned. “What the fuck is happening?”

I grabbed my gun, opening the chamber and making sure I had enough rounds to drop any sorry motherfucker who tried to stop me from getting my wildflower. Snapping that shut, I shoved it in the back of my jeans, grabbed my Carhart jacket, and moved back to the key hooks by the front door, snatching my set.

Lance called, “Beau, what the fuck is going on?”

I ignored them, charging back outside and finding Mags in the same place.

“Send me her fucking address,” I clipped.

“Already done.”

That was Mags. “Tell Denver I’ll be back when I can.”

---