Page 88 of Dark Horse

“Rowan’s with Charlotte now. But we should get everyone out of this hotel. There’s no telling what they’ll do now that they know the wedding’s been postponed. If they figure out that we’ve discovered them…” Hudson trails off.

“I agree. We need to get our family off the streets. But there’s one family member in particular I’d like to have in a room alone right now.” I grit out the words, surveying the floor of the bar. Full of people who are completely clueless to how close we all came to being dead.

“We’ll get him. But let’s get our family rounded up and safe first. The ranch?” Levi looks to me to confirm his suggestion.

“The ranch. Do we know what security we can trust?”

“The usual inner circle. We’ll get them on the ranch, and we’ll lock down all the gates. I have drones we can put up to help patrol who’s going on and off the property, and we updated all the cameras last year after the incident with the Flanagans.” Levi’s already putting a plan into action.

“Do it. I’ll go to the hospital if she’s not discharged yet and make sure we’re all on the same page. Can you get Aspen read in on things?” I ask, and Levi nods. Then I turn to Hudson. “You, Charlotte, and Rowan should come too. It’ll be safer there than here until we get to the bottom of the whole situation. We had our security team run an inspection on the whole building after we found the champagne situation, but there’s always the chance we could have missed something. I’d like to do another round first.”

“Always a chance that they’ll try to strike again while the iron’s hot, and we’re still disoriented.” Hudson gives me a worried look.

“Agreed. So you’ll come?”

“If you’ll have us. We can squeeze in wherever there’sroom. I just want to get through the night to get the jet ready and send Charlotte back to Cincinnati. Rowan or I can stay with you to help work out a solution.”

“I’m sure Hazel can get you a couple rooms at the inn.”

I’m almost positive there isn’t a solution to a problem of this magnitude, but I was grateful as fuck he was willing to help pretend there was for a little while longer while I figure out how to keep my family safe.

“Hazel and Ramsey might want to head back to Cincinnati too. The Chaos start training camp soon, and it’s probably a hell of a lot safer than being here for them anyway.” Hudson makes a good point. I nod along with his assessment and make one of my own. I can’t bring myself to say it yet, but if Hazel and Ramsey go back, Dakota should go with them.

THIRTY-SEVEN

DAKOTA

The next day,after a night of observation and Hazel hovering over me the entire time, I’m finally allowed to leave in the afternoon. I have a mild concussion, and the wounds to my head had needed stitched. Because of the blood and the concussion, they wanted to keep me for the night and run a few more tests, making sure that they hadn’t missed anything before they released me back to the wild. I was anxious to leave and find out what was going on with Seven Sins and with Grant.

Grant stayed with me for as long as he could at the hospital. But his phone hadn’t stopped silently buzzing in his pocket, and each time, the news seemed more dire than the last, judging by the look on his face—not that he shared anything with me. He was too concerned about my stress levels while I was recovering. I finally told him to stop worrying aboutme and go do what he needed to. When Hazel arrived with Ramsey, they eventually convinced him to get a shower and deal with business at home.

“I feel awful that you’re having to take care of me. You should be on your honeymoon.” I look at Hazel as she and Ramsey help me get out of the truck and into the ranch house.

“Don’t feel awful. I don’t want to be anywhere else right now. The wedding and the honeymoon are just getting moved to a new date. Right now, family is the priority.” Hazel smiles at me as she links our arms, and we walk up the steps together.

“Well, I love you for everything. I really can find somewhere else to stay if you all want to have the place to yourselves.” I feel guilty because I know Hazel made Ramsey wait all week, and the last thing he probably wants is me monopolizing all her time.

“You can find a place when you’re feeling better and have a chance to recover. You’ve been through a lot in the last twenty-four hours. Let’s focus on you first, okay?” Hazel gives me a meaningful look, and I lean my head against her shoulder.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you.” There aren’t good words for friends like her, the kind who take care of you through thick and thin—best friend doesn’t begin to cover it.

“I don’t know what I’d do withoutyou. I was so scared when I heard, and then I just kept thinking about how chaotic the last month has been. You’ve been busting your ass for a month helping me get everything together, and now this. The world isn’t fucking fair, that’s for sure.” She leads me into a guest room, and I look around at what I recognize as Grant’s old bedroom. “Now there’s a bathroom off this room that’s all yours, and I brought some of my clothes in here for you so you have something to change into out of this. I got some basics for you at the store—bras, underwear, pajamas, a few T-shirts, and jeans. That stuff’s in the wash now, and I’ll have it for you in acouple of hours. The toiletries and suitcase you had at the Avarice are being sent over too.”

“I need to get food for Vendetta and get my prescriptions refilled.” I sigh. There was such a long list of things I’d need to replace. I feel tears sting my eyes just thinking about it. “I have to get my car from the Avarice.”

“Ramsey’ll bring it over later. Don’t worry about that. I already got some food for Vendetta. I don’t know if it’s up to her bougie tastes, but I grabbed some cream and treats, too, so she won’t go hungry. Can you call stuff in to the pharmacy in the city? We can run down if they’ve got it in stock.” Hazel reassures me.

“Yes. Thank you. You’re the best, honestly. I’m just so overwhelmed with how many things I have to think about.”

“I think being overwhelmed is allowed, given the circumstances. I would be too. But we got you. Anything you need, we’ll get it figured out. I didn’t want to get you anything too fancy clothes-wise because I figure you want to pick that stuff out yourself. I just wanted to get you through the week first.”

“Thank you. Truly. Are you leaving? I heard you guys talking.”

“Grant wants us all out of town. He thinks there’s something nefarious behind all this. That it wasn’t an accident. That’s all I know right now.” She sighs and sits down on the bed next to me. “Ramsey needs to be back in Cincinnati by late next week. I’d planned to go with him to get him settled after the honeymoon and then come back here for a bit. I’ve got everything I need there already, so there’s no reason I can’t go, but… I don’t want you here alone. You and Vendetta should probably pack up and come stay with us. I know that’s a lot of change in a few days, but…” Hazel’s brow creases with worry as she looks me over.

“I’ll talk to Grant. If he’s staying, I’d rather stay here.Maybe I can stay with Bristol or Marlowe.” I run my hand over the quilt on the bed absently.

“No, if you stay, you can stay right here. Even if we go, the house is yours. I don’t want to leave you here alone though. Feels like a bad idea.”

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