Page 163 of Broken Daddy
Hayes tensed.
Kent simply turned and smiled. “Family never owes family.”
The door shut behind them and she frowned in confusion. Why the heck did he keep talking about family?
Hayes settled her back in the bed, tucking the blanket around her before sitting, facing her.
“What did he mean?”
Hayes shrugged. “Who knows what that crazy bastard thinks. The scary thing is that in his family, he’s the sane one. His brother thinks everyone who lives on the Ranch belongs to him. And his sister . . . well, she belongs to Zeke and he has his hands full.”
“Your friend, Zeke?”
“Yeah, he works for Kent, too. That’s how I got my job. Zeke and I were in the Seals together. After May died, he was one of the few people who didn’t let me push him away.”
“He sounds like a good person to know.”
“He is. I haven’t told you about what makes Sanctuary Ranch special, have I?”
She shook her head.
“No? Well, I will. After I scold you properly for the risks you took with those letters.”
“Do you have to scold me?” she asked tiredly. “Can’t I just admit that I made a mistake and we can move on? I’ve learned my lesson.”
“Have you? If you could go back, would you do the same thing again?”
“Yes, I would.”
“Devi,” he growled.
“Because if I hadn’t sent those letters, I never would have met you. And it’s possible that I would have bled out on that trailer floor because I wouldn’t have known who to call. Even if I’d called Silla or Mac, they wouldn’t have been close by like your friends were. Do they live on Sanctuary Ranch too?”
Yes, she was partially trying to distract him from his scolding, but she was also interested.
“Fuck, no. Zander doesn’t exactly work for Kent. He will take some jobs that Kent sends his way, but he’ll also go off with his team and take other jobs. He does whatever the fuck he wants.”
“Isn’t it dangerous to go after Fury and those other guys?”
“I’m not worried about Zander and you shouldn’t be either. He and his team know how to protect themselves. They’ll find Fury and those other bastards. But don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.”
Drat.
He cupped the good side of her face. “Never put yourself in danger like that again.”
“I won’t.”
“Revenge isn’t healthy. Salt in coffee is fairly harmless. But what you did . . . that wasn’t harmless at all.”
“I know. I am sorry. I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“I know, baby,” Hayes said. “There is something else we found. Don’t know if it’s important.” He drew a card from his pocket and held it up.
Devi’s heart raced. Shit. It was the card that Vega had given her.
“Whose number is this?” Hayes asked.
She could tell him a lie. After all, Vega had warned her against telling anyone about him.
