Page 121 of Roulette Rodeo
She looks up, curious.
"Sure?"
I lean down and press a gentle kiss to the tip of her nose. She goes cross-eyed trying to look at where my lips touched, and I can't help but smile.
"When I was little and scared about being sick, my mom would kiss my nose and say all the frightening diseases would run away because they couldn't stand the power of a mother's love."
She giggles, the sound lighter than before.
"Did it work?"
"Every time, until I turned twelve and got mortified when she did it in public. But the thought counts, right? Maybe it still works with pack members instead of mothers."
We're both laughing when Shiloh and Talon finally reach us, dismounting with the fluid grace of men who've spent years on horseback.
"About time you two showed up," I tease. "We were about to start the tour without you."
"Had to make sure we weren't followed," Shiloh says, but his eyes are on Red, checking her over like he needs to confirm she's still okay after being out of his sight for ten minutes.
"Where do we even park the... uh... horses?" Red asks, looking around with adorable confusion.
"Park?" Talon laughs. "Did you just ask where we park the horses?"
"Well, what else would you call it?" she shoots back. "Stable them? Lodge them? What's the proper terminology, horse expert?"
"We hitch them," I explain, trying not to laugh at their bickering. "There's a post right?—"
I stop mid-sentence because both Shiloh and Talon have gone rigid, their entire demeanor shifting from relaxed to combat-ready in a heartbeat. The change is subtle enough that most people wouldn't notice—a slight shift in stance, hands moving to easier reach of concealed weapons, eyes tracking something behind me.
Red notices though.Of course she does.Three years of reading dangerous men for survival has made her hyperaware of these shifts.
"What's wrong?" she asks, voice dropping to barely above a whisper.
I move without thinking, stepping in front of her, using my broader frame to shield her from view.
My hand goes to the small of my back where my Glock sits, a habit from too many times when medical calls turned into something else.
Then I see him, and my blood goes cold.
Walking down Main Street like he owns it—which, in a way, he thinks he does—is the last person we wanted to run into today. Or ever, really, but especially not with Red here, vulnerable and new and still finding her footing.
He hasn't seen us yet, too busy charming Mrs. Henderson outside the bakery, that practiced smile that never reaches his eyes.But he will.In a town this small, you can't avoid anyone for long.
"Fuck," Shiloh mutters under his breath.
"Is that—" Talon starts.
"Yeah," I confirm, my jaw clenching. "It's him."
Red presses closer to my back, and I can feel her trembling slightly. Not from fear exactly, but from the tension radiating off all three of us.
"Who?" she whispers.
I turn my head just enough to answer her, keeping my eyes on the threat.
"Luca Ferrero."
DOUBLE-HEADED COINS AND SHARP TONGUES
