Page 66 of Wyoming Cowboy Undercover

Scooping up the sacks of food, she scurried outside. The four loaded trucks were parked in a row, all facing the gate, ready to leave.

She caught Rocco’s eye and gave a curt nod, letting him know that she’d gotten it. Now she just had to slip him the phone without anyone seeing. She hurried to the trucks and set a sack on the console. As she put the last one down, the front gate swung open.

A black SUV pulled in. Shawn was driving.

Worry flooded her nervous system. Why was he there?

Soon enough she’d find out, but whatever the reason, it wasn’t good.

Making a U-turn and pulling up beside her, he stopped the vehicle. Cormac and Rocco set down glass bottles and both headed in her direction. She went around to the driver’s side.

Shawn hopped out, leaving the car running. “I’m here to bring you back, Mercy.”

A jolt shot through her, spurring her to step away from him. “I’m afraid you’re wasting your time. I’m not going back to the compound.”

He reached into his back pocket, pulled out two envelopes, and handed her one with her name scrawled on the front. Her uncle’s name was on the other.

“Read it,” Shawn said.

Hurriedly, she tore it open, pulled the handwritten note out and glanced at it.

My dear Mercy,

Come home.

Or you leave me no choice but to tell your uncle the truth about Rocco.

Empyrean

Her heart twisted, her eyes stinging at the words. Anger built like a pressure wave behind her sternum.

There was no end to his manipulation. To his schemes.

Shawn opened the rear door. “What’s it going to be?”

Her breath stalled in her lungs. She wanted to run. She wanted to fight. She wanted to rip the second note to shreds. She wanted to strangle Shawn with her bare hands, preventing him from uttering a word since she wasn’t sure how much he knew.

But her father always had a fail-safe.

“Decide. Now.” Shawn held up the other envelope, waving it in her face.

Crumbling her note in her hand, she climbed into the car before she lost the nerve to do so. The only thing stronger than her rage was her fear for Rocco.

Precisely what her father had been counting on. As much as she wanted to deny her feelings for Rocco, there was no escaping how much she cared for him.

Shawn closed the door and stuffed the other envelope back in his pocket.

Cormac and Rocco approached them.

She rolled down the window. “I’ve decided to go back to the compound.”

Looking as blindsided as she felt, Rocco shook his head. “What? No.”

“Marshall radioed earlier saying he was sending someone up and to keep it a surprise,” her uncle said, “but he didn’t mention who or for what purpose.”

“Empyrean fears for the safety of his daughter,” Shawn said. “He got a bad feeling during morning meditation and decided to bring her back for tonight’s ceremony.”

“Is it safe for her there?” her uncle asked. “I heard about what Alex did to her.”

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