"Horses," she repeats, shaking her head. “Was Mason serious about that?”
“Mason is always serious.”
"Hmm," she murmurs, already drifting back to sleep.
I hold her as she settles back into unconsciousness, her breathing evening out, her body going limp against mine.
The phone stays silent.
The perimeter stays clear.
The money can wait.
Everything can wait.
Right now, Emma's asleep in my arms, and that's all that matters.
51
EMMA
Iwake to the sound of Jake's voice in the hallway.
He's on the phone, probably with the guys, and I can hear every word through the bedroom door he didn't bother to close.
"Install motion sensors on the north fence line. I want coverage on every approach to the house. If a fucking deer crosses that property line, I want to know about it."
I close my eyes and count to ten.
Then twenty.
It doesn't help.
Throwing back the covers, I grab Jake’s shirt from the floor, buttoning it as I walk out of my room.
He's standing at the top of the stairs, phone pressed to his ear, focused on his tactical planning.
I roll my eyes. "Jake."
He holds up one finger.Wait.
No. I'm done waiting.
"Jake," I say again, louder this time, my hands on my hips.
He turns, his expression shifting from operational focus to concern as he reads my face. "Ace, I'll call you back," he says into the phone before ending the call. He’s slipping it into his pocket as he strides toward me. "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?" I repeat, my voice calm. "You're standing in my house, making plans for my property, without asking me."
His brow furrows. "I'm securing the perimeter?—"
"Without discussing it with me."
His jaw tightens. "Emma, I told you I was setting up a security system."
"For the house, not the entire damn property." I cross my arms. "That doesn't give you the right to make decisions about my property without consulting me first."
"I'm protecting you?—"
