Page 12 of Ferocious Protector

Cole gets up and gestures a hand. “Why don’t we go outside and get out of their hair, grab some horses and take a ride?”

Blake turns to me. “I’ll ride out with them and get plans made and then be back for you.”

His eyes meet mine and it’s hard not to blush. “Okay.”

11

Blake

The minute we’re in the stables Cole turns to us. “I sent the Larussios a message. Tommy and his men are going to come in and give us a little help. Carlos sends his best and said they would have the place covered. In the meantime, it sounds like they have intel about the Chicago boys. It does sound like they’re getting ready to head our way.”

Cole leads a beautiful long-legged brown American Quarter Horse out of the stall, while Garrett caresses the nose of a Tennessee Walking Horse. Cole gestures to the Tennessee. “Black Beauty is Krissy’s. She’d love to go for a ride. I got her for her comfortable ride after Krissy had the first of the babies.”

Beckett and Mason seem comfortable in the stables and head to the end to get two more horses, bringing them both out before petting them and getting them ready to ride.

Beckett hands me the reins of a rich brown American Quarter Horse. “This is Miles. He’ll sit still for as long as you need him to, but he’ll run like the wind when you say go.”

The minute Miles and I are acquainted and we’re all ready to ride, Cole leads the way outside where we mount up. He points to the rolling hills for as far as the eye can see. “All this land, the Chicago boys and developers wanted to buy up. They wanted to doze down all these beautiful pines and hardwoods and put up more concrete. That’s never going to happen on our watch,” he tells me.

“I had these trails put in the first year we were here, and Mason and Beckett are having some put in that will connect way out there.” He points in the distance.

Garrett laughs. “Probably a good time to tell you that Lacy and I are going to be looking for some property too.”

Cole squints, looking at his friend. “You don’t say?”

Garrett looks sheepish. “Don’t you say a word to one of those females. If you do, Lacy will have my hide. We’re trying to get pregnant.”

“Well shit. Scope out what you want. You know the rules. You ever want to sell, it comes back to me first. Otherwise, there’s plenty here for all of us. We’d be thrilled to have you as neighbors.”

Mason laughs. “Yeah, it’s not like we’re sitting on top of each other. He and Krissy have three hundred acres left after we picked our spots.”

Cole laughs. “Well, it didn’t hurt that Carlos Larussio trusted me, and I was able to pick up another large-ass parcel he was working on acquiring, too. Money well invested if you ask me.”

I tip my hat as the sun hits me square in the eye, before heading into a trail of dense pines that cuts the glare of the heat. Cole points at some of the cameras and security devices around the property, acclimating us as we ride.

The minute we get in the clearing, he points. “Over that range, it slopes down to the highway. They’ll be expecting someone at that point. I’ll take you farther out, where you can see them coming a mile away but they won’t expect you to be.”

The ride doesn’t take long and the minute we get there it’s clear to see why he picked this location. I dismount and keep the reins in hand, walking underneath the brush but with a clear view of an expansive piece of highway headed into town. “One hundred percent agree with your choice, Cole.”

I’m planning to take Patti Ann out for a ride, then after supper with everything that’s happened, we should all plan to hang out here tonight. I’ll take first watch. Damian, Dereck, you wanna keep your eyes peeled after that and then I’ll take it again tomorrow morning?”

“Roger that,” Damian and Dereck say at the very same time.

“Good. You mind if Patti Ann stays at the house with you tonight?” I ask Cole. “After what happened last night, I don’t want her staying by herself.”

Garret turns on his horse. “You two seem to be getting on nicely. Lacy and the ladies have been burning up the cells ever since you two laid eyes on each other. I may lose some serious money over this bet.”

“They have a bet going on?” I ask half laughing.

Mason’s eyebrow raises. “You think I’m kidding? Those ladies have a bet going on for everything and you can be damn sure that Lettie’s on the phone every few hours stirring the pot. She is the worst matchmaker you will ever meet, but there’s not one of us here who wouldn’t do anything for her. She’s got a heart of gold.”

Beckett joins me as the others head to the house and I’m putting Miles in the stall. “Hey, we’ve known each other a long time, right?”

“We have,” I say, patting Miles on the nose and feeding her a handful of hay.

He looks down at his shoes, which is so not Beckett.

“Just spit it out if there’s something I need to know. We’ve been through too much, seen too much not to be straightshooters.”