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Blackness threatens to take me under, but I fight it. I’m not sure I’m alive anymore. I’m not sure of anything. The driver’s slumped over the steering wheel, dead or unconscious, I can’t tell.

The crunch of gravel outside and then…

The sliding door rips open.

Cole stands there, a gun in his hands. His massive chest heaves. Rage on his face. My attacker tries to move in front of me, reaching for his waistband.

But Cole’s quicker. He lifts the gun. “Step away from her, or your brains will be all over the highway.” He keeps his eyes on me as he climbs inside the van.

I stare, shaken by the mighty power of Cole Weston.

“You don’t know what you’ve done,” the man threatens.

“No,” Cole growls, and my heart rate rises. “You don’t know what you’ve done.” His gaze goes to me, studying the blood on my face, the cuffs on my wrists. His handsome features twist with anguish and fury.

“Unlock her cuffs. Now.”

Eyes piercingly cold, the man steps close. I hold my breath as he unlocks my cuffs. Relief fills my entire body as they’re removed. On shaky feet, I back up against the wall. Cole’s gaze shifts from the man to me, the red marks around my wrists making his face contort in fury.

Satisfied I’m free, Cole focuses on my attacker. He’s on the man in a second, bringing his gun up to pistol-whip him across the face. Cartilage cracks. The man groans. His limp body slumps down to the floor, immobilized.

For a long second, I stare. Stunned. My heart hammers at the turn this has taken, and I have to press my lips together to keep from screaming.

“Delilah.”

At the sound of his deep, steady voice, my eyes fly to Cole.

He doesn’t say anything as he reaches for me. I let out a cry and launch myself into his arms. He hauls me against his heaving chest, crushing me in his embrace. I lock my legs around his waist and bury my face in his neck. I hold on tight, drinking in his masculine scent.

Him. He’s here. He came.

“Delilah.” His deep rumble rolls through me. I force myself to pull back. His dark eyes roam my face, his big hand cups my cheek. “Baby, are you okay?”

“I’m okay.”

A tremor shakes his big frame. “Fuck, Delilah. Fuck.” His arms tighten like steel around my waist, and it’s there, deep in my heart and soul, that I know this man will never let anything happen to me.

I look over my shoulder at the man on the ground. “What do we do now?”

Still holding on to me, Cole slides his phone from his back pocket. His face hardens as his eyes, now chips of cold blue ice, narrow. “We get answers.”

32 Cole

The man hangs suspended from a chain attached to one of the rafters in our empty barn. He wants to chain up Delilah? The motherfucker’s going to get a taste of his own medicine.

He’s going to pay for every bruise on her body with his own.

“You ready to talk?” I prowl around him, my boots kicking up dust, my heartbeat pounding in my chest. Arms crossed, Warren and River hang back, content to run interference.

Both my brothers came as soon as I called them. There was no traffic on the back road, so we didn’t have to worry about the cops. While Delilah and I drove my truck back to the ranch, River took the van to Syd’s garage, where they plan to impound it. Warren took the driver to the Pit. Now, we’re in the empty barn we use to store our parents’ and Jack’s belongings. It sits on the outskirts of the ranch, far out enough that none of our distillery guests would wander here.

“I’m not telling you shit.” The man stays blank-faced and calm, a fact that tells me he’s a professional. Someone hired him.

“That’s where you’re wrong. You’re going to tell us everything. Starting with her.” I’m furious. My insides churn with the need to destroy. He tried to take Delilah. He should be six feet under right now for ever daring to come after my girl.

“She is everything.” The man looks at Delilah, who hangs back near the door. She all but strong-armed me into letting her be present, despite me ordering her to stay at the house. My heart can’t handle her near any more danger.

“Are you sure you want to be here for this?” I ask Delilah as I make my way back to her side.