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This is absurd. “Something tells me that’s not going to help things,” I offer, staring up at the brother I haven’t seen in five years.

“What in the hell are you doing here?” Theo sounds tired, wary.

“Why don’t you let us come in and we’ll tell you?” I’m careful not to make any sudden moves, noting his steady aim. “Do you think I would’ve come all this way if all I wanted was to see your ugly face again?”

“Who is she?” he asks without looking at June.

“A friend of mine. She’s in trouble. We both are.” Nodding toward the open front door, I add, “Let us in. We’ve been on the road all day. Nobody knows we’re here. You’re safe.”

“I was safe before you pulled up. Now? I have to wonder.” Still, he lowers the gun and steps aside. “You might as well come in.”

“Thank you.” June practically skips up the steps in front of me. “You have such a beautiful house. This is a ranch? What do you keep here? I mean, what kind of animals? Is it tough to run a ranch?”

“It’s fine.” Theo shoots me a quizzical look before following her into the house while I bring up the rear. He sets the shotgun down once we’re inside. A good sign.

“This is June,” I explain as she turns a slow circle in the center of the living room. It’s quaint, maybe even charming. Wood beams run the length of the ceiling, a small fire burns in a deep hearth. There’s even a moose head hanging over the mantel. “She’s a writer.”

“Sorry if I ask too many questions,” she babbles, laughing nervously and folding her arms over her midsection. In my sweats, she looks like a little kid pretending to be a grown-up. “It’s a bad habit. I have essentially no filter, everyone says so. I figure I should warn you about that now.”

This alone might be worth the price of admission, watching my brother study her like she’s some foreign species. “Thank you for the warning,” he says, bemused.

“You don’t dress like I would expect a rancher to dress. No flannel, no cowboy hat.” She looks him up and down, her face screwed up in thought as she scans his features, so similar to mine. His black hair is a little longer, his beard needs a shave, and there are a few more frown lines since I last saw him.

“All of my flannel is in the wash.” He shoots me a sour look this time. “Why don’t you tell me why you’re here? I know it isn’t for research purposes. Or if it is, I’m not interested.”

June tips her head to the side. “Ew. Rude.”

Fuck, this is going downhill. “All right, all right.” I hold up my hands, then point to the sofa. “Take a seat, June. Let me explain why we’ve come.” She heaves a sigh but does as she’s told for once. The floorboards creak under her feet before she flops onto the sofa, hands folded in her lap.

“You have thirty seconds to make your case,” Theo announces. “Then you’re on your way. So start talking.”

I didn’t want to have to do it this way. As usual, he’s forcing my hand. Rolling my shoulders back, I meet his steady gaze. “Fine. Somebody wants me dead. I need your help eliminating the threat. I can’t do it on my own.”

He doesn’t blink. “That sounds like a you problem.”

“It’s a Matteo Terrentino problem.”

Let him pretend all he wants to be unaffected. I know him better than that. He rocks back slightly on his heels before jamming his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “What did you do to him?”

“Not a damn thing, that I’m aware of. Since when does he need an excuse?” I point out.

Turning away from me, he walks over to the fireplace, leaning an arm against the mantel and staring down at the weak flames. “I don’t want anything to do with this. I gave all that shit up a long time ago. You could have too.”

“So, what? This is Adrian’s fault?” June is on her feet again before I can stop her, hands on her hips, blue eyes blazing. “Just because he didn’t want to live on a ranch in the middle of nowhere?”

“Yes, because it was that simple.” Theo rolls his eyes when he looks over his shoulder. “This is between my brother and me.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” she retorts, going red in the face. Now is not the time I should be admiring her, not with so many more important things hanging in the balance, but there’s something irresistible about her audacity when she gets good and pissed off. “Maybe I shouldn’t be involved, but I am. My sister is worried sick about me by now, but I’m not allowed to tell her I’m still alive because it could make everything even more dangerous. Not to mention missing the signing, my deadline, and other obligations I’m unable to fulfill. All because of this guy who wants Adrian dead, who apparently you got involved with. But you’re selfish enough to not even bother thinking about helping.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” he snaps, turning to face us. “If he had gotten out when he had a chance—when I asked him to—none of this would be happening.”

“You never really got out of it.” Shaking my head, I look around us at the almost idyllic surroundings. It might as well be the set for a play. Like my brother is living a pretend life. “You’re running, and you always will be so long as Matteo lives. This isn’t freedom, it’s banishment. You’ve made yourself an open-air prison to rot in. Cutting yourself off from the world, from everyone you knew, everything you loved.”

He wants to argue. I see it in the twitching of his face. There’s a stormy look that spreads, starting from his narrowed eyes and working its way down to his flared nostrils and firmly set mouth. It’s a look I’ve seen more times than I can count.

“You will always be on the run from him. Don’t you see that?” I ask. He has to hear me. I need him to hear me. “We take him out once and for all, and we can both be free. Finally. This is just as much for you as it is for me.”

His shoulders rise and fall in a deep breath before he hangs his head, rubbing the back of his neck. June clicks her tongue, huffing softly like she can’t believe he won’t fall to his knees and beg forgiveness, but I hold up a hand and hope she’ll keep her mouth shut. He’s coming around. I feel it. But he’s like a skittish animal. One false move, one word, and he’ll shut down.