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25
Ian
Ian was losing control ofeverything. When he’d brought Jessica home with him, he thought he’d be able to keep her safe because he was on his turf. The more he got to know her, the more he realized she was just as headstrong as he was. That wasn’tbad—not until that stubbornness put her in more danger.
He went directly to his room, no longer hungry. This whole thing had gotten ten times more dangerous in a matter of hours. Ian entered his room, shut the door to keep his family out while he thought this through, and paced in front of his bed. Why couldn’t Jessica see what was happening right in front of her? They shouldn’t be waiting; they should be acting.
He needed to do something. Take action. Jessica was obviously unable to make logical decisions. Ian ran both hands through his hair, grasping the ends and holding them tight. The pressure distracted him from the pounding in his head.
Ian would talk with his brothers and get their input. If they all agreed, then he’d snatch the storage device and hand it over to the authorities. She wouldn’t like it, but at least she’d be safe.
He dropped onto the edge of his bed. It didn’t sound like Jessica had wandered past his room to return to the kitchen yet. Hopefully, she’d decided to stay put, and he’d be able to talk with his brothers in private.
Leaning over, he rested his elbows on his knees. Maybe it would be better to wait until Jessica was asleep so she couldn’t interfere with his plan.
A loud pounding reverberated on his bedroom door. Ian lifted his head. Three more bangs against the door. He got to his feet, strode across the door and opened it. Sean and Brock stood in the hallway, their expressions pensive. Sean’s arms were folded. He wore his cowboy hat, something that was unheard of inside.
“We have a problem, Ian.” Sean wiped the side of his nose with his thumb and glanced down the hall toward Jessica’s room.
Ian followed his attention. Jessica’s door was still closed. “What?”
“There was an alert on the perimeter of the property.” Sean shifted his stance.
“By the orchards?” Ian leaned against his door frame. “I didn’t think they’d be back so soon.”
Brock shook his head. “Behind the old barn.”
Ian’s features pinched. “The one on the north side of the property?”
His brothers nodded.
“But nothing is out that way. That barn hasn’t been used in almost a decade.”
Sean crossed his arms. “I sent the others to go check it out.”
“How long ago?”
Motion out of the corner of his eye caught Ian’s attention. Jessica hovered in her doorway a few doors down. She gazed at them with concern in her expression. She had already dressed in her pajamas. Apparently she wasn’t planning on heading down for dinner either. She must have lost her appetite too.
“Ten minutes ago.”
Ian’s whole body tightened. He gave his brothers a sharp nod. “Someone needs to keep watch tonight.”
His brothers glanced in Jessica’s direction before returning their focus to him. Brock cleared his throat. “Maybe it’s time we reevaluate if what we’re doing is the right thing.”
Ian frowned at him. “You better not be saying what I think you’re saying.”
Brock puffed out his chest. “I’m saying this place is big and these guys are professional criminals.”
With fists clenched at his sides, Ian scowled at his brother. “You didn’t want her here to begin with. You just want her gone.”
Brock’s focus flicked to Jessica. He lowered his voice. “Despite what you might think, I just want to keep her safe. I don’t think we can do that anymore.”
“There’s six of us, Brock. We can handle this.”
Somewhere in the house a door slammed shut. Rusty trampled across the wood floor and stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “Sean, Brock, Ian, you up there?” Cal’s voice echoed through the house.
“Ian’s room,” Sean called back.
