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We all watch as the barn goes up in flames.
“No!” Wyatt cries, lunging toward the fire.
I get to him first and pull him away because he’s this close to losing it. I know the feeling.
Everything’s gone. All our equipment. Our tack. Medical supplies.
Gone.
But the horses ...
A dirtied hand clamps down on my shoulder and I glance over. “You okay?” Davis rumbles, his face streaked with soot. He glances down, checking me for injuries.
I nod. “How many?” I scan the pasture and run a hand through my sweaty hair. All I care about is the horses. “How many did we lose?”
“None.” My oldest brother’s voice is stunned. “We got ‘em all.”
“Thank God,” Wyatt chokes out, swiping at his eyes.
I’m nearly felled with relief.
Thank fuck, the barn was a new building. Old wood and we wouldn’t have had a chance in hell of getting any horses out. We’ll have to get a vet down here to check them all over, but it’s a miracle they all survived.
“DVL,” Davis bites out.
A vein pulses in my temple, and rage blurs the edge of my vision. Someone will pay for this.
But later.
First, I have to find Ruby.
Chest heaving, I scan the ranch. Rainwater soaks everything, and the fire slows to a sputter. Ford’s on his phone, pacing back and forth on the gravel drive, trying to get a signal.
That’s when I see her.
Her body lies limp and motionless, collapsed into a dead faint on the grass.
My entire world crashes around me, and I break into a run. When I reach her, I fall to my knees beside her. Fear grabs me by the throat as I take in her pale face. She’s unconscious, lips parted, soot streaking her face and clothes.
She fainted. She never should have been out here. She’s done more for the ranch than she ever should have.
“Ruby.” My voice comes out harsher than I want, harsher than I’d ever speak to her, but the tightness in my gut twists. I cradle her slack face in my hands, trying to rouse her. “Baby, wake up.”
No response.
My frantic fingers move straight to her throat. I check her pulse, waiting for that wild, hammering beat.
But there isn’t one.
“This isn’t fucking funny,” I grit out hoarsely. “Ruby. Come on, baby, get up. Get up.”
I don’t feel her heartbeat. I don’t feel anything.
Panic turns to all-consuming terror as I stare down at her still form. A buzzing static fills my head and my blood turns to ice.
I hover a palm above her lips. Dip my head to her chest and listen.
For life.
