Page 3

"She never does."

Dylan ignored his comment. "She has a woman and a young girl living not too far from our ranch, but some guy just got out of prison. She's worried that he's going to go after them. She needs them off the radar until she can be sure they're safe."

"You need to borrow my truck?" Dylan owned a private detective firm, and he often helped out Eliana with her clients.

"No, I'm out of the country right now. I need you to go get them and bring them to your house."

Silence reigned.

"Jacob?"

"Did you just say you want me to go get a woman and a child and bring them to my house and have them stay here? With me?"

"Yes."

"Here? Bring them here? For how long?"

"A few days? A week? I don't know. Eliana didn't tell me."

"I can't have them in my house."

"You can."

Jacob shut Freedom's door. "You need to know that I got a call that my dad got out of prison yesterday."

Dylan let out his breath. "You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Heard from him?"

"No." Not that he would answer if his dad did reach out. "I'm sure he has no idea that his son is the billionaire rancher Jacob Hart. He'd never expect I could have been that guy."

"And if he did, he has no power over you anymore."

"I know." But the release of his dad from prison brought back memories that Jacob had thought no longer controlled him. "So, yeah, not the best time for me to take on a woman and a kid."

"Crises never ask ahead to make sure the timing is good. I need you to do this."

Jacob swore. "Did you call the wrong brother? I'm not the guy who takes in women and kids."

"You're the guy who takes in horses."

"Hell, Dylan—"

"I've known you for almost twenty years. I know exactly who you are and how difficult this will be for you. So you know that if I'm asking, I don't have a better option right now."

Jacob leaned against the stall door and closed his eyes. "Fuck."

"Bring a gun."

His eyes opened. "A gun?"

"If this guy finds them, he's likely to try to kill them. So, yeah, a gun. He got out of prison an hour ago, and Eliana has already lost track of him. None of her contacts can find him, so he could be on his way right now. Apparently, he has money and connections."

Memories flashed though Jacob's mind, galvanizing him. He strode over to the cabinet, let it scan his face, then the door swung open for him. He reached inside and pulled out his gun. Then a second one. "Where are they?"

"The town of Blackthorn. It's about an hour away."