Page 103 of Savage Rancher
"Every word."
I turn to face him. "He just signed his own death warrant."
Mason nods slowly. "Yeah. He did."
"I'm taking him out," I say, my voice flat. "One way or another."
"I know." Mason's gaze is steady. "We’ll get it done."
I look back out the window, watching the empty driveway, my mind already calculating timelines, strategies, contingencies.
Cole Turner thinks he has leverage.
He thinks he can threaten Emma and walk away.
He's wrong.
And he's going to learn that the hard way.
106
EMMA
ONE MONTH LATER
The morning sun pours through the kitchen windows at Blackthorn, turning everything golden. I'm curled in Jake's lap at the breakfast table, his arm wrapped around my waist, his coffee mug in his other hand.
Mason's flipping pancakes at the stove, with the same precision he applies to everything else. Luke's sitting across from us, eating bacon and grinning at us like we're his personal entertainment.
Luke shakes his head. "You two are disgusting."
Jake doesn't even look up from his coffee. "Jealous?"
"Of your codependent nightmare?” He snorts. “Hard pass."
But there's no heat in it. There never is. Luke loves seeing Jake happy—even if he gives us shit about it.
I reach for a piece of bacon from Luke's plate, and he swats my hand away. "Get your own, buttercup."
"I'm too comfortable to get up."
"I'm not," Jake says, hauling me over his shoulder and standing.
I squeal, grabbing this belt loops on his jeans to hold on. Laughing, I smack his back. "Jake, put me down."
"Nope." He's already moving toward the stairs.
Luke's laughter follows us. "Pancakes will get cold."
"Save us some," Jake calls back.
"Not a chance."
Mason's quiet chuckle is the last thing I hear before Jake carries me up the stairs, his hand firm on my thighs, keeping me secure.
"You're ridiculous," I say, still laughing.
"You love it."
