Page 20 of Savage Rancher

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And she wants Jake.

21

JAKE

Istand here in the darkness, catching my breath, staring at the monitor.

Emma climaxes a few more times, one rolling into the next until she’s lying there, panting. She stays that way for a while and then pulls the comforter up over her shoulders and rolls over so I can’t see her face.

I clean myself up and zip my jeans, but I don't leave. I stay there watching the monitors. Watching her.

And for the first time all night, I feel calm. Settled. Sure.

Emma is mine, and tomorrow, I'm going to make sure she knows it.

I'm going to make sure everyone knows it.

22

EMMA

My phone buzzes on the nightstand, dragging me out of a restless sleep.

I reach for it blindly, squinting at the screen. 6:47 a.m. Is it Jake? I open my messages.

Harper Garrett

Hey. Heard you were supposed to meet Eli Turner last night at the Rusty Spur.

You okay?

My heart stops. This isn’t a concerned inquiry from a girlfriend. This is a question from the deputy sheriff.

They found Eli’s body.

I sit up fast, the sheets tangling around my legs. My hands shake as I type back.

Yeah, I'm fine.

He never showed up.

Why?

Three dots appear. They disappear and reappear before the message shows up.

Harper Garrett

Eli Turner's missing.

Dad's going to want to talk to you later today.

He's stopping at Blackthorn Ranch first to question Jake Callahan.

Oh fuck.

Sheriff Garrett has no love lost for Jake Callahan, probably because of Jake’s father—and mine, quite frankly. The sins of the father carry down in Iron Ridge, and my dad didn’t help matters by using his friendship with Dan Garrett to run Jake off. Because of me.

All of this is because of me, including this predicament with Eli.

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