Page 35 of Wine, Whiskey, & Lipstick 2

“How?” Lucas was genuinely curious. “How much more can we beef it up? We have cameras everywhere, on-site security walking the premises, the cars and phones are tagged, and the women all have bodyguards. What more can we do? Someone still got on our property and messed with their fuckin’ cars!”

Ben said what they all suspected. “We all know that’s not a shadow.”

Wyatt sighed, “We don’t, but we also need to deal with the facts.”

“Right around the time these photos were taken, Dillyn and I were out on the property having a late-night dinner.”

“I remember that,” Lucas said.

“She said it felt like someone was watching us.”

“What?!” Wyatt and Lucas both responded in tandem.

“I figured it was security since I know they are always close. But, clearly, someone can get on our properties without us knowing about it.”

Wyatt rubbed the back of his neck, “We have a lot of land to secure. There’s a few hundred thousand acres between us both. Parts of our land are protected by electronic fencing, parts by cameras, and other parts closest to the house have human security.”

“Where is Selah?” Ben asked.

“She’s down at the stables,” Lucas responded. “We have a man close.”

Wyatt nodded. “There is always security close by her. Selah barely leaves the ranch unless she’s going over to Dillyn’s. We can certainly add more people.”

“We’ll need to.” Ben read between the lines. “But we can’t cover this whole place and theirs at the same time.”

Wyatt agreed, but they couldn’t allow emotion to cause them to make a mistake, “We need to know what we are dealing with before we start making moves.”

Ben figured over-reacting might be better than under-reacting, “We have tighter security here than over at Dillyn’s place. We should move the ladies in with us for a while.”

Wyatt responded, “I’m not opposed to that, but I can’t see them agreeing.”

Ben didn’t give a shit. “They ain’t got a choice. When the fuck is Mike coming?”

Wyatt responded, “Any minute.”

Chapter 15

The meeting with Mike hadn’t given Ben the reassurances he’d hoped for. The news went from bad to worse.

It was a little late in the day for a ride on Whisper, but Ben needed to process the information Mike had just dropped on their laps. The enhanced security footage left no doubt that several unknown individuals had been on their property over the last week. What wasn’t confirmed was if those people had been some knuckleheaded teens or someone with more sinister intentions.

They knew. Instinctively, they all knew.

Ben also couldn’t stop recalling his conversation with Dillyn the night they’d been out by the fire. Around the same time, those people had been on their property. The memory of her words was playing a symphony inside his head. She felt like they were being watched.Was she right?Probably. Unfortunately, too many cross-currents of shit coincided, and Ben couldn’t be convinced it was just a coincidence.

In the past few months, Ben had been at the lowest of lows and the highest of highs, and everything in between. Never could he have imagined Selah being kidnapped or meeting Dillyn, falling in love, and starting a family. In record time, no less.A fuckin’ miracle. The universe had brought them together when neither was looking for love. It had been some magic that allowed her to take his breath away with a smile she didn’t even want to give. One that he didn’t want to notice but was helpless to resist. That smile hid a million secrets, and Ben wanted to know every last one. He’d been through hell and back, but something about Dillyn’s eyes, dark, brown, and hauntingly lovely, saw clear through to his soul and forced him to heal. Her being able to see the man behind the brokenness was part of it. Ben still had a lot of issues to work through, but he would do it because he wanted to be better for her and their unborn child.

Dillyn had opened his heart and expanded it in ways Ben never thought were possible. A year . . . six . . . hell, even three months ago he was just a shell. Now, he was looking forward to the future. Ben was under no illusions about how difficult things were going to be. Not only was he possibly fighting unknown assailants, but to a degree Dillyn herself. He wasn’t blind to the fact that Dillyn was full of self-doubts about becoming a mother.Hehad no doubt she would be an incredible mom.

I have to reassure her that she can do itall whilekeeping her safe.

It was his job and a responsibility Ben took seriously. As he walked toward the barn, Ben made eye contact with Selah’s bodyguard before walking inside. His job was always to be visible to her. Selah needed the reassurance.

Ben caught her unaware, “What’s got you frowning so hard?”

Selah paused from brushing Whisper as she sent a soft smile his way. “A better question is what’s got you out here this late in the day.” It was a good question to ask.

“Just needed to clear my head.”

---