Page 66 of Cowboy Elite 2: Mike

He looked up at Joe. "What guarantee do I have that you won't come after me later? Once I'm no longer useful?"

"You have my word," Joe said. "And the word of four former Marines who take honor seriously."

Harris's gaze moved to Mike, to Lyle, to Kenny standing silent and dangerous behind him. Four men who'd seen combat, survived it, and now stood together protecting one of their own.

"All right," Harris said. "I'll take the deal." He signed the paperwork with steady hands.

When it was done, Joe made a call. Five minutes later, Harris's phone buzzed with a confirmation. First payment received, trust established. Harris stared at the notification like he couldn't quite believe it was real.

"One more thing," Joe said. "Russo's people are going to keep looking. This doesn't end the threat."

"I know." Harris stood, carefully. "For what it's worth, I hope she makes it. She seems like a good person."

"She is," Mike said. "That's why we're willing to do this."

Harris nodded slowly. Then he left, escorted out by Kenny, who made sure he understood very clearly that the ranch would be watching his reports to confirm he kept his end of the deal.

When the door closed behind them, Mike let out a breath. "Think he'll stick to it?"

"Yeah," Joe said. "He's smart enough to know we gave him an out. And that we could've handled this a lot less generously."

"Forty thousand's a lot of generosity," Lyle observed.

"So is Liv," Joe said simply.

Mike scrubbed both hands over his face. "One problem down. How many more to go?"

"Let's hope not many," Lyle said. "But we prepare for the worst anyway."

12

Liv made her way to the training yard where Heather was working with Mo on basic commands. The little border collie was focused, eager, tail wagging as he executed each sit-stay-come with precision.

"Can I talk to you?" Liv asked.

Heather glanced up, took in Liv's expression, and nodded. "Mo, free." The dog immediately bounded off to investigate a fascinating smell near the fence. Heather brushed her hands on her jeans. "What's on your mind?"

"I want to learn more." The words came out in a rush. "Not just shooting. Everything. Self-defense, situational awareness, how to spot surveillance. I'm tired of being helpless."

Heather studied her for a long moment. "You're not helpless, Liv. You’ve been surviving on your own. That takes serious strength."

"I survived by hiding. By running. By hoping I could stay invisible long enough for the threat to go away." Liv's hands fisted at her sides. "But it's not going away. And I can't keep letting other people fight my battles while I make biscuits and hope for the best."

"The biscuits matter," Heather said gently. "Feeding people, creating normalcy, that's part of the fight too."

"I know. But it's not enough. Not for me." Liv met Heather's eyes. "I need to be able to protect myself. And maybe even protect the people I love if it comes to that."

Something shifted in Heather's expression. Respect, maybe. Understanding.

“I can work with you on self-defense if you want. I graduated at the top of my class, so I know a thing or two.”

“I’d like that.”

"Okay. We’ll start tomorrow morning. After breakfast prep."

"What will we work on?"

"Basics. How to break a grip, how to use your environment as a weapon, how to run smart instead of just running scared." Heather's voice was firm but kind. "And how to trust your gut when it's screaming that something's wrong."