The tension between the men was palatable. I had no idea Kieran even had a brother, much less that it was the guy who’d been making soft passes at me for a while. I wasn’t expecting Kyle today. But then again, he’s been coming around without me calling for a while now.

It never seemed weird, until now.

Sure, he never did that when dad was alive. But since dad passed away, he’s stopped by often, claiming he’s checking in on the horses. Now, after the tension between the brothers, I wonder if he was actually checking in on me.

And what the hell was with Kieran? Why was he so on edge?

There has to be something more between the brothers. Something I don’t know about. Something that has nothing to do with me. I wonder what, though. I’d swear Kieran wanted to bash Kyle’s face in. And Kyle was right there with him, ready to lash out like a cobra.

I reach out and grab Kieran’s arm before he can leave.

“What the hell was all that about?” I ask, suddenly furious. Kyle is my vet. Whatever personal feelings there may be, he’s still an important fixture around here. I don’t need Kieran chasing him off.

And besides, I don’t need the drama of two guys trying to kill each other on my damn lawn.

But Kieran says nothing. He’s all steel and ire as he looks down at me, then after his brother. So I attack from another angle while Olivia is out of ear shot.

“Why did you say no?” I ask, and he looks at me, shock registering behind those incredible blue eyes.

I know he’s not going to answer, though, and I’m not about to take that bullshit. He’s going to answer me. “It’s a good deal,” I tell him, and he arches an eyebrow at me like he’s skeptical.

“It’s an amazing ROI,” I tell him, feeling pang of satisfaction that he seems surprised I know the term return on investment. “So this must be personal.” I conclude, and he finally decides to say something.

“It’s not personal,” he says, his eyes darkening. Sensing the danger, I push forward.

“Then why did you say no?” I ask a bit too sweetly, sure I’ve backed him into a corner.

Suddenly, his lips are on mine, but there’s nothing sweet about the kiss. It’s rough. His tongue pushes past my lips and my knees tremble as the sheer brutality of it shakes me to the core. Interestingly enough, it also ignites something within me and I kiss him back.

His arms circle around me; holding me tightly as he leans into the kiss and pushes me back. My heart bangs against his chest and finds his heart beating quickly. Everything in me comes alive and I want nothing more than to feel him again, skin to skin, heart to heart.

But he pulls back and I hear why. The approaching voices of Olivia and Kyle.

“Well, maybe we can see each other more,” Kyle is saying to Olivia.

I feel Kieran tense up as the two enter the barn.

Kyle’s eyes dart from me to Kieran and I know he knows. My cheeks sting as Olivia chatters on, seemingly unaware of all the tension between the adults around her.

“I’d like that. I need to get back to Dreamer’s stall, though.” She stands on tiptoe as Kyle leans down. She kisses his cheek and gives him a one arm hug around the shoulders before heading back to Dreamer’s stall.

“A word?” Kieran says in a low, threatening voice to his brother.

The two step outside, and I follow, needing to make sure there’s no bloodshed on my property.

“Don’t bother,” Kyle is saying to a livid Kieran. “You took everything else from me, why should this be any different?” His blue eyes flick to me and suddenly, both men are studying me.

“This better not be about me,” I say. “No one took me from anyone.”

“Right,” Kyle says, his voice ice. “What about Olivia?” He looks at his brother. “What about dad?”

Shock rips through me as I wonder what the hell they’re talking about. I stare form one to the other, waiting for some clarity. But Kyle looks form me to his brother, a small, cruel smile on his lips.

“She doesn’t know, does she?” he asks, his icy tone clearly affecting Kieran like frostbite. With that, Kyle turns and leaves, then seems to think better of it. He turns around again, his movements so threatening I feel frightened and jump back a step as he focuses the full force of his wrath on me.

“Don’t trust a fucking thing he says,” he says, running a trembling hand through his hair as rage rolls off him like this fog. “He’ll gut you without a second thought. He only cares about himself. Don’t let him fool you otherwise.”

“You’re wrong,” I whisper, and his eyes lock on me, narrowing a tiny fraction. “He cares about her,” I jerk my chin toward the barn and Olivia.

To my horror, Kyle lets out an ugly laugh. “Right. That’s why she hasn’t seen her grandma in over a year. Every girl should grow up without her mother, her grandparents, her uncles. He clearly cares.”

I glance over at Kieran, who’s clearly livid and I realize how very little I know about this family. And Kieran surely has dark secrets. While I’d wondered where Olivia’s mom was, I had assumed she’d passed away. The finality of Olivia’s references of her felt like she’d died. But now that I think back, she’d never said so. She’d mentioned missing her mother. But she’d never actually said she’d lost her, even after I mentioned my dad had died.

Without another word, Kyle walked away, his back straight and his shoulders square.

I look over at Kieran, both wanting to demand answers and help him. But he’s staring after his brother. And I can’t help it.

“Fix it,” I tell him, and he glances over at me.

“I can never fix the evil things I said to dad.” My voice lowers to a wobbly whisper. “And now he’s dead. Fix it.”

But Kieran eyes me with a look that’s impassibly harsh. “Some things can’t be fixed,” he says, but I shake my head.

“Everything can be fixed,” I say, gathering courage.

Suddenly, Olivia peeks around the barn door at us, her face filled with fear. “Are you telling daddy on me?” she asks me, her eyes wide with unshed tears.

My heart stops as I glance at Kieran. “No,” I tell her, knowing the jig is up.

His eyes narrow in fury. “You are now,” he tells me as Olivia tries to slip back in the barn.

“What are you hiding from me?” he asks, his eyes granite as he glares down at me.

“It’s not a big deal,” I say, trying to figure out how to tell him without making things worlds worse.

“Olivia, get in the truck,” he says, his tone so low and menacing, I feel genuine fear bubbling up in my belly.

“No.”

Kieran looks away from me at her, and I sense he’s battling his rage. “Now, young lady.”

But she stands up. “No.” Her eyes dart to me, and I sense she’s not nearly as afraid of her father as I am right now. “Does the offer still stand?” she asks and I find myself on the spot.

“What offer?” Kieran snarls.

“I’ll help anyway I can,” I tell her, and I sense Kieran’s rage multiplying.

Olivia stands tall. “Dad,” she begins, balling her fist and bringing it to her chest in a quick double tap. “You promised me a safe space to say anything and not get in trouble,” she says, and I know all his rage is shifting to me.

He nods, his face tight.

“I was going to run away.” Olivia sounds so sure of herself I feel my heart breaking for her. Before me, Kieran stiffens. “But Emma told me that things would seem better in the morning. She told me if I ran away to her, she’d make me work, hard, like I was her daughter.”

Olivia plants her feet a bit apart in what feels like a fighting stance. “And I stayed. Things did seem better in the morning. She helped me, dad, when I needed it most.”

And Kieran’s anger seems to deflate.

But Olivia isn’t done. “But she didn’t tell you to protect me. So leave her alone or I will leave, and you’ll never find me.”