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As they raced toward the site, so did the rescue unit, bumping out through the field. Colton was crouched over the victim on the ground, but at the sound of their horses approaching, he looked up.
Carver drew on the reins to bring his mount to a halt, and Livia wheeled around the group, leaping off her horse to run on foot to them.
“Get back. Let us in!” The medics directed everyone away.
Colton scrambled to his feet, and to Carver’s relief, Hunter stood too. Both of his men were fine.
“What happened? Who’s hurt?” Livia threw herself into the knot of men.
“It’s Marks.” Hunter tore off his hat and sliced his fingers through his hair. “Goddammit!”
Carver gripped his friend’s shoulder in a show of support. “The medics will do their jobs. Did he flip it in a groundhog hole or something?”
At that, Colton lifted his head and met Carver’s stare. He waved a hand for them all to follow. Once they were several feet away from where the team worked on the ranch hand, Colton dropped his mask, showing them all the fury in his eyes.
“It’s an act of sabotage.”
Anger hooked Carver in the gut. “Somebody tampered with the ATV?”
“That axle didn’t just break on its own. Fuck!”
Livia touched Colton’s arm, bringing him back from the brink of rage. Carver knew that strong emotion—all three of them did. And every time one of their own took a hit, it surfaced again.
“Marks is a good guy,” Colton grated out.
“Don’t count him out yet. Men like him are fighters,” Carver put in.
“Yeah, well, he’s got a neck injury.” Hunter’s voice grew ragged.
Oh fuck. That wasn’t good. He met Hunter’s gaze for a heavy beat—and read the truth there.
They’d seen men with injuries to the spinal cord before. More often than not, they were never the same.
“We have to hold on to hope for Marks,” he heard himself say.
Livia turned her stare to his, the depths of her sapphire eyes bright. “Yes. We have to think positive for him.”
Two figures ran across the pasture. Seeing them, Livia let out a cry and raced toward Meadow and Ivy. The three embraced, as tight as he was with his brothers-in-arms. In that moment, he realized that Livia had been a support system for the Gracey girls the same way he had been for his men after the attack that scattered what remained of their SEAL team.
He looked between Colton and Hunter. “If somebody tampered with the ATV, it means there is still a trespasser problem on the ranch.”
Several yards away, the medics’ voices carried to each other as they stabilized Marks to move him.
Colton stared past him at the wreckage of the flipped ATV and let out a curse.
Carver knew what he had to do. “I need to be here with you guys, keeping watch.”
Hunter scrubbed a finger between his furrowed brows. “Ledger’s on his way. He hit some snags, but he’ll be here.”
“Not soon enough.” Carver couldn’t stay away from the ranch forever protecting Livia. But he needed to be there for her too.
Colton swung his attention to him. “You can’t leave Livia either. That rattler was as much of a coincidence as that ATV axle snapping.”
He ground his molars. “You’re right—someone is after Livia. And they’re also after the Graceys.”
The three of them looked at each other, letting that sink in.
“You could bring her here.” Colton had a valid suggestion there.
