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It was early yet She’d been expecting Tanner, but sometimes he didn’t show up until nine or ten And she understood that due to the deht not come at all When he did coht

The darkness was silent except for the babbling flow of the creek and the fussing of the chickens There was no visible sign of danger But Rose could feel the fa on the back of her neck that told her soht

Her gaze probed the deep shadows on the far side of the creek There was no movement No sound, not even the wind

She walked over to the coop Behind the wire mesh, the chickens were restless and alert “What is it?” she whispered to the to tell me? I know you’re worried, but don’t be scared I’ll protect you”

“Rosa”

Her whispered Mexican name sent a chill up her spine Had the cartel tracked her down?

“Rosa No tengas miedo Estamos aquí”

She turned as two ers—but only for an instant Recognizing theun and ran to embrace the pair who’d been like her older brothers back in Río Seco

She hadn’t seen Ramón’s nephews, Raul and Joaquin, for un to believe they were dead But here they were, and she had a world of questions to ask them

“Where have you been? How did you find me?” She spoke with them in Spanish, which caue

“That’s a very long story” Joaquin was the better looking and more talkative of the brothers “Invite us into your little home, and ill tell it to you”

Overjoyed to see theain, Rose led the two men inside her trailer, opened the last two bottles of Tecate in her e, andher their story between bites

“Last winter, orking on that big sheep ranch outside Sabinas when the Cabreras came by,” Raul said

“The cartel?” Even the nah Rose’s body

“They were looking for runners who knew the border and how to cross They proood money and that our family would be safe if ent to work for them”