“You mean hug her while she cries about our father dying?” West asked. “She won’t shed a tear for him. None of us will. We’re all glad to see him in the ground.”

East held up a hand and his brothers quieted. “I don’t think that’s what he means.” He glanced at his brothers who flanked him, then back at me. “What do you know that we don’t? North never tells us shit. You’re here and talking like someone’s fucking with her.”

West’s back went straight. “What? Who? A visit from the three of us should get any guy to back off and shit his pants.”

I agreed with that.

“I’d start with your dad,” I said simply, although I was pleased to hear West was protective of North.

They went still, as if they’d been hit with a stun gun. Their jaws clenched and their eyes narrowed, but that’s all.

“What did he do?” South asked finally, his voice low. Even. Too even.

I shrugged, although I had a pretty good idea. If I was correct, her brothers deserved to know. “Not sure yet. She told me someone had to follow in her father’s footsteps. I’m thinking she didn’t have much choice.”

South looked down at the floor, swore under his breath. “That girl, so fucking stubborn. And a liar. No one had to take over the business. It can fold for all I care.”

“Except the… what, thousand or more employees who are out of work in central Montana?” I countered.

He clenched his jaw, catching on to the extent of North’s burdens. “You think he hurt her and she didn’t tell us about it?”

“What is she to you?” East asked, ignoring South and homing in on me. “Heard you came to the wake for your boss.”

I had no idea how he’d picked that up, but it didn’t surprise me.

West raised a brow in question and East added, “John Marshall.”

When they turned their gazes on me this time, it was clear they knew the kind of man Marshall was. Which meant they probably thought the same of me. Birds of a feather and all that.

“It’s your job to protect North because you’re her brothers,” I said, leaving Marshall out of this. “It’s my job to protect her because she’s mine. If anyone’s going to spank her ass for putting herself in danger, that’ll be me.”

After what we’d just done in that tiny room, there was no going back.

“She know that?” West asked.

“Getting there,” I replied, then looked to South. “Like you said, she’s stubborn.”

“Marshall’s an asshole. Why should we trust a guy who works for him?” South asked.