Page 126 of Set It Right
Silence fell heavy, the implication of what she’d done settling over all of us like a lead blanket.
“He asked if they were okay,” Melanie whispered. “I said you never know out there.”
Lock’s jaw tightened, his hand on the door gripping so hard his fingertips went white.
“You sent him north,” Elena said, her voice breaking on the word.
Melanie’s eyes filled as she rushed to defend herself. “I thought he’d get out there and see they weren’t on that trail. An inconvenience, you know? Then he’d turn back.”
“But he didn’t come back,” I finished for her.
He rode toward the fire, thinking that was where I was. And he was still out there in the dark. Because…I couldn’t even begin to think why Melanie would have lied. Nothing about this made sense.
Elena pushed forward, her spine steel as she faced Melanie down. “Why would you tell him that? What was in it for you?”
“Nothing.” Melanie covered her face with her hands. “I made a mistake. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
Victoria shook her head. “She was mad Cormac broke up with me and thought she’d get a little revenge by sending him on a wild-goose chase.”
What? I couldn’t breathe. That couldn’t be the reason Cormac wasn’t here. That wasn’t possible. It had to be something else. Something bigger, more noble. Because if this was it…if this was why Cormac was missing…
Elena jerked like she’d been struck. “My son is out there, in the dark, because of some petty revenge fantasy? Is that what you’re telling me?”
“It was a mistake,” Melanie keened, desperate.
If I’d been less numb and had use of my limbs, I would have clawed her crying eyes out. She’d done this. And for what?
Nothing.
“A mistake is giving someone the wrong change,” Elena hissed. “This was not a mistake. You purposely endangered my son. If he—if something happens to him, I—”
All her steam wore out in a helpless puff. She fell against Lock’s chest, quiet sobs racking her shoulders. Lock held her close, addressing the two women on his porch.
“If we need anything from either of you, we’ll call.” His jaw rippled. “Youwillanswer.”
“Of course,” Victoria rasped. “We’ll do anything you need.”
Lock closed the door and ushered Elena into the living room. I could only stare at the glow coming from the porch light as I swayed. There were so many things I needed to do, but I couldn’t grasp which should come first.
Zane stepped closer behind me. “Zara—”
“I need to go,” I said, reaching for the doorknob.
Steven blocked my way. “No, baby. You can’t go anywhere right now.”
“He’s out there because he thought I was in danger.”
“And youwillbe in danger if you ride out blind in the dark,” Steven replied, not raising his voice. “You know that.”
A ball of furious helplessness burst in my chest, and it was all I could do not to slam into Steven, shove him out of my way, and run into the night—then keep running north until I found Cormac and put my hands on him.
But he was right.
Deep down, under my anger, I knew he was.
The north trail wasn’t forgiving, even in the best of circumstances. There were too many drop-offs, too many places for horses to misstep.
“I can’t just sit here,” I said, my voice breaking. “I have to do something.”
