Page 62 of Apple of My Eye

We stopped and ran toward the house, moving silently, each of us with a weapon. But the house was dark and empty after we swept through it.

“What now?” Colt whispered.

“The only other place could be the orchard cottage. And ifnot there…” I refused to think about it, praying I’d find her at the cottage, the place where our story really began.

I flew through the trees with the guys behind me, bringing up the rear, navigating by memory toward the warm square of amber light showing through the cottage window.

I stopped at the clearing and used the rifle scope to see inside.

Through the window, I saw movement. I stealthily closed in. From a standing position, I could just peek into the bottom of the window.

Daisy was on her knees in the center of the room, hands bound behind her, chin up with the particular set of her jaw that meant she was terrified and refusing to let it show.

Trevor Brewster stood by her, pointing a gun. I crouched down and whispered into the comm. “Ash. Colt. They’re here at the orchard cottage. Wait for my signal to move in.”

“What cottage?” The sheriff asked on the comm. I sent him a ping from my phone.

“Hold your position until we get there. Five minutes out,” the sheriff commanded.

Too fucking much could happen in five minutes. Trevor could lose control. Daisy could be hurt or worse.

I peeked again in the window. They were having a conversation like it was the most natural thing in the world, except for the madman pointing that weapon at my woman.

I maneuvered around to the front of the building at the door. There were no windows, but I could hear every word better than in my previous position.

Trevor’s voice carried through clearly enough.

“You have no idea what it’s been like for me all this time. After everything I tried to do for you and your family.”

A pause.

“Do you know what it cost me to watch you from a distance because of my father, thanks to that ridiculous threat you made to him?”

Another pause.

Daisy had no response. Good girl. No need to get him riled up and escalate his temper.

“I could have given you everything. I could have given your family everything. And instead you chose—who? A ranch hand? A broken-down veteran who fixes fences and mucks stalls?”

I jolted at a thump, like the sound of a man hitting his knees on a wooden floor. His voice pitched into something uglier. “Why couldn’t you have looked at me the way you look at him? Just once. That’s all I wanted. Just once.”

“Trevor. Please put the gun down.”

Her voice came through, surprisingly calm. It almost broke me wide open, standing in the dark to hear it, not being able to reach for her. Typical Daisy, though, holding strong on the outside. Inside, though, was another matter.

“This is over. Whatever you thought to accomplish, it’s over.”

“It’s not over, Daisy. It’s not over until I decide it is.” That did it. His voice increased in pitch. “I’ve been under my father’s thumb for years because of you. Do you understand that? Years of being managed and contained and told to stay away from you. The one woman I’ve always wanted. Because noooo, mustn’t disappoint dear old Dad.”

“Trevor, please.”

“What?”

“Was it you?” she said.

Fuck. I couldn’t believe she went there. Her voice cracked. She was breaking down. How much longer until the sheriff arrived?

“My parents. Was it you who ran them off the road?”