Total pages in book: 174
Estimated words: 172061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 574(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 172061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 574(@300wpm)
I crossed my arms over my chest. “And you decided to camp on my land instead?”
She chewed at the inside of her cheek. “Well, it is probably the most gorgeous area I’ve ever seen, and I promised my kids we were going on an adventure, so I figured what better way than to camp out in the woods. Vacation and finding you. It was a win/win.”
A frown slashed into my brow. I wasn’t buying it. “Don’t bullshit me, Daisy.”
She bit down harder on her cheek, and her gaze dropped to the floor before she warily peeked up at me. “It was better than us sleeping in the car the way we did for weeks, and the campground was full. And I…felt closer to you. Safer…just knowing I was in your space.”
Another rush of that fury gripped my guts in a fist.
It was bad enough they’d been sleeping in the forest. But sleeping in their car parked God knew where? That was dangerous. Reckless and dangerous and fuck…
“How did you find me?” I’d asked her earlier, but I hadn’t really given her the chance to answer.
She ran her hands up and down the outside of her arms, her gaze dipping away for a beat. “You told me one night what you’d name your construction company.” Her laugh was uncomfortable. “You said it like a joke, and I thought there was no chance, but I looked it up anyway, and it led me here.”
I couldn’t believe it. She’d taken that crumb I’d left her and followed it.
“You found the LLC my land is registered under.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yeah,” she whispered.
I raked a shaky hand through my hair. “What’s going on, Daisy? Need you to give it to me straight. Did you and your husband fall on hard times?”
I tried to phrase it as casually as I could. Like the thought of her with another man didn’t drive a dull blade through my heart.
Ethan Coughlin was the last fucking douchebag I pictured Daisy hooking up with. From the little research I did about him, he had that pompous edge that I hated. Probably good looking if pretty boy was your type.
I’d done a basic background check on the guy when I first found out she was engaged. There was nothing other than a couple speeding tickets. Yeah, I’d wanted to dig. To uncover any detriment or disgrace to prove he wasn’t close to being good enough for her. But what the fuck did I have to say about it?
I’d forced myself not to put my nose in it. Not to put any tracers or trackers on him or his business dealings.
To just fuckin’ let go.
There would be no doing that now.
If he cheated on her or something?
Anger blistered through my body at the thought. The idea that someone would neglect the treasure that was standing in front of me made me want to go on a rampage. I would drain every penny from that motherfucker’s accounts. Make him wish he’d never uttered her name.
But if he’d hurt her. Or one of those kids?
Venom surged through my veins.
I would gut him.
Literally.
It was my preferred method of killing.
A small detail Daisy didn’t need to know about.
Because she was right. She didn’t know me at all. Didn’t know what I’d done after I left the small town in West Virginia. When I ran from what I did and let Hell consume me in its trap.
She choked out a frantic laugh. “Did my husband and I fall on hard times? No, Cash, I divorced him.”
Was it wrong that I was pummeled with relief?
But that relief was short-lived because a tear suddenly slipped down Daisy’s soft cheek.
Her demeanor dipping into dismay as that line between her eyes deepened.
Dread gathered fast. Awareness coming on thick. Truth that this was so much worse than I wanted to believe.
“What is it?” I forced out around the rock in my throat.
More tears slipped from the corners of her eyes.
“He’s going to kill me, Cash.” Pain leached into the words.
Those words smacked me across the face and brutality burned through my being.
I ground my teeth as I tried to keep my cool. To tamp down the violence that bashed and battered at the barriers where I tried to keep it trapped. Attempting to think rationally while all sense and logic melted away.
Leaving me nothing but a pulp of savagery.
“What do you mean, he’s going to kill you?” I bit off, each word a splinter of broken glass.
Tell me you’re being facetious.
Tell me you’re exaggerating.
“I…I found all this evidence.” It was a torrent of regret that rushed from her mouth. “He’s not who I thought he was. I was such a fool. So blind.”
My hands curled into fists as I warred between the need to go blazing out the door to hunt the fucker down and demanding to know if she loved him.