Total pages in book: 13
Estimated words: 11696 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 58(@200wpm)___ 47(@250wpm)___ 39(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 11696 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 58(@200wpm)___ 47(@250wpm)___ 39(@300wpm)
There’s only one other son’s cabin she could be in, though they don’t exactly have a close relationship. Still, I would be remiss if I didn’t at least check.
Twenty minutes later, I’ve left our property, gone down the cliffside stairs, and hiked over to me and Devon’s old cabin where Rowdy lives. Our oldest needed his privacy and has it. However, if I find my damn daughter in his bed, heads are going to roll. Privacy will be a thing of the past.
His door is barred closed from the inside, so I beat on it with my fist until I hear heavy footsteps thudding my way. The wood-on-wood scraping sound can be heard as he removes the blockade, and the door opens.
I’m greeted with the barrel of his shotgun. He immediately lowers it when he registers that it’s me.
“Dad? What are you doing here?”
Grunting, I shoulder past him into his space. This small home is where we raised the older kids before me and Atticus built the big house. It’s where I took Devon’s virginity and made her mine. It’s also where I had to watch strangers assault her. Where I killed men for touching her and trying to take her away from me. Rowdy’s cabin holds both good and bad memories for me.
I scan the entire space, including the cave inlet at the back of the cabin. Nothing.
Where the fuck is my daughter?
Annoyance and frustration begin to melt away as pure panic takes over. Did she run away? Did someone take her?
“Raegan’s gone,” I croak out, voice shaking with fear. “Help me find her.”
I leave my stunned son to dress and hoof it back up to the big house, where I find a worried Ronan and a cranky Ryder standing by the gate.
“Did you find her?” Ronan asks, brows pinching together. “Mom said she’s not in the house.”
“No,” I bark out. “I want you two searching everywhere. The equipment barn, the animal pens, the gardens, the orchard, the smokehouse, the—”
“Everywhere,” Ryder interrupts. “Got it. We’ll find her, Dad. Don’t worry.”
But I am worried.
With each passing moment that she’s gone, my stomach sours, and the worst imaginable scenarios start playing in my head like some kind of fucked up horror show.
What if she decided to go hunting and got attacked by a wild animal?
What if she’s dead?
I stop near the fire pit on the way to find Devon and dry heave. I can’t lose her. I can’t lose my daughter. Losing Devon’s brother Drew nearly killed me. My heart is too weak to go through something so horrific again.
Devon bursts out of the front door, Dawson in her arms. Her eyes are teary, and her cheeks are red. Seeing the pure panic in her expression has me dry heaving again. Kota and Declan pop up behind Devon and gape at me.
This time, acidic bile makes it up my throat, and I puke into the grass. All three boys begin to cry along with their mother, her sobs growing the loudest.
“Where is she, Reed?” Devon croaks. “Oh my God. We have to find her.”
I know this, but I can’t think. My brain is jumbled, and all I can see is her mangled body shredded to bits by a fucking bear.
“Do you think someone took her?” Devon asks, voice going shrill. “What if they stole my baby from me? What if they hurt her?”
Devon was Raegan’s age when she was brutally raped by those monsters. It nearly broke her. I had to nurse my girl back to a healthy mental state, and it was no easy feat. Imagining such terrible shit happening to Raegan is enough to have me collapse to my knees. The world goes dark around me.
Reed. Reed. Reed. Reed. Reed.
Devon’s chanting voice gets smaller and further away as the darkness closes in around me.
Smack!
Pain rips me from the void, and I snap my head up to find Devon glowering at me, hand shaking and poised to smack me again.
“Breathe, goddammit. I can’t lose you, too,” she shrieks. “You’re having a panic attack, Reed, but I need you to get it together.”
On her command, I suck in a long breath, filling my oxygen-starved lungs. Tears prickle in my eyes, but I quickly blink them away. Devon is right. My family needs me. They need me to hunt down our little girl wherever she may be and bring her home.
I can do this.
I will find her.
Shakily, I rise to my feet and give my wife a clipped nod. I make my way into the house to locate a weapon. If I encounter any adversaries on my hunt, I will kill them without a second’s hesitation. Anything to protect my child.
By the time I exit the big house, the entire family—aside from Raegan—is gathered by the fire pit. Each one of us wears a worried expression. I scrub a palm over my face, noting my fingers still smell like Devon. Her scent calms me and gives me the strength to continue on.