A Bounty Hunter’s Chase (Preview)

Chapter One

“I feel like I’m dreaming, and I hope I never wake up.” 

Darcy Marsh beamed as she looked around the table, smiling at both her companions. 

“I’m happy for you both,” Jacob Morrison said, raising his whiskey to toast. “I knew the two of you had something special going on, but I’ll admit, I didn’t know you were fixing to get hitched so soon.” 

“Well,” Randall Blackstone said with an almost sheepish smile, “when you meet someone as amazing as Darcy here, you don’t pass her up. I’m a gambling man, you both know that. I see the prize, and I take it.” 

“I just feel like the luckiest woman in the world,” Darcy said. “To think, these past two months have gone by so fast, but they have been the happiest of my life. March is usually such a dreadful month for me, what with the holidays passed but winter looming. You were such a welcome burst of sunshine.” 

“You’re embarrassing me, my love,” Randall said as he reached across the table and placed his hand over Darcy’s. “I’m the lucky one. When I saw you and that beautiful, shining black hair of yours, I was captivated. Then I saw your eyes, and I guess at that moment you could say that I was all in, to put it in gambling terms.” 

“Now who is embarrassing who?” Darcy teased. “You’re the tall, dark, handsome stranger who rode into town one day and had all the ladies’ eyes on you. Considering the way I dress, I’ll forever be surprised that I’m the one who caught your attention.”

“I only have eyes for you, my love,” Randall said, giving her hand a light squeeze. “If I’m honest, it might be the fact that you do wear traditionally men’s clothes that drew me to you in the first place. I like a woman who is different from the rest.”

“I suppose I’d better propose a toast,” Jacob cut in. “I remember what it was like to be young and in love, and it won’t be long before you’re all about him and not so much about what I have to say anymore.” 

“Pa, don’t say that,” Darcy replied with a grin. “I’m in love, but I’m never going to forget you.” 

“Even still,” Jacob said. “I’ll admit I was a little skeptical when a professional gambler came into town. I don’t mean any offense, but after living my life making that hard living, I raised an eyebrow.” 

“I understand,” Randall said. 

Jacob continued. “I was even more skeptical when you said you were after that big jackpot on the west coast. I don’t know about such things even existing, but I’ve come to realize that even a gambler can be a good, honest man at heart—and that’s what you are.” 

“Thank you,” Randall said, and Darcy felt her heart swelling with pride. She loved hearing how her father spoke of her new fiancé. It made her feel that the three of them were starting a family, even if she would be leaving his home to move with Randall. 

“I want you both to know that I’m very proud of you, and I know you’ll be happy together. It’s not going to be easy watching you go, Darcy, but I support you. Both of you.” 

“Oh, Pa, you say that like I’m leaving tonight,” Darcy said with a chuckle. “We’ve got a few months before the wedding in the spring, and even when I do leave, you best know I’m going to write home often. And I’m going to come visit you, too.” 

“And I hope you do,” Jacob told her with a smile of his own. “To new beginnings!” 

He raised his mug, and both Darcy and Randall did the same. They clinked their drinks together before they all drained their whiskey, and Jacob refilled everyone’s glasses. 

“You know, it might be smart to get into gambling on the ponies,” Jacob commented after a moment. 

“I’ve always been a card player,” Randall replied, and Jacob held up his hand. 

“I know but think about it. Darcy is one of the best riders in all of Montana territory, and I’m sure beyond. She knows how to handle herself on a horse, and I’m sure with your keen eye for numbers and probability and such, you’ll do fine. Just fine.” 

“I suppose it could be something to think about,” Randall mused. “Like I said, there’s a large gambling presence in Puget Sound, and I’m banking on making some money with cards there. There’s no reason to think I can’t expand that with time, though.” 

Jacob looked like he was going to reply when the three were startled by the sound of howling outside. The mournful, ominous noise grew to a frightening pitch, then subsided. 

“Oh, I do hate those damn wolves,” Darcy said with a shudder. “They scare me.” 

“They’re not exactly wolves, my dear,” Jacob reminded her for what felt like the hundredth time. 

“Wolf-dogs, then,” she spat. “I don’t care what you call them. They’re horrifying monsters, and I swear if they come after the horses again, I’m just going to put an end to them with my gun.” 

“You won’t make friends with Frank Holt that way,” Jacob warned. He sighed. “I’ll talk to him about making sure they’re locked up. I saw tracks around the stable, and I have no doubt he’s not feeding them enough through the winter—which is why they’re behaving more like wild animals.” 

“Hold on a second, what are you talking about?” Randall asked. 

“A man who lives a couple miles from here bred his dog to a wolf a few years back. Attempting to domesticate wolves more, I guess. I don’t know what he’s doing, but the pups seem more wolflike than doglike to me, and to make matters worse, they’re not scared of people like normal wolves would be. They’ll come right up to you.” 

“I’m surprised he’s been allowed to do it considering how dangerous they sound,” Randall mused, and Darcy shrugged. 

“You know the sheriff here. He’s as useless as anything. He’s not going to stand up to Holt, especially since Holt has those ghastly creatures on his property.” 

“I don’t mind so long as they stay on his property,” Jacob said. “It’s when they wander that they cause problems. And if he’s not feeding them enough, they’ll be more inclined to cause trouble with our livestock.” 

“Hopefully someone sees them about and shoots them,” Darcy said. 

“At any rate, let’s not let that get in the way of our celebration,” Jacob announced. “Today is a great day! You’re engaged, Darcy, and that’s worth celebrating.” 

“You’re right,” she said with a sigh. “I’m sorry. It just scared me, hearing one of them howling like that. Makes me wonder if they’re close.” 

“Don’t worry. If they come near here, I’ll protect you,” Randall told her with a flashy smile. 

Darcy felt her cheeks flush. It could have been the alcohol, but she had a feeling it was more from the way he looked at her. She couldn’t believe such a charming, attractive young man would be so enraptured with her. It made her feel beautiful. 

After being raised by Jacob for the past seventeen years, she was more of a tomboy than anything. He’d been good enough to take her in after her parents had passed away when she was only five years old. She’d have gone to an orphanage if he hadn’t, and she’d forever be grateful to him for it. 

She loved him like a father, though he’d raised her as a son rather than a daughter. Still, she was happy that she could ride and shoot just as well as anyone, if not better than everyone else in the area. She knew how to handle a horse, and she knew how to shoot a gun. While she could manage on her own in the wild, Jacob had also sent her to school to ensure she knew how to read and write as well as keep house. 

Still, her long, black hair was the most feminine feature, kept in a braid running down her back. 

The conversation took a turn away from the wolf-dog hybrids, and the whiskey continued to flow freely. Darcy drank much like a man, and she held her liquor well. Even when she became drunk, she wasn’t sloppy about it. 

Eventually, however, it was time for them to retire for the night, and though she was counting down the days to when she’d be able to take Randall to bed with her, she had to bid him goodnight. 

“I’ll be just across the hall from you, my love,” he told her as he kissed her goodnight. “We can even leave the door open so we don’t feel so apart.” 

“I’m going to feel apart from you until the day we’re officially man and wife,” she said with a sigh. 

“But until that day, you’re going to be sleeping in your own bed, alone,” Jacob cut in. 

Darcy blushed. “Yes, Pa.” 

She went to bed, her head swimming with happiness. She’d often felt happy in her life with Jacob, at times thinking she would live out her days that way. She’d liked the idea of being in love and getting married, but she’d never really considered that it would happen to her. 

That had all changed when Randall came into her life. She suddenly realized what it felt like to be in love, and she enjoyed it. When Randall asked her to marry him, she knew being his wife was what she wanted in her life, and she hadn’t ever been happier. 

As she drifted off to sleep, she was already thinking about what their wedding would be like. Jacob was a well-liked man in town, and she had a few friends of her own that she wanted there. Randall had also quickly become popular when he’d moved to the area, so it was easy to imagine a lot of people would want to be there for their big day. 

She thought of the nice shirt and pants she’d wear, and a cake, and how joyous the occasion would be. 

Looking forward to that day certainly made the remainder of the brutal winter feel less ominous. 

***

Darcy woke up with a start. 

It was very dark, telling her it was still night. She felt considerably less drunk than she had earlier, so she guessed that it must be around two or three in the morning. 

It wasn’t out of the ordinary for her to wake up a few hours after going to bed on the nights that she drank, often without knowing what woke her in the first place. 

Darcy smiled as the memories of the day before came rushing back to her. She had woken up the previous morning just as she always did, but she’d gone to bed that night an engaged woman. It would only be a couple of months before she would be a wife. 

She felt on top of the world. 

Darcy closed her eyes and readjusted herself in her bed. The air was cold, but she was warm under her blankets. Still, she’d be even warmer if Randall was with her, and she longed for winter to hurry up and pass. 

I bet I could see him if I leaned forward.

As soon as the thought popped into her brain, with another smile, Darcy sat back up in her bed. She halfway wanted to creep across her room and the hallway to look in on her sleeping fiancé, but she worried if she allowed herself to do that, she might give into the temptation of crawling into bed with Randall. 

She didn’t know if he would allow it, but that didn’t much matter. If she did, there would be no way for her father to trust her after that, and he might make Randall move back out of the house. She didn’t want to think of him having to live out in the stable with the horses, or worse, moving all the way back into town. 

Though it would be nice to be in his arms for the night, the consequences of what would happen if they were discovered weren’t worth the risk. 

But if she leaned forward far enough in bed, she might at least be able to see him in the room next to hers. That would be a comfort in its own right. 

Darcy leaned forward, placing a hand on the bedpost at the foot of her bed to be able to see into Randall’s room. 

Sure enough, he had kept his door open just as he’d promised, but Darcy was surprised to see that he wasn’t in bed. The blankets were rumpled and tossed about, indicating that he had been sleeping there. But he wasn’t there anymore. 

Darcy was a bit confused. 

She laid back in bed and stared up at the ceiling, trying to make sense of the fact her fiancé wasn’t in his bedroom. 

We did do a fair bit of drinking, she reasoned. A lot of people have to go to the outhouse after drinking. He probably woke up and had to go. Which would also explain why I woke up when I did, too.

She might have even been woken by the sound of the door opening and closing as Randall left the house. It would also explain why there was such a cold sting to the air, as the opening of the door would have let out much of the residual heat from the fire they’d been burning. 

Randall must have just left the house when she woke—and a new idea crept into Darcy’s mind. 

She was awake, and he was awake. It could be fun to surprise him on his way back into the cabin, perhaps even sneak a few kisses with him before they both went back to bed. It wasn’t breaking the rules entirely, and if Jacob did discover them in the hallway, he would realize they were both in plain sight. 

It was risky, but not nearly so risky as it would be trying to sneak into Randall’s room. 

With a smile, she made up her mind to wait and listen for the door to open and close once more. Then she would jump out of bed and surprise him. 

 

Chapter Two

Darcy’s enthusiasm started to wane as the minutes ticked by. 

At first, she told herself that it was dark and cold, and because of that, Randall was probably taking his time going from the house to the outhouse and back. When she considered the fact that he’d been pretty drunk by the time he’d gone to bed the night before, it made even more sense that it would take him some time relieving himself. 

However, after five minutes passed, then ten, she started to wonder what was taking him so long. Just as she would consider the cold and dark to slow him down, she also didn’t think it was unreasonable to expect him to try to hurry out of the cold and back into his warm bed. 

As her mind sobered and she started thinking with more clarity, she realized it wasn’t just chilly in her room. It was downright cold. 

Though she could reason that the fire had died down and some of the cold probably escaped when the door opened then closed, she couldn’t come up with any valid reason why there was a slight breeze in her room. 

Jacob had always disliked the cold. She often teased him about hating the cold so much while living in the Montana territory, and he’d often told her in return that he’d taken the steps necessary to make the winters more bearable. 

He made certain that the door was secure when it closed, blocking out drafts as much as possible. He’d done the same with the windows in each of the rooms, insisting that while it might be a bit stuffy at times, it would pay off in the long run as they wouldn’t freeze during the dark, frigid nights. 

Though she’d been skeptical at the time, she couldn’t deny that he’d done a very good job. Most of the time, there weren’t any drafts or breezes running through the house. Not unless the door was open. 

As she realized that truth even more, she figured the front door to the house must be open. That would be the only feasible way for there to be such a breeze drifting through her room. 

Darcy opened her mouth and exhaled, watching the cloud of steam rise into the air. 

It’s too cold in here. Did Randall leave the door open? He shouldn’t still be that drunk—but then, do I even know how alcohol affects him? Maybe he can’t handle it as well me and Pa can. 

Darcy felt a bit embarrassed at the thought. But perhaps he should learn how to handle his alcohol better. 

Either way, she didn’t want to think of how embarrassing it would be for him to forget the door open like that. Though Jacob liked Randall, she could already hear the lecture that her father would give him if he discovered the door open and learned that Randall had been the one to leave it that way. 

She wondered if she ought to get up and close the door. But that thought was quickly followed by another. 

What if he was too drunk to find the outhouse and wandered off into the night? It’s not far to the outhouse from the front door, but that doesn’t mean he would be able to find it easily in the dark. It’s not like he’s been here a whole lot to expect that he’d naturally know right where to go.

Should I get up and go looking for him? It’s dark and cold out, but I could manage. I could get Pa up and see if he’ll go help me, but I don’t want to embarrass Randall that way, either. I can only imagine what Pa would say if he came out to a freezing home and found out it was all on account of Randall!

Pa will just want him to take care of me. He’s not going to be happy about any of this.

For the first time in a long time, Darcy felt like a child all over again. Her father had treated her like an adult since around the time she’d turned fourteen years old. He’d given her the respect of having her own opinions and desires, and he’d also raised his expectations of her behavior. 

She’d not felt like a child about to get in trouble since around that time, but she felt that way now. She didn’t want there to be any conflict or drama between her and her father, or between her fiancé and her father. Though she hated to sneak around behind Jacob’s back for any reason, it would be better for her to go after Randall herself. She’d help him get back into the house and into bed. 

If she was quiet, they would be able to accomplish it without waking her father, and she could even go to the extent of making a new fire so he didn’t suspect a thing with how cold it was in the house, either. It was embarrassing, but as she formed the plan, Darcy decided it was not only feasible for her to handle herself, but it was desirable. 

The last thing she wanted was for her father to think that she wouldn’t be in good hands with Randall. Or worse, that she would have to take care of him rather than being able to rely on him for her own needs. 

Just slip up the hall and make sure Pa’s door is closed before heading out. If I close the door, that’ll muffle any noise we might make coming back into the house, and I’ll get Randall to bed straight away. 

At the very least, I can make a new fire, and if Pa wakes up while I’m doing that, then I can tell him that I was cold and wanted to make sure it wouldn’t be so bad when we got up in the morning.

Though Darcy felt bad about handling things that way, it was for the best for everyone. It wasn’t really lying. After all, she wouldn’t be saying or doing anything deceitful. 

All she was doing was taking the steps to make sure the two men she loved most in the world didn’t wind up at odds with each other. She only wanted to keep the peace all around. Though she might have to sneak around a bit to accomplish that, it was for the greater good, so the ends truly did justify the means. 

Just as Darcy was about to get up and get dressed, another thought struck her. 

Her mind went back to the howling she’d heard earlier that night. Though it wasn’t uncommon for them to hear those awful animals howling at Frank’s house, she still wasn’t convinced that they weren’t starved or on the loose. 

She hated that they were wild enough to be dangerous, yet tame enough to be unafraid of people. Frank Holt had created the perfect monsters—and she loathed him for it. 

With a sigh, she reached for the nightstand next to her bed. 

About the same time that Jacob had started treating her like an adult, he had taught her how to shoot. He’d given her a gun of her own and carefully instructed her on how to effectively use it. 

“I want you to take care of this,” he’d explained. “Don’t view it as a weapon but as a tool. It’s an extension of yourself.” 

“Yes, Pa,” she’d said. “I will. I’ll practice until I can use it just as well as you can, and I’ll make sure I take care of it always.” 

“Keep it on your nightstand next to your pillow at night,” he’d added. “May the good Lord keep us safe from anyone who wishes to hurt us, but times are changing. You never know when you might need it.” 

“But Pa!” Darcy had gasped. “We know everyone in Lone Tree. Why would you even say such a thing?” 

“We know a lot of the folks who live in town right now,” her father had confirmed with a nod. “But like I already told you, times are changing. You know there are more people who move here every season, and not only that, there are plenty of men and women who simply pass through.” 

“Settlers,” she’d reasoned. “Folks who are just looking to make a new life for themselves out here in the West.” 

“Sure, some of them. Hell, most of them, even,” Jacob had agreed with a nod. “But there are also plenty of men and women both who aren’t here for any good reasons.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“You’re young. You turned fourteen last month. Even in your young life, you’ve already had your fair share of trouble, and I don’t want to put negative ideas in your head about other people. But there are a lot of folks out there who aren’t good.” 

“You mean like outlaws?” 

“Sure,” he’d said with a shrug. “Outlaws and criminals. Those who are preying on the world around them and not caring about who they hurt or what they leave behind. Again, I don’t want to scare you, darlin’. I don’t want you to be afraid of the world. At the same time, you have to understand not everyone you meet is a good person, and with all those people who come through these parts, I think it’s smart for the two of us to make sure we’re ready in case something bad happens.” 

Darcy had never liked the idea of something happening that would require her to arm herself, though she had to admit, she was glad for the gun in this moment. 

The last thing she wanted was to go running out into the dark of night unarmed. Even if nothing in the area could harm her, she still didn’t want to risk running into trouble. The gun, at the very least, would give her a level of security that she wouldn’t have otherwise. 

But then she realized something was wrong. 

It was dark, very dark, making it nearly impossible for her to see anything that was in her room. Still, the gun should have been directly on her nightstand. She ought to have been able to grab it in a mere second. 

But it wasn’t there. 

“That’s odd,” she said, startling herself as she spoke out loud. 

She put her hand over her mouth, not wanting to wake Jacob. However, she couldn’t shake the eerie way her words seemed to hang in the air. It was like her voice breaking the silence revealed just how quiet the house truly was, and that bothered her. 

Darcy tried to remind herself that she had been drinking earlier, and for that reason, she wasn’t thinking clearly. Even though she was more sober than she had been when she went to bed, her brain still wasn’t entirely clear, and she might be making more of things than she ought. 

Still, the thought brought little comfort to her as a sinking feeling started up in her stomach. It seemed something was wrong, though she couldn’t put her finger on what it was. 

Don’t panic. Don’t let your imagination get the better of you. There’s no reason to think that something’s wrong. It’s just quiet, but of course it is. It’s the middle of the night and Pa’s asleep in his room. 

Who knows where Randall is? I’m going to find him, and he’s going to have a very good reason why all this happened. We’ll laugh about it in the morning.

Her self-talk made her feel a bit better, though not much. While she wanted to convince her own mind things were just fine, once that bit of anxiety settled into the pit of her stomach, she couldn’t ignore it. 

Jacob had told her more than once to listen to that little voice inside. 

“There’s a reason God put it in you,” he’d told her. “And listening to that feeling could mean the difference between life and death.” 

She’d never truly figured out how to discern within herself what was a true warning her subconscious was giving her and what was just allowing her anxiety to take control, but she felt it was smart to be guarded. 

The gun being gone, however, was very concerning. 

She thought back to the night before when she’d gone to bed. She was absolutely certain that the gun had been on the nightstand, but she had to admit that she didn’t expect it not to be there, so she hadn’t looked very carefully. There had been no reason to think it would move, so why would she have checked?

But if it was missing, that meant someone must have gone into her room to remove it. 

To her knowledge, the only people who had been in the house besides herself were her father and her fiancé. But why would either of them sneak into her room and steal her gun? More than that, why would they do so and not wake her?

If there had been reason for the men in the house to need to be armed, she assumed she would have been woken so she could either help, or at the very least so she could be aware of what was happening. 

A new fear gripped her as she held her breath and tried to listen for any sounds at all coming from inside the house. 

Then she realized she could hear something. 

She wasn’t able to really make out what she was hearing, but there was something coming from her father’s room up the hall. Whatever it was, it sounded wet. As though something heavy was being dropped in a puddle of water. 

“Pa?” Darcy called out. 

At that moment, it didn’t matter where Randall was. Whatever had happened, they could deal with the embarrassment. But if something was wrong, she wanted to address whatever was going on. 

Terrified over what she might find when she left her room, Darcy crept across the short space between the end of her bed and the doorway. She stopped once she reached her doorframe, something telling her not to leave her room. The house was deathly silent, save for that terrible, strange sound that was coming out of the back of the hall. 

“Pa!” Darcy called out, louder this time. 

Rather than his voice responding as she’d expected, Darcy heard the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. At the same time, she heard the scraping of something hard against the wooden floorboards, and an enormous creature burst out of Jacob’s room. 

Darcy screamed as she stumbled back into her bedroom, tripping over her own feet as she did. She sat heavily on the bed, her hand flying to her heart. Her brain was reeling from what she’d seen. She wasn’t even quite sure what had just happened. 

Part of her wondered if it was all a dream, but with the cold in the air and the thudding of her heart in her chest, she knew she was awake. There was a creature in the house, and it knew she was there. 

She heard the quick footsteps of whatever it was in the hallway, and it paused when it reached her door. To her horror, it looked into her room, and she realized exactly what it was. 

The canine stared at her with its dark eyes. Its massive muzzle was stained crimson—it was eating something bloody. It was one of Frank Holt’s wolf-dog hybrids, and she was horrified to see it in the house. 

It licked its chops as it glared at her, and Darcy felt she had to think quickly. 

“Get out of here! Get out!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. Her eyes darted around the room as she tried to find something to use to defend herself. Though her gun was missing from the nightstand, the book she’d been reading was still lying where she’d left it. 

She picked it up and threw it at the dog as hard as she could, screaming at it once more to get out of her house. 

The book struck the animal in the chest, and it let out a yip as it turned and rushed for the door. The chaos had drawn a second canine out of her father’s room, and she heard its nails on the floor as it scrambled to get out the door as quickly as possible. 

As the beasts cleared out of the house, Darcy heard more of the pack outside. She knew at that point that the front door of the house had been left wide open, which had allowed the animals to come and go as they pleased. She shuddered as she thought about how long they must have been inside the home while she was sleeping. 

She didn’t know if they were aggressive enough to attack humans, but considering the fact they were largely wild animals, she wouldn’t have been surprised if they did show that level of aggression. 

She ran out of the room and into the living room, shouting for both her father and her fiancé at the same time. 

“Where is everyone?” she yelled. “Those monstrous things got into the house! Pa! Pa! Randall!”

She reached the door in time to see the last of the dogs running back into the trees. It was a dark night, but outside, the moon reflected off the snow and provided her with enough light to be able to see the area around the house. She couldn’t count how many dogs there were, but it didn’t much matter now that they were out of the house. 

“Pa! Randall!” she screamed into the darkness outside. 

She didn’t know why either or both of them would have left the house, let alone leave her in it by herself, but she expected them to come to her aid when she started shouting in her bedroom. Neither did. 

The only logical thing that came to mind was that they must not be in the house, otherwise they would have come to help her. 

Frustrated and scared, Darcy closed the door with a bang. She turned around and staggered toward the table, lighting the lamp that they’d used the night before. 

Grabbing it, she turned to head back to the bedroom when she stopped abruptly. Her instinct had been to scream, but her voice caught in her throat as she looked down at the floor. 

There were bloody pawprints scrambling from the hall and heading right out the door, but something else caught her eye. 

Along with the bloody pawprints were a set of boot prints. They were crimson with blood, and they were coming from the direction of her father’s room and heading right out the front door. 

“Pa?” Darcy called out, her stomach churning at the sight. “Pa? Are you in here?” 

With a heavy heart, she started making her way slowly up the hallway toward her father’s bedroom. She glanced into Randall’s room on her way past, noting as she did that there wasn’t any blood in there. 

“Pa?” 

Her voice came out softer that time, and her voice cracked. She had a feeling something bad had happened, but she still had to force herself to look into her father’s bedroom. 

She paused outside the door, noticing how silent the house had become all over again. It felt even colder despite the fact she’d closed the door, and she closed her eyes, working up the courage to round the corner and look inside the bedroom. It took her a few moments to do so, and even when she made the move, she felt as though she had to force herself every second. 

Her eyes scanned the bedroom, going to the bed first, then the floor. 

“Pa!” 

She rushed to her father, who was lying face down. He was in a crimson pool, and she knew before she rolled him onto his back that he was dead. Her mind raced, and she refused to accept the scene despite the fact she was right in the middle of everything. 

“Oh Pa, Pa!” she sobbed, seeing that her father had been stabbed in the chest. “What happened? Who could have done this to you?” 

She ignored the blatant answer that came to mind, unable to accept what she feared to be the truth. Why would anyone—let alone the man who had proposed to her the day before—want to kill Jacob? 

But there was no denying what Jacob clutched in his cold hand. It was a strip of fabric, the pattern the exact same as the shirt Randall had been wearing at dinner the night before. 

“Oh, Pa,” Darcy wailed.

Her father was already dead, but she still clung to him, pleading with him to wake up and tell her everything would be alright. Deep down, however, she knew the awful truth. 

Her father was dead. And the man who had killed him was none other than Randall Blackstone. 

Her chest heaved with emotion, and she wanted to scream. She looked around the room, unsure of what she was looking for but unable to hold still. She had to do something. She would get her revenge. She didn’t care how long it took or what she had to do. She didn’t understand why he’d done what he did or where he had gone, but she didn’t care. 

She’d stop at nothing until he paid for what he’d done.