Page 73 of Adam's Rising

Then again… in Alaska, sometimes they did.

Like those girls in Seattle.

What if that creep had come here?

Alaska was the end of the road for murderers like him.

Adam should have paid more attention. What if one of the new hands —

The barn door squealed open.

Adam lunged toward the stall gate.

No one came in this early. No one but him… and Claire.

He squeezed his eyes shut.Please be Claire.

Boyd staggered into the barn, reeking of whiskey and desperation. He stumbled into a stall door, nearly collapsing, but pushed himself into the center aisle.

“They’re gonna kill me,” he slurred. “I told them I didn’t have the money or the drugs.”

“Who’s gonna kill you?” Then it dawned on him. Adam rushed forward, grabbing the scum by his collar. “Where’s Claire?”

“I don’t know — they took her.”

Adam slammed him into the wall. “You lying coward!”

“They were supposed to come for you,” Boyd whimpered. “I didn’t touch her! I loved her, man. When I saw it was you here, nothim, I remembered you liked her. I saw the way she watched you on the back of his truck. And then that stupid movie. That damn song —”

Adam screamed then slammed his fist within an inch of Boyd’s face.

“Stop!” screeched a high-pitched female voice.

Adam turned.

Lala stood at the barn doors, tears streaking her makeup. “He didn’t take her.”

Adam turned back to Boyd. “Who did?”

Boyd’s mouth turned into a sneer. “The snake, man.”

Adam’s voice dropped. “I swear to you, Boyd…” He turned the man, so that he could keep an eye on Lala, but held onto his neck, squeezing. “My life isn’t worth living without her.”

“She’s…” Boyd said, breathless.

Adam released just enough that he could catch a breath.

“A dry cabin,” Boyd spat.

Adam released his fingers, but held him pinned against the wall. “Where’s the cabin? In Wasilla?”

“Denali. One of those abandoned homesteads. That’s all I know. I wasn’t with them.”

Adam dropped Boyd, and Lala ran toward him.

Good. She’d finally taken the hint.

He didn’t stop to question why she was with Boyd — why everyone thought she was missing, too.