Page 29

Thunder rumbled as Daniel navigated a rutted backcountry road. Tree branches scraped along the side of his vehicle, each screech tightening the tension in his spine. He gripped the steering wheel harder, peering into the inky blackness ahead. The moon was buried behind thick clouds, and without headlights, the edges of the road were nearly impossible to make out. He was relying mostly on memory and instinct.
Finally, the trees opened into a wide turnaround and a rusted gate. Daniel executed a tight three-point turn before killing the engine. “I think we lost them. But we’ll have to walk from here.”
Ellie sat up straighter. “Where is here?”
“My cousin’s vacation home. It belongs to his wife, since it was passed down through her family… long story short, the last name on the deed isn’t Perez. Someone searching for us couldn't easily connect this place to me.”
Daniel exited the vehicle and lifted the back hatch. He quickly located the backpack stored in a side pocket and began filling it with water bottles and protein bars from his emergency stash. As a ranger, it was important to be prepared for anything.His cousin’s house likely had supplies, but it didn’t hurt to err on the side of caution.
Ellie appeared next to him, her slender form nothing more than a darker shadow against the night. “We aren’t going back to the ranch?”
“Not yet. I want to make sure my vehicle isn’t being tracked.” Daniel slammed the hatch closed. “That’s why we have to walk. It’s five miles, give or take, to my cousin’s place. We’ll get cleaned up, rest, and head out in the early-morning hours for the ranch.”
“What about Owen?” Ellie grabbed his arm.
“I spoke to Lieutenant Rodriguez when we stopped to get gas. Owen is well protected. Jonah volunteered to spend the night on the ranch to help Cole stand guard. Chief O’Neal has officers watching the place too. Plus, there are my ranch hands and the security system.” Daniel took her hand and squeezed it. “You’re the one in danger, El. I know it’s difficult, but right now, the best thing is to steer clear of the ranch. Adam Parish was driving that SUV trailing us, which means those men who attacked us were from the Iron Fist. Their mission is to kill you. I don’t want Owen or anyone else getting caught in the crossfire.”
She was quiet for a beat. Then she interlaced her fingers with his. “Lead the way, Ranger.”
Daniel hauled the backpack over his shoulder and, still holding Ellie’s hand, moved away from the fence toward a path hidden in the trees. Thunder rumbled again. Rain wasn’t far off, and the humidity was thick and sticky. Once they were deep enough into the woods, Daniel clicked on his phone’s flashlight. The path was overgrown, roots and underbrush everywhere. He didn’t want a twisted ankle added to their growing list of problems.
Ellie inhaled deeply. “Smells nice out here. Like evergreens.”
“It used to be a Christmas tree farm. I spent a summer working here after college and before joining law enforcement.” Daniel still knew every inch of the place by heart. “My dad and I were butting heads at the time, so staying at home would’ve been difficult.”
“You and your dad didn’t get along?”
“He expected a lot from me. As the oldest, he wanted me to take over the ranch. I had no desire to. It drove a wedge between us.” He didn’t often speak about that time in his life and wasn’t sure why he was now. Maybe it was being here again, on this land. Or maybe it was because he wanted Ellie to know him better. “I lost my way for a while. Rebelled. Drifted from my faith and put distance between myself and my family. Eventually, Dad and I made up, but I took a couple of hard knocks from life before finding my way back.”
Ellie sighed. “It’s hard when your parents have a picture of who they think you’re supposed to be. Mine were disappointed when I told them I wanted to join the FBI. They wanted me to be a college professor with lectures, tenure, a safe, tidy life.” She gave a small laugh, dry and quiet. “They would’ve approved of my career as a mystery writer. Maybe that’s why I chose it when everything fell apart.”
He paused on the path to lift a branch. “After everything you went through, it’s not wrong to need time to find yourself again.”
“Maybe not.” Her voice was soft. “But I’m starting to think I’ve been playing it safe. Hiding in this quiet, controlled life I built—writing books, caring for Owen, keeping my head down—because it felt easier than facing the part of me that used to run toward danger instead of away from it.” She hesitated, then admitted, “I thought I was healing. But maybe I was just retreating.”
Her words settled in the air between them, quiet and raw.
Daniel swallowed hard. He knew that kind of retreat all too well. After the divorce. After the miscarriage. After everything he’d hoped for had slipped through his fingers.
He’d buried himself in the job. Taken every case. Worked every holiday. Built a life that looked solid on the outside, reliable and predictable, but underneath, he was keeping his distance. From people and risk. From anything that might break him again. Maybe that was what had drawn him to Ellie from the start. Not just her courage or her grit, but the way she tried to carry her pain alone. The way she still showed up. Fought back. Loved that little boy with everything she had.
She swatted at a mosquito. The faint glow from the flashlight illuminated the dried blood on her clothes and the handgun tucked in the waistband of her jeans. Daniel’s chest tightened. The harrowing escape from the diner drove home just how fragile their situation was. Ellie nearly died tonight. One bullet and the world would’ve lost this amazing woman with a heart of gold and the tenacity of a warrior. It hurt to think about.
She caught his look as she passed and stilled. “What?”
“Just…” He shook his head slowly, not knowing how to put everything he was feeling into words. “Glad you’re alive.”
Her lips parted slightly. “Pretty sure I have you to thank for that.”
Thunder rolled overhead, deeper this time. A drop of rain landed on his shoulder, but neither of them moved. The flashlight flickered, casting shifting shadows between them. Ellie’s eyes, a deeper gray in the low light, searched his. This time, Daniel didn’t try to rationalize his way out of it. He moved closer, cupping her face in his hands…
And kissed her.
Gentle. A light brush of his lips against hers. Once. Twice. Giving Ellie the chance to pull away if she wanted. Each touch sent his heart rate into overdrive. Her breath whispered over hismouth as her fingers curled into his shirt. Daniel took the silent invitation and deepened the kiss.
The world tilted and spun as a rush of emotion crashed over him. Desire and need tangled with something deeper… something far more powerful. His heart thundered against his rib cage. Everything narrowed to this moment and the gorgeous woman in his arms. The warmth of her lips, the silkiness of her skin, the quiet surrender in the way she leaned into him.
He didn’t want it to end.