He took a slow, menacing step toward her, eyes locked on her face. “I knew you’d come running if she needed you. You’re sopredictable, Juniper. Soloyal.” His smile widened. “And now you’re somine.” He kept advancing, waving the gun around like it was a toy as he spoke.
Junie backed away. He was herding her toward Nanabelle’s bedroom. That couldn’t happen. She scooted sideways, trying toangle toward the kitchen door. If she could just make it in there, she knew exactly where the knives were.
Her pulse roared in her ears. In the armchair, Nanabelle struggled against the ropes around her wrists, making desperate, muffled sounds through the gag. Those noises tore at Junie’s heart. She had to get her grandmother out of here. She had to.
Why didn’t I listen to Tanner?Her Daddy had told her to stay inside the cabin. He had been so clear. But the text from Nanabelle had sounded so scared, so unlike her, and Junie had panicked.
She should have known something was wrong. When Tanner hadn’t answered, she should have called Boone, or Kenzie, or anyone. Instead, she had jumped into his truck and driven straight into Preston’s trap.
Memories of the last time she had dealt with Preston flooded back—the way he had attacked her at the bakery, pinning her against the wall and forcing his mouth on hers in a bruising kiss. She had thought that was the worst it could get. But this was so much worse. Now he would probably rape her first and then kill both her and Nanabelle.
This was so, so bad.
Tanner didn’t even know where she was. And even if he did, she’d stolen his truck. He couldn’t come after her if he wanted to. That meant no one was coming to save her this time. And she had no one to blame but herself.
If Daddy were here, what would he tell me to do?
He would tell her to stay calm, to have faith, and to buy time. Preston hadn’t done anything irreversible yet.
She edged behind the armchair, still hearing Nanabelle’s muffled struggles. First things first. She had to get her grandmother away from Rainbow’s Edge. Maybe if she could convince Preston to let Nanabelle go, her grandmother could find a way to reach Tanner.
“Let her go,” Junie whispered, her voice cracking. “Please. This has nothing to do with her.”
Preston’s smile twisted into something ugly. “Let’s not talk abouther. She’s fine where she is. You’re right—she made good bait, but that was all. Not like you.” He took another step closer, his voice sickly sweet. “This has everything to do with you, Juniper. And if Belle being here will make you listen to me, she’s staying right where she is.”
He tilted his head. “You were supposed to be mine. I gave you gifts. I gave you my love, and I even asked you to marry me. You came from nothing, but I offered you the chance to join a rich and prosperous family like mine. You should have been grateful. But no. You threw it all away for some rancher who thinks he can take what belongs to me.”
His eyes flashed. “And you know what, Juniper?”
She couldn’t have spoken if she tried, so she settled for shaking her head.
“I asked you a question. Do. You. Know.What?”
Junie flinched. She had to figure out a way to calm him down until her Daddy got there. “N-n-no, Preston. C-can you tell me? P-please?”
“That really pisses me off.”
The gun wasn’t even pointed at her. He didn’t seem to remember he still held it.
Junie’s back pressed against the wall. She had failed to reach the kitchen. She could smell his cologne, too strong and cloying, mixing with the faint metallic scent of blood from Nanabelle’s forehead. Nausea rose thick in her throat.
Preston lunged.
Junie screamed as his free hand closed around her arm. Holding the gun in his left hand, he dragged her away from the wall. Pup was going ballistic in the closet, his snarls joining Nanabelle’s muffled pleas and Junie’s screams as she fought Preston. She kicked and clawed, but he was so much stronger. He shoved her against the side of the loveseat, one hand gripping her jaw so hard it hurt.
“You’re going to be good for me now,” he hissed. He pressed thegun to her head, then jerked it toward Nanabelle. “Or I’ll hurt the old woman. I’ll make her scream. Do you want that on your conscience?”
Junie’s eyes flew to her grandmother. Nanabelle was crying, shaking her head violently, trying to speak through the gag.
Junie knew exactly what she was trying to say.No. Don’t let him do this to you.Nanabelle had always been willing to sacrifice for her.
Tears burned in Junie’s eyes. She couldn’t let him hurt Nanabelle. Maybe if she let him have what he wanted, he would leave them both alive. At least it would buy more time.
Slowly, she forced herself to stop struggling. Her whole body trembled as Preston’s hands moved over her, rough and possessive. He crushed his mouth to hers, forcing his tongue between her lips. Junie squeezed her eyes shut and tried to disappear inside herself. She could do this. She had to for Nanabelle.
His hands roamed greedily, squeezing her breast through Tanner’s t-shirt, then sliding down to the button of her jeans. When he tried to push his hand between her thighs, something inside Junie snapped.
She couldn’t do it.
