“Mommy, I missed you!” Dawson whines, clinging to her neck. “I missed you so much.”
“Mommy missed you a thousand times more, baby, a thousand times more.”
“No, I missed you mostest,” Dutton says.
She’s still sobbing uncontrollably. Her hand reaches out to grab my wrist, pulling me into their hug. My arms move around the three of them, squeezing them tightly to my chest.
“They’re home now. They’re safe,” I whisper into her hair, my voice hoarse.
She pulls back, shaking her head. “No, they’re not. Not yet.”
And I can see it in her eyes—exactly what she wants me to do.
Darlin’, you don’t even have to ask.
Moonlight Ranch is unique.
It’s got a lot more water than Redford Ranch, which means it can run more cattle. It’s called Moonlight because of the beautiful reflection of the moon on the water.
And right now, it’s looking prettier than ever.
“Do you remember the first time we met and I told you that I would put you in the hospital?”
Matt is choking from the rope around his neck, but I can tell he’s trying to answer.
“I was lying. And I don’t usually lie. I try my best not to make a habit of it, you know? Moral upbringing and all that good stuff. But I’ve decided the hospital is too … comfortable. I think I’d rather put you in the ground.”
I walk the other end of the rope back to my horse and saddle up. I wrap it around the horn of my saddle and click my tongue, gently pulling back on the reins. Lady Liberty obeys instantly.
I wasn’t sure she would, considering she’s used to my rope being around a bull’s horns and not a man’s neck.
But she does exactly what I want.
I watch his shadow writhing, gargling sounds comingfrom him as he struggles to breathe and slowly suffocates to death.
When he draws his last, I finally feel like I can inhale fully for the first time in months.
Sam is waiting nearby, flipping his knife open and closed patiently, letting me have my fun. Another reason I love my best friend: he isn’t judgmental.
He watched me kill a man and thoroughly enjoy every second of it, and now he’s going to help me dig his grave.
And we’ll continue on this friendship without ever speaking of this night again.
The sun is starting to rise, and the birds are chirping. We’ve been up all night with this hunt, but thankfully, it ended with a satisfying kill.
Sam finally approaches the body, lifting the knife to cut him down. The thud on the dirt is like music to my ears.
“Let’s dig,” he says.
And just like that, the nightmare is finally fucking over.
41
DALLAS
It was a greenhouse. This whole time, I thought he was building a chicken coop or some kind of storage shed.
But it was a greenhouse.
