“You need help, Darcy,” I keep my voice soft, meeting and holding her stare. I don’t know if any of the interactions we had were real or if she just played the game to keep me close, but I have to hope some part of her recognizes that she’s ill.
“That’s what they said.” She casually walks over to the kitchen area and tugs open a drawer. “That I need help. But they don’t see what I see. I thought my ex was the one; it’s why I tried to show him howmuch of a mistake he was making, but then I came here and realized he was just a test. I had to be pushed, so I knew what to do when I found the one.”
“Let me help you,” I try again. She truly believes this is right, that this is what she needs to do.
“You caused this!” She explodes, spittle flying from her lips, “This is all your fault!”
She rips a gun from the drawer and levels it in my direction. My heart thuds in my chest, sickness churning in my stomach.
“Darcy, please,” My voice shakes as I speak, eyes burning.
Her eyes widen manically, and she whips the gun toward Calvin before she presses the trigger and shoots him twice in the back. A scream rips from me, the deafening pops of the gun ringing inside my ears. I watch in horror as blood blooms on the back of his shirt, two swelling stains that seep through the material. He doesn’t make a sound, not a single whimper as blood pours from him, draining whatever life was left.
She killed him.
My eyes move back to Darcy, following her as she paces back and forth, mumbling beneath her breath. I can’t make out what she is saying, but she’s waving the gun around, shaking her head before she freezes and twists her face in my direction.
“That was your fault.” She sneers, “You made me do that.”
I can’t look at him.
“I had a plan, Juniper,” she continues, “I needed to wait, but you make me so fucking mad! Coming here like you’re owed something, taking what is mine!”
A tear slips from the corner of my eye, but I say nothing more. I remain silent. She is going to kill me; that much I know. The ropes are too tight, I don’t know where I am. No one is coming for me.
I wanted forever so badly. I wanted the happiness, the joy, I’d risked everything to look for it and now…
Now I’ll never get that life.
Never get to see Silas and the children again.
It’s over.
Chapter Forty
I filter through the information on the laptop, scanning each entry until I find something,anything, that could lead me to where Darcy has taken Juniper.
I can’t lose her. Fuck. I’ve only just found her; I’ve only just promised her forever.
Give me something.I beg silently.Where are you, Honeybee?
Shit.
Thisis all my fucking fault.
We’re driving aimlessly, praying for a goddamn miracle.
If I hadn’t insisted Roman hire her all those years ago, hadn’t told him to forget the background checks and verifications, we would have seen this. The charges, the stalking, the harassment and threats. All I saw was a woman in need, and now we are paying for it.
I’ll give it to Darcy. She didn’t strike me as someone capable of this, but this has been a long game for her. She’s done this before, so I guess she knows how to hide that dark part of her.
She needs fucking help.
But if I must choose her life or Juni’s, there is no question.
I will always pick the woman I love. In every lifetime. Against every odd.
I’m about to lose hope of finding anything of use in the data I’ve pulled until I come across a listing for a cabin near the lakes. And she bought it last year.
