The shattered glass.
The place that suddenly felt different.
Not ruined.
Not anymore.
Because Gerald was gone.
Because I wasn’t alone.
Because Beast was holding me.
“Yes,” I whispered.
Beast kissed my forehead.
Then he took my hand.
Dad walked beside us.
And together, we stepped out of the storm cellar.
Out of the darkness.
Back into the night.
But this time…
The darkness didn’t feel so frightening.
Not with Beast beside me.
45
BEAST
The ranch was quiet by sunrise.
Not peaceful.
Not yet.
But quiet.
Sheriff Cooper’s deputies had finished taking pictures of the broken kitchen window.
The bullet hole in the cabinet.
The shattered glass scattered across the floor.
They had taken Gerald’s gun.
His notebook.
The maps from the cabin.
Every ugly piece of proof that showed exactly what he had planned.
