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Imagining what Please plans to do to her makes me want to retch, makes me want to tear the fucker from limb to limb.

Not her.

Not Delilah.

My stomach churns, and I squeeze my eyes shut as helplessness and rage overtake me. I was her safe space, her protection, and I failed her.

Did they take her? Where? Out of the city? Out of the state? My mind runs wild, a firestorm of dread and howling nightmares.

Tempest takes, and tonight, it took Delilah.

Bootsteps.

I open my eyes.

The entire room breathes a sigh of relief as Ezra emerges from the hallway with Evangeline in his arms. The sight of my niece nearly brings me to my knees. River follows, his face murderous.

“Thank Christ.” Wells exhales.

“Where was she?” I stomp toward them.

“She was in one of the empty barrels.” Ezra kisses his daughter’s temple, his eyes filled with something heavy. “Hiding.”

“Who was here, princess?” I ask, looking over Evangeline. Except for a scrape on her hand, she’s fine, but even that’s too much.

“A man. A mean bad man.” Her lower lip pushes out. “He hurted Auntie Hassie. He wanted to take me and Delilah, but she said no.”

A fresh wave of rage stirs inside me thinking about what my niece witnessed. She and Delilah were supposed to be safe on the ranch, and someone came and violated that space.

“Delilah told me to hide.” Evangeline lowers her voice, giggling. “She told me to tell you her secret.”

I loosen my rigid fingers, reaching up to gently tug at one of Evangeline’s dark curls. “What’s that?”

“That she wants to marry you, silly.”

I suck in a breath. It’s like a knife through my heart.

Ezra’s sympathetic eyes land on me. Twisting his body, he kisses Evangeline one last time, then swings her into Vaughn’s arms. “Take her back to the house, now.”

As my aunt and uncle head to the homestead with Evangeline, I scan the tasting room. Delilah’s all around me. The place we made love. One of the best moments of my life.

If anything happens to her, I’ll never forgive myself.

Her death is mine. Delilah lives in my soul; my heart beats for her and her alone.

Hassie moves to stand but falters and sways. Warren puts an arm beneath her shoulder to steady her. “You need a hospital.”

“I don’t.” Hassie glares at Warren, shoves at his chest. “I’m not going anywhere until we find Delilah.”

Get to her, get to Delilah.

The only thought in existence.

Panic digs its fangs in, icing my blood, making my lungs burn.

Emotionless. Unforgiving. Cruel. It’s what I have to be to get her back.

“Cole?” Wells’s voice rings out, a soft question in the still silence. “What do we do?”