Page 67 of Westin

I remember what David said, about how the Garrisons would hurt me if they found out I’d slept with a man from Sovereign Mountain. I have a split second to make a choice, and in it, he makes it for me.

“Where’s your husband?” he drawls.

Like he barely knows me, like he didn’t ask me to run away with him and have his babies. My mouth tastes sour. If I get a chance to be alone with him, I’m going to murder him. Or fuck him. I’m not sure which yet.

I jerk my head toward the barn. “He just got in. What do you want?”

Westin tilts his head. “We want to talk to him. Nothing you should worry about…darling.”

I inhale sharply. “Don’t call me darling,” I spit. “Unless you want to lose your fucking balls, Westin Quinn.”

His brows shoot to his hairline.

Behind him, Gerard laughs softly and starts walking to the barn. Westin’s eyes drag over me, and I can’t read them. He stares at me for a second, and that second feels like a lifetime. Then, he turns and follows Gerard around the house and out of sight.

My heart hurts so badly, all I can do is go inside. The kitchen is empty, dust glittering in the shaft of sunlight from the window. I sink down, and Billie slinks over to lay in my lap, begging for me to rub her belly. I wrap my arms around her warm body and push my face in her hair.

Tears seep out. She feels them and shakes her head.

I can’t live like this. I’ll slowly lose my heart that longs for freedom and my soul that wants to rest on my land.

That night, Thomas is in a horrible mood. He eats in silence and tosses his dish into the sink so hard, it cracks. He has a habit of doing that, and it reminds me of David. Silently, I clean up and go out on the porch where he’s smoking.

“I’m going to the cemetery soon,” I say.

He shakes his head. “I said you weren’t leaving.”

I gather my courage. “If you don’t let me go, I’ll ask Avery to take me, and you know what he’ll do to me then.”

His throat bobs, sweat glistening on his bare neck. He knows Avery wants to sleep with me, and it would kill Thomas if that happened. This isn’t the first time I’ve subtly threatened him with Avery before. It’s incredibly effective.

“Fine,” he spits.

I narrow my eyes, triumphant.

“But I won’t take you,” he snaps, flicking away his cigarette. “You can walk, and you’d better have breakfast, lunch, and dinner done before you leave.”

He stomps back inside, and I hear him go upstairs. At some point, Thomas is going to snap. I feel it coming, like the quiet whistle of an oncoming train. He’ll snap, and underneath his weakness, I’ll findviolence. But for now, I’ll keep pushing him, because that’s the only freedom I have.

I go to my bedroom and lay on my back. The rope is looped around my wrist. The gun is under the pillow.

I’ll see Nana, and I can ask her to get me out of this mess.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

DIANE

I put on my yellow sundress, because it’s still hot in the middle of the day, and wrap a sweater around my waist for when it gets cold. Then, in my boots, I start down the dirt road that cuts through Garrison Farms. It’ll take me two hours of solid walking to get to the cemetery.

Under my skirt, I made a thigh holster out of braided rags and tied the gun to my leg. In a bag over my shoulder is an electric lantern and a knife. It’ll be dark when I get home, and I’m not looking forward to it, but I know there’s no point in asking Thomas to drive me. This is my punishment for using Avery against him.

Billie goes with me. We plod in silence until the dirt road ends and we get to the edge of Carter Farms. From here, I can see the house. David’s truck isn’t in the drive, so I don’t have to take the long way around.

My heart twinges as I get close enough to make out the porch and front door.

This is my home.

It will be again someday.

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