Page 48 of Live for Me

I knew he did.

Beau was one of the strongest men I knew, but also one of the most dangerous.

“I don’t want to make this sound awkward,” Harmony began, her soft rasp drifting through the silence like a soft breeze. I twisted my neck, pulling my eyes from the passing pasture to look over to her. “I actually know who you are—well, not like that. I know your work.”

My eyebrows lifted. “My work?” I asked, seeking clarification.Was she one of my customers?

She slowed the car as we came around a bend, turning the wheel with grace. “Your articles.”

I blinked. That wasn’t the answer I expected. “You read my articles?”

Harmony shot me a sheepish look. “Reading the news is a guilty pleasure of mine—and I like it from anactualnewspaper. I try and pick up the Denver Tribune every Sunday.”

“Oh, well—uh—thank you,” I said as a new thought hit me. “It’s rare to see someone our age reading a physical paper. Most prefer our online subscription.”

As she kept her blue eyes focused on the road ahead of her, the side of her mouth lifted. “I like the feel of it in my hands, the crinkle of the pages when I flip to a new section.”

My chest warmed, feeling the same and remembering the first time I saw the Denver Tribune printing press.

“I just wanted you to know I respect it—your career. Being an investigative journalist can’t be the safest job in the world,” she said before adding quietly, “for a woman.”

I short laugh came from me then. “You have no idea,” I told her, thinking about all the times I’d been threatened, bribed, and harassed.

“You have no idea who you’re inspiring, Abbie,” Harmony murmured, taking the turn to go around the back side of the main house and the barn. “There could be so many little girls seeing your name everywhere in the city, or even the state.”

My throat thickened.

“What you’re doing is very brave, and I admire that. The first column I read by you was the church embezzlement one.”

The memory tugged at me. I’d received two death threats when I was investigating it, and then more followed after the article was released. I never took those threats seriously. Most of the time they were from guilty, pissed off people. In that case, it was two members of said church who lost millions of dollars. Before I could stop it, the words left my mouth. “Christians are some of the most hateful people in the world, using the Holy Bible as a form of bleach to wash away their sins.”

The sentence hung in the air like a noose, reminding me of the Christ believers who’d hurt me in the past. Then, multiple questions rang like a series of bells in my head.

Was my stalker a Christian man? Did he believe in the same God I did? Or did his God praise the terrorizing of women?

“You have no idea,” Harmony whispered, more so to herself than me, pulling me from the questions rattling off inside my head.

I blinked, clearing my throat and looking straight ahead at the Hallow Ranch entrance. My eyes drifted up to the iron archway for a moment before a flash caught my eye. I dropped my eyes tosee Dave’s Audi pulling onto the gravel path, stopping a few feet in front of us.

I looked over to Harmony. “Thank you,” I pushed out, my voice heavy with emotion.

Tears glistened in her eyes as she smiled at me. “I’m sorry for everything. Those cowboys are wild, and sometimes, they do things without thinking.”

I returned the smile and got out of the car. Harmony followed suit, coming around the front, holding her arms open, the question lingering in her eyes. She didn’t have to ask. I stepped into her embrace, returning it. “Thank you,” I croaked again. She would never know how much this meant to me.

We broke apart, and Dave got out of his car, his eyes fierce behind his glasses. Suddenly, the events of the last few weeks caught up with me, and I couldn’t hold it in any longer. The sight of him was just enough for me to breakdown. Before I knew it, I was running to him, my hair whipping behind me. I needed my best friend, my safe space.

“Dave, thank God!” I rasped as I slammed against his body. He wrapped me in a bear hug, lifting me off the ground slightly.

“Jesus, Abbie,” he breathed out, his hand going to the back of my head as I buried my head in his neck. My body shook with sobs as I tightened my hold on him. “Who the heck are you?”

“I’m Harmony Langston.”

“Hey, hey,” Dave cooed, urging me to pull back so he could look at me. My face was wet with tears, my heart cracking into a million pieces. “Abbie, talk to me. What’s going on?”

“Get me out of here,” I begged. “Please God, Dave. Get me away from Hallow Ranch.”

His eyes scanned mine, his brow furrowed. “Abbie, did he hurt you?”

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