Chapter Twenty-Six
Daniel’s heart pounded in his chest as he rushed to Edith’s side, his pulse thrumming in his ears.
She was crumpled on the floor, trembling, her cheek red and swollen from where William had struck her.
Kneeling beside her, his hands moved on their own—gently brushing a lock of hair from her face as his eyes scanned for any other injuries.
Her breathing was shaky but steady, and though her eyes were wide with fear, she nodded slightly when she saw him.
“I’m okay,” she whispered, her voice raw. “I’m okay.”
The relief that washed over Daniel was fleeting, quickly replaced by a seething anger.
The sight of her bruised, cowering on the floor, made his blood boil.
The fear in her eyes, the way her body shook beneath his touch—it ignited a fire in him that he hadn’t felt in years.
Not since the night of the fire. And now, staring at the man who had done this to her, that fury threatened to consume him.
Daniel rose to his feet slowly, his muscles coiled with tension. His gaze locked onto William, who stood swaying, his drunken grin still plastered on his face as if nothing was wrong. As if he hadn’t just hurt his own daughter.
“You think you can just waltz in here, play the hero?” William slurred, the sneer twisting his lips. “You don’t know nothin’, boy. She’s mine. Always has been.”
That was it. The last straw.
Daniel didn’t think—he moved. His fist connected with William’s jaw before he could even register the motion.
The sound of the impact was sharp and brutal, a thud that echoed through the cabin.
William stumbled backward, his drunken balance faltering as he tripped over his own feet and hit the ground hard.
Daniel stood over him, his chest heaving, fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white. William lay motionless on the floor, knocked out cold, the sneer wiped from his face.
But the satisfaction he felt was fleeting. The fury still roared inside him, unchecked.
He turned back to Edith, his heart aching at the sight of her.
She hadn’t moved, still curled up on the floor, her eyes wide with a mixture of shock and fear.
He hated that look—hated that she had ever felt this way.
Kneeling beside her again, his voice was gentle despite the storm raging within him.
“Edith,” he said softly, his hand trembling as he reached out to touch her arm. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
She nodded, her body shaking, though whether from the cold or the shock, Daniel couldn’t tell. “Yes,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I’m okay.”
But she wasn’t. Not really. Daniel knew that.
The fear in her eyes, the bruises forming on her cheek—this wasn’t something that could be fixed with a few reassuring words.
This was deeper. This was years of pain and terror, years of being under William’s control, that wouldn’t disappear just because Daniel had thrown a punch.
“We need to go,” Daniel said, standing and offering her his hand. “Now.”
Edith hesitated for a moment, her gaze flickering to her father’s unconscious form on the floor. Daniel could see the conflict in her eyes, the war between fear and guilt that kept her frozen in place.
“He’ll come after us,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
“Not if I can help it,” Daniel said, his tone grim. “But we can’t stay here.”
Edith nodded, her hand trembling as she placed it in his.
Daniel gently pulled her to her feet, holding her close for a moment, feeling the tremor in her body against his.
He wanted to say something—something that would take away the fear, the pain—but the words wouldn’t come. All he could do was hold her.
“I won’t let him hurt you again,” he promised, his voice low, hoping that Edith would believe him. “I swear it.”
Together, they made their way out of the cabin, the wind biting at their faces as they stepped into the dark, cold night. Daniel didn’t look back at William, didn’t spare him another thought. His focus was on Edith, on getting her away from this place.
As they reached the cart, Daniel helped her up, his heart still racing as he took his place beside her. The horse stirred, sensing the tension in the air. Daniel flicked the reins, urging the horse forward, the cart creaking as they began their journey back home.
But as they rode in silence, Daniel’s mind raced. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t over. William wouldn’t just give up. He’d come back. He’d always come back.
And next time, Daniel wasn’t sure if he’d be able to stop him.
The ride back to the cabin was tense, the air thick with unspoken words.
Daniel gripped the reins so tightly that his knuckles turned white, his heart still racing from what had just happened.
His mind churned with a storm of emotions—fear, anger, and something else he wasn’t ready to confront yet.
He kept glancing at Edith beside him, her face pale and her body trembling from the shock of it all.
He couldn’t believe she had gone to see William.
Alone. The thought made his blood boil all over again.
What was she thinking? He knew she wanted to be free of her father, but walking into that cabin by herself?
He clenched his jaw, biting back the words that were already rising in his throat. Now wasn’t the time.
By the time they reached the cabin, Daniel was barely holding it together.
He helped Edith down from the cart, his movements stiff and sharp.
She winced slightly as she stepped down, and that was the last straw for him.
The anger bubbled up inside him again, this time directed at her for putting herself in danger.
He had been scared out of his mind when he couldn’t find her, and now this.
Once they were inside, Daniel slammed the door shut, the sound echoing through the small cabin. Edith flinched at the noise, and for a moment, she just stood there, looking small and fragile in the dim light of the cabin. But Daniel couldn’t hold back any longer.
“What were you thinking?” he shouted, his voice cracking with frustration. “You could’ve been hurt—killed! What possessed you to go see him alone?”
Edith flinched again, her eyes wide as she looked up at him. She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. The sight of her standing there, bruised and scared, should have softened him, but instead, it fueled his anger. He stepped forward, his hands gesturing wildly as he continued.
“Do you have any idea what could’ve happened to you? What were you planning to do if I hadn’t shown up when I did? You thought could talk sense into him? You think he’d just let you walk away after all he’s done?”
“I just wanted to end it,” Edith whispered, her voice shaking as Daniel’s words echoed her father’s. “I thought if I talked to him—if I told him how I felt—he’d leave me alone.”
Daniel shook his head, his anger still simmering beneath the surface. “That man doesn’t listen to reason, Edith! He doesn’t care about anyone but himself. You can’t fix him. You can’t change him!”
Her eyes filled with tears, and she looked down at the floor, her hands twisting nervously in front of her. “I know that now,” she said quietly. “I was just... I was scared. I didn’t know what else to do.”
Daniel let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair as he paced the room. The sight of her crying, the guilt in her voice, it tugged at something deep inside him. He wanted to be mad—needed to be mad—but seeing her like this, broken and scared, made it impossible.
He stopped pacing and turned to face her, his chest rising and falling with the force of his emotions. “You could’ve been killed, Edith,” he said, his voice softer now but no less intense. “I don’t... I don’t know what I would’ve done if something had happened to you.”
Edith looked up at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I just... I didn’t want to burden you anymore. I didn’t want you to have to keep paying him off because of me.”
Daniel’s heart twisted at her words. She didn’t understand. She didn’t see that she wasn’t a burden to him—far from it. He took a step closer, his voice gentler now, though the anger still lingered beneath the surface.
“You’re not a burden, Edith. I don’t care about the money. I care about you. But you have to understand—your father isn’t going to stop. He won’t just walk away because you asked him to.”
She sniffled, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. “I know,” she said, her voice small. “I just didn’t want to drag you into it any more than I already have.”
Daniel took another step forward, his hand reaching out to gently touch her arm. “You’re not dragging me into anything. I chose this. I chose to help you because I care about you, Edith. But I need you to promise me something.”
She looked up at him, her eyes wide and full of uncertainty. “What?”
“Promise me you won’t go see him again,” Daniel said, his voice firm. “Promise me you won’t put yourself in danger like that ever again. I can’t—” His voice broke slightly, and he took a ragged breath to steady himself. “I can’t lose you, Edith.”
Edith stared at him for a long moment, her lips trembling as she tried to hold back more tears. Then, slowly, she nodded. “I promise,” she whispered.
Daniel exhaled, the tension in his body easing just a little.
He pulled her into his arms, holding her close as she buried her face in his chest. For a moment, they just stood there, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up to them both.
Daniel pressed his cheek to the top of her head, his heart still pounding, but now for a different reason.
He had almost lost her today. He couldn’t let that happen again.
But even as they stood there, he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling in the back of his mind—that William wasn’t done with them yet.
A loud knock echoed through the cabin. Daniel froze, his arms still around Edith, but the protective warmth that had surrounded them a moment before was replaced by a sinking feeling in his gut. He gently pulled away from her, turning toward the door, his heart racing all over again.
Another knock, this one more insistent.
Daniel’s jaw clenched as he walked toward the door, his mind racing with all the possible reasons for an unexpected visitor. He glanced at Edith, who stood rooted to the spot, her eyes wide with apprehension.
When Daniel opened the door, his chest tightened at the sight of Sheriff Jackson standing on the porch, his hat pulled low and his expression grim.
“Evenin’, Daniel,” the sheriff said, his voice rough, tired. “Mind if I come in?”
Daniel felt a chill creep down his spine. He swallowed hard, stepping aside to let the sheriff enter, bracing himself for what was about to come.
The sheriff tipped his hat as he stepped into the cabin, his eyes flicking over to Edith, whose pale face told him all he needed to know.
“I’ve come to talk about William Carter,” Sheriff Jackson said, his voice heavy with meaning.
Daniel’s stomach dropped. He glanced at Edith, fear creeping back into her eyes, and he realized that whatever the sheriff had to say, it wasn’t good.
“What’s going on, Sheriff?” Daniel asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
The sheriff’s expression didn’t change as he spoke, his words cutting through the heavy silence.
“We’ve got a problem.”