6. Forrest
SIX
Forrest
Willa’s people didn’t show up for three days.
There wasn’t anything about a missing girl…the cops weren’t contacted. And that made sense, because I was starting to realize that nothing about what they were doing out there was legal.
The sheriff’s office wouldn’t stop them…but they wouldn’t help them either.
On some level, that pissed me off. Peg and Adam had been in their ear for years—they’re keeping girls out there, they don’t leave the property, something’s wrong—and they’d just said it wasn’t their business. And now? What if Willa had ended up with someone dangerous?
As far as the rest of the world was concerned, the women on that homestead were invisible.
Not to us though. Not to me.
It was about eleven when I got the call; Stetson had been out in the woods by the east fenceline with Buck, Wyatt was checking out the cattle, Gage was tending to business. Stetson called me first, then he told me to grab Gage at the house.
I knew right then and there what was happening.
And I also knew I needed to tell Willa.
I found her in her room—the deadbolt locked. I knocked, and her muffled voice came from inside…then I heard footsteps.
She opened the door and—it was strange—it occurred to me that she’d started to look like a person.
Not that she hadn’t been a person before…she had, of course. But when I’d first seen her, she looked like a feral thing out of some past era, with her tattered modest dress, her tangled hair, her wild eyes. Now, in an old t-shirt and running shorts, her hair up in a messy bun, she looked—
Damn it.
I thought she looked pretty again.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
The blankets were mussed. That book she’d been reading was cracked open on the bed, flipped upside down to keep her place.
“Yeah,” I said. “I mean—no. Not really. Just want you to stay put for a minute. Keep the door locked…maybe stay away from the windows.”
Her face fell. “No,” she said. “They’re here?”
“Just got a call from Stetson,” I said. “Listen—Willa, you have nothing to be afraid of. We’re not gonna tell them you’re here or otherwise. And I’m gonna leave Nickel here to keep watch.”
She didn’t look like she believed me at first…but then she nodded. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll stay put.”
“Good girl,” I murmured, and started to turn away—
—but she reached out to grab my arm.
I looked back at her.
“I’m not going back,” she whispered.
“I know,” I said. “I promise we’re gonna keep you safe.”
She held my gaze for another second…then she nodded and stepped back. I heard the deadbolt slide home.
I stood in the hall for just a moment—then I went to get Gage.
My cousin was on the porch of the main house, his shotgun slung over his shoulder, already with two horses out of the barn. That meant Stetson had already called…and Gage meant business. He gestured at the horses as I walked up, mounting up and giving me time to do the same.
“Stetson’s got eyes on them?” he asked.
“Called me ten minutes ago,” I said. “Two trucks on the east road, sitting at the property line.”
Gage set his coffee down. “How many?”
“Not sure,” I said. “Wyatt joining us?”
“He’s gonna hang back and keep an eye on the house just in case they sent some others and already know something,” Gage said. “But…honestly, I think Millie, Haven, and my mom would be happy to kill anyone who comes lookin’ for her.”
I laughed despite myself. “Yeah, they would.”
The east fence line was about a quarter mile through the oak trees and scrub, and the horses picked their way through it without much direction. Mine was one of Sawyer’s old quarter horses, a big roan gelding who had opinions about everything and only trusted a handful of people.
Stetson was already at the fence line, on foot, Buck at his heel. He was watching the two trucks idling on the dirt road on the other side of the fence; didn’t look at us, when we rode up, keeping his eyes on the trucks.
There were four men there—three I didn’t recognize, heavy-set and work-worn. The fourth stood at the hood of the lead truck with his thumbs in his belt loops, older with a long salt-and-pepper beard…maybe sixty.
“What’s the deal?” Gage asked, dismounting.
“They wanted to talk to you,” Stetson said. “Said they’re worried about Mr. Daley’s wife.”
My skin crawled; I gestured toward the older man. “That Mr. Daley?”
“Yup.”
I shook my head, resisting the urge to jump the fence and fucking throttle him.
Gage let out a sigh that sounded more like a growl. “Jesus…Willa can’t be even twenty-five, right?”
“She’s twenty,” I said.
I looked at the man at the hood of the truck again. The scowl…the grey beard.
She couldn’t have wanted that.
Gage walked to the fence, leaving the two of us behind…shotgun clearly visible. Mr. Daley walked forward to meet him.
He had a gun too.
This wasn’t good.
“Morning,” Gage said, tipping his hat.
Daley’s eyes moved across us. “You Gage Holt?”
“Nice to meet you too,” Gage said, not even a hint of a smile on his face, arms crossed. “Didn’t get your name.”
“Shepherd Daley,” he said. “But you knew that already.”
Gage stayed stone-faced. Unreadable.
I hoped I was doing the same.
“Didn’t have to bring your boys out,” Gage said. “Something the matter? If you’re worried about Stetson, he just brings folks out here to hunt—getting the property ready—”
“No, it’s one of—” Daley stopped. “It’s my wife, Willa. Brown hair, blue eyes. She wandered off a few days back and we’re worried about her.”
The rage burned so hot in my chest that I could barely breathe. Wandered off…saying she wandered off when she’d run through the night, barefoot, just to get away.
“Haven’t seen her,” Gage said.
“You sure about that?”
“I’m sure about what happens on my property,” Gage said. “Me and my brothers and cousins have a damn good lay of the land, Shep.”
Daley’s brow furrowed.
“She’s not well,” he said. “Gets confused. Needs looking after.”
Gage nodded slowly, like he was actually considering Daley’s argument. “Well…if I come across a grown woman out here, I’ll let her know you’re looking.”
Daley’s jaw tensed.
“She’s my wife,” he said. “Under God. Not just some woman.”
“Mm,” Gage hummed.
Stetson’s hand was on his rifle. My nervous system was buzzing, ready for a fight.
Daley finally stepped back.
“Well…thanks for keepin’ an eye out,” he said. “God bless.”
Then the man touched his hat, tilted his head, and got back in his truck.
We watched both trucks turn around and drive through the trees along a dirt road, kicking up a cloud of dust. We stayed there until they were out of sight, until there wasn’t even a speck of dust leftover.
Stetson spat in the dirt.
“Under God,” I muttered. “Fucking hell.”
“Yep,” Stetson said.
Gage mounted his horse and picked up the reins. “Neto’s putting a camera on the east road today, motion activated.” He looked at me. “You tell her they were here?”
“I told her someone was here,” I replied. “She doesn’t know he was here.”
He nodded. “She okay?”
“I left Nickel there with her,” I said. “Looked scared…scared enough I want to get back. If she ran—”
I stopped myself. If she’d run, I wasn’t going to stop her; she didn’t belong to me, wasn’t mine to protect. But…I wanted to help her, to keep her safe.
Even in those few short days of quiet puttering around, I’d gotten attached.
Guess I’d been lonelier even than Stetson had accused me of being.
“You gonna finish that thought?” Stetson asked.
I shook my head. “Nope,” I said. “Just…wanna make sure she’s okay.”