CHAPTER 27 #3
Standing beside him was another tall, broad-shouldered man with sleeve tattoos covering both arms, ink visible even from across the arena.
There was an alertness to his stance that Daniel recognized instantly.
The coiled readiness of someone trained to notice threats.
Military, maybe. Ex-military, more likely.
The way he held himself, the constant scanning, the positioning that kept his sightlines clear, it all spoke of experience.
Great. A possible complication.
Both men were focused on a particular horse in the ring, pointing and discussing its performance in voices lost to the hum of the crowd, the chatter of hundreds of conversations, the announcer's droning commentary, the snorts and stamping of restless horses.
Daniel paused, partially concealed behind a family with three small children bickering over a shared bag of popcorn. He watched the two men from a distance, his eyes narrowed against the harsh sunlight that made the white-painted rails shimmer and his vision swim.
Connor seemed completely engrossed in the animated conversation, gesturing enthusiastically as he spoke to his companion, clearly in his element. His body language was open and relaxed, the stance of someone without a care in the world.
If Connor was here, Anna had to be close.
The thought sent a thrill of excitement shooting through Daniel's chest, electric and intoxicating.
His pulse quickened, his palms growing slick with more than just the heat.
After weeks of searching, of dead ends and false leads, of the crushing frustration of her simply vanishing, he was close now. So close he could almost taste it.
But he forced the surge of anticipation down before it could show on his face, before it could bleed into his body language and draw attention. He couldn't afford to lose sight of his target by acting rashly. He couldn't let emotion override strategy.
He also couldn't risk being seen or recognized. Not yet. Not before he had a plan.
Patience. Just a little more patience.
He continued his slow, methodical orbit of the expansive ring, keeping his head low and his movements deliberate to avoid attracting notice. Just another anonymous spectator lost in the chaotic swirl, pausing occasionally to watch the horses, blending seamlessly with the other attendees.
But his calculating eyes never strayed from Connor for long. They always tracked back to that spot by the fence, alert for any sign, any small tell, that might reveal Anna's whereabouts. A glance toward the barns. A check of his phone that might indicate a message from her. Anything.
His pulse leapt when he saw Connor finally break away from his conversation, clapping the tattooed man on the shoulder before striding purposefully toward the cluster of barns nearby.
Follow him.
Ten massive barns loomed ahead, cavernous metal structures that gleamed dully beneath the harsh sunlight.
Each one was large enough to house hundreds of horses, with endless rows of stalls visible through the open doors.
The rich, earthy scents of hay, warm horse, and oiled leather drifted out from their depths, mingling with the dust and ever-present tang of manure that clung to the air.
The barns formed a sprawling, labyrinthine maze, easy to get lost in, Daniel noted immediately. Each building looked nearly identical from the outside, and the winding pathways between them created confusing angles and blind corners. A perfect place to hide someone.
But Daniel was determined. Grimly, methodically, he followed.
He kept his pace steady, unhurried, blending in with the knots of spectators meandering between barns, families searching for restrooms, riders checking on their horses, vendors pushing carts of cold drinks.
A predator with infinite patience stalking his chosen prey.
Connor entered one of the larger barns, number seven, according to the faded sign hanging crookedly above the entrance, and Daniel shadowed him at a careful distance, always keeping others between them as a moving shield.
A cluster of teenage girls in matching team jackets.
An elderly couple holding hands. Anyone who could provide cover.
The barn's lofty interior was spacious and airy despite the heat outside.
Diffused sunlight filtered through high windows and glinted off freshly painted stall fronts arranged in perfect rows.
Industrial fans mounted to the rafters churned the air just enough to keep it from stagnating, creating a steady hum that blended with the sounds of shifting horses and muted voices.
Orderly lines of stalls stretched out on either side of the wide concrete aisle, the occasional curious horse poking its head over the half-door to investigate the passersby. Daniel caught flashes of sleek coats, dark eyes, and twitching ears.
He pretended to read his phone as he walked, just another man checking messages while on his way somewhere, maintaining the illusion of purpose even as his gaze tracked Connor's every move.
At the far end of the aisle, Daniel spotted a setup that could only be Connor's base of operations.
Director's chairs with Whitaker Quarter Horses embroidered on the backs.
Walls draped with ribbons and awards in every color.
Vases of elaborate flowers that had to be gifts from well-wishers.
Neatly stacked trunks of polished tack gleaming in the filtered light.
Successful. Of course he's successful. Of course Anna would run to someone who has his shit together. The bitter thought curdled in his gut, sharp and acidic.
He watched from behind a conveniently placed stack of hay bales, the sweet scent of alfalfa mingling with dust that made his nose itch. He pressed a hand over his nose and mouth, stifling the urge to sneeze, as Connor moved methodically down the rows.
Connor inspected each stall with practiced ease, checking water buckets, running his hands over horses' legs, and conferring with the stable hand who worked beside him. He responded to him with clear respect, quick to follow his instructions.
Daniel's eyes scanned every face, every figure that moved through the barn. Stable workers were bent over hooves, riders adjusting bridles, people brushing down glossy coats. Anna could easily be hidden among them, tucked away from view, working quietly in the back.
But no matter how long he watched, no matter how thorough his scan, he saw no trace of her. No familiar flash of honey-blonde hair. No soft laugh that would have stopped his heart mid-beat.
Nothing.
Frustration rose like bile in the back of his throat, hot and bitter.
His hands clenched into fists, short nails biting crescents into his palms as he fought the overwhelming urge to storm in, to tear the place apart until he found her.
To shout her name. To demand answers. To make them tell him where she was.
No. Control. Maintain control.
He was so achingly tired of this game of cat and mouse. Of chasing shadows and dead ends. Of searching for the woman who should be with him. The woman who belonged with him. Where she'd always been meant to be. Where she'd been happy, before that voice in her head convinced her otherwise.
It wasn't supposed to be this hard, this much of a convoluted struggle.
He'd planned everything so meticulously, down to the last contingency: the tracking app on her phone, the monitoring of her accounts, the careful documentation of her movements and habits.
Even the fallback plans in case she tried to leave.
But she'd proven far more elusive and cunning than he'd ever anticipated, more stubbornly defiant than he'd given her credit for. My Anna. So much smarter than I realized.
Her unexpectedly adept maneuvering and escape tactics only made him burn for her more, stoking the flames of his obsession to a fever pitch that consumed his every waking thought and haunted his dreams. She was magnificent in her defiance—truly.
A worthy opponent. And when he finally got her back, when she finally understood that they were meant to be together, it would be all the sweeter for the chase.
Seething with barely contained violence that made his muscles tremble from the effort of restraint, Daniel turned on his heel and stalked out of the barn with long, ground-eating strides. He stayed close to the building's outer edge to avoid detection, his shoulder nearly brushing the metal siding.
The walls felt as if they were closing in, the cloying smells of horse and hay suddenly overwhelming, suffocating. His collar was too tight despite being unbuttoned, his chest constricting as his breathing quickened. He needed air. He needed to think.
He retreated into the relative chaos and anonymity of the milling crowd outside, letting the relentless brightness of the sun and the constant motion of bodies distract him from his rising fury. The heat was almost painful now, pounding behind his eyes, but the open space helped him breathe again.
Daniel made his circuitous way back to his staked-out vantage point by the show ring, positioning himself with clear sightlines to multiple areas, just in time to see Connor exit the barn and head in the same direction, his stride purposeful but unhurried.
Daniel melted into the churning sea of spectators like smoke, allowing Connor several paces of lead. He tracked the man's cowboy hat bobbing through the crowd, watching every move with hawklike intensity and anticipation.
Come on. Lead me to her. Show me where you're keeping her.
But Connor merely rejoined the tattooed man by the ring as if he'd never left, picking up their interrupted conversation without missing a beat. Both men fixed their attention on the arena, leaning casually against the fence, completely oblivious to Daniel's scrutiny.
Whatever remained of his composure shredded beyond repair.
A red mist of uncontrollable rage bled into the edges of his vision as his pulse thundered in his ears like crashing surf. His breathing grew harsh and fast through his nose, his jaw clenching so tight his teeth ached. Pressure built behind his eyes, throbbing in time with his racing heart.
She wasn’t here. She's not fucking here.
His patience, already frayed by weeks of fruitless searching, had eroded to nothing. The iron grip he'd maintained over his temper was unraveling into gossamer threads with every second Anna continued to outwit him.
He couldn't afford to waste any more precious time on this futile chase, not when the ticking clock screamed in his mind, reminding him that every day she remained away was another day she could be poisoned against him. Another day she could slip even further beyond his reach.
He needed a new plan. A better plan. A foolproof plan.
He had to regroup. To tear up the old playbook that had failed him and craft something new—something inevitable.
A strategy that would draw her inexorably out of hiding and back into his arms where she belonged.
Once and for all. No matter how drastic the measures required. No matter the collateral damage.
I'll do whatever it takes.
The incessant ticking of his watch echoed in his head like a doomsday clock, marking each wasted second. Every tick was another moment she was out there without him.
Daniel slipped away into the crowd, his brilliant, ruthless mind already calculating his next move. The pieces were aligning, forming a pattern he could work with. Connor's presence meant Anna was somewhere on that ranch, probably alone, or with minimal protection.
Vulnerable. Exposed. Mine for the taking.
A cold smile curved his lips as he made his way toward the parking lot, already planning his route back to that isolated ranch in the middle of nowhere, Wyoming. He could already picture her face when she realized there was nowhere left to run.
One way or another, no matter how far he had to go or what lines he had to cross, he would find Anna and end this infuriating game between them.
Once and for all.
No matter who he had to go through to reach her.