Chapter 3

I set the water glass down with a firm click.

"No."

Ethan' s eyes widened in disbelief.

"What did you say?"

I met his gaze without flinching, my voice clear and loud enough for the nearby donors to hear.

"I said no. You're the big, strong politician, Ethan. You move the damn tree for your girlfriend."

The chatter in the room died. Every eye was on us.

Ethan's face turned a dark, furious red. He raised his hand to strike me.

But this wasn't the broken woman who died in a blizzard. This was the rodeo champion he tried to erase.

Before his hand could move an inch, I acted. It was pure instinct. I sidestepped, grabbed his wrist, and used a simple rodeo takedown move. He yelped in surprise as his legs went out from under him, and he landed hard on Brittany' s expensive rug.

The room gasped.

I didn't let go of his wrist. I yanked his arm up, exposing the inside of his wrist to the shocked crowd.

"Ask them about their matching tattoos," I announced, my voice ringing with cold fury. I then grabbed Brittany's arm, pulling up her sleeve to reveal the identical design on her wrist. "They got them on their little 'campaign retreat' in Vegas."

Ethan and Brittany stared, horrified. Their secret was out.

I let them go and turned my back on the silent, staring crowd. I walked out of that house, out of that life, without a backward glance.

I drove straight to the last piece of my family's land. The old homestead. I got out of my truck and walked to the fence line, my boots sinking into the familiar dirt.

I ran my hand over a weathered wooden post, the one my father had taught me to set and mend. The rough grain felt like coming home.

This was my legacy. My daughter's legacy. And I would protect it.

I pulled out my phone and dialed a number I knew by heart.

"Jesse," I said when he answered. "It's Sarah. I need you."