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But she didn’t know what to do. She was in a city she didn’t know with no money, no phone. If she left, where would she go? What would she do?
For a second, as she followed Desi out to the kitchen, she thought about making a run for it. If she could get outside, she could find a way to alert the police. She could yell for help. Someone would probably call the cops just because of the disturbance.
But then what? Where would she go? She didn’t have anywhere to live. And her parents would never forgive her for this. Never forgive her for being so stupid and naïve.
They’d never take her back, even if she’d wanted them to.
Her stomach rumbled again, feeling raw and empty. It was almost as if someone else took over her body. She went through the motions, getting things out of cupboards to cook dinner.
It was the new Brielle. The one who believed John. Who just wanted another pill so she could go numb—feel good and stop worrying about all these big things she couldn’t control.
She let that Brielle take the lead.
But her old self was still in there, shouting at her in the darkness, begging to be let out.
CHAPTER 29
Zachary
Checking my surroundings had already become second nature. As I drove Marigold to the salon, I didn’t notice anything suspicious. Wet leaves covered the ground. A storm had blown through the night before, stripping the trees bare and leaving the mountains suspended between late fall and the onset of winter.
Marigold huddled in her wool coat and clasped her hands together. I reached forward and turned up the heat so she wouldn’t be cold. Her smile warmed me from the inside.
I freaking loved her so much.
We pulled up to the salon and although there was no sign of the cockmuppet, I did notice someone waiting in the parking lot for her.
Her dad.
He stood next to his car, leaning against the driver’s side door, arms crossed. I hoped he wasn’t there to try to convince Marigold to move home again. I really didn’t want to get into it with her dad, but if he kept pushing, I was going to have to say something.
I’d never been a guy to shy away from confrontation—I was usually the one starting shit—but this was different. I had to tread carefully where my girl’s parents were concerned. Not so much for my sake as for Marigold’s. It wasn’t so much that I didn’t care what they thought of me—after all, I was planning on marrying their daughter—it was more that I didn’t want to make things worse for Mari.
But damn, the urge to tell Craig he needed to back off and let me handle this was hard to resist.
“Oh, Dad.” Marigold sighed. “I really hope he hasn’t decided he needs to stand guard out here all day.”
“That’s my job.”
She glanced at me. “You don’t need to stand guard all day, either.”
No one had seen Preston. Chances were, he’d lay low for a while. And when he did reappear, it would probably be to get his construction project moving again, not to harass Marigold. Rumor had it, his project had ground to a halt. Word had gotten around about what he’d done to Mari and all the local subcontractors had quit.
Still, I didn’t trust him. And I couldn’t shake the feeling he could show up and cause trouble.
But I also had my own job to do. I couldn’t afford to put off work forever and I was supposed to swing by Tilikum Hardware to give the owner a quote for a rewiring project.
Maybe it wasn’t so bad Craig was here.
I tucked her hair behind her ear. “I actually can’t stay. Work stuff. I know your dad is driving you crazy, but it’ll make me feel better to know he’s looking out for you.”
“I wish he’d just stop by a couple of times instead of standing out there. It’s going to start getting weird for my clients. And the rumors in this town are going from silly to absolutely ridiculous. Someone came in yesterday and asked if I was involved with the mafia.”
“So you’re saying I should call off the private security detail who look like the Secret Service.”
She laughed. “Yes.”
“I don’t know what to tell you about your dad. Do you want me to talk to him?” I braced myself, kind of hoping she’d say no. I wasn’t sure I trusted myself to have that conversation with Craig.
