The foreclosure notice arrived like a sentence I couldn't outrun. I told myself I'd prove my worth on this ranch, but every mistake only deepens the hole.
Pierce Villiers sees straight through my defiance. He moves with deliberate steps, his thick forearms promising the correction my body has started to ache for, even as my mind fights the shame of it.
In the dust-hazed barn at dusk, the trapdoor shuts behind us. His palm rests against my back, heavy and sure, and I hold my breath waiting for the discipline that might save the ranch or break what little pride I have left.
