Page 77 of Montana Justice

He thought he held all the cards. He was about to learn that a father’s wrath, backed by brothers willing to wage war, was a force he couldn’t contain.

I’d get Sadie back. Whatever it took, whoever I had to go through, whatever lines I had to cross.

My daughter was coming home.

Chapter 27

Piper

The house feltdifferent with Lachlan gone. Not just empty—condemned. Like the walls themselves knew what I’d done and were waiting to crush me for it.

I sat on the living room floor with Caleb in my lap, his tiny fingers wrapped around mine. The rug was rough against my legs, little indentations from furniture feet pressing into my skin. My throat still burned from screaming, and my scalp ached where I’d torn at my hair. Every muscle in my body felt wrung out, like I’d been put through one of those old-fashioned washing machine wringers in old movies.

Caleb babbled happily, unaware that his mother had just destroyed everything. That his father would never look at us the same way again. His dark eyes—Lachlan’s eyes—studied my face with that serious baby concentration, like he was trying to memorize me.

Jenny had left twenty minutes ago after making sure I’d eaten something and wasn’t about to do anything drastic. She’dbeen kind, careful, treating me like I might shatter. Maybe I would. Maybe I already had.

“Mama made such a mess,” I told Caleb, who responded by grabbing for my nose. “Such a terrible, terrible mess.” I stood to pace the room.

The relief of Lachlan finally knowing the truth warred with grief so sharp it stole my breath. No more lies between us—but no moreuseither. I’d seen it in his eyes when he’d left. The betrayal. The disgust. The way he’d looked at me like I was a stranger wearing the face of someone he’d loved.

Because he had loved me. I’d seen it in quiet moments—when he’d watch me feed Caleb, when he’d pull me close in the middle of the night, when he’d trace patterns on my skin like he was trying to memorize me by touch. All those tender moments, every whispered promise in the dark—I’d contaminated all of it.

I was probably going to prison.

I’d aided a drug and weapons trafficking operation. People had died because of information I’d passed along. Kids had overdosed. Families had been destroyed. There wouldn’t be any mercy for that, not even with my reason.

My legs gave out, and I sank onto the couch. The cushions still held the impression of where Lachlan and I had sat watching movies just a few nights ago, sharing popcorn and laughing at some comedy I couldn’t even remember the name of now. He’d pulled me against his side, his arm warm around my shoulders, and I’d felt safe. Home.

I’d never feel that again.

My phone buzzed. The burner phone.

My whole body went rigid. With trembling fingers, I pulled it from my pocket.

Where the hell have you been? Watch stopped transmitting hours ago. EXPLAIN. NOW.

The words blurred as my hands shook. Ray knew something was wrong. Of course he did—he’d been listening to every word Lachlan said for days, and now, there was only silence.

What could I say? That Lachlan had discovered everything? That even now, he was probably planning how to hunt Ray down?

I set Caleb in his bouncer, my movements mechanical. He fussed at the transition, little face scrunching up in displeasure.

“I know, baby. I’m sorry. Mama just needs to think.”

Think. How? My brain felt like cotton, stuffed full of exhaustion and grief and terror. I paced the room again, phone clutched in my sweaty palm. The weight of it felt enormous, like holding a live grenade.

How long before Ray figured out something was wrong? How long before he disappeared with Sadie…or worse?

The image of her face from that last photo burned behind my eyelids. Was someone holding her when she cried? Did they sing to her like I used to? Did they know she liked to sleep with her tiny fist pressed against her cheek?

My knees hit the floor hard enough to bruise. The phone skittered across the hardwood, Ray’s message still glowing accusingly on the screen.

“Please,” I whispered to no one. To God, maybe, if He still listened to people like me. “Please don’t let him hurt her. Please.”

The front door opened.

I scrambled for the phone, shoving it into my pocket as Lachlan walked in. He looked haggard, older than when he’d left just hours ago. His uniform was still crisp, but his face belongedto someone who’d aged years in minutes. The strong line of his jaw was set hard, his whole body radiating controlled fury.

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