Samuel murdered me as surely as if he fired a bullet.

Emily whispered, “Daniel…”

At the bottom was another line.

He has a burn scar across his left shoulder from the Hart fire. If that scar exists, Caleb Rusk and Samuel Mercer are the same man.

Outside, a horse whinnied.

Then came the sound of a gunshot.

Daniel extinguished the lantern.

“Stay here.”

Emily caught his sleeve.

“No.”

“Emily.”

“I hid from him once.”

Her face changed.

Fear remained.

But something stood beside it now.

Anger.

“I’m not hiding again.”

Caleb Rusk rode into Mercer Ranch at sunset.

He came with Everett Voss and three armed men.

Daniel recognized his brother immediately.

Not because of the face.

Twenty years had changed that.

Samuel had become leaner, harder, darker. A beard covered his jaw. A scar cut through one eyebrow.

But he wore a silver ring.

A wolf wrapped around his finger.

Daniel remembered watching his brother carve that same animal into fence posts.

Samuel smiled.

“Little Danny.”

Daniel felt eleven years old for one terrible second.

Then he lifted his rifle.

“My name is Daniel.”

Samuel laughed.

“Father always liked that stubborn streak.”

“You killed him.”

The smile disappeared.

Behind Daniel, Emily stepped onto the porch.

Samuel saw her.

Everything in his face changed.

“Emily.”

She did not move.

“You look well.”

Daniel’s rifle rose.

Samuel ignored him.

“I told you I’d find you.”

Emily’s voice remained steady.

“You found the land.”

Samuel smiled.

“So you finally understand.”

That smile destroyed the last fragile illusion inside her.

He had never loved her.

Not even badly.

She had simply been the lock around something he wanted.

Everett Voss dismounted carrying papers.

“Mrs. Rusk, sign over Blackwater and this ends.”

Emily looked at Samuel.

“Does it?”

“Yes.”

“You disappear?”

“Yes.”

“You said that once before.”

Samuel’s expression tightened.

Emily continued.

“The night you asked me to sign away the land.”

“Different circumstances.”

“You broke two of my ribs.”

Daniel moved.

Emily touched his arm.

Not yet.

Samuel noticed.

His smile sharpened.

“Careful, Danny. She makes men sentimental.”

Daniel’s voice dropped.

“No. She makes one man decent.”

For the first time, Samuel looked angry.

He drew his pistol.

Everything happened quickly.

Daniel raised the rifle.

Voss backed away.

The hired men spread out.

Emily suddenly called, “Samuel!”

He looked at her.

She held their father’s journal.

Samuel froze.

Daniel saw it.

The smallest reaction.

But enough.

Emily opened the journal.

“Your father knew.”

Samuel’s face went white.

“You don’t know what you’re holding.”

“I know you pushed him into the ravine.”

One of the hired men glanced at Samuel.

Samuel’s pistol shifted toward Emily.

Daniel stepped directly in front of her.

“Point that somewhere else.”

Samuel laughed without humor.

“You always did want whatever belonged to me.”

Daniel’s grip tightened.

“Emily never belonged to you.”

“She married me.”

“You married a child to steal land.”

“I married an opportunity.”

The words hung in the evening air.

Emily closed her eyes briefly.

Then she smiled.

It confused Samuel.

“What?”

She looked beyond him.

“You always talked too much when you thought you’d won.”

Hoofbeats sounded from the southern trail.

Samuel turned.

Sheriff Wallace appeared with four riders.

Beside him rode Reverend Hale.

And Mr. Pritchard from the Nebraska courthouse.

Samuel’s expression collapsed.

Daniel had sent a ranch hand ahead the moment they returned home.

The sheriff dismounted.

“Samuel Mercer.”

Samuel raised his weapon.

Three rifles immediately aimed at him.