ONE

      The first thing Laura Donovan saw when she regained consciousness was the man leaning over her.

      The first thing she felt was her fist connecting with his jaw.

      “Hey!” the man exclaimed, stepping back quickly while holding his jaw. His hat fell to the floor.

      Laura scrambled to her feet, trying to keep an eye on the man while desperately scanning the cabin for Abby. She didn’t see her daughter anywhere. “Where’s my daughter?” Laura was breathing hard like she had just run for miles, and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. The muscles in her fingers tightened as she thought about fighting this man. She would do it if she had to. She would do anything to save her daughter.

      The man’s eyes widened and his hand moved away from his face. Instead, he held both hands in front of him, palms out, as if trying to show Laura that he was harmless. He was looking at Laura like she was a crazy person. “Your daughter?”

      The man was dressed like a park ranger, right down to the ridiculous hat. Maybe he was a park ranger, since Mahoney’s men had all been dressed in black from head to toe. Laura didn’t care. She did not have time for this game. She had no idea how long she’d been unconscious, and she had no idea where Mahoney and his men were.

      “Abby! Abigail!” Laura tried to sound calm, but there was no keeping the emotion from her voice. “It’s okay, honey! Please come out. Please!” Laura ran into the cabin’s first bedroom, flung open the closet door and dropped to her belly to look under the bed. Nothing. She ran into the bathroom and frantically pulled open the cupboard doors looking for the three-year-old. Where was she?

      Please let her be hiding. Please let her be in the cabin. Please, please, please. Abby had to be terrified. What if she had run outside? What if Mahoney took her? What if he didn’t, instead just killing the girl? Her baby.

      No.

      “It’s okay, Abby! Mommy promises. Please come out.” Laura ran to the closet in the second bedroom and threw the door open. She fell to her knees, crying in relief. Abby was there on the closet floor, arms locked around her knees pulling them tightly into her chest. She just looked at her mother, tears running down her cheeks.

      “Abby. Oh, Abby. Come here, baby. It’s okay, just come here.” Laura pulled her sweet girl into her arms, then stood up while trying to press the child’s warmth as close to her body as possible. Laura turned and swallowed hard when she saw the park ranger standing in the doorway.

      He still had his hands held out in front of him, still had a confused look on his face.

      Laura froze, trying to decide what to do. She had Abigail. Her daughter was okay. She was okay.

      “Mrs. Donovan?” The ranger’s voice was soft like he was trying to calm a wild animal.

      Laura felt a whole lot like a wild animal right now.

      “Get out of my way. Now.” She sounded deranged, and that was not far from the truth. Laura needed to get her daughter out of the cabin. Off the mountain. And that man was standing between them and the door. His weapon was still holstered, and Laura decided he probably was a park ranger. One who had picked today to come check out the recluse living on the mountain.

      “I don’t know what I walked into, Mrs. Donovan. But I’m not the enemy here.”

      Laura’s short laugh was bitter. Sure he wasn’t. Even before this terrible, terrible day, park rangers had never been her friend. Laura couldn’t tell if she was shaking or if the vibrations were from Abby, but either way they were less than stable. She needed to get it together.

      Laura wished she could wipe her sweaty hands off on her jeans. Relax her shaky arms. Find some medicine for her pounding headache. But that would mean letting go of Abby and that wasn’t happening. She sucked in a breath, trying to make the flow slow and steady. And subtle. The bright lights that had been floating in her vision faded. The haze of static in her head cleared.

      “How do you know my name?” She sounded like she was accusing him of something. Because she kind of was.

      “I told you. I’m a park ranger assigned to this part of Colorado. I know most of the people who live bordering the public lands.”

      “Great. You’re not the enemy. Congratulations. Get out of my way.” Laura tried to sound as authoritative as possible.

      The ranger took a step back but Laura did not move forward. He didn’t look like any of Mahoney’s men, and that uniform looked authentic, but Laura wasn’t sure what was