Reed leaned forward, his eyes fixed intently on Daisy as he awaited her response.The air between them crackled with tension, each moment stretching out like an eternity as Daisy weighed her options."So what happened to him? Where is Ralph?"Reed pressed his voice was steady but his heart raced, his voice firm but tinged with urgency.Daisy's gaze bore into him, suspicion etched in her features. "You a cop or something?" she shot back.Reed shook his head. "No," he said, locking eyes with her. "I just need answers. I just need to know what happened to him."Daisy studied him for a moment, her expression guarded, before finally relenting, her fingers twisted in her lap. "Timmy," she began, "or at least that's what he told us his name was, came to the barn looking for a job," she began, her voice love. “Billy didn't see a problem—needed the manpower. So we hired Timmy."Reed leaned against a nearby post, the night air cool against his skin. "Last week," Daisy continued, "Billy found ou

Reed stepped into his room at the inn, the door creaking softly behind him.The air smelled of old wood and faded memories.The room was small, its walls adorned with peeling wallpaper.Reed’s gaze swept the space—the narrow bed, the cracked mirror, the sagging curtains. He’d been here for days.The bag of cash weighed heavy in his hand. Reed needed a safe place to hide it—somewhere beyond prying eyes.After a thorough search, he discovered a slightly loose floorboard hidden beneath a worn rug, his fingers traced the edges of the rug, and he felt a slightly loose floorboard underneath.A hiding spot, perhaps.With careful precision, he removed the rug and lifted the floorboard, revealing a small space beneath.Reed placed the bag of money inside, ensuring it was well-hidden, before carefully replacing the floorboard and fixing the loose fitting.Satisfied with his concealment, Reed made his way downstairs revealing the worn wooden floor.The floorboard yielded with a gentle tug, and h

Reed leaned forward, his eyes probing. “What do you mean that Walker is the reason your family lost everything?” His brow furrowing with concernCandice hesitated, then blurted out, “He used the mayor to increase taxes, then drove my father’s restaurant down.” Candice took a deep breath, steeling herself to relive the painful memories.Reed’s brows furrowed. “So your family owns the restaurant?”“Yeah, well used to, now it belongs to walker now,” Candice replied, her voice bitter. “Frank is my dad.”The photograph of Walker Rhomes, Reed’s gaze shifted to it, Reed's mind raced with questions, and he seized the opportunity to learn more about Walker's mysterious rise to power so he asked, “Do you know how Walker came back to this town—changed and rich?”Candice shook her head. “Nah, nobody knows. Everyone’s too afraid to do anything. He’s got this town in his palms.”Reed leaned back, studying her. “And the Wayne brothers?”Candice’s eyes darted toward the window, as if expecting shadow

Daisy clutched an old iron key, its teeth worn from years of use.Daisy fumbled with a key, her hands shaking slightly with nervousness, she inserted it into the padlock, and with a twist, the gate swung open.The barn laid ahead, its red paint faded and chipped. Reed squinted, noticing the faint glow seeping through the gaps in the wooden walls.“You sure they’re not in there?” he asked, glancing at Daisy, his voice barely above a whisper.She nodded, her eyes scanning the darkened fields beyond and her expression tense.“Billy and Richie went to drop off a shipment. They’ll be back soon.” Her voice held a hint of unease, as if she knew more than she let on.Together, they crossed the small grass into the barn.The air smelled of hay and earth, but something else lingered—an antiseptic tang that prickled Reed’s senses.He followed Daisy deeper, the floorboards groaning under their weight.Reed followed Daisy as she led the way towards the barn, his senses on high alert as they neared

Reed stumbled out of the burning barn, the acrid smoke clinging to his clothes like a shroud.His lungs burned, and his heart raced as he gulped in the cool night air.The chaos behind him was a symphony of crackling flames and distant screams.He glanced back, his eyes narrowing at the flickering orange glow that consumed everything he’d known.Daisy stood a few paces away, her face pale and tear-streaked.Her betrayal hung heavy in the air, a bitter taste on Reed’s tongue.He’d trusted her, relied on her, and now she was nothing more than a liability.Her apology fell on deaf ears as he glared at her. “Stop talking,” he spat, his voice low and venomous.She followed him, stumbling over the uneven ground.Reed clenched the papers he’d snatched from the barn, their edges crumpling in his fist.The secrets they held were dangerous, and he’d risked everything to obtain them. A noise echoed from the barn—a desperate cry or a dying groan, he couldn’t tell. Reed turned, his eyes widening