My daughter’s husband beat her bloody, threw her out in the middle of the night, and told her no one would believe her because her father was “nobody.” Hours later, he opened his front door expecting her to crawl back and beg, but instead he found me standing there with an old baseball bat and a question that wiped the arrogance from his face.

I threw the truck into reverse and slammed my foot on the gas.

The heavy tires tore through Daniel's pristine landscaping.

I spun the wheel hard and bypassed the black SUV by driving directly over a retaining wall.

My old truck bounced violently, but the suspension held together.

I hit the main highway and pushed the engine to its absolute limit.

The speedometer needle buried itself past ninety miles per hour.

My mind raced with terrifying images of Claire waking up alone.

I grabbed my cell phone from the dashboard and dialed the house number.

It rang continuously until the voicemail picked up.

I cursed out loud and threw the phone onto the passenger seat.

The moon illuminated the familiar dirt road leading to my property.

I did not slow down as I took the sharp turn.

Gravel flew into the air like shrapnel.

I slammed on the brakes as the farmhouse came into view.

The front door was completely ripped off its hinges.

I grabbed the bat and sprinted up the porch steps.

"Claire!" I roared into the dark house.

There was no answer.

The living room was completely destroyed.

Furniture was overturned, and pictures were smashed on the hardwood floor.

I found Dr. Ellis lying near the hallway.

He was bleeding from a deep cut on his forehead.

I knelt down and checked his pulse.

He coughed violently and opened his eyes.

"Sam," he gasped, grabbing my shirt.

"Where is she?" I demanded, my voice shaking with rage.

"It was Sheriff Miller," the doctor whispered.

"He came in with two deputies and dragged her out."

I stared at him in pure disbelief.

Sheriff Miller and I had been friends for two decades.

"Why would the sheriff take her?" I asked.

"He said Warren Voss offered to erase his gambling debts," Dr. Ellis choked out.

"They are taking her to the Voss estate right now."

I stood up slowly, the wooden bat feeling like an extension of my own arm.

I was no longer just a farmer looking for an apology.

I was a father going to war.

The Clumsy Maid Bathed His Dog—Then The Mafia Boss Said She Wasn’t Leavi...

She found her husband with another woman and walked away so quietly that...

The Mafia Boss Asked a Disabled Widow If She Was Okay

A sudden mechanical clicking sound echoed from the dark kitchen.

I turned around just in time to see a laser sight lock onto my chest.

Chapter 3 - The Race Home