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he takes someone else down.”
    â€œYou can’t promise that, Jewel.”
    â€œNo, I can’t. But there are no promises in life. People die every day, people who don’t have a killer after them. I lost my husband a few years back. He was a firefighter—he mentored David Warren, in fact. But he didn’t die fighting a fire. No. He had to get struck by lightning while he was hiking in the mountains. A lightning strike killed my husband.”
    There were no guarantees in life, but Jewel knew she could count on lightning striking again in the form of her attacker. The question was—would he succeed in killing her the next time?
    A car door slammed outside, and she glanced out the window to see Buck driving away.
    There was no time to lose. Jewel went down into the kitchen. She had things to do. Questions to ask.
    As soon as they spotted her, Tracy, Katy and Meral suddenly stopped talking, and each tried to hide a guilt-ridden expression, as though they’d been talking about Jewel.
    Tracy stepped forward, concern in her gaze. “Jewel, how are you doing?”
    Jewel waved away her concerns. “I’m sick of sitting around. Resting is overrated.”
    She smiled, trying to persuade them she was much improved. Given that her purple bruises had turned to a sickly green, she wasn’t surprised that her appearance didn’t convince them.
    â€œWhere’s Buck?” she asked as casually as she could, grabbing an apple, but out of nowhere it sounded strange. She’d seen him leave and wanted to make sure he wouldn’t be back for some time.
    Meral’s eyes widened. “I don’t know. He went exploring, looking for a creek to fish in, I think.”
    If Buck wasn’t here, then now was a good time to ask the questions burning inside. “Meral, I can’t tell you how happy it’s made me that you’ve come here to see me, to find me. I hate all the years that have been wasted.”
    Meral slid into the chair at the kitchen table. “We don’t have to think about that. We have each other now.”
    With so much riding on the answers to her questions, Jewel could only offer a tenuous smile. “Meral... I... I need to know.”
    Her sister reached over and grabbed Jewel’s hand. “What do you need, Jewel? Anything. I’ll tell you anything.”
    Jewel’s throat grew tight, her mouth suddenly dry. Her sister loved her, and the suspicions running through Jewel filled her with shame.
    â€œWhy, after all these years, did you decide to find me? To come and see me? Why now?”
    Her sister’s mouth dropped open. Then, “I don’t understand what you’re asking.”
    Jewel could see that she had approached her need to find answers in the wrong way. She was messing this up. Her fear was seeping through, affecting how she came across. She sat in a chair across from Meral, trying to dial down the tension.
    â€œWhat’s this all about?” Katy squeezed Meral’s shoulder and gave Jewel a gentle but questioning look.
    Honestly, Jewel wished she could have some privacy with her sister, but she never found herself alone with Meral after the attacks. And if the other women were gone, Buck was around and wouldn’t let Meral out of his sight. Jewel had no choice but to forge ahead.
    â€œDid you ever think about coming to see me over the years? Ever think about finding me? A phone call? An email or a letter?” Jewel regretted the accusing tone.
    Meral pursed her lips, wounded surprise in her gaze. “I could ask you the same.”
    â€œOf course I did. But I was hurt, so hurt. I don’t think I even realized it until you showed up at my door, and you weren’t even to blame. I got caught up in living life in Alaska and loving my husband and—” Jewel hung her head, regret clinging to her heart “—and trying to forget I even had a family.”
    Jewel lifted her gaze to meet