Panic squeezes my throat. There’s Paige standing by the tree, but she’s not alone anymore. The bird has flown away, leaving its nest of babies. The man wears a T-shirt and jeans. He could be anyone walking around Eben Cape. A local, though I don’t recognize him. A tourist. They love to hike, even though this is a private mountain.

Except he has a camera around his neck, a big, bulky camera with a big lens, the kind that reporters have. No, correction. The kind that paparazzi have.

Paige chatters to him, pointing up at where the bird used to be. She doesn’t know anything is wrong. She doesn’t know we’re under attack.

Then I’m running. Time moves so slowly. It feels like an eternity before I can actually reach her, even though it must be seconds. I’m breathless by the time I push him away from her. He got too close. He has his finger on the button of his camera. How dare he? How dare he speak to a seven-year-old girl? How dare he take a picture of her? How dare he do this just to get a tabloid story?

“Get away from my daughter!”

Paige jerks backward, her eyes wide. I don’t blame her. I sound scary, even to myself.

“Not far enough. Back up.” My pulse thunders at his audacity. How dare he come into my yard and talk to my daughter? How dare anyone? “Who are you?” I demand.

He doesn’t look concerned to see me. In fact, his eyes light up. “Emily Rochester. You’re the person I came to see. Would you care to comment on Mateo Garza?”

I step in front of Paige. “No goddamn comment,” I say, trembling with adrenaline. I faced my own brother when he wanted to kill me. I faced my husband a hundred times when he was angry, when he lashed out with his fists, when he held me down. I’m not afraid when I’m in danger, but I’m terrified when there’s a threat to my daughter. “Get the hell off my property.”

He doesn’t seem surprised by my animosity. He gives a smile that I think is supposed to be charming. “One little quote,” he says. “Have you seen his movies? I can see the appeal. Then again, maybe you’re hoping to use him to get your book made into a movie.”

I gasp, shocked by the idea, by the accusation, by the balls on this guy. “I’ll have you arrested for trespassing. What you’re doing is illegal, and I’ll see you in jail for it. You don’t come near my daughter. You don’t come on my property.” I left my phone in the house. Even if I wanted to call the police, I couldn’t do it. “Turn around and leave. Turn around right now.”

Paige shivers behind me. “Mama?”

“Go inside, sweetheart. Now.”