Page 56 of Montana Freedom

A pang of anxiety clanged through me. Once she was free to do as she pleased and wasn’t being hunted, would she leave? I needed to be prepared for that. But it wasn’t something to worry about right now.

“I’ve been thinking about it,” Emma said. “How quickly it happened and then everything after. It was like the person I’d come to know never existed, and I don’t understand.”

“Which part?”

She made a small sound of frustration. “Why even bother trying to form a relationship with me? Why pay for school and give me a job when he could toss me aside so easily? What kind of monster is able to put their child in a cage and promise to murder her without a second thought?” She went quiet for a second. “I’ve wondered if my mother knew.”

“She didn’t want you talking to Simon?”

Emma shook her head. “No. But she never hid who he was. She had a picture of the two of them together, and they looked happy. But she always told me he wasn’t a part of our lives and that was the way it was meant to be. She forbade me to contact him, always saying nothing good would come of chasing the past, and she was right.”

“You couldn’t have known,” I said, noting the similarity in what she’d said to me before.

“No, I couldn’t have. But I’ll never forget him looking at me while I was in that cage and just…saying it. ‘When we get to North Dakota, we’ll get rid of her. No one will ever look for her, and the grave will be easy to hide.’ Just like that, like he was listing groceries to be bought.”

The anger burning in my gut made me want to rage and go out right this second and join the FBI in order to hunt the fucker down. But Emma didn’t need more anger. Instead, I pulled her closer. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m going to call Dr. Rayne and see if she can see me. You were right, I need to talk to someone about it, and everyone speaks so highly of her. I can’t lay it all on you.”

I kissed her hair. “You can lay anything you want on me, Emma. But I’m not a therapist, and she’ll be able to help you more than I can. At least in that area.”

Flipping us over so my body hovered above hers, I enjoyed the sight of her hair all spread out on the pillows. She needed a distraction, and I was more than happy to give her one. “There are other areas I can help you with.”

Emma grinned. “Oh really?”

“Really.” I dropped a kiss directly between her breasts. “I only got the barest taste of you last night, and I want more. Care to try again?”

The shade of pink that rose to her skin made me harder than I already was. “Don’t you have work to do?”

“Nothing that can’t wait a while.”

“Then I think I’d like that.”

I smirked, my only answer to sink down between her legs—my new favorite place to be.

Chapter19

Emma

I walked down the sidewalk in Garnet Bend, feeling like eyes were searching for me around every corner. Daniel was down the street at Deja Brew, and I was holding the coffee Lena had made me to my chest like it was a shield.

Dr. Rayne had an opening, and I was going to her office now. When I’d said I was going to do the whole therapy thing, I hadn’t really meanttoday,but no time like the present, right?

There. The office was only a couple blocks away, and already, I felt more comfortable. The building looked more like a house than a real office. Somewhat out of place on the main street. I remembered that from driving through, but I had no context for it at the time. Now I did, and the cute house made sense.

“Miss Derine.”

The voice sent tingles across my skin, and I turned to find Agent Phillips on the sidewalk behind me. “What do you want?”

“Just to talk.”

His tone didn’t sound as overbearing as usual, but I wasn’t in the mood to deal with him right now. I doubted I was going to want to deal with him after the session either, but that was a future-me problem. “Well, you’re going to have to wait. I have an appointment, and I won’t be late because you want to be rude to me again.”

I caught the brief shock on his face before he covered. “I’ll wait.”

He probably would too. I rolled my eyes before pushing through the door into the little house. Inside, it looked surprisingly like an office with a small reception desk that was currently empty.

But the door behind it was open, and a woman stepped into sight. She smiled. “You must be Emma.”