Page 36 of Montana Silence

This smile was evil. In it, I saw all the plans he had for me. It was everything I’d feared. As if no time had passed since that day in his office. I could stillfeelhis hand on my cheek and sense the dread in my stomach. If he had another chance to make me his bride and whore me out to all his followers, he would take it. Because that was who I was to him. It was all I’d ever been. And that didn’t even scratch the surface of everything in his twisted mind. I had no doubt he had things he wanted from me that I didn’t know. Sick fantasies played out with the brides of honor and the rest of the men.

And everything else?

What happened to my mother? What happened to the other women and brides who disappeared? What had they really done to them? What would they have done to me? Would I still be alive?

“Miss Greene,” the woman who’d smiled on the panel spoke. “Please tell us your experience with Mr. Novic.”

I felt hot, like I’d been sitting in the sun forever. A drop of sweat crept down my spine underneath my shirt. At Rayne’s suggestion, I’d written down what I wanted to say, but right now, I couldn’t remember any of the words.

“I—” Suddenly, I was shaking. My eyes couldn’t quite focus on anything. I kept looking at Malcolm and Claire, and I knew what I needed to say. I knew. “I was—”

“Maybe I should speak first,” Malcolm said. “Give her a chance to get her story straight in her head.”

“No,” I gasped out. “No.”

“Mr. Novic, you will have your turn.”

I shook my head. “He wanted to…” My throat closed up. I couldn’t even draw a breath.

“We were pressured into a public proceeding to allow for witness statements,” Malcolm’s lawyer said. “And this witness can’t manage to say anything? This is a waste of everyone’s time. I agree we should move on to my client’s testimony and reach the decision quickly.”

Sickness bubbled in my gut. This wasn’t the way this was supposed to go. I needed to do this. I needed to tell them the truth.

“Mr. Novic—”

“No, you’re right,” he said. “My apologies, of course. We should wait and hear whatMarahas to say. I’m sure it will be illuminating. That is her name, right? Mara?”

“Miss Greene.” Claire’s voice cut through everything, and I managed to look at her. “When did you join The Family?”

Questions. I could answer questions. Maybe. “Six. I was six.”

“And what happened when you were fifteen?”

“Don’t lead her,” Malcolm’s lawyer snapped.

“He tried to…” I looked at him, and his smile was as wide as it could be. My mind flooded with memories. The same smile he had when he’d married Adrian. Before she came back with bruises and a broken gaze. The same one he had when he’d seen me in the mockup of the wedding dress they were making for me.

The same smile he had when he’d told me my mother was gone, but he’d always take care of me. He held me too close and for too long, and I didn’t dare move until he did.

Liam snapped into focus, his eyes on mine. He looked worried. I just needed to open my mouth andspeak.

Sickness swirled again, and I couldn’t. If I opened my mouth right now, I was going to throw up all over the room. Bile burned at the back of my tongue.

“Miss Greene?” the woman asked. “We need to hear from you, please.”

Tears blurred my eyes. Every bit of work I’d done to get to this point was gone. I couldn’t even conjure my voice when I was in the same place as him. He would win, and I’d failed. I’d come here for nothing.

“I—”

Terror and nausea spiraled through me like a tornado. I was on my feet and moving before I fully registered that Iwasmoving.

“Miss Greene.”

“Mr. Novic was clearly taunting my client. A victim. She shouldn’t have to be put on display—”

Claire’s voice cut off as I pushed open the doors and ran. Bathroom. There was the bathroom. I’d seen it on the way in, and I sprinted for it. Saliva coated my mouth, and I only had seconds. Straight for the biggest stall, I didn’t even lock it behind me, hitting my knees and emptying my stomach.

I hadn’t eaten anything this morning, but it didn’t matter. My body wanted to be empty. Empty of food, memories, emotions, anything that would root me here to this moment. I never should have come here. No matter what kinds of noble aims I’d had, I should have known I wasn’t ready.