“Stocking shelves in a hardware store owned by a man who?—”
“I know.” She put both hands on his chest, holding him steady. “I know. And Logan will have to process that. We’ll help him.”
He let out a breath. Tried to.
She kept going, voice steady. “I have to go back in there.”
He stared at her. “What?”
“He told me there were seven women total, but he only gave me Tasha’s name. The others he’s holding. He says he’ll give them to me, one a week. He wants to draw it out.” She paused. “So I have to go back.”
The rage that had been building in his chest since Greta walked into the interview room crystallized into something cold and hard.
He had spent three hours pacing this parking lot today, and she was telling him he was going to do it again. And again. And again. While Cody Simms sat in a cell and decided how slowly he wanted to bleed Greta out, family by family, name by name.
“Bear.” Her voice cut through his thoughts. “I have to. Those families?—”
“I know.”
“They deserve?—”
“I know, Tink. I know.” He pulled in a breath and made himself look at her. “I’ll drive you. Every time. As many times as it takes.”
Her face crumpled.
He pulled her in, his arms going around her again. “I’m not letting you sit in that room without me in this parking lot. You’renot walking out of there to a rental car or a deputy or anyone else. You’re walking out to me.”
Her breath hitched against his chest.
“He kept saying he loved her,” she said quietly. “Over and over. Like the word meant the same thing in his mouth as in anyone else’s.” She pulled back enough to look up at him. “It doesn’t.”
“No,” Bear said. “It doesn’t.”
He cupped her face in his hands, his thumb brushing away a tear track on her cheek. He wanted to say it—wanted to give her the words she deserved—but his throat had closed completely, emotions too big for language crowding his chest.
“Greta—”
She shook her head and pressed her finger to his lips. “Don’t say it here. Not for the first time. I just... needed you to know that I see the difference.”
The difference.
Between what Cody had done and what existed between them. Between captivity and choice. Between possession and partnership.
So he didn’t say it. Instead, he leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. He didn’t kiss her. He wouldn’t—not here, not like this. He just held her gaze and let her see everything he couldn’t say.
After a moment, she stepped back. Her breathing had steadied.
“I’m going to call Tasha’s family tonight,” she said. “I’ll call for all of them when I have their names.”
Bear’s hand slid from her face to her shoulder, squeezing gently. “You don’t have to do that alone.”
“I know.” Her smile was small but real. “But I need to. I need to do it so we can all...”
She stopped, searching for the word.
“Move forward,” Bear supplied.
She nodded. “Yeah. Move forward.” Her hand found his, fingers intertwining, and she exhaled a long, slow breath. “Now, can we get out of here? Please? I need to get the hell out of this parking lot.”
