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She’ll be wrong.
I do love her.
And that’s why I’m going to let her go.
She must be free of the shackles marriage to me will bind her with for a lifetime.
As for me?
I’ll never be free.
You’ll never be free.
The words of our captors, after they beat my little brother, leaving marks on marks on marks on his young flesh.
You’ll never be free.
He sobs in my arms, and I rub his back, taking care to avoid any tender areas. The way I remember our mom rubbing our backs to give comfort when something upset us.
Something like Vance Moreno, the school bully, who made fun of Donny for carrying empty egg cartons to school for an art project.
Or something like the teacher calling me out for never raising my hand to answer a question even though I always knew the answer.
Those things seem so trivial now.
Why would something so stupid upset me? Upset Donny?
Still, Mom was always there. Always ready with a hug, a kiss, an “I love you.”
Where is she now?
Is she looking for us?
Does she care?
“It hurts, Dale.” Donny is no longer sobbing.
We both stop crying after a while.
“I tried,” I say to him. “I tried to get them to take me instead.”
His head lies on my shoulder.
He says nothing.
Chapter Forty-Four
Ashley
I work with Ryan at the winery the day after we get back.
Dale isn’t here. He’s on a business trip to Grand Junction. I wanted to go with him, but he said no, that I was needed here.
I’m not needed here. Ryan and his staff have everything under control. I keep a close eye on Dale’s Syrah, as he asked me, measuring Ph and alcohol content.
I feel good that he trusts me with his wine.
“Ryan?” I ask.
“Yeah?”
“Can you tell me anything about Dale’s childhood?”
He flattens his lips into a straight line and pauses for a minute. Then, “He grew up here. It was idyllic. Talon and Jade are good parents. You’re Diana’s friend. You know that.”
“Nice try at a pivot,” I say. “You know what I’m asking.”
Ryan sighs. “No, I don’t.”
“Let me be specific, then. Do you know anything about Dale’s childhood before he came here? Before Talon and Jade adopted him?”
“What has he told you?”
“Nothing.”
His eyebrows nearly jump off his forehead.
“Does that surprise you?” I ask.
“He married you.”
“He did, but it was quick. Very spur of the moment.”
“Obviously.” He rakes his fingers through his silver-streaked dark hair. His cognac-colored eyes seem to look through me.
“Please,” I say. “I’m worried about him. About us.”
“Dale isn’t the kind to do something he doesn’t want to do, Ashley. If he married you, it was because he wanted to.”
“I don’t doubt that.”
“Then why are you asking me questions about his past?”
“Because I love him. I want to know everything about him.”
Ryan sighs. “I can’t say anything. It’s not my place. You need to ask Dale.”
“I’ve tried.”
“I’m sure you have.”
“Would Talon tell me? Jade?”
“Jade probably wouldn’t. Talon… I don’t know. He’s probably your best shot, but I wager he’d protect Dale.”
This time my eyebrows shoot up. “Protect Dale? From what?”
“Fuck.” Ryan inhales.
“You can’t leave me hanging here. What’s wrong? What’s wrong with Dale?”
“Nothing’s wrong with Dale.”
“What happened to him? What happened before he came here?”
“Fuck,” Ryan says again. Then he pulls his phone out of his pocket, makes a call, and presses it to his ear. “Tal? We need to talk. Can you meet Ashley and me at your office?” Pause. “Yeah, you’re right. Maybe it’s time.” Pause. “See you in a few.”
Maybe it’s time? Time for what?
“Come on,” Ryan says. “Let me get Jack to finish up what I was doing. I’ll be with you in a minute.”
I shiver, rubbing my arms to ease the nervous chill. Ryan returns in a few minutes, and we drive over to the office building. We take the elevator in silence to the fourth floor, where all the Steel siblings have their corner offices. We walk, still in silence, to what I presume is Talon’s.
Ryan knocks. “It’s me, Tal.”
“Come in,” Talon calls.
Ryan pushes the door open, and I walk in. He closes it and clicks the lock in place.
The lock?
What the hell?
“Hi, Ashley,” Talon says. “Please, have a seat.”
I swallow audibly as I sit. I say nothing.
That numbness?
It’s back with a vengeance. A bomb is about to be dropped, and I don’t want to feel anything when it happens.
“Jade and I have talked about whether to tell you what I’m about to tell you, Ashley,” Talon says. “We agreed not to, unless…”
I clear my throat. “Unless what?”
“Unless you asked.”
“I see.” I rub my arms once more. Odd that I’m numb and still shivering.
“It’s fitting that Ryan is here, as well,” Talon continues.
“Why is that?” I cock my head, still numb.
“Because I was there,” Ryan says.
I lift one eyebrow. “You were there…when?”
“When we found Dale and Donny.”
“Wait… What?”
“It’s a long story,” Talon says. “Ruby had been kidnapped—”
