AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She stayed right where she was until he returned, a sandwich wrapped in plastic wrap and a sports drink in his hand. Dusty stood, not wanting him to have that advantage over her, even though at five eight, he had nine inches on her. “What is it?”
“Sunbutter on wheat, corn chips. You need to eat something.” He sat it on the overturned apple crate next to the pallether motherhad apparently made for her while Dusty was sewing up her father. “I'm sorry it's nothing fancy. Just what we had in the van. Eat, baby. Then get some sleep. We'll see you get home in the morning. It’s too late and too damned cold to drive that old van out there now. The roads are icing over pretty badly.”
She almost refused. But Dusty was starving. “Sit it there. I'll eat when I'm ready.”
“As you wish, my queen. You are very sassy. Remind me of your mother. She's always been fiery. Well, she was. Until…what happened. That damned Morris Preston broke her, in so many ways. You got your smile from her. Beautiful.” He stared at her in the dim light from the battery-operated lamp he held for a long moment. “I can't leave a light on in here. Someone might see it and wonder who is in here. I can't risk that. Risk them finding you and hurting you. Curl up there under those blankets. They are a little musty, but they’ll work for tonight. Get some sleep, baby. And...I'm going to take care of this.Fixit for all of you. The way I was told it would be fixed more than twenty years ago. Damned crooked cops in this county ruined everything then, too. No one is going to hurt you or your sisters. Any of them. Never again. You have my word.”
Like that was worth very much. But when he was gone, she devoured the sandwich and sat there in her corner on the old cot, pulling the blanket tighter around herself. Wondering what was going to happen next. And about the sisters she had never met.
Next time he came for her, she was going to ask their names.
And why they had kepttheminstead of her, Daisy, Dixie, and Darcey.
Maybe she’d get lucky and he’d at least tell her that.
She was still sitting there, trying to imagine what those younger sisters looked like when her eyes closed. When she couldn’t open them again.
Her body felt like lead. She couldn’t open her eyes, couldn’t lift her arms.
That’s when it hit her. Drugged. Her father had drugged her.
When he came to her again, she couldn’t fight. When he leaned down, kissed her forehead, and told her he was sorry for everything. When he turned her on the cot and almosttuckedher in beneath the heavy blankets. She couldn’t even open her eyes when he was doing that.
She’d been stupid to trust him even for a minute.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
38
Ben finished up his chapter,checked his watch, and decided it wastime.Time to go hunting.
For his woman.
He had come up with a plan. He was going to just be there. Ready to pounce, the instant she was ready to let him. He would wear her down eventually. If not, well, he’d just scoop her up, take her back to his own cave, and love the hell out of her, until she took pity on him and agreed to keep him for life.
Because wasn’t that the way it worked in romance novels?
Ben was going to do some research. Dusty didn’t think she was made for romance, well, he was going to show her very differently. As soon as he figured out what real romance was.
Romance novels were a great place to start, right?
Marin was buzzing around, a concerned look on her gorgeous a-little-like-Dusty face, when he made it to the lobby. Which meant his Dusty should be around somewhere.
“Something doesn’t feel right,” she finally said. “I feel…edgy. Dusty was called out to help Matt. But…I haven’t heard anything from her since. She’s in trouble. I can just feel it.”
That was all it took. Marinknewthings, after all.
He grabbed his phone. Dialed. She didn’t answer. Now, she could be busy, but…
He texted next. Then Marin tried from her own phone.
But Dusty didn’t answer.
That wasn’t like her. All she had to do was hit the button on the steering wheel to talk to him if she was driving. That she hadn’t…
He looked at Marin. “I’m going to go check the roads. If she shows up, text me. I’m just…not going to take any chances.”
“Be careful out there, Ben. There is a chill out tonight. And I don’t think it has to do with the weather.”
