Songbird(35)

“They love me,” she said in a steady voice. “You’ll hurt them if you kill me.”

There was a pause, almost as if he considered that. Then he laughed harshly. “They’ll forget you. You aren’t the keeping kind. You were good for a lay, I guess.”

His words shouldn’t hurt. He was a maniac. Taggert and Greer did love her. They did. But would they find her in time? Would they ever find her?

“I’ll just tell them you left,” he said matter-of-factly. “Shouldn’t come as a surprise. You left before. Women change their minds all the time. Can’t be trusted.”

“What the hell is your problem?” she snarled. “Did your mommy abuse you? Not hug you enough? Did your girlfriend dump you? Leave you for another man?”

He drew back, almost as if shocked by her outburst. Then he slapped her hard across the mouth.

“Your father was right to beat you. Your kind needs discipline. You need correcting. The Donovans will be better off without you.”

He shoved a rag into her mouth and then put masking tape over her lips. As he stood, he kicked her once in the side.

“If Sean hadn’t died for you, I’d make your death quick, but you deserve to suffer. You deserve to lie here thinking about all the lives you’ve destroyed.”

With that he turned and stalked out of the cave, leaving her lying in the dark.

Chapter Fifteen

It was late when Greer drove through the back gate. He stopped to wait for Taggert to shut it and get back in the truck. A few seconds later, they pulled up to the house and got out, dusting themselves off as they headed to the back door.

As they mounted the steps, Rand opened the door and glanced uneasily at them. The hairs on Greer’s neck prickled and he stared sharply back at his foreman.

“Something wrong, Rand?”

Rand’s cheeks flushed a dull red. Man had always been quiet and almost painfully shy. But he was a good, hard worker and he’d never given them any reason to complain. They could definitely use more like him.

“It’s Miss Emily.” He stepped back to allow him and Taggert inside.

“What about her?” Taggert demanded.

Rand looked as though he’d rather eat dirt than have to say what was on his mind.

“Well, uh, she left.”

Greer reared back. “What?”

Rand was openly nervous now. He was sweating bullets, and he twisted his hands together.

“She went down to Sean’s grave. She does that a lot. When she came back, she went upstairs then came down with her bag. Asked me to take her to town. I didn’t want to,” he added in a rush. “But when I suggested she wait for you to get back, she said she’d walk if she had to. I didn’t think you and Taggert would want her going alone so I drove her.”

Greer’s hands were shaking. He couldn’t even get his thoughts together. Gone? What the hell?

“Did I screw up?” Rand asked as he rubbed his palms on his jeans.

“No, Rand, you did right,” Taggert said in a tight voice. “But we need more information. Anything she said. Don’t leave a word out. We need to know where you took her.”

Greer dragged a hand through his hair and leaned back against the wall. “Why did she leave?”

Rand colored again and shoved his hands into his pockets. “She didn’t say. I mean she didn’t talk to me. She was upset. I could tell she’d been crying. Maybe the visit to Sean’s grave put her over the edge? I took her to the motel. She wouldn’t listen to reason. I tried all the way into town, but she wouldn’t even look at me.”

Taggert let out a curse that made Rand flinch. Then he turned to Greer. “Let’s go.” At the door he glanced back at Rand. “How long ago did you take her into town?”

Rand shrugged. “Couple of hours.”

“And you only just now saw fit to tell us?” Greer asked incredulously.

“I didn’t want to disturb the work on the fence. Already lost enough cattle.”

Trust Rand to be focused on work. Of course he wouldn’t understand the seriousness of Emily taking off in a fragile emotional state.

Greer followed Taggert to the truck and the two tore down the drive. Taggert’s hands gripped the wheel, and his face was locked in stone.

As they neared town, Taggert finally turned to Greer. “What the f**k, Greer? When we left this morning, Emmy was fine. She seemed happy. What could possibly have happened? She’s visited Sean’s grave several times since she’s been back but she’s never taken off on us.”

“I don’t know,” Greer said in frustration. “Let’s hope she’s at the motel.”

***

An hour later, a cold sweat gripped Taggert’s entire body. Panic hovered, and it took everything he had not to give in to it. No one had seen Emily. Or Rand, for that matter. But if Rand had dropped her at the motel on the edge of town, he wouldn’t have gained a lot of notice. And if Emmy didn’t want attention drawn to herself, all she had to do was go the opposite way. But how?

He met Greer back at the truck, helpless rage snaking through his veins.

“What the hell do we do? No one’s seen her. She’s not in Creed’s Pass.”

Greer’s face hardened, but Taggert could see the worry in his eyes.