Layers Crossed (26 page)

“Please?” The
need spilled from his lips, tightening my belly. “We can eat
later.”

“But I’ve
never danced country.”

“Don’t worry.
I’ll lead.”

He pulled me
into his arms, and the two of us began dancing in the middle of the
dance floor. Only two more couples joined us, swaying to the motion
of dinner music, but it didn’t seem to bother anyone.

“Did you wash
your mouth?” I asked.

“I wanted to
drink bleach after that. I’m sorry, Emma. I didn’t know she would
stoop so low.”

I could feel
my body sink into Eric’s. His shoulders finally relaxed as he
kissed the top of my head. “I don’t want you to feel what I know I
would, because I’d kill if another man with such intentions got
within a few feet of you.”

“It wasn’t
your fault.”

He brought me
closer to his body, wrapping me completely in his arms, soothing
any worry that may had crossed my mind. “Emma, I’m sure that wasn’t
the last time she tries to pull something tonight.”

“Don’t worry,
I’ll make sure she’s in the right place in my town.” I smiled.
“After all, I’m expecting to be a permanent resident here
soon.”

It still
seemed impossible when I thought about it. Since the moment I got
here, I felt like I was living out a dream – far away from New
York, letting go of the stress and the fast pace of life. Eric
tightened his grip around me, and I leaned my head against his
chest. As we danced, a face I recognized flashed at the side
entrance. I froze as Eric continued the rotation and turned back to
see him again, but he was gone.

“What’s
wrong?” Eric asked.

“Nothing. I
think my mind is playing tricks on me.” But my instinct argued
right away, and when we took another turn, I saw that same man
again, at the same side doors of the barn, looking right at me, as
if taunting me to follow him.
Was it possible that it was
him?

“There’s
something I need to do.”

“What is it
Emma? You look like you just saw a ghost.”

I might have.
“Nothing… I just need some fresh air.”

“All right,
let’s go.” He took my arm, hooking it onto his. I didn’t want Eric
worried just yet. I could have made a mistake, and even if it was
in fact John Huntz, there were too many people around for him to
try anything.

“Actually, can
you get me a bottle of water?”

“Yes, of
course.”

I strolled to
the side door, as wary of Huntz as if he were Ted Bundy.
Cautiously, I scanned the entrance, but he was nowhere to be seen.
I strolled a few yards with my back against the barn door. With
clouds covering the usually bright sky, the night was the darkest
one I’d seen in Ogden. I could barely make out a parked tractor a
few feet away. As I was about to head back, my arm struck something
solid protruding the wall. A hunting knife was stuck through a
note. I pulled it out, reading, “Stop looking for me.”

A crackling of
broken twigs sounded from the bushes. I swiveled on my foot before
picking up the knife and tiptoed toward the sound. Huntz wouldn’t
be hiding behind some green shrubs, and the quiet sobs I now heard
made me pick up my pace.

Once I saw
Missy sitting on a lone bench, I slid the knife into a side pocket
inside my boot. Her eyes glistened as she sat with her knees curled
underneath her,
looking out at the forest. The beautiful doe
eyes held fear I hadn’t seen in a long time.

“You saw him
too, didn’t you?” I asked her. Missy shook her head sideways. “I
can see it in your eyes, Missy.” I sat beside her. “Do you know
John Huntz? Have you seen him here before?”

“Yes,” she
whispered.

I took her
hands into mine and held them there for a moment. “You’re safe with
me, Missy. Do you understand that?”

She
nodded.

“There was a
girl who helped Eric and Annabelle escape when they were kidnapped.
Was that you? Do you remember that time?” I lowered my voice even
more. “Are you John Huntz’s daughter?”

“Yes.” Her
voice shook and entire body trembled.

The click of a
gun sounded from behind, and I turned around. Huntz stood a good
ten feet back, pointing it my way. He breathed heavily through his
nostrils without saying a word, and then his phone rang. He removed
it from his side pocket and checked the screen. His gaze flew from
the display to us and didn’t give me even a second to make a
move.

“You’re lucky
I’m needed elsewhere. But I’m sure this won’t be the last time we
see each other,” he said before walking backward toward the
forest.

Missy broke
into a sob.

“He’s gone,
Missy. Come on. Let’s get you out of here.” I helped her up,
looking for Eric, and had the unfortunate pleasure of running into
the one person that made me cringe.

Claire blocked
our way, saying, “This place brings back so many memories.” She
sighed. “You know, boys in this town take girls in the barn to make
a statement. This is where Eric and I… Well, I usually don’t kiss
and tell, but you know what I mean.”

Yeah, I knew
exactly what she meant, and it was definitely to gloat that I was
standing in the spot where Eric had been with this woman. Not that
I really cared about it at this moment.

“Get out of my
way, Claire.” I pushed past her, holding onto Missy who was still
shaking in my arms.

“You know,
he’ll come back to me. He’ll spit you out like old gum and come to
what he knows best.”

I turned
around and stood right up to her nose, leaning in closer, throwing
icicles through my eyes. Hopefully she’d get a hint to back
off.

“You may have
had him as a boy, but he’s a man now. You couldn’t handle what he
has to offer, and if you fucking try to stand in my way, I swear
I’ll break those claws of yours and make sure you can’t hook
another man.”

“Watch
me.”

I grabbed her
wrist before she sauntered over toward Eric. “Over my dead body,
Claire.”

“I need to
tell Eric I’ll return his shirt to him this week, after I wash
it.”

Why would she
have his shirt?

She squared
her shoulders, gloating, “I had to leave mine at his house
yesterday, after he got me all wet.”

I knew that
she’d visited – Eric had told me – but he’d skipped the ‘wet’ part.
And even if my gut told me it was a misunderstanding, Claire had
definitely planted a seed of doubt in my mind. She was trying to
get to me, and it was beginning to work.

“You haven’t
been in a barn with him yet, have you?” she asked.

There was no
way I would spill our private life to her. She didn’t deserve it. I
could have easily slashed her hopes by telling her that I
had
been in Eric’s barn, but that wasn’t the point. And I
highly doubted it would have stopped her from whatever plan she had
brewing.

“That’s none
of your business, but I can tell you that I’m not sure what the big
deal is.”

“You know,
when Hunter comes back to town, I hope he takes you back to the
hole you came from.”

I froze. How
the hell did she know Hunter? She must have sensed my
confusion.

“Yeah, he’s a
good friend of Eric’s. And you thought you knew him well.” She
swayed her hips and left me standing, completely speechless as
pieces of a disturbing puzzle began clicking in my mind.

Eric coming
all the way to New York to hire a private investigator, his chummy
demeanor with my family, guilt when I’d mentioned my brothers and
tried to get more information about his friends at the camp... Had
I been set up?

Missy tugged
at my arm, saying, “Don’t let her get to you.” And she was right. I
had a much bigger problem at hand now. When Eric saw me with Missy
heading for him, he rushed toward us.

“What’s
wrong?” he asked.

“Get your
parents home. Now.”

His brows
narrowed.

“He’s here,” I
answered his unspoken question.

C
HAPTER
24

Eric

Emma huffed
and puffed like a frickin’ wolf trying to blow down a concrete
house. She avoided eye contact and removed my hand from her knee
when I drove my parents to their house. I wanted to believe that
she was in her investigative mode and upset over seeing Huntz, but
I knew better. Something else was wrong, and this wasn’t the time
to ask her about it. And what did Missy have to do with all this?
Why was she here?

“Are you sure,
Emma?” my mother asked, her voice barely audible. Keeping her cover
as my girlfriend, Emma quickly told my parents how she’d seen
Huntz’s photograph at the Sheriff’s, who had told her about the
story of our kidnapping.

“Yes, I’m
sure,” She replied in a stern voice.

“We should
call the sheriff,” my father said.

“Huntz won’t
be back tonight,” Emma responded. “He wanted to make a point, but
it would be better if Missy stayed with you for now, please.”

“How do you
know this, Emma? What exactly happened back there?” I asked.

She went over
her encounter in full detail. I felt my hands fist into tight
balls, wishing I’d seen the fucker so that I could have ripped him
apart. And Missy, poor girl, had been living in fear all these
years. She was the one who helped us escape. I owed her my and
Annabelle’s lives – the least I could do was keep her safe from the
bastard right now. God only knew the horrid childhood she had. I
turned in my seat and held her gaze. There was something different
about her eyes tonight. They reminded me of my own when I’d been
held captive, and I couldn’t help but reach back to capture her
hand. I’d imagined this moment countless times, meeting the brave
little girl who’d helped us, lifting her into my arms and spinning,
showing my gratitude in any way I could. But Missy wasn’t a girl
anymore. She was a grown woman. How could I have been oblivious as
to who she really was all these years?

“I know this
isn’t the right time, and it will never be enough, but thank you,”
I whispered.

For a split
second, the fear disappeared from her face and was replaced by
happiness. It was a moment I would never forget, and little did I
know, one I wouldn’t see on Missy’s face again for a long time.

“The best
thing you can do now is stick together,” Emma informed us in a
formal tone. What was going on here? And why did I get the feeling
that sticking together didn’t include her? Why was she being so
cold?

I pulled up to
my parents’ house, and once inside, checked all the locks and
bolts. “Have this by your side, Dad.” I passed him his rifle.
“We’ll figure it all out. Emma’s family owns a private
investigations company, and I’m sure they’ll help, but I trust
Emma. If she says he won’t show here for a few days, then he
won’t.”

“You take care
of that girl, Eric. She seems upset with you.”

You got
that too, eh?
But I simply said, “I will.”

When I got
back to the car, Emma was furiously texting with someone, her brows
scrunching and lips tightening with each passing minute.

I turned on
the ignition, asking, “Are you okay?”

“I just got a
loaded gun pointed at me, Eric. No, I’m not okay.”

She was lying.
I doubted a cannon would scare Emma off. Her tone of voice gave me
the impression she was more upset with me than with Huntz. She
jumped out of the car and, slamming its door, headed for the
house.

“What the heck
is the matter, Em?”

She whipped
her body around and came back toward me. Her petite frame now
seemed larger and more powerful than a giant’s.

“Why don’t you
ask Hunter? I’m sure he’ll fill you in. Or does it work the other
way around? Do you report back to him and my brothers?”

Fuck!

“Emma, I’m
sorry. I’m so…”

“Don’t even
fucking say it, Eric. I trusted you! I thought what we had was
real, and you betray me like that?”

“Emma, I
wanted to tell you, but…”

“There
shouldn’t be any buts, Eric. All it takes is one lie to destroy a
relationship, and you accomplished that the first day we met.”

“That’s a lie
and you know it.”

“Really? Do I?
Because I’ve been living in a lie for the past three weeks, being
made a fool of.” She pushed the front door open as soon as the key
clicked in the lock.

“Then every
time I touched you and kissed you and had you in my bed…”

I caught
Emma’s hand before it reached my cheek to slap me. I squeezed my
fingers around her little wrist, feeling my need to pin her to
something hard. I wanted to trap her and talk to her. I wanted to
rob her of the ability to run away so that I could tell her
everything. And this time I would. If she only gave me another
chance, I wouldn’t screw this up again. But before I could think,
her other hand flew up, stinging the side of my face, leaving a
burn I was sure to feel for a long time.

“What the hell
was that, Emma? You need to let me finish.”

I grasped both
her wrists and pushed my way forward, forcing her back against the
wall. I pinned her there with my body and held her hands to the
sides. If she really wanted to, she could have gotten away from my
grip. I’d learned enough about Emma from her family to know that
she held a black belt in kickboxing and jiu jitsu, and my hold on
her was merely an inconvenience.

“Look, I am
not some little country girl who gets to be pushed around and
controlled and told what to do and used. If you want that, go back
to Claire.”

Fortunately I
was able to block her knee as it neared my crotch. “Emma, I swear
to God if you don’t stop this, I will.”

“Go ahead and
try.”

And so I
crushed my mouth to hers, forcing her lips apart, pinning her so
hard she had no way to breathe for a few seconds, giving her
exactly what she wanted, finally realizing that what Emma needed
was to have that pressure that had been building inside her
tonight, released. Her breasts were squished against my chest, and
her muscles bunched up and stiffened as she resisted me. Her mouth
was so hard yet so needy, it made me want to pry those lips open
and suck on her tongue until she gave in, until she realized she
was mine and only mine. I didn’t fucking care about Claire or any
other woman. I should have told Emma the truth about Hunter and why
I ended up at Cross Enterprises, sooner. I needed to right my
mistakes and the only way I knew how at this moment was to be
inside her. I needed Emma’s silky warmth around me. I only wanted
Emma. My Emma, until the end of my days.