Holly slid into the warm interior, grateful Lacey had left the engine running. She glanced out the window as Lacey backed out of the drive, a knot swelling in her throat as they drifted further away from the cabin.
“We can’t just let her go!” Ethan said.
Ryan stood where Holly had left him, staring broodingly at the door.
Adam scrubbed a hand through his hair and wondered what the hell they had done. “I don’t trust that bastard as far as I could throw him. I vote we ride into town and keep an eye on things. If she needs us, we’ll be a lot more use than if we sit here on our fucking hands.”
Ethan nodded his agreement.
Adam looked at Ryan who still hadn’t moved. “You coming, bro?”
“She left,” he said in a strained voice. “How do we know she’ll want to come back?”
Even as the statement angered Adam, he knew Ryan was voicing his fears.
“She left to protect us,” Ethan snarled. “It’s our job to protect her.”
“Let’s go, we’re wasting time,” Adam said. He had no desire to mediate a fight between his younger siblings.
Holly and Lacey rode into town in silence. As Lacey pulled up to the small wooden building that housed the sheriff’s department, Holly stiffened. Her heart began to thunder. Mason’s BMW was parked a few feet away.
“You didn’t say he would be here,” she said, turning her furious gaze on Lacey.
Lacey shrugged. “He’s your husband. Where else would he be? He’s been worried sick about you.”
“You know nothing about my husband,” Holly spat.
Lacey sized her up in a quick glance. “Look, he says you were kidnapped. If you weren’t, fine. Just come inside, sign a statement and you can be on your way.”
Holly fumbled with the door, her hands shaking. She stepped onto the icy pavement and waited for Lacey to precede her into the station.
At the doorway, she wiped her sweaty palms down the legs of her jeans. She would find courage. She would. She could do this. Mason couldn’t hurt her in front of a witness, and she wouldn’t go with him, no matter what. This was her chance to be rid of him.
“Darling! There you are!”
She cringed as Mason’s voice echoed across the room. Just as quickly she found herself yanked into his arms. She pulled away, putting as much distance as she could between them.
Mason turned to Lacey. “Thank you so much for returning my wife to me. If you don’t mind, we’ll be on our way. I want to make sure she hasn’t been harmed in any way.”
Holly gasped. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Mason rounded on her, his back to Lacey. His eyes glittered dangerously. “I realize what an ordeal you’ve been through, my love. I’ll take you far away from this shit hole.”
Holly backed away, looking to Lacey for help.
Lacey cleared her throat. “Mr. Bardwell, your wife claims she wasn’t abducted. She’s here of her own free will and apparently has no wish to leave.”
Mason whirled back around but Holly could see he donned his most charming smile. “I appreciate your concern for my wife, but this is a private matter best resolved between us. Perhaps we could have a moment of privacy.”
“No!” Holly cried.
“I’m afraid that’s impossible, Mr. Bardwell. Unless that is what Mrs. Bardwell wishes?”
She looked to Holly for confirmation.
Holly shook her head vehemently. “You said all I had to do was sign a statement. I won’t go with him.”
Mason reached out and grasped her arm in a bruising grip. His fingers dug painfully into her upper arm, and she gasped in pain. “I’ve arranged a flight out of Denver. We must be on our way soon if we’re to catch it.”
She stared over at Lacey who looked a little flustered. “Can we have a moment? Two minutes. If I’m not outside that door in two minutes, come in for me.”
Lacey arched a brow in surprise but nodded. “I’ll be outside.” She pinned Mason with a hard stare. “Don’t try anything stupid, Mr. Bardwell.”
As soon as Lacey disappeared through the door, Holly wrenched her arm free and backed hastily away from Mason.
“Stay the hell away from me,” she hissed. “I’m never going back with you.”
“Maybe you don’t remember what happens when you defy me,” he said, his voice carrying a heavy warning.
She jerked her chin up, determined not to show him the horrible fear that ate at her. Instead, she took a huge gamble.
“I know what you did on our wedding day,” she said quietly. “I saw you kill that man.”
Mason’s lips compressed in a fine white line. “Don’t threaten me, Holly. I’ll make you sorry you were ever born.”
“Don’t you threaten me!” she countered. “I am going to file for divorce, Mason, and you are going to give me that divorce or I swear to God, I’ll go to the media, the police, the FBI, whoever I have to go to in order to tell the world what a sorry bastard you are.”
Mason’s eyes flared in surprise. “You little blackmailing bitch.”
She clenched her teeth. “I am going to walk out of here, and I’m never going back with you. If you ever come near me again, if you ever so much as breathe my name, I’ll make sure you rot in prison.”
Surprise flickered in Mason’s eyes. He’d underestimated her. She could read it in his expression. Well, that was fine. But she’d make damn sure he didn’t do it again.
The door opened and Lacey walked back in. “Everything okay in here?” She eyed Holly as she spoke.
“I was just leaving,” Mason said, anger coloring his voice. “Apparently a mistake has been made.”
He stalked by Lacey and slammed the door behind him.
A buzzing started in Holly’s ears, and she felt dangerously close to fainting.
“Here,” Lacey said, shoving a chair at her. “Maybe you ought to sit down.”
Holly sank into the chair, her hands curled into fists in her lap. She’d done it. She’d faced Mason and stood up to him. Now she just wanted to get back to Adam, Ethan and Ryan.
“Can I use your phone?” Holly asked hoarsely.
Lacey gestured toward the desk. “Be my guest.”
Holly rose and walked over to the desk then realized she didn’t even know the phone number to the cabin. Her cheeks flaming, she looked up at Lacey. “Do you know Adam’s phone number?”
Lacey rattled off the number with a familiarity that bothered Holly.
She punched the numbers and waited anxiously as it rang. After ten rings, she gently replaced the receiver, her chest tightening in worry.
“You could try the cell phone,” Lacey said dryly.
Heat raced across Holly’s face again, but she picked up the phone and looked expectantly at Lacey. After punching in the series of numbers Lacey once again supplied, she raised the phone to her ear and waited.
The brothers were nearly to town when Adam’s cell phone rang. Adam snatched it up and barked a hello.
“Adam?”
Holly’s soft voice filtered over the line.
“Baby, are you all right?” he demanded.
“Can you…can you come get me?”
“Where are you?”
“I’m at the sheriff’s office,” she replied.
“We’ll be there in five minutes,” he promised. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said, her voice stronger than before.
“Hang tight, baby. We’ll be right there.”
He hung up and tossed the phone aside. He had a dozen questions he’d wanted to ask, but his priority was getting to Holly as fast as he could.
“What’s going on?” Ethan demanded.
“She wants us to come get her at the sheriff’s office,” Adam replied.