“It’s okay, sweetheart. Mama’s here now. Everything’s going to be okay.”Somehow. She smoothed her little girl’s blond hair back from her face, brushed away the wetness on her cheeks. “I want you to go into your room and stay there till I tell you to come out, okay?”
Ivy turned to look at Damon.
“Do what your mother tells you,” he said.
Ivy clung to her a few seconds more, then ran down the hall to her room.
“Close the door,” Damon called after her. The door clicked softly behind her.
Damon rose from the sofa. Tory swallowed as he approached but firmly held her ground. Whatever happened, she would never cower in front of him again. “Where’s Mrs. Thompson?”
“She’s in your bedroom. She’s still out. Aside from a headache, she’ll be fine.”
“What are you going to do to them?”
“Nothing. As long as they stay in there out of the way, they’ll be okay. You’re the one I came for. I think we both know that.” He walked up to her, reached out, and ran a finger over her cheek. She managed to hide a shudder of revulsion.
“Just like old times, isn’t it? You and me together?”
“If you hurt me, this time they’ll put you in prison. Josh won’t let you get away with it. Even your father’s money won’t be enough to stop him. His brother’s a very powerful man.” She smiled grimly. “But I think you found that out already.”
He backhanded her across the face so hard she stumbled and nearly fell. Her lip throbbed. Her hand trembled as she wiped away a trace of blood.
“What do you want, Damon?”
“We’re going to take a little road trip, you and me. Get to know each other all over again. Doesn’t that sound like fun?”
Oh, God. Damon surprised her by pulling a pistol, a big black semiautomatic. She hadn’t even known he owned a gun. She thought of Lisa. She’d been shot as she’d tried to escape. Was it him?
Deep down, she believed it was, believed she’d been right all along. The thought that he might have murdered the redheaded waitress made her stomach roll with nausea.
“Give me your phone.”
She handed it over, watched as he took out the battery and stuck it into his pocket. She knew Josh had been calling her cell. She had seen his number come up on the screen. She’d ignored the calls, afraid he would know by the sound of her voice that something was wrong, afraid of what Damon would do to Ivy and Mrs. Thompson if Josh interfered.
Now that she was there, at least for the moment they were safe.
She had to stall for time. “I-I need to change my clothes.” She looked down at the dirty garments she had been wearing since yesterday. “I spent the night at the hospital.”
Damon’s dark eyes ran over her. “You’re right. You look like hell.” He motioned with the barrel of the pistol. “I’ll go with you. Not like it’s anything I haven’t seen before.”
She bit back a sob of despair. She had to be strong. Sooner or later, Josh would figure out something was wrong. She just hoped it wasn’t too late.
Damon sat on the edge of the bed, cradling the pistol like a favorite toy while she stripped off her dirty clothes.
“You need a shower,” he said. “You smell like blood. We’ll get a room somewhere tonight. You can shower when we get there.” His lips edged up in a smirk. “After that, I have plans for you.”
Her throat tightened and her eyes burned. She blinked. She didn’t have time for tears. She had to plan, find a way to get the gun away from Damon.
“Hurry up, or we’ll leave the way you are.”
He meant it. He’d drag her out of there naked if she didn’t do what he said.
Fighting not to tremble, she finished dressing in clean jeans and a navy blue T-shirt, grabbed a jacket in case she needed it wherever they were going. Damon motioned with the pistol for her to precede him out of the bedroom.
“The car’s in the barn. Move your ass.”
“I need to check on Ivy before I leave.”
