“Emily, I promise you—your mom will be so thankful you’re home that she won’t be mad.” I gave her a long look. “But in the future, don’t go off with random boys who DM you on Instagram.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I won’t. I learned my lesson.”
I reached over and squeezed her hand again. “I know you did.”
I turned off at the exit, and we pulled into a McDonald’s parking lot. I started to park on the side of the building, but Emily sucked in her breath. “That’s my mom’s car.” She pointed to a maroon SUV parked in the back row.
I drove toward it and parked two spaces down from the driver’s side, leaving an empty spot between us.
The driver’s door flew open, and a woman scrambled out of the vehicle. She wore jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt under a chunky black cardigan. Her light brown hair was pulled into a messy bun. Her nose was red, but her face was pale.
Apprehension filled her eyes when she looked over at us, and I realized she couldn’t see Emily in the car in the dark.
Emily was frozen in her seat, watching her.
“Do you want me to talk to her first?” I asked gently. It was probably a good idea to prepare her for what her daughter had been through.
She nodded once slowly.
“You stay in here as long as you need to, okay?”
I got out and a man walked around the back of the SUV, looking like he was spoiling for a fight. He was tall and bulky enough that he probably thought he could plow right through me.
He’d be in for a surprise.
He started to march forward, his gaze locked on the car like he was ready to rip the door off its hinges, but I stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
“Get the hell out of my way,” he snarled.
“Mr. Harrison,” I said in a firm voice. “You are scaring your daughter.”
“You’re keeping her from us!” he shouted.
“John!” Anna shouted at him. “Stop!”
“Why isn’t she getting out of the car?” he demanded, shouting at his wife. “Is she even in there?”
“She’s sitting in the front seat, free to get out when she’s ready,” I said. “It’s not locked.”
“Then why isn’t she getting out?” he demanded.
I was having second thoughts leaving her with this asshole, but I reminded myself that his daughter had been missing for four months. Emotions were running high. But I also didn’t want to deal with him right now.
I turned to Anna and closed the distance between us. “Anna, Emily’s been through a lot. I mean a lot.”
“She ran away with that boy,” her father said. “We found her Instagram messages.”
I turned to look at him, shaking my head in disgust. “Mr. Harrison, your daughter was kidnapped and trafficked to men at truck stops?—”
Emily gasped, covering her mouth in horror.
I continued, “She was held against her will, and threatened so thoroughly she is terrified of just about anything that moves. They told her if she contacted you, they would kill her little sister. They also told her you didn’t want her to come home. I guarantee you that your posturing isn’t assuring her that you’re happy to see her. If anything, it’s going to convince her to stay inside the car.”
He lost some of his bluster, but he was still pissed.
I turned back to Anna. “She’s going to need help. She’s definitely going to need therapy, probably lots of it, but right now what she needs most is you, your love and reassurance, and a safe, calm environment to heal.”
She glared at her husband.
