Free Til Death Do Us Part by Beverly Barton

won’t.” Joanna tried to reassure her mother, but in the back of her mind, doubts swarmed like angry killer bees. “I’ll tell Elena and she can explain to Alex. There are dozens of ranch hands around this place, macho guys who know how to use guns. And Trinidad is a small town. Everybody knows everybody. If a stranger were to show up, I’d hear about it.”
    â€œLieutenant George is going to call you later today,” Helene said. “He’s promised to keep us updated. They…the police have a statewide manhunt under way. They’re going to catch that monster and put him back in prison where he belongs.”
    â€œYes, of course, they will. He probably won’t get out of Richmond.”
    â€œI wish you’d come home.”
    â€œI’m safer here, and Trinidad is my home now.”
    â€œCall me every day, just to let me know—” Helene’s voice cracked.
    â€œEvery day. I promise.”
    â€œI love you, Joanna. You know that, don’t you?”
    â€œYes, Mother,” Joanna said. “And I love you.”
    â€œTake care, dear. And let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
    â€œI will, Mother. Goodbye.”
    â€œGoodbye.”
    Joanna hung up the phone slowly, then slumped down on the apricot-gold leather sofa. For just a minute she felt completely numb, as if her body and mind had frozen instantly. Then, just as quickly, the feeling returned. She shivered, suddenly cold. Her hands trembled. The quivering sensation spread up her arms, down her legs. A tight fist clutched her chest. She couldn’t breathe.
    Dear God, no, please, no. A sour taste, salty and hot, rose in her throat. Memories—horrendous memories—flashed through her mind. Memories she had buried so deep she thought they could never resurface. She had spent five long, difficult years recovering from that night, putting every thought of Lenny Plott and what he’d done to her out of her mind. Forgetting had been the most difficult thing she’d ever done, but she had forced herself to forget, had forced herself to go on with her life. She was too strong to allow what had happened to her defeat her.
    Joanna broke out in a cold sweat. Her heart thundered at a frantic pace. Doubling over, she clutched her knees, drew them up against her body and rocked back and forth. Heavy, painful tears lodged in her throat.
    â€œIf you scream, I’ll kill you.” He had whispered the words in her ear as he held the sharp knife blade to her throat.
    â€œNo! Don’t do this to yourself,” Joanna cried.
    Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to capture her tears, to stop them from falling.
    Piercing blue eyes glared down at her. Hard, bruising hands clutched her breasts. A bony knee thrust betweenher legs. The strong odor of stale whiskey breath covered her mouth. She tried to shove him away, tried to scream. The knife blade nicked her throat. Blood trickled down onto her chest.
    Joanna’s eyes flew open. She shook from head to toe as she kept rocking back and forth. “Stop this! Don’t remember! Please, don’t remember…?. Don’t—”
    The loud pounding on the front door sounded muffled to Joanna’s ears, overpowered by the sound of her own heartbeat. Her mind was so filled with pain, the pain of trying not to remember, that it took her a few minutes to realize that someone was knocking at her door.
    â€œJo? Hey, Jo. Are you about ready to leave?” Elena called out as she walked into the living room.
    Elena. Her friend. Someone who cared about her. She mustn’t let Elena find her like this. Move, dammit, move! Sit up straight. Stop crying.
    â€œMy God, Jo, what’s wrong?” Elena rushed over to the sofa. Dropping to her knees, she grabbed Joanna by the shoulders. “What’s happened? Are you sick?”
    Joanna managed to shake her head, but when she tried to respond, she couldn’t. “Are you