Free Darkness Torn Asunder by Alexis Morgan

would take him along for good measure since he was an ex-con. Granted, his record had been cleared, but they might not have cared about that.
    The worst thing was that as the adrenaline wore off, he realized a small part of him wished they had hauled his ass along for the ride. A night in jail would have been easier to deal with than having to face Jana. He figured both the fight and his part in it had scared her shitless. She’d done her best to hide it, but there was no missing the worry in her dark eyes when she’d asked him if he was all right.
    Hell, no, he was not all right. But it had nothing to do with the few blows Ray had landed before Emmett had flattened him. Had she somehow sensed how much he really wanted to mete out some vigilante justice to Ray and his buddy? If it wouldn’t have landed him right back behind bars, Emmett would have gladly knocked their heads together a few times to get their attention and then maybe broken a few bones just to get his point across. Maybe then they’d think long and hard before raising a hand to another woman.
    The door to Dan’s office opened again. The paramedics must have finished checking over Ray’s wife. When she walked out of the office, Jana was with her. The two women were talking softly, but Tanya backed away when Jana held out a business card.
    “I can’t go to no shelter. Ray wouldn’t like it none if I’m not at home when he gets there.”
    Emmett bit back a curse. Why the hell would she care what Ray thought? From the resignation on Jana’s face, the woman’s attitude didn’t come as a surprise to her. “At least don’t go home tonight, Tanya. What if the police don’t keep Ray in jail long enough for him to cool off?”
    Emmett reached for his wallet and pulled out a stack of bills. He crossed the room to where the two women stood, moving slowly so he didn’t scare Tanya. She had good reason not to trust men right now.
    “Ma’am, I understand why you might not want to spend tonight at a shelter with a bunch of strangers, but Jana here is right. Ray will need some space when he gets out.” He held out the cash. “Take this and check into a motel. In the morning you can call that number Jana gave you and at least see what they have to say.”
    “Maybe I will.” But she was already shaking her head. “Even so, I couldn’t take your money, mister. You’ve already done enough.”
    He smiled at her. “Yes, you can. I understand all about sometimes needing a helping hand. Let me do this for you.”
    Finally, she took the money and shoved it in the pocket in her jeans just as Emmett’s boss joined them.
    “I think this must be yours, Tanya.” Dan held out a purse. “If you’re done here, I’ll give you a ride to your house to pick up a few things and then take you wherever you want to go.”
    He glanced toward Emmett. “Can you lock up?”
    “I will.”
    Emmett and Jana stood in silence until Dan and Tanya were gone. As soon as they pulled the door shut, Jana slammed her hands down on the bar. “I hate knowing she’ll go right back to that bastard.”
    Jana was probably right, but he tried to give her at least a little hope. “You don’t know that. She took the money and plans to go to a motel. Maybe she’ll make that call tomorrow.”
    “I really hope so, but I see this all too often. When Ray sees her again, he’ll swear he didn’t mean it and be all nice and apologetic. Then the next time he has a beer too many or his favorite team loses or she looks at the wrong man, Ray will lay her out flat and tell her it’s all her own fault. All we can do is pray she finds the courage to walk away from him before he actually kills her.”
    Emmett wanted to hold Jana in his arms, but he had his own bridges to burn. “I’m sorry I scared you tonight, Jana, but I can’t stand to see a man hit a woman. I warned you that I have a nasty temper when I see some bastard picking on someone smaller than he is.”
    She tilted her head a little to