Free Son of a Gun by Joanna Wayne Page A

the back of the truck and of how Emma had claimed to be her mother to save her life.
But his mind was still on Caudillo, and fury boiled inside Damien with the wrath of a wildfire.
“Did Caudillo or his henchmen hurt you?”
Emma stood and walked to the window. “I can’t go there yet, Damien. One day soon, maybe, but not yet. I’m alive and I’m free of him. I want to stay that way.”
And he wouldn’t push that on her. “I understand.”
“The main thing you need to understand is that Caudillo is a heartless, cold-blooded killer.”
She pulled her arms tight across her chest and continued staring out the window as if the view could separate her from the images in her head.
“I saw him shoot a man in the head because he brought me food when Damien had ordered him not to.”
Curses flew to Damien’s lips before he could stop them. “Did he force you to have sex with him?”
“No.” For the first time since she’d started talking, the muscles in her face relaxed. “The first time he tried, I got so sick I threw up in his face. He stomped away in disgust. Apparently splattering brains didn’t faze him, but vomit turned him off forever. But only enough to keep from raping me. Sexual torment became his favorite game.”
“That’s over now. You’re free of him.”
“He’ll never accept that. Caudillo is going to come looking for me, Damien, and you don’t want to be in my life when he does. Even if I didn’t know too much for him to let me live, he’d track me down and kill just to prove that no one betrays him and gets away with it. This is why you can’t tell anyone about him and why you can’t talk of my being kidnapped. Not even to your brothers.”
“You’re back in America, Emma. Go to the FBI. Tell them everything you’ve told me. They’ll see that you’re safe and that Caudillo is arrested.”
“It’s not that simple. Caudillo has connections in high places. He mentioned names of people in my office and told me things about them he wouldn’t have known unless he had a source here. He even mentioned sources with the FBI.”
“He could have been lying.”
“I’m sure he wasn’t lying when he told me that my disappearing was the media highlight of every cable news station for months. If I ever escaped and returned to the States, I’d be all over the news again. He’d track me easily and then he’d teach me the true meaning of torture.”
“You can’t hide from this man and his threats the rest of your life, Emma. And you can’t let him continue to kidnap women at will.”
“I don’t plan to, but I have to have time to think this through, Damien. You don’t know what it’s like to live in captivity. You can’t know how the fear eats at you when you never know if you’ll be shot for merely asking for water.”
She was right. He had no concept of that kind of fear. Emma was scared out of her wits but still worrying over an orphaned infant who had been pressed into her charge. But once she walked away from Bent Pine Ranch, there was no one to watch over her.
He stepped closer. “I’ll keep your secrets, Emma—under one condition.”
“What is that?”
“You stay with me and let me protect you.”
She buried her head in her hands. When she looked up, her eyes were moist. “You don’t know how much I’d love to say yes to that offer.”
“Then say it.”
“I can’t. I can’t put you or your family in danger.”
Damien walked over and took both her hands in his. “I won’t put my family in danger, Emma, but I can’t let you deal with this man on your own again. I have powerful connections, too, and resources that you don’t. Let me help. At least stay a few days until we can locate Belle’s father.”
“That wouldn’t be wise.”
“It’s the only sane thing to do. If you won’t do it for you, do it for Belle.”
“Are you sure?”
“Surer than I’ve ever been in my life.”
“In that case, I don’t see how I can refuse. I just hope you don’t live to rue