Free Her Secret by Tara Fox Hall Page A

else.”
    Had Devlin said that out of defensiveness of
Danial, or out of his own jealousy? I’d probably never know. I
flipped on the dishwasher, and turned to him. “Ready to walk?”
    “Sure.”
    Ghost and Darkness were a little leery of
Brian, keeping their distance from him on the walk, while managing
to stay between him and me. Though the woods were beautiful with
dazzling fresh snow crystals, I didn’t notice, too wrapped up in
thoughts of Devlin.
    About seven, I dropped exhausted into the
nearest armchair. I’d spent hours cleaning and then putting away
the many Halloween decorations. Brian was napping in the basement
bedroom in preparation for night guard duty.
    The phone rang at seven. Instead of Theo, it
was my mother-in-law, Brennan’s mother, calling from Wyoming.
    We made polite conversation for a few
moments, then she said out of the blue, “We’d like to see you, and
Theo, too.”
    She’d been accepting of my new marriage since
her time in therapy, but this was a whole new level. “You’re
sure?”
    “We want to see you,” she said hesitantly.
“He’s part of your life now. It’s good you have someone again.
Maybe next summer?”
    Why not go? Theo and I could use a
summer vacation, and we could hopefully take Elle with us. “I’ll
ask him when he gets home from work.”
    We talked for a while longer, and then I hung
up, promising to tell her the moment I made travel plans.
    Danial called a few minutes later. “How are
you feeling?” he asked immediately.
    “I feel fine. Nothing seems different.”
    “Good,” he said, relieved.
    “Any word from Theo?”
    “No, but there won’t be for hours, maybe not
until tomorrow evening. It’ll take him some time just to get where
he’s going, and more to discover the best means of getting Manir.
Don’t worry.”
    “There’s more isn’t there? Theo plans on
torturing him, doesn’t he?”
    “Yes. He blames him for you being taken and
for what he thinks happened to you later. Manir is going to pay for
all of it, for as long as Theo can make it last, anyway.”
    I didn’t comment, both sickened and oddly
satisfied.
    “Brian is there, watching over you?” Danial
continued.
    “Yes. Everything has been quiet.”
    “Good. Get some rest.”
    “I’m sorry that things didn’t work out,” I
said quickly.
    Danial was quiet for so long that I thought
maybe we’d gotten disconnected. “Danial?”
    “I’m sorry, too,” he said sadly. “I’m looking
forward to seeing you Saturday.”
    “Me, too. Goodnight.”
    “Goodnight, Sar,” he said softly. “I love
you.”
    Depressed, I hung up the phone. With
irritation, I suddenly remembered I’d forgotten to get the mail.
Getting it myself was right out, too. If my life was a novel, this
would be the part where I got grabbed by Manir, who had somehow
found out where I lived.
    I went downstairs and got Brian up.
    “Sorry for sleeping so long. I covered for
Terian yesterday night and had just got to bed when Theo got me up
to come with—”
    “Why did Terian need you to cover for him?” I
interrupted.
    “He said he had a date.”
    I almost fell over in surprise. “He had a
date?”
    Brian laughed. “You act like the man’s a
hermit.”
    I gave him a look that said that description
wasn’t far off. “Do you know who it was?”
    “No,” he said. “But he said he could trust
her. I think they’ve been seeing each other for a while now.”
    God, let him not have gotten back together
with Sundown. She’d broken his heart once already. Suddenly I got
shivers: I might have this woman to thank for my life. “Wait, I
remember now. He said that night Manir attacked that he had to be
somewhere later to be. That’s why he couldn’t go with Danial and
Theo had to go instead. Was it this—?”
    “I can’t answer that,” Brian said politely
yet firmly. “I’ll go get the mail. You stay here.”
    I followed him upstairs grumpily. It was
okay to discuss my love life, but not