Page 43 of Sebastian

“The man standing in my living room that day was Marco Santoro. I was given to him in exchange for the debt my step-father owed.”

“Jesus, Emma. You didn’t think we’d need to know that one of the biggest crime families in the US was after you?”

“I-I didn’t think they were. I got away. I got a new identity. There’s never been any sign that they were coming for me. That he was coming for me.”

“Until now. And it might be too late,” Gunner scowled.

“That’s not helpful, Reap. She’s telling us now. We can figure it out from here.” Sebastian turned to Emma. “It’s time to tell us who you were before you were Emma Sullivan.”

“I-Imogene Summers. My name was Imogene Summers.” Emma sighed, looking at Sebastian to see how angry he was with her for lying. But all she saw returned in his gaze was unwavering support and understanding. “That naive little girl died the day she was dragged from her house in Michigan. She never graduated high school. She never became anything. Emma Sullivan did.”

“What happened when Marco took you? How did you end up in Bell Ridge as Emma?” Nash asked.

“The same day he took me, I was locked in a room inside the Santoro family compound just outside of Chicago. It was over two years before I was able to get away from him, and when I did, I prayed he just would never come after me. The first year I moved every few weeks, working odd jobs and putting away as much cash as possible for the next time I moved. But when I got to Bell Ridge, it felt like the first place where I could stay and be safe. I shouldn’t have been so naive.”

“No, Emma. You have every right to want to stay and settle down somewhere,” Gage said.

“We need to know more about your time with Marco. What is his roll in the Santoro family? Do you know?” Gunner asked.

“Gunner,” Nash warned.

“We need to know, Wings,” Gunner pushed back.

“Yes,” she felt her stomach clench. “Not at first. I was literally locked in my room for the first few months. After we were married, I’d only see Marco every few days, which I soon realized was because he was off taking care of things for the family in between those times.”

“Taking care how?”

“I t-think he was the person the family called if there was a witness that needed to be dealt with. Or if they needed to get information out of a person, they’d let Marco handle it.”

“And how do you know that?” Gunner pressed.

“I saw something the night I finally ran.”

“We need to loop her in,” Hawk insisted, preventing her from saying more.

“Loop me in with what?” Emma felt sick, the looks on all the guy’s faces told her they already knew something about Marco. He had to be the one hurting women in Clarence County, and she should have said something sooner. They were gone because of her.

She watched as everyone’s eyes fell to Sebastian. He looked so conflicted, but finally nodded in agreement.

“The project we’ve been working on with the FBI,” Gage started to say. “We’ve been looking into the Santoro crime family. There was a connection between Grace Boone’s ex and the Santoros. When our contacts learned about it, they looped us in on the operation. The Santoro family has been running illegal weapons and drugs for a long time, but recently there have been rumors of them trafficking women. And children.”

“Oh, God.” Emma’s stomach rolled. She closed her eyes as the sound of Marco’s knife slicing through skin overwhelmed her memory. Then the worry flooded in. Had he done something to their daughter? He told her she was with another mother, but she never thought he’d sell her. What kind of life was she living now? She just assumed it was with someone in the family. How had she never thought of that before?

“Are you okay?” Sebastian’s eyes were filled with worry.

“I think I’m going to be sick.” Emma moaned as she folded in on her body. Her lungs ached for her to take in a breath, but she couldn’t. If her daughter had been sold…

“Breathe, Em. What’s going on?” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gage bringing the trash can closer to her. Probably the right move with the way her stomach was churning.

“I didn’t know. The trafficking. Kids.”

“Just be glad you got away before he trafficked you,” Gunner mumbled.

“I wish he had,” she whispered before her brain could stop the words from coming out. She would have given herself over to the monster a million times if it saved her daughter.

“Don’t ever say that, Emma. Don’t even think it.” Warmth was radiating off Sebastian as he rubbed circles on her back. “He’ll never touch you again. He won’t touch what’s mine.”

A soft kiss dusted her forehead and she finally pulled in a full breath. HIS. The possessiveness and finality of the statement didn’t suffocate her. It made her feel safe. Wanted. Cherished and protected.

---