Page 95 of Single Mom's Mountain Men
Patty looks at me and I try to compose my features, but I know it's impossible to hide the murder in my heart. I'm somewhat glad we're not going to the police now, because I don't plan on sending this Keegan guy to jail again.
One way or another, her ex is going to have to die.
CHAPTER 33
Patty
I’m quiet on the ride home, staring out the window as devastation rips through my chest.
I failed my daughters. I let them get taken by that maniac again, even though I promised them it would never happen, that I would protect them. I have failed them.
It’s easy now to look back and see all the things I did wrong. I shouldn’t have stopped in Gaston. I should have kept going, and hidden somewhere more remote where he wouldn’t find me. Staying here for so long was a mistake because I got too comfortable. I should have trusted my gut and left town when I had the chance.
Or maybe I should have told the sheriff what was going on. Would he have been able to help me?
No, there's nothing the sheriff could have done. Keegan somehow managed to escape from jail without a news report. I doubt anyone would have known he was in town.
How did he find me? Someone would have had to alert him, perhaps someone in the FBI. Did Mrs. Weatherby talk to the sheriff about me? She swore she didn't but can I even trust anyone anymore?
Suddenly, a hand wraps around my thigh, and I look up to find that we’re nearing the ranch.
"We’ll find them," Wes says. "I swear to you. Both Charlie and Mitch are special ops and are still in contact with men from their team. One of them is a private investigator. We’ll find the girls, alright?"
I swallow and nod leaning my head against the window. I place my palm above his and he turns over his hand to grip mine. I try to draw strength from that. At least, I’m not doing this alone. If I were, I probably would have lost my mind and I certainly would have given in to Keegan's demand to meet up already.
As the ranch comes into view, I spot Wiley, Charlie and Mitch standing on the porch with concerned looks stamped on their faces. It reminds me of when I arrived wounded on Wes’ bike and the thought almost makes me smile because then I remember what came after. The touches, the loving the confessions…all that seems like a lifetime ago. All of that lulled me into a false sense of security when I should have been suspicious that everything was going far too well in my life. That usually means that something ugly lurks on the horizon.
And now, it has my daughters.
"What happened?" Mitch instantly demands as we dismount from the truck and Wiley pads over to greet me with a lick and a demand for a head pat.
Wes comes around to take my hand.
"Let's go inside first," he says. "Have her sit down. Make her some tea. And then she’ll tell us the whole story."
Mitch hesitates and then he nods.
Minutes later, with a cup of tea in front of me, I reveal the whole story. I tell them how I met Keegan, fell in love, and got pregnant. Then I found out that his career was a lot morecriminal than I initially thought. I force myself to reveal how the relationship devolved into abuse, and how he once threatened to hit Katie.
I tell them how I finally took the evidence of Keegan's crimes to the FBI. Later that week, I overheard Keegan telling his right-hand man that his FBI insider learned there was going to be a raid due to an anonymous source. I finally conclude by laying out how I took off with my daughters and pretended like we had flown to Seattle.
By the time I’m done, my voice is hoarse and the men are all staring at me with identically stormy expressions on their faces.
I wait for the accusations to begin, wait for them to list out all I did wrong. But they don’t give me that. Instead, Charlie leaves the room instantly and Mitch pulls his phone out of his pocket and begins typing.
“Your nightmares,” Mitch asks, his voice low and growly. “That’s where they’re from? That bastard gave them to you.”
There’s no use denying it anymore. I nod.
I watch his jaw clench and work, as he tries so hard to control his emotions.
Still, anger radiates from him and reflects in the way he pushes the buttons on his smartphone. "I’m texting an old buddy right now. He's a PI. What's his full name?""Keegan Whitman," I say. "And my real name is Patty Cross."
He nods and continues typing slowly, cursing as his large fingers get in the way.
"Did he mention how he found you?" Mitch asks.
"No," I say exhausted from all the talking. "He didn't say. But he did mention that he has friends in town and he seemed to know about you guys too. He called one of you my biker boyfriend."
