Page 45 of Montana Freedom

I waited as she paced across the space, arms crossed. “When I was growing up, I only ever had my mother. She was amazing, and I miss her so much—” Her breath hiccupped, and I gripped the counter where I held it in order to stop myself from going to her. She needed to get this out.

“Then IthoughtI had my father. I never had a chance to belong anywhere and find my place because of him. Now I’m here, and I wantthis.” She pointed to the room. “The feeling when everyone is in here and talking and laughing and knowing, no matter what, you have one another’s backs. Kate told me everyone here knew about me and was concerned when I was missing. They’restrangers, and they cared about me. I’ve never had that. And I’m not going to lose it, Daniel. I can’t. If they take me away and hide me somewhere I don’t know anyone, it will break me, and I don’t know how to handle it.”

She felt at home here.

The thought warmed me so much I almost smiled. Almost, because smiling at that admission wouldn’t win me any favors. “I would never force you to do anything you don’t want, and I’ll admit I don’t like the idea of witness protection, but I do want you safe.”

“I can be safe here.”

“Simon knows about this place. I wasn’t lying. He tried to burn down the ranch the night we rescued you, and with your memory, I don’t doubt you remember him saying he would kill all of us for messing around in his business.”

She sighed. “Yes, I remember.”

“He might have bigger problems right now, but the threat to the ranch and to you isn’t something we can just ignore. You can’t live with a sword hanging over your head for the rest of your life.”

“So, I should banish myself to some backwater town where Ihopehe doesn’t find me while they put me in a database he can probably gain access to?”

I looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “Is that what I said?”

“It’s so frustrating.” Her voice rose, echoing off the ceiling. “I want him taken down as much as anyone else, but I don’t want to be blackmailed into doing it. I don’t want to live my entire life looking over my shoulder. But I’m just one person, and even my memory doesn’t make me a match for this. I’m not a character in a TV show. My ‘perfect recall’ doesn’t come with a side dish of genius and the ability to turn into a badass at will.”

I chuckled, and she smiled a little. “I want you safe,” I told her. “In whatever way is best to ensure that. I don’t know if WITSEC is it, or if we’re able to protect you here, but I do know you need to talk to Agent Jones.”

“Only him.”

“I agree. He would be the one. After you went inside, Agent Phillips made it clear they’ll be using your name as bait whether you’re physically helping them or not. You need to be aware of their plan either way, in case it backfires.”

Emma whirled from her pacing and stared at me, mouth agape. “Can they do that?”

I shrugged. “I hesitate to say it, but I’m not sure there’s much Agent Phillipswouldn’tdo to catch Simon. He seems…particularly dedicated to the cause.”

“Yeah.”

The silence hung between us, growing tighter until it felt like there was a line tugging me toward her. I didn’t move, but she looked at me like she felt it too. I saw determination in her eyes, and it had everything to do with her situation and nothing to do with me.

But I could tell the moment it changed. The hunger I felt in my gut was mirrored in her gaze, and I wasn’t able to do anything but stare. She was so incredibly beautiful. Both sides of her called to me. The frightened woman who needed protecting, and the fiery one who was angry at the unfairness of her situation. Every part of her only made me want her more.

Seeing her fit in seamlessly with my family was a bonus.

The thread between us snapped.

She crossed the space to me, and my arms were held out before I registered making the decision. As she wrapped herself around me, I held on to her. All softness and warmth and temptation. I needed to step back and set our boundaries in place once more, but I didn’t.

I wastiredof living my life alone, and I was tired of having held on to so much for so long. It was so tempting to simply let the burden roll off my back and run free. Yet it was also terrifying. Who was I without this?

The code I lived my life by was all I’d had for years. Abandoning it felt like diving off a cliff, with no guarantee of safe water at the bottom.

But I didn’t pull away. Instead, I pulled her closer. My lips brushed her temple, and I rested them there. I leaned back against the counter and let our legs slowly tangle. I couldn’t have said how long we stood there, breathing in each other’s air and slowly syncing our pulses, but I didn’t release my hold.

And no matter my fear, I needed to come to terms with the fact that this was where I wanted to be. Emma was here, and I didn’t want to let her go.

Chapter15

Emma

My body relaxed, easing into the embrace more and more the longer Daniel held me. And I couldn’t remember a time I’d felt more safe. After everything I’d been through and everything I’d survived, I needed this.

It was different from merely being rescued or him making sure I was healthy. This was everything. He’d been keeping my soul safe too, been on my side even when I hadn’t expected him to be, and wasn’t making choices for me.

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