Fisher (Prince of Tigers, #3) - Kathi S. Barton Page 0,66

Emmie didn’t have the heart to tell him people didn’t like her much, and inviting anyone to her party would be hard as she had not one single friend.

The man had been trying his best to get a kid into his van when she rode up on them. Hurting the man, kicking him in the nuts, she told the little boy to run. And damn, but he had run. Before she could do the same, she was hit from behind and lost out on the little window of opportunity to get away.

For three days, he beat the shit out of her. He’d not raped her or even touched her sexually. He was only hurting her because she’d taken away his prize, what he’d called the kid that had gotten away.

He’d not only not let her go to use the bathroom, which ended up with her standing in her own pee, but he didn’t feed her either. She was nearly too weak when the opportunity presented itself to get away, to make her way out of the basement to the police. The man never once touched her. It was his son that had fathered Olivia.

He’d found her in the basement when his dad had gone out. She had always wondered if it was to pick up another boy. The son came to the basement that day, cut her loose, and raped her repeatedly until his dad returned. The apple hadn’t fallen that far from the tree, apparently.

When the kid’s dad returned and saw what he’d done, they argued brutally. Getting up from the floor, grabbing anything she touched to pull over her naked body, Emmie was nearly up the stairs when the first of many gunshots were fired.

“Mom?” Pulling from her thoughts was difficult—it always had been when she found herself reliving the day. Smiling at her daughter while keeping an eye on the road, she asked her what she needed. “Do you think we can pull over in that gas station? I have to go to the bathroom.”

“Sure. Just let me get over.” As she was making the turn into the large pull off, she spoke to Olivia. “You know the rules, don’t you? I mean, I know you know them, but you’ll follow them, right?”

Nodding, she had to laugh when Olivia jumped out of the truck and was racing to the building even as she turned off the engine. Dad must have been sleeping because he woke up slightly confused. She told him what they were doing.

“I should go too.” Dad got out of the truck and stretched. Emmie did the same, stretching while still in the truck. “Would you like to have a couple of drinks while I’m in here? I could sure use something besides water.”

She told Dad some juice would be great and that she was going to top off the tank. One thing that they’d gotten from the company they were working for was a gas card. Not that she used it, but she did keep the receipt in the event they asked. Olivia joined her just as she was pulling the handle off the tank.

“While Grandda is gone, can I ask you something?” Emmie said she could always ask her anything. “Grandda is really ill, isn’t he? I mean, he seems to be upset more and more all the time. Don’t you think?”

“Yes. I think the next time he goes to the doctor, they’re going to up his meds even more. I worry about him a great deal.” Olivia nodded but only stood there. “What else, Olivia? Something else is bothering you. What is it?”

“These people you’re working for? The ones that called you today? I don’t know that I like the way she spoke to you. It sort of makes me mad enough to beg you not to go there. I don’t know why, but I have a feeling something terrible is going to come about.” Emmie thought about what her daughter had said. “Are you mad at me for saying that?”

“Goodness no. I was thinking about a way to talk to you without dropping the F-bomb about three hundred times.” Emmie was glad for the smile. “I don’t like it either, and I wouldn’t have to be begged if we didn’t need this job. You understand that, don’t you? We need to get Grandpa out of that house. The doctor said there are too many memories bringing him down.”

“I think it’s more than that.” While waiting in line to pay for her