Page 139 of Starcrossed Colorado

She was trembling. That, plus the ragged sound of her voice, made me want to lash out at Elias again. Make him suffer for hurting her.

He rubbed at his neck. “You’ve got this all wrong. Emma attacked me, and I was defending myself.”

“You’re pathetic. Blaming Emma for this. You killed Lori, didn’t you? Was that her fault too? Only a weak, pathetic man blames women for his failings.”

Pure hatred flashed through Elias’s eyes.

He charged at me.

Keeping Emma behind me, I blocked his punch. Then slammed my fist in a vicious uppercut to his jaw. His arms pinwheeled as he fell backward. On his way down, Elias’s head cracked against a jutting piece of metal on his brewery equipment. His body went limp.

Emma gasped as dark blood spread out beneath his head.

I turned and gathered her up, carrying her toward the door. It was dark in the barn, but she didn’t need to see that.

Once we were outside, Emma grabbed hold of my shirt, her entire body quaking. Faintly, I heard the shrill whine of sirens approaching. Good. Saved me from finding where I had dropped my phone and calling emergency services myself.

“Ashford, I found a photo of Elias and Lori together.”

I set her down, still holding her close. I was anxious to find Maisie, but first, I had to make sure Emma was okay. “You don’t have to talk if it hurts too much.”

“No, I do. When I realized Elias was L, I sent Maisie to the neighbor’s house. I made sure she was safe. We have to get her.”

“Thank you for taking care of her. Wish I’d gotten here sooner.” She could barely stand without my help. I led her over to the porch, where we sat on the steps. The light bleeding from inside illuminated Emma’s tear-streaked face.

I examined her neck. The sight of those marks, put there by a man I had called a friend, ripped me open in the worst kind of torment. Turned me raw and unforgiving. “I’m so sorry, baby.”

If Elias hadn’t already been bleeding on the floor of the barn, I couldn’t account for what I would’ve done to the man.

“We’ll get you checked out at the hospital.”

“I’ll be okay. I tried to get to my phone. I tried to tell you. But he caught me. Ashford, he was going to…”

“I know.”

“You stopped him.”

“I love you so much.” I kissed her hair, holding her as gently as I could.

Two days later, I went to look for Emma and found her in Judson’s living room, her head bent with Piper and Grace as they whispered. We were at the ranch, the same place we’d been staying since the night everything had blown up.

Emma looked up, eyes instantly brightening when she saw me.

“I just got off the phone with Teller,” I said. “Where’s Maisie?”

“Outside with Stella and Ollie.” Emma gestured at the expanse of windows, which overlooked the pastures behind Judson’s home. I could just make out the edge of the corral.

Good, I thought, relaxing internally. I’d known Maisie was close. But it still felt better to be able to see her. And to have Emma here with me.

I’d almost lost her.

The police and paramedics had shown up just as I carried Emma out of Elias’s barn. Maisie had asked the neighbors to call 911. My little girl had done amazingly, and she’d been so brave.

Maisie knew little of what had really happened. She knew a scary man had been at the house that night, and I’d said that Elias had to go away and probably wouldn’t be back. But thankfully, she was young enough to accept what I told her without many questions. Though she had asked about the marks on Emma’s neck.

“Did you have to fight with the scary man?” Maisie had asked her that night after we arrived here at Judson’s.

I had picked up my daughter, holding her so close that she protested. Wishing that I could always keep her safe. Protect her. Not just from physical danger, but from all the ugly truths of the world.

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