Page 126 of Savage Surrender

Less than ten minutes later, we creep through the estate gates.

A guard looks through the windshield, sees my face, and waves us through. When the drive curves, the old mansion appears in the distance, or what’s left of it. Mostly just the ruins and a thin line of smoke dancing into the sky.

Tonight the glass house rises beyond the trees with most of its lights off. The woman waiting at the door introduces herself as the house manager and leads me to a room I recognize as his office.

Emmett stands behind the mahogany desk with his glasses in one hand. The lamp beside him makes the room look almost warm. Journals fill the shelves. Papers sit in perfectly aligned stacks.

“Kate.” He looks relieved. I have the urge to turn around. Then he nods to the woman standing in the doorway behind me, and the door clicks closed.

We’re alone.

“You’re trembling.”

“Gregory is in jail. My daughter...”

He exhales sharply and his hand brushes mine. The gentleness hurts worse than I expected. I pull back before my body can mistake him for safety again.

“You know I care for you and Gregory. He’s only in jail because he threatened me in front of my guards and wouldn’t calm down. I was hoping to explain.”

Explain. I hold my breath.

“I’ve always thought that color suited you.” Emmett studies my face and touches one finger beneath my chin. “Come sit down. Have you eaten?”

“Yes.”

“Something besides coffee?”

“I said yes, Emmett.”

He leads me to the chair across from his desk. A carafe and two glasses sit to one side. He pours water into one, then watches until I take it, but I don’t drink.

“Tell me what you need.”

“I need Gregory out of jail.” I hold the glass between my palms. “And Bianca home.”

His mouth tightens. At which demand, I can’t tell.

“He was angry,” I continue. “You knew he would be, Em.”

“He threatened to kill me, Kate,” Emmett says with quiet regret. “He wasn’t being reasonable.”

“Why would he be reasonable when he found out what you did to me? To Bianca?”

“He accused me of assaulting you.”

“Didn’t you?” I set the water down before I drop it. “What happened between the three of us was over... You had no right. No fucking right to do that to me, or to my daughter.”

Emmett removes his glasses and rubs the bridge of his nose.

“You wanted a child, and the attempts had failed. You both asked me to help, and I did.”

“While helping yourself to my body and our daughter.”

Anger flashes in his eyes before he smooths it away.

“You think that little of me?”

“I don’t know what to think of you. That’s why I’m here.”