Her Cowboy Distraction(38)

"It's fine," Olivia replied, still feeling as if she'd entered a surreal world she didn't quite understand.                       
       
           



       

"We'd better get back to Micah. He's probably chewing off his own arm waiting to ask you some questions."

When they headed to the kitchen, the scent of freshly brewed coffee  filled the air. Micah was seated where he'd been when they had left, but  three cups of coffee were on the table. "I wasn't sure how you drank  yours," he said to Olivia.

"Black is fine." She curled her fingers around the warmth of the mug and  then looked at June. "What is this place and what are all of you doing  here?"

"The cave was built a long time ago by an architect who went crazy and  became an eccentric survivalist-decided to prepare for the end of the  world. He was something of a genius when it came to using the natural  resources accessible in the mountains. Rumor has it that he died when  he'd finished construction and it was left to a distant relative of his.  About five years ago, when we realized what was happening in Cold  Plains, we knew we'd need a place of safety so we contacted the owner  who told us to do whatever we wanted with it. We did a little  refurbishing to make it once again livable and here we are," June  explained.

Olivia was aware of Micah's dark gaze lingering on her, but she wasn't  finished getting answers from June. "So, this is about an investigation  of some sort? Are you a police officer of some kind?"

June smiled. "Heavens no. I'm just a widow who, years ago, lost my  family to a cult and now I've made it my life's mission running safe  houses for members who leave and need a place to hide and to be  deprogrammed."

"A cult? But Cold Plains is just a beautiful small town, a wonderful  place to raise children. It's a place of health and prosperity." She  frowned, recognizing she was parroting Samuel's words.

She tried not to think about the fact that she'd planned on getting the D  tattoo on her hip before she left Cold Plains and that she'd been  completely devoted to Samuel Grayson-until that moment two nights ago  when everything she'd believed about the man had exploded apart.

"It's definitely a cult and it's run by a very dangerous man," Micah said.

"Your brother."

He nodded and his green eyes transformed to a darker shade like the deepest forest shadows.

"You look a lot like him," she replied.

"An unfortunate accident of genes. We're fraternal twins. I'm here  working with the FBI to bring down Samuel and all his cult enforcers."

Olivia stared first at June and then back at Micah, trying to wrap her  mind around the fact that the perfect little town she'd called home was  actually run by a group of evil "cult" members. "It's a beautiful town.  Everything shines with prosperity and newness. They're even drawing in  celebrities and big investors. I lived in a charming little house and  had a great job. My children were happy and had the best health care  available." Once again she was aware that she was saying what she'd been  told, what had been almost a mantra of the townspeople who followed  Samuel's teachings.

Still, she didn't need to be deprogrammed by anyone. Her break with  anything to do with Samuel and his messages and his way of life had  happened in a single heart-stopping instant.

"So, what are you doing here? Why were you hiding out in the woods looking for the safe house?" Micah asked.

Olivia's heart began to beat an unsteady rhythm as she remembered what  had happened, what she'd seen two nights before. "I worked at the  Community Center as a secretary. That day Sam had been fussy so I'd kept  him with me at work. Samuel never minded if I needed to have him with  me. As usual Ethan, my three-year-old, had gone to the Cold Plains Day  Care."

She took a sip of her coffee, hoping the warmth would heat the icy chill  that had suddenly gripped her heart. "I worked a little later than  usual, so it was dark when I finally left the Community Center. The day  care wasn't far away and I took off walking, knowing that Ethan would be  eager to see me and his little brother after such a long day."

Emotion once again pressed tight in her chest, rising up the back of her  throat, but she swallowed hard, needing to get through this before she  allowed herself to completely fall apart.

She took another sip of the strong coffee as Micah and June waited  patiently for her to continue. She set the cup back on the table, aware  that her fingers were trembling.

"There was an alley adjacent to the street," she continued. "I saw  Samuel and another man standing there talking and I didn't really think  too much about it. They didn't look angry or upset, but as the man  turned to leave, Samuel pulled a gun and shot him in the back of his  head. There was no sound. He must have used a silencer, but as the man  fell to the ground, I ran."                       
       
           



       

She had run like the wind, with panic stealing away all rational  thought. Get away. Get away, that had been her only thought. She'd  dashed away, praying that Samuel hadn't seen her, fearing not just for  her own life but for Sam's life, too.

"Did Samuel see you?" Micah asked as he leaned forward.

A trembling began in the very center of her very soul. "I don't know. I  didn't stick around to find out. I just ran, with no thought, with no  particular plan in mind. I'd heard rumors that there was a safe house  someplace up the mountain but I had no idea how difficult it might be to  find. I went for Ethan, but the day care was dark, empty, and I didn't  have time to locate him. I was afraid that if Samuel had seen me, I'd  never make it to my son. And I'd be putting Sam in danger, as well."

"You need to give this information to Hawk," Micah said. "An eyewitness  account to murder is just what we need to get Samuel into custody."

"Who is Hawk?" Olivia asked.

"Hawk Bledsoe. He's a native from Cold Plains but he's now an FBI agent working on the case."

"And what exactly is the case?" Confusion coupled with exhaustion made everything difficult to comprehend for her at the moment.

"The main investigation is into the killing of five women. We believe Samuel is responsible for their murders."

Olivia gasped and shot a hand to her head as an ache began to pound at  her temples. She'd heard some vague rumors, but she hadn't believed any  of them. Still, as terrible as it sounded, at the moment she didn't want  to hear about murdered women. She didn't want to hear about cults and  Samuel.

She dropped her hand back to the table and looked Micah in his cold,  dark green eyes. She raised her chin, refusing to be intimidated by him  and firm in the decision she'd just made. "I'm not talking to anyone  until I get my son back."

And then to her horror she burst into tears.