“Thank God you’re alive.” He brushed a lock of hair away from the bruise on her forehead and eyed the bump that was slowly shrinking. “What happened? How did you escape? Tell me everything.”
Jennie took a step back. His arms dropped away from her. “I don’t remember anything. I’m sorry. I don’t even remember you.”
A look of disbelief crossed his face, followed by frustration. His gaze shot to Max. “What did you do to her?”
“Easy Steve. Take a deep breath, relax.” The FBI guy, Agent Miller, stepped up to her father and placed a hand on his arm. “Mr. Montgomery was the man who rescued her. He’s the one who pulled her out of the river, remember? If it weren’t for him…” he left the rest unsaid, but his words had the effect he wanted. Her father immediately looked contrite.
“I think she hit her head on the windshield when the car splashed into the water,” Max said quietly. “There was blood on the windshield. She also had a bullet hole in her shoulder, which I cleaned and sewed up.”
Agent Miller raised a brow. “Are you a doctor?”
“Vet.”
“You look very familiar, young man,” Max’s father said as he studied Agent Miller. “Have we met before?”
The two men studied each other, then Agent Miller said, “Dr. Montgomery? Of course I remember you! You were the one who treated me in the hospital last summer when I got stabbed by a sociopath who kidnapped my wife.”
Max’s father chuckled. “So you married the young lady? Good for you!” He slapped the younger man on the back.
Jennie glanced at Max. He was watching her covertly. She couldn’t read his expression.
“Why don’t you take us out to the car, Max?” the sheriff suggested. “On the way, you can tell us about what happened with Emily and why you think she’s still alive.”
Max’s gaze flicked to the other man. He nodded. The sheriff, his two deputies, and Agent Miller all followed him from the house. Glenda went to the refrigerator and began pulling out sandwich makings. Max the Second followed her. Jennie took her father’s hand and led him into the living room. It was time for some answers.
She glanced hesitantly up at him.
“Will you tell me about myself?”
His eyes filled with sadness. “Oh Jennie girl, you don’t remember anything?”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry. It’s so frustrating. I’ve had a couple of flashbacks, but not enough to help much.”
He wrapped a thick arm around her shoulders and hugged her against his side. “What do you want to know?”
“Do I have a mother?”
A shadow came over his face. He sank down onto the couch and rubbed a hand over his eyes. Jennie sat next to him, waiting patiently.
When he looked at her again, Jennie noticed his eyes were bloodshot. Sitting this close to him, she also saw the bags underneath his eyes. Did he get any sleep? Had he been going out of his mind with grief and worry over her?
“Your mother died when you were thirteen.” He didn’t say anything more.
“Do I look like her?” Jennie had to ask, since she didn’t look anything like her father.
He nodded. “Very much so. The physical resemblance between you is almost astonishing. But your personalities are completely opposite. She was gentle and calm, whereas you’ve always been high strung and a bit flighty. I used to think I could tame you the way I tamed horses, but you had different ideas.” He let out a soft sigh.
“How did my mother die?”
He cleared his throat. “She was thrown from a horse she never should have been on in the first place.” His eyes welled with tears. He looked away. “We had an argument. She wanted to help me train horses, but I told her it wasn’t a job for a woman. Yes, I was a chauvinistic pig. But it was only because I didn’t want her to get hurt. I’d been training horses since I was kid and I knew what I was doing. She decided to surprise me and show me she could do it too.” He sighed. “She picked one of the wildest colts at the ranch and secretly tried to train him by herself. Imagine my horror when I found her dead in the corral with a broken neck. Part of me died with her, Jennie. I wasn’t a very good father to you after that. You blamed me for your mother’s death. You said you’d prove me wrong, that girls could train horses too.” He let out a soft chuckle. “And sure as hell, you showed me. You were amazing to watch. One of the local television stations picked up your show. I was so proud of you, because it made me realize I’d been wrong and that if I’d only taken the time to teach your mother the proper way to train horses, she wouldn’t have been killed. I’ll never forgive myself for what happened to your mother.”
He grew silent. Jennie stared at him as his words penetrated her brain.
His red-rimmed, bloodshot eyes…the huge bags underneath his eyes…
Jennie leaned closer to him and sniffed. If she wasn’t mistaken, she caught a faint whiff of alcohol.
“Are you an alcoholic?”
His gaze jerked to hers. Color crept up his neck and into his face. “I started drinking the day I lost your mother. It got worse when you disappeared. I’m sorry.”
Jennie wasn’t sure what to think about having an alcoholic for a father. Max had called himself a drunk too, but Jennie had seen him dumping the Tequila down the drain. An alcoholic wouldn’t dump it out. He would hoard it. Max wasn’t a drunk, whether he wanted to believe it or not. Not once had she smelled alcohol on him. Not once had he had red, bloodshot eyes. Max may have drunk in the past, she didn’t know, but he wasn’t a drunk now. Her father, however…she had to believe him.
She cleared her throat.
“Did you and I ever learn to get along? Did I ever get over blaming you for my mother’s death?”
He shook his head sadly. “No.”
Jennie thought about what she’d read about herself on the internet. “I read an article online that said you and I had an argument the night I was abducted. What were we fighting about?”
His face grew redder. He cleared his throat. “Let’s not talk about unhappy times, okay?”
Glenda came into the room. “I’ve made sandwiches if anyone is hungry.”
Jennie glanced at Max’s stepmother. The curious look on the older woman’s face indicated she’d overheard a good portion of their conversation.
Jennie rose from the couch. As much as she wanted to ask her father about the argument they’d had, she’d have to do it later. She didn’t know why, but something told her that argument was important.
Her father rose from the couch and followed her into the kitchen. “When we get home, Jennie, you’ll start to remember things. I know you will.”
When we get home.
Jennie didn’t have the heart to tell him she wasn’t going home with him today.
She was staying here with Max.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Max and the cops came back about an hour later. Jennie overheard the sheriff and Agent Miller talking about getting a forensics team out to the car to gather evidence. Then they went into the study with Max while Max showed them the emails he’d received. Max and the sheriff came out of the den about twenty minutes later, but Agent Miller stayed in there, doing who knows what. The sheriff then sent his deputies over to the other side of the river to question all the residents. He told them not to come back until they’d stopped at every house and questioned every person they encountered.
Max wanted to go with them, but the sheriff held him back.
“Let us do our job, Max,” he said gently. “If Emily’s alive, we’ll do everything in our power to find her and bring her back.”
Glenda fed everyone the sandwiches she’d prepared and they all gathered around the table. Jennie felt the sheriff’s piercing gray eyes settling on her and knew it was time for the questioning session to begin.
Agent Miller came out of the den and joined them at the table. He glanced at Jennie. Though serious, his gaze was kind. He took charge.
“Are you ready to answer some questions now,
Jennie?” he asked.
She nodded. “I’ll try, but I warn you I don’t remember much.”
Her father clutched her hand, startling her. She glanced over at him where he sat next to her at the table. He hadn’t left her side since he’d arrived. The way he lurked so close to her was starting to drive Jennie crazy. She needed some space but didn’t know how to politely ask him for it. So she said nothing.
Her father smiled encouragingly. Jennie let out a breath.
Agent Miller smiled gently. “We understand. But sometimes even the tiniest detail can help us catch the perpetrator.” He paused, glanced down at the notepad sitting on the table in front of him. He wrote something on the notepad, then looked up at her.
“Do you remember anything about your abductor? Age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, speech?”
“Black eyes,” Jennie said. “Black hair. He always wears a hood. I’ve never seen his face.”
Agent Miller scribbled on his notepad. “Good. Do you remember anything else?”
Jennie closed her eyes. Think, Jennie. Try to remember.
She was Gray again, a pup, and the man snatched her up from the ground. She caught a glimpse of…
“Pale skin,” she whispered. “A thick black beard.”
That had been Gray’s memory, not hers. But if she told them that, they’d think she was nuts. Besides, she was positive it was the same man, so sharing Gray’s memories without telling them they were Gray’s wouldn’t change anything.
“He could have shaved it off, though.”
Like Max had done.
She opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Max’s dark, coffee-colored gaze. Studying her intently.
“Anything else?” Agent Miller asked. “If you caught a glimpse of his face once, can you recall about how old he was?”
Jennie closed her eyes again, tried to remember that fleeting memory Gray had shared with her where she’d glimpsed the man’s profile. “Early forties, maybe? I’m not sure on height or build. He wasn’t small, but he wasn’t huge either. But he seemed strong.”
She opened her eyes again. “I’m sorry, that was probably worthless.”
“No, you’re doing fine.” Agent Miller’s words were kind, but Jennie saw the frustration in his gaze. She needed Gray to help her, but the wolf was still outside somewhere. Lucky had come in with Max and the cops, but the wolf had vanished. Jennie hoped Gray was okay out there in the cold.
Be safe, Gray.
As if Gray had heard her, the wolf howled from somewhere outside. Jennie’s eyes flew open. Gray sounded close, as if she was waiting out by the back door.
Glenda jumped, a hand flying to her throat. “Was that a wolf?”
Max’s father drew her back into his arms.
“Jennie’s wolf,” Max said without looking at his parents. “It was with her when I rescued her.”
All eyes turned to Jennie.
Telepathy.
Had Gray heard her thoughts?
Jennie cleared her throat. She glanced at Max. His gaze was intense on her, as if he couldn’t look away, as if he was waiting for something.
“When I’m with Gray, she helps me remember things,” Jennie said quietly. “We have a special…connection.”
She felt Agent Miller and Sheriff Sullivan’s eyes on her. Were they laughing? Did they think she was insane? She couldn’t look at them.
“Jennie has a special gift,” her father said. All eyes turned to him. “A way of communicating with animals that is rare. I’ve honestly never seen anything like it before. It’s like…telepathy.”
Jennie’s gaze flew to her father’s. He knew? How long had she had this ability? Had she been born with it?
He smiled, squeezed her hand. Then he answered her unasked question. “She was born with it. Jennie was a unique child. Always had a way with animals. When Jennie was five, her mother told me she thought Jennie was telepathic, that she was communicating with the horses through her mind. I dismissed the idea at first. It sounded crazy. Then I witnessed it for myself. And I’ve been a believer ever since. As crazy as it sounds, Jennie can communicate with animals through her mind.”
Silence filled the kitchen. The sheriff cleared his throat, glanced at Agent Miller. Glenda took a step away from the counter where she stood with Max’s father. She opened her mouth, as if to say something. Max the Second snagged her waist, dragging her back, and whispered, “Shh!”
Heat crept into Jennie’s face. She slowly lifted her gaze to Max’s.
While holding her gaze, Max said quietly, “I’ve seen it too. With my dog, my stallion, and the wolf. Her connection seems to be strongest with the wolf. I don’t know if it’s because she was a captive along with the animal and they somehow bonded that way, or if it’s just something special they share.”
All eyes were now on Max.
“Then why aren’t we using the wolf to help her remember?” Sheriff Sullivan asked, directing the question at Max.
Max’s gaze never left Jennie’s. “Jennie?”
She could do this. But would Gray? Would the wolf be willing to let down her guard in a roomful of strangers? Probably not.
“Everyone will need to go in the other room. Gray doesn’t trust humans very much. I’ll have to do it with her alone.”
“Do what?” Glenda demanded. “What are you going to do? Can’t we watch?”
“No.” Max’s gaze swung to his stepmother. “It’s really hard on Jennie. It drains her. It usually gives her a bad headache and she has to lay down afterwards.” He paused. “And trust me, Glenda, you don’t want to get close to this scary-looking wolf. The beast could rip your throat out in a heartbeat.”
Jennie sensed Max was intentionally trying to scare his stepmother, though she wasn’t sure why. Jennie didn’t think Gray was scary. Not in the least.
Glenda shuddered, her eyes widening. “O-kay, I’ll just go in the other room, then.” She took Max the Second’s hand and pulled him from the room.
Jennie felt Agent Miller’s gaze boring into her. She took a deep breath and turned her head to look at him.
“Are you up for doing this, Jennie?” His voice was gentle, kind. It threw her. No one seemed to be laughing at her, though she’d expected them all to.
“Yes. But I want Max with me. Just in case.”
Sheriff Sullivan raised a dark brow. “Just in case what? Is this beast dangerous?”
“No, not to me. Not to Max. But if I pass out, I want Max there.” He makes me feel safe.
She glanced at Max. He nodded.
Everyone went to wait in the living room. Her father was obviously the most reluctant to go, but Agent Miller persuaded him to leave.
Max opened the back door. Gray slipped inside without hesitation, going right to Jennie’s side. Jennie patted the wolf’s head, sank her hands into Gray’s thick, cold fur.
I need your help again, Gray. I need help remembering.
Gray let out a soft whine. The wolf glanced toward the living room, perking her ears.
Those people are here to help. They’re here to try to find Emily.
Jennie spied Glenda trying to peek around the corner, her green eyes widening when she caught a glimpse of Gray, before her husband yanked her back. Jennie’s lips twitched. She couldn’t blame the woman for being curious.
She knelt down in front of Gray and stroked the wolf’s face.
Can you help me, Gray?
The animal’s yellow gaze locked on hers. Jennie felt Max step up behind her.
Gray whined and turned away.
Jennie rose and met Max’s questioning gaze. “What happened?” he asked.
“I…don’t know. She’s either unwilling or unable to do it right now. I think all the people make her nervous.” Tears of frustration filled her eyes. “They’re all going to think I’m nuts now.”
“No.” Max gently drew her into his arms. “And if they do, so what? I know the truth.” He stroked her hair away from her face.
Jennie’s heart swelled. She snuggled against him, burying her face against his shoulder. This was the Max she’d fallen in love with. That other Max…the rude and surly one, the one who pushed her away…she sensed that Max wasn’t real. That he only became that Max when he was afraid. She’d have to do everything in her power to make him realize she would never leave him, that he had nothing to be afraid of.
“Thank you,” she whispered, stepping back. “I think I’m ready for more questions now. I’ll just have to try to remember on my own.”
Gray whined at the back door. Max pulled it open and the wolf slinked out.
Glenda was the first one to re-enter the kitchen. “That didn’t take long. What happened?”
Max let out a snort and sent his stepmother a disgusted look.
“Nothing happened,” Jennie said and felt all eyes on her again. “Gray wasn’t willing to communicate right now.”
Sheriff Sullivan cleared his throat. She thought she saw censure in his eyes before he turned away. He and Agent Miller exchanged a glance.
“Are you ready for some more questions?” Agent Miller asked. He was more understanding than the sheriff. He wasn’t judging her. Jennie decided she liked him better.
She nodded and pulled back a chair at the table. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Agent Miller and Sheriff Sullivan sat across from her. Max’s parents remained standing by the kitchen counter. Max stood across the room, watching her closely. Her father slid into the chair next to her.
“Tell us about when the guy tried to kidnap you from here. What do you remember about that?”
Jennie relayed the events of that night and how Gray had saved her. She left out the part about Max comforting her and kissing him in the chair. No one needed to know about that. She glanced across the room at him. He was still watching her, his expression unreadable.
They asked her a few more questions.
“We’ll be sending out a forensics team tomorrow to gather evidence from the car,” Agent Miller said, glancing at Max. “We’ll need to take the computer. We’ll give it back after we extract any evidence from it.” He paused, turned his head to look at Jennie. “We can offer you protective custody if you’re interested. We’ll take you to a safe place until we catch this guy.”
Abducted (Unlikely Heroes Book 2) Page 18