Rhea shivered. “That’s a pretty strong message, if you ask me, and what makes you think the message is for you?”
“My farm, my horse feed, my friends,” Morgan answered.
Rhea shook her head. “Yeah, did anything like this ever happen before I showed up?”
Morgan didn’t have to answer.
“I didn’t think so.” Rhea turned her head and stared at Soldier, lying on the table, unmoving. “In prison something like this would be a clear sign that your days were numbered.”
Morgan was surprised by Rhea’s revelation. She didn’t talk about prison often, and it still caught Morgan off guard when she did. She didn’t like to think of that part of Rhea’s life. “You mean that they were going to be killed?”
Rhea shrugged. “That or beat down. It depends on why someone was being punished.”
“So why send a message, why not just act and get it over with?”
Rhea laughed. “The message is to make you sweat. They like to get under your skin and make you live with the fear of not knowing when you’re going down or who’s going to do it.”
Morgan tried not to think about it. Things didn’t work like that in the real world. People were mostly good, and she had no reason to believe anyone would want to hurt her. But what if Rhea was right? What if the message wasn’t for her? What if all of this was about Rhea? All the trouble had started after Rhea had come to the farm, and people had expressed their dislike of having her around. Morgan’s gut twisted at the thought of anyone wanting to hurt Rhea. “Well, around here it’s more likely some kids messing around who got carried away.”
Rhea pulled away from Morgan. “Trust me, being a kid doesn’t make you innocent.”
Morgan flinched at the reminder of Rhea’s past. “That’s not what I meant.”
Rhea blew out a breath and glared at Morgan. “You can pretend all you want, Morgan, but the world isn’t all love and cotton candy. People do bad things, they hurt other people, and most of the time they don’t even feel bad about it. Maybe all that time in the church sheltered you from what people are really like, but I’m not that naïve. I know exactly what people are capable of.” Rhea got up and walked out of the room.
Morgan stared after her. Rhea was right about one thing. At one time she had thought there were two camps of people, those who were good and those who were bad. The more she learned about Rhea’s story, the more she came to realize that sometimes a person could be both. Maybe if she’d learned that long ago, things in her own life would have been different. Ashley had had clearly defined ideas of what she needed to be in order to be good, and it was an expectation she hadn’t been able to live up to, and she’d turned on herself. Maybe if Morgan had understood her better, she could have helped her. Maybe Ashley would still be alive.
Morgan sat on the stool beside Soldier with her shoulders slumped under the weight of her failure and the helplessness to do anything to stop what was happening to them. Perhaps Rhea was right. Maybe she had been living in a fantasy world and had been kidding herself that she could help anyone.
Chapter Twelve
Rhea and Soldier sat in the field overlooking the farm. She rested her arm around his back, comforted by his warm presence. He was getting better, and she’d started letting him sit outside and watch the sunset every day. She’d barely left him alone since the shooting and was still uneasy about being away from him. Morgan had been by to check on them every day, but they’d hardly talked. Rhea had been angry, and it was easier to shut Morgan out than face what was really bothering her. She’d let Morgan get to her. She’d gotten under her skin, and Rhea cared way too much already. She’d almost lost Soldier, and she couldn’t imagine what it would feel like if that had been Morgan. She had pulled back into herself and was determined to keep Morgan at a distance.
She had known better than to believe she could stay and have a life here. Morgan didn’t deserve to have everything she’d worked for destroyed because of her. She’d called her parole officer and talked to her about moving. J.J. didn’t think it was a good idea to move but left it up to her, as long as she kept in contact. Rhea had barely ever been more than a few hours’ drive of her family home, except for the time she was in prison. It wasn’t like she had friends to visit or any idea what it was like to be anywhere else. She could always get in her Jeep and drive until she landed someplace for a while. Maybe if she didn’t put down any roots and didn’t stay long enough for people to start to talk she’d be okay. She still had another year of parole hanging over her head, and that limited her options even more.
She wasn’t sure how she was going to tell Morgan she was leaving. She already knew she’d try to talk her out of it, but no matter how she looked at it there wasn’t any other answer. Things had gotten out of hand, and she couldn’t keep putting Morgan in danger.
The fading light of the sun lit up the sky with streaks of orange and turned the delicate wisps of clouds to dark masses of purple that looked like they had been painted to mirror the roll of the mountains below. Wildflowers danced on the breeze, turning their heads to drink in the last lingering kisses of the sun. The air was full with the smell of cherry blossoms, and a symphony of frogs called out to each other in a well-timed rhythm that was like music to Rhea’s ears.
This was the picture she had waited for from the first moment she had climbed this ridge when she’d first arrived at the farm. She had dreamed of spring, all those years she had been imprisoned and shut away from all that was pure and wild. It was cruel to be here now, surrounded by all that she had dreamed of, only to have it tainted by such a heavy heart.
She sat there long after the sun had set and watched the farm fall asleep. Soldier lay with his head in her lap, content. Movement caught her eye, and she looked toward the barn and saw Morgan making her way back to the house. Rhea watched the way Morgan moved. Every step was made with purpose and hinted of the power of her strength and the grace of her tenderness. Once again Rhea had the strange feeling that Morgan wasn’t real, that she was so much more than she appeared. Rhea was mesmerized, completely captivated by this infatuation with Morgan, and her heart ached at the thought of leaving.
The light of the moon seemed to follow Morgan across the yard as if the heavens too were drawn to her radiance. Morgan stopped and looked around as if listening to something. Rhea looked around, trying to find the source of Morgan’s distraction, but couldn’t hear anything at that distance. Morgan turned and took a few steps toward the studio. A second later a bright flash burst through the night and a terrible boom struck Rhea like a fist to the chest. Morgan was thrown back as flames and wood leaped at her. Rhea screamed and jumped to her feet. Soldier was already moving toward Morgan as fast as he could manage and his commanding barks were frantic in the surrounding silence.
Rhea ran as fast as her feet would carry her, desperately hoping Morgan was all right. The studio was on fire and there were oxygen tanks and fuel nearby. God, the whole place could blow. She skidded to a stop at Morgan’s feet and fell to the ground at her side. She was facedown on the ground and her thick flannel jacket was on fire. Rhea jerked off her own jacket and used it to smother the flames.
Morgan groaned and tried to roll to her side.
“Morgan, are you all right?” Rhea pulled the collar of Morgan’s coat aside. Blisters and red burns crossed Morgan’s neck and along her jaw. “Oh Jesus,” Rhea whispered. She managed to turn Morgan over. Morgan had a large gash on her head just above her left temple. Panic swelled in Rhea’s belly like a raging creek during a spring flood, and she wasn’t sure what to do.
Soldier grabbed the shoulder of Morgan’s jacket in his mouth and started to pull. Rhea followed his cue and dragged Morgan away from the burning building. She rifled through Morgan’s pockets, found her cell phone, and managed to call 911.
Morgan groaned and started moving around as if she was going to get up.
Rhea grasped her hand and pressed against her shoulder to keep her still. “Don’t move
. Help is on the way.”
Morgan kept moving, and Rhea noticed blood in her ears. She wasn’t sure Morgan could hear her. She leaned down and pressed her hands against the sides of Morgan’s face. Morgan’s eyes flickered and she looked up at Rhea with fear and pain in her eyes. Her gaze was unfocused and confused.
Rhea leaned closer until she was certain Morgan was looking at her. “Don’t move. Help is coming.”
Morgan frowned. “I’m burning.”
Rhea nodded. “I put the fire out, but it got you pretty good.”
Morgan closed her eyes tight, and when she opened them again they were wet with tears.
Rhea’s heart broke. She wanted to help, but there was nothing else she could do to stop Morgan’s pain.
“The studio,” Morgan rasped.
Rhea nodded. “I’ll do what I can. Just don’t move, do you hear me?”
Morgan’s eyes widened, and she shook her head. “Not safe.”
“I’ll be okay. I promise.”
Rhea looked up at Soldier. “Watch her.” She patted his head and ran to the machine shop. She grabbed the thick rubber hose and connected it to the outside faucet. She doubted there was much she could do with a garden hose, but maybe she could keep the place from going down before the fire department arrived.
Rhea tried her best, but the blaze was too hot to put out alone, so she focused on the back of the building and tried to keep the fire from spreading farther. Most of the building was brick and stone and heavy steel, so it was worth a try. Rhea set the hose on full blast, focused it on the back door, and wedged it into a small metal statue Morgan had in the yard. She waited a minute, then ran inside.
*
Morgan’s head rang, but she could hear the sound of sirens growing in the distance. She swallowed and let out a breath of relief. The fire department was on the way. She tried to sit up to see where Rhea went, but the instant she moved, a searing pain shot through her neck and hand and her head felt like it would burst. A solid paw thumped down on her chest, making the final point that she should stay still. She squinted up at Soldier. He looked worried. How many times had he seen scenes just like this or worse?
“It’s okay, Soldier.” She pulled her hurt hand to her chest. The pain was so intense it was as if her skin was still on fire, but there were no flames. She pushed Soldier aside and rolled to her side so she could sit up. She could see an ambulance barreling down the long dirt road that served as her driveway. The fire engine was close behind and a line of police cars were scattered in the mix. The cavalry was coming.
She looked around but couldn’t find Rhea anywhere. She tried to get up, but the world spun beneath her, and she was afraid she would pass out. Finally Rhea came out of the back door of her workshop carrying one of the fuel tanks. Primal fear overtook her the moment she saw Rhea carrying the equivalent to a bomb through the fire. What the hell was she doing?
“Rhea!” Morgan screamed.
Rhea’s head jerked in her direction, and she dropped the tank next to three others she had deposited on the ground away from the fire. She ran back to Morgan.
Morgan was amazed by what she saw. Rhea had managed to remove the tanks without getting herself blown up. But her skin and clothes were covered in smoke and soot, her hair was singed, and her eyes were red from the smoke and fumes. Morgan didn’t know if she should hug her or kick her for her stupid bravery.
“Are you crazy? You could have gotten yourself killed,” Morgan said the instant Rhea was by her side. “Are you okay?”
Rhea coughed, and it sounded like she was having trouble getting in enough air. “I’m okay. It looks like the fire is only in the studio. I got the tanks out before it could reach the workshop.” Rhea coughed again. “The walls are keeping it from spreading through the rest of the building.”
Morgan let out a sigh of relief. “That was still a crazy thing you did.”
Rhea moved around behind Morgan. “Lean on me,” she said as she pulled Morgan against her. “What else can I do?”
Morgan rested against Rhea and was grateful for the comfort in her embrace. At least she wasn’t alone. “Call J.J.”
“Okay.” Rhea brushed the hair back from Morgan’s forehead and pressed something against her head.
“Ouch.”
“Yeah, ouch, you have one hell of a cut on your head, be still.”
Morgan shivered and gripped Rhea’s arm with her good hand.
“You’re going to be all right, do you hear me? You’re going to be just fine.”
Morgan could hear the fear in Rhea’s voice, and she wondered which one of them Rhea was trying to convince. “Okay,” Morgan agreed.
The ambulance stopped only feet from where they lay huddled on the ground. A few seconds later two very large men jumped out and pushed a gurney toward them.
Rhea pulled away so the two medics could work on Morgan. She brushed the sting of smoke and tears from her eyes with the palms of her hands and felt the reassuring nudge of Soldier’s body pressed against her thigh. She slid her fingers through his thick fur, pulled him against her, and stroked his head. She watched as Morgan was moved onto the gurney and the medic worked on Morgan’s burns.
Rhea was lost. She wanted to go with Morgan. She wanted to see to it that she was cared for and kept safe. But she couldn’t leave Soldier and the farm.
The second medic came to Rhea. “Are you okay, miss? Can I check you out now?”
“I’m fine,” Rhea said dismissively.
“I’m sure you are, but I’d still like to check. At least take a little oxygen. It looks like you took in a lot of smoke.”
Rhea nodded and followed the young man to the ambulance. She sat beside Morgan and watched the medic insert an intravenous line.
“Hey,” Morgan said.
“Hey, boss.”
Morgan smiled, but Rhea could see the pain and fear swimming in her eyes.
The medic handed Rhea the oxygen mask, and she held it to her face for a moment as she watched Morgan. “I want to come with you, but I need to see to Soldier first.”
Morgan nodded. “Take my keys out of my coat pocket. You can take my truck. Will you lock the house and call J.J.?”
Rhea nodded. She was relieved to have a direction to go, something she could do to help, and most of all that Morgan wanted her there. “I’ll be right behind you.”
Morgan nodded and closed her eyes.
Rhea handed the oxygen mask back to the medic. “Thanks.”
“You sure you don’t want to ride with us?”
“No, thanks, just take good care of her.”
Rhea jumped out of the ambulance and watched the big doors slam shut.
*
Rhea raced to the hospital as soon as she locked up the house and put Soldier in the cabin and changed his bandages. She decided against driving Morgan’s truck because of its size and drove her Jeep instead. It had been weird calling her probation officer in the middle of the night, but J.J. was Morgan’s sister and had been grateful she’d called.
Rhea thought of her own sister and longed for that connection. She wished there was some way her sister could understand, but they hadn’t spoken in fifteen years and any hope for a connection with her family was a futile dream. Morgan was the closest thing she had to family, and she was hurt and suffering. Rhea clenched her teeth and gripped the steering wheel to keep her hands from shaking and tried to keep her fear from overtaking her.
The ER was bright and the lights made Rhea feel exposed, as if the light magnified her vulnerability and weakness.
“Excuse me, an ambulance brought in Morgan Scott a few minutes ago, can you please tell me where she is?” Rhea asked the woman seated at the reception desk.
The woman looked up at Rhea over small square reading glasses. “Are you a family member?”
Rhea was confused. “She’s my boss, and she’s hurt. She’s expecting me to be here.”
The woman sighed. “I’m sorry, but we can’t release any information to
anyone but direct family members without the patient’s consent.”
“But I promised her I’d meet her here. She’s expecting me to be here with her.”
The nurse removed her glasses and looked pointedly at Rhea. “I’m sorry, but those are the rules.”
Rhea was frustrated. “Can’t you go ask her? You can get her permission.”
“I’m sorry. You can have a seat in the waiting area if you’d like.”
Rhea could hear the blood rushing through her ears with each heartbeat. Desperation was beginning to get the best of her, and she considered charging past the nurse to find Morgan herself. She’d lived by the rules for years, having to ask permission to go to the bathroom, to read a book, or even to speak. She was tired of rules.
“Look, lady, I know you have a job to do, but my friend is back there somewhere, and she’s hurt and scared, and she needs me. I don’t give a shit about your rules. Now someone needs to take me to Morgan.”
“Ma’am, you need to calm down.”
The security guard headed in Rhea’s direction, and she braced herself for a fight.
“Is there a problem here?” he asked, as he rested his hand on a Taser on his belt.
Rhea was about to unleash on the security guard when J.J. rushed through the doors.
“Oh, thank God.” She ran to Rhea and gripped her arm with the strength of a gorilla. “How is she?”
“I don’t know. The secret service here won’t tell me anything, and they won’t let me see her,” Rhea said through clenched teeth.
J.J. squared her shoulders, and Rhea was amazed by the command in her voice when she spoke. “I’m Morgan’s sister. Now what the hell is going on?”
“Just a moment and someone will be out to speak with you.” The nurse immediately picked up the phone, and a minute later a tall, thin woman in scrubs stepped out from a set of automatic doors and motioned to them. “You can come with me, J.J. I’ll take you to Morgan.”
Rhea felt relief as sweet as a spring rain when J.J. took her arm and led her down the hall. She was a little light-headed and struggled with the torrent of emotions she’d been through in the last hour. They rounded a corner and stopped outside a thin curtain that closed off a section of the room. The woman turned to J.J.
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