Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Dr. Williams’ consulting rooms, Porter’s Corner
Sienna
“I am so impressed with your progress, Sienna.” Dr. Williams’ smile carried genuine warmth. “I believe we can start reducing your medication. Soon, you won’t even need them anymore.”
“Crone is better than any human-made medication, Doc.” Sienna’s voice softened when speaking his name. “I still can’t believe the impact he’s had on my life.”
“Love is a very powerful form of healing, my dear.” Dr. Williams made careful notations in Sienna’s file.
Looking up, she tilted her head thoughtfully.
“I met Crone last year during a visit.” A slight frown creased her brow.
“It’s strange. He’s been visiting the Jaegers for years and accompanied them to Rawhide Ranch countless times, yet your paths never crossed before. ”
Sienna traced the edge of her chair, considering her response.
“I suppose the time wasn’t right, Doc. Meeting Crone made me believe in the power of the Universe.
” Her voice grew stronger, more certain.
“We were meant to carry the burden of our suffering in order to find each other when we needed it most. I was on the verge of giving up when he came into my life. Who knows how I would’ve reacted had we met a year ago. ”
“You’re one-hundred-percent correct, Sienna.
” Dr. Williams leaned forward. “True and lasting recovery from trauma is similar to accepting death. Those seven stages are crucial. For some it takes a couple of months, for others, depending on the depth of the darkness inside them, years.” Standing, she rounded her desk, compassion softening her professional demeanor.
“I am happy for you, Sienna. Crone suffered physical torture to a level very few would survive. That left him with the insight of how deep one can spiral emotionally. He’s one of the best men I know, and I am assured you’ll be well taken care of. ”
“I know I am.” The impulse to hug her was sudden and strong. For two years, Sienna had maintained careful distance which made Dr. Williams’ surprise at the embrace understandable. “Thank you for being there for me even though I made it so difficult for you.”
“I could say it’s my job, but I truly like you, Sienna.” Dr. Williams returned the hug warmly. “You deserve happiness, and I’m so glad you finally accepted that too.”
Leaving the building, Sienna felt lighter than she had in years.
The summer breeze carried the scent of fresh-baked bread from the bakery down the street.
A smile tugged at the corner of her lips at the thought of Crone indulging himself with his usual latte at the coffee shop.
As she rounded the corner, her world tilted sharply on its axis.
Stepping out of the gallery’s ornate doorway, was Stan Hunter.
Sienna froze as her breath caught in her throat. There, so close, stood the profile of the man she had hoped never to see again. His shoulders were set in that predatory stance that used to haunt her nightmares.
Her knees threatened to give out. The coffee shop where Crone waited was just across the street, barely fifty yards away, but it might as well have been miles.
To reach it, she’d have to pass directly in Stan’s line of sight.
The boutique behind her offered potential shelter, but the bell above its door would announce her presence.
Move. Just move, Sienna! The command screamed through her mind, but terror held her rooted.
Gone was the confidence from moments ago, replaced by the sickening memory of fists and the excruciating cut of a knife.
Her phone was in her pocket with Crone’s number just a touch away, but even that simple movement seemed beyond her capability.
The peaceful street now felt like a trap.
People browsed shop windows, oblivious to the predator in their midst. How long had he been watching?
Did he know about Crone? The thought sent fresh horror coursing through her veins.
Stan’s violence had always escalated when he felt challenged, and she knew Crone would never back down from protecting her.
Her heart thundered so loudly she was certain everyone could hear it. She needed to warn Crone, needed to keep Stan away from him, away from Rawhide Ranch, and away from everything good she had built.
Just then, Stan turned slightly. Sienna drew a deep breath as she saw his reflection in the gallery window. The years hadn’t softened him, if anything, he seemed to be bigger and sharper… crueler. As if sensing her presence, he turned toward her.
Their eyes met in the reflection, and Sienna saw his face transform with predatory recognition.
The cruel twist of his lips, which was so familiar and terrifying, turned her blood to ice.
Time compressed into heartbeats as his body pivoted.
Her muscles finally unlocked as pure survival instinct propelled her forward.
“Look who I finally found.” His voice, carrying easily across the quiet street, shattered her paralysis.
Sienna’s legs finally reacted to the frantic order from her brain, and she bolted toward the coffee shop while she fumbled for her phone.
The screen blurred as she tried to hit Crone’s number, but her panic-clumsy hands betrayed her.
“Still running, Sienna?” Stan’s footsteps echoed behind her. “You always did make things harder than they needed to be.”
People scattered as she rushed past, their startled expressions registering dimly through her terror. The coffee shop’s door seemed miles away. Please let Crone be there. Please don’t let Stan hurt him. The prayer looped through her mind.
“That was quite a kiss you shared with that tall and scarred motherfucker earlier.” The casual menace in his voice reached her clearly as he kept up with her. “Didn’t take you long to replace me, did it? But then again, you always were a worthless whore.”
Her stomach lurched. He had seen them. The knowledge that he’d been so close and watched them, violated the sanctity of her morning with Crone.
Her newfound strength wavered, but the thought of Crone waiting in the coffee shop steadied her.
She wasn’t that broken girl anymore. She had someone and a future worth fighting for.
Stan’s footsteps echoed closer with his shadow stretching toward her like a physical threat. The peaceful street suddenly transformed into a battlefield, with too many innocent bystanders who could get hurt.
“Your new boyfriend can’t save you.” Stan’s voice dripped with malice. He was closer… too close. “Nobody can. You belong to me.”
Those words that used to paralyze her with fear, now sparked anger. How dare he threaten her here, in this place where she had finally found peace? Where she had found love?
Her fingers finally cooperated enough to hit Crone’s number. The ring seemed deafening in her ear as she approached the coffee shop’s entrance. Just a few more steps...
A rough hand seized her arm, spinning her around. Stan’s face, twisted with rage and possession, filled her vision. His fingers dug into her flesh with bruising force.
“Did you think I wouldn’t find you? That I would stop looking?” His breath hit her face, carrying the familiar hateful scent of cigar smoke. “That I’d let you walk away from me?”
Despite her racing heart, Sienna lifted her chin. “I don’t belong to you anymore, Stan. I never did.” Her voice shook but she held firmly. “Let go of me.”
His grip tightened painfully, but she refused to wince. “You’ve grown bold.” His eyes narrowed dangerously. “It seems you need to be reminded of your place.”
“My place?” In that moment, she snapped as years of fear transformed into white-hot fury. “My place is wherever I choose to be. With someone who loves me, not owns me.” She yanked against his grip. “You’re nothing but a coward who can only feed off hurting women.”
Stan’s face contorted with rage. His free hand pulled back. Through her terror, Sienna held her ground. Crone’s love gave her courage. His hand never connected. A nearby shop door chimed, and Stan’s predatory instincts faltered as his eyes darted to check for witnesses.
Sienna seized the moment, twisting her arm the way Crone had taught her during the self-defense sessions he had insisted on giving her.
“You little bitch!” Stan’s snarl carried more surprise than anger. He clearly hadn’t expected resistance.
“Things have changed, Stan.” Her voice steadied with each word, even as her heart hammered against her ribs. “I changed.”
His laugh was ugly and threatening. “Changed? Into what? Some ranch hand’s whore?
” He stepped closer, using his bulk to intimidate.
“I heard you were in Missoula. All dressed up, playing caretaker for a bunch of students. Mike might’ve been too scared to follow, but I’m not afraid of mountain folk. ”
The phone was still ringing in her hand. Where are you, Crone? But even as fear clawed at her throat, determination steeled her spine. She refused to let Stan anywhere near her new life, or the people she loved.
Her hand instinctively moved to her abdomen, where the scars still marked his greatest cruelty.
“You lost any right to my life when you murdered my baby.” Her voice shook with rage rather than fear now.
“Twenty-five weeks, Stan. She was an innocent baby. And you—” Her throat tightened around the words, but she forced them out.
“You destroyed any chance I had of ever being a mother.”
His expression shifted into that dangerous calm she remembered all too well.
“You needed to learn your place.” His voice dropped lower, meant for her ears alone.
“Looks like you still haven’t learned it.
You are mine, Sienna. Always were. That brat would’ve taken you away from me, I thought you realized that? ”