Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Of course there was.
“Lay it on me.” He moved to the edge of the porch proper shoulder against the corner post continue to stare off into the mountains.
“There was one other number that I managed to trace and it leads back to Hallelujah Crossing.”
Ryker gripped the back of his neck and tugged. “So he’s here? And I just for some reason can’t find my brother in this smallish town?”
“No. He called somebody there and they talked for a couple of minutes before the connection was severed.”
“Tell me who it is.”
“It went to a burner phone but this number also had other people trying to reach it. People out of DC high in the political arena.” A few beats past. “The other calls were from people on the staff for Senator Hunter.”
While he didn’t pay tons of attention to politics and who was who within the social elite circles of Washington DC he was acquainted with the name Senator Hunter. The man was ruthless in his climbing to the top. Had made some friends in question places I always had things to go his way were somebody to take care of the obstacles in his way.
“I know the name. I have to tell you Preston, I’ve been around good portion of the people in this town and I don’t see anybody who fits the social climbing elite of the DC political shark circle.”
Hell, the only one who came close to that kind of money had been Xavier, okay, he surpassed, but he was in tech, not politics.
“It’s Rayla, Ryker. She’s their daughter.”
His muttered curse slip from his lips as he grabbed the corner and squeezed welcoming the pain of the tiny slivers biting into his skin. He didn’t let go, in fact he held harder willing the pain to increase to short-circuit his brain and stop the thoughts that were racing through there about the woman he was determined to make his wife.
“I’m sorry man.”
Ryker shook his head not wanting to believe this not wanting to imagine the woman he envisioned as his perfect partner being wrapped up in this. “I have to find out what I can.”
A sympathetic, yet warning sigh. “She’s not an enemy combatant, Ryker. And you can’t lie to this woman while you try to get information out of her especially if you’re planning on making a future with her.” He cleared his throat. “Since, since you’re planning on that.”
He understood the words his friend said yet, it didn’t matter right now the only thing that did was getting his brother back. Safely.
After that, he could figure out more with him and Rayla. Preston wasn’t wrong, she was it for him but if she was part of this shit his brother was wrapped up in, well, he wasn’t sure how he would take it.
Unease skated up his spine, but Ryker swallowed it back and slowly turned towards the steps leading to the cabin door. Glancing across the space he landed his eyes on Rayla’s cabin and clenched his jaw.
Why did things have to be so shitty?
“Ryker? Dammit man are you listening to me?”
“I heard you,” he lied to his friend as he walked to the door and let himself inside his cabin. “I have to go. I’ve got a woman to question.” Ryker ended the call on his friend’s response.
After dropping the phone on the counter is stood over the kitchen sink and cleaned out his hand in the splinters, continuing to wash the blood down until the water ran clear. There wasn’t a lot but it stung. With a deep breath he braced his hands on the edge of the sink and closed his eyes.
What am I going to do with you Rayla? And what am I gonna do about this?
Chapter 7
Unease churned in her gut, bile rushed up her throat and she desperately swallowed it back. Her legs weren’t cooperating either as she made her wobbly way through the main of the cabin, down the short hall to the single bedroom.
Rubbing her chest, Rayla tried to calm down. It wasn’t an easy feat, not with what she’d just overheard.
He knew.
Ryker knew who she was and was like everyone else, using her to get information.
Cold leeched into her, making her limbs stiff and uncoordinated as she stumbled to the bed. Despite it being summer in Tennessee, she couldn’t get warm. Shivers racked her body and she couldn’t stop them. Even her teeth clacked together.
How could I have been so dumb? I should have known a man like him, who could have any damn woman he set his mind to, wouldn’t want me unless there was something in it for him.
Tears burned the corners of her eyes and she willed them not to fall. Moot, but hey, she’d tried.
A tiny part of her brain piped up and suggested maybe, just maybe, she should give him a chance to explain and it wasn’t something as she was assuming it to be.