Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
He smiled at me when I glanced up at him. “Taste it and tell me what you think.”
I did as he asked and moaned in delight. “Heavenly.”
Randy laughed, and I looked at him. I was instantly relieved that the sound wasn’t familiar. I stole a look at Liam and smiled.
When we finished our meal—the men had filled the time with small talk about the ranch—Randy tossed his napkin on the table. “So, are you finally going to tell me why you asked me over? I already know it wasn’t just because of my riveting personality.”
Liam wiped the corner of his mouth and set his napkin back in his lap. “I don’t really know where to start.”
Randy looked at him and raised a brow. “At the beginning is usually the best place.”
“A few nights back, during a storm, I was riding back from Billy’s place, and I saw something in the pasture. At first I thought it was a calf, but the closer I got…I realized it was a person lying on the ground.”
Sitting up straighter, Randy focused all his attention on Liam.
“When I realized it was a woman, I quickly jumped off of Moonshine and rolled her over.”
Randy tore his eyes from Liam to me then back to Liam.
“It was Mallory that I found.”
Now Randy’s gaze was focused back on me, and I squirmed slightly in my seat.
“Wait, I’m confused. What were you doing in the field? During a storm?”
I swallowed and was about to speak when Liam went on. “She was barely conscious, cold, and soaking wet from the storm. At the time, I hadn’t even realized she wasn’t wearing shoes. I got her up on Moonshine and brought her home. She was barely able to answer me when I asked what her name was. She slept for two days straight. When she finally woke up this morning, she had no idea where she was…or who she was.”
Randy looked at me. “Is that still the case?”
“Yes. I don’t have any memories before waking up in—” My voice cracked, and I looked down at my hands, now twisting the napkin in my lap.
“Randy, Mallory was being held by someone in a basement. He had her locked up for a couple days and was toying with her, telling her what he was going to do to her. Bad things. The walls were brick, and she said she worked for hours to loosen one. She hid the brick, and when the guy came back in, she hit him over the head and ran.”
I watched as Randy’s eyes grew wider and wider as Liam spoke.
He turned to me and blinked a few times. “Are you saying you were kidnapped and held against your will?”
Nodding, I said, “Yes. I was kept in a basement-type place below a barn. When I hit him, I ran as fast as I could, and I didn’t stop. It was two full days of running. I climbed over fences, under them, through a storm, crossed a few creeks, and I stopped only when I could literally no longer run. The second night, there was another storm, and I climbed yet another fence. I could tell it was a huge pasture of some kind, and I didn’t like being so exposed. I just ran until I basically collapsed. I couldn’t run anymore. When I felt Liam picking me up, I remember praying it wasn’t the bad man who’d found me.”
Randy glanced at Liam, and I could see the anger on his face. Suddenly he stood and yelled, “Why in the hell haven’t you called the police, Liam?”
CHAPTER TEN
Liam
I could practically see steam coming from Randy’s ears. Standing slowly, I held up my hands and said quietly, “Randy, I need you to calm down and please let us finish telling you everything.”
Randy looked at Mallory, and instantly his face softened when he saw the fear there. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell like that.”
She had sunk way down in her seat, her shoulders drawn up close to her ears.
After Randy sat, Mallory slowly straightened. I wanted to punch Randy for making her feel so afraid. I forced myself to calm down and not lash out at my cousin. Instead, I spoke slow and steady.
“After I found Mallory and got her to the house, she slept for a couple days, like I said. When she woke up and told me everything, I said we should go to the police.”
“But I don’t want to,” Mallory quickly added.
Randy nodded. “May I ask why?”
She shook her head slightly and said, “I don’t trust anyone. From what I can tell, this is a very sparsely populated area, and what if he’s a police officer, or someone even higher up? If he finds out I’m alive, he’ll come after me.”
“We can protect you,” Randy argued.
Mallory glanced at me. “Not like Liam can.” Facing my cousin again, she went on. “My kidnapper told me he knew all kinds of people, and that if I tried to run, he would find me. He said he knew cops. I can’t risk it, I’m sorry.” She looked back at me, and her cheeks blushed slightly. “I don’t know why, but my gut tells me I can only trust Liam.”