Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
“Because throwing your life away for them is reckless and irresponsible,” he barks as thunder shakes the house. He’s a mighty warrior, riled up. But he’s not right about this. He can’t be. Hiding away isn’t a solution.
“It’s my life.” I’ve always had other people telling me what to do and when to do it. I’ve never been free to make my own choices and that changes. Today, I will become the tigress who fights her way out of the cage.
“I’m not letting you do it,” he says this as if he’s the final authority. Like he just gets to waltz into my life and determine what I’ll do.
“I won’t live in fear anymore.” I’ve spent my life waiting for the other shoe to drop, always fearing the next horrible thing that could happen. “I’m tired of being a prisoner.”
Something in him softens at my words. The tension drains from his shoulders and he lets out a breath. It’s a soft noise, a sigh of defeat. But even with this small victory, I already know that we won’t win the war. That’s because in war, there are no winners. There are only survivors and those lucky few that get to write the history books.
“Then I’ll help you take them down.” He scoots close to me on the couch. He takes my hand in his and threads our fingers together.
Without pausing to analyze why, I rest my head on his shoulder. I inhale the spicy scent that is Ryker, pine trees and brandy. Somehow, I know that if I fall asleep next to him, the nightmares won’t come.
Before I can drift to sleep, a ringing noise interrupts us. He reaches for his phone on the coffee table and frowns at the ID.
I take a peek before he answers. Why is Ian calling his dad? They rarely stayed in touch back when I was dating. Maybe they mended fences but that doesn’t sound like Ian’s style. He’d never let his dad be a part of his life simply because it’s something that Ryker craves. Nothing delights Ian more than getting to be cruel to others simply because he can. He’s like my father in that regard. It’s little wonder I was forced to date the prick.
Ryker turns on the speakerphone, gesturing for me to be silent. “Hey, is everything OK? You never call this late.”
“Everything’s cool,” Ian says. There’s noise in the background, loud music and the clinking of glasses. I suspect he’s at one of his favorite clubs. He loves being seen and throwing around cash. He revels in getting to push others around because of his name. More than that, he wants everyone to know who Adam Barrett’s son and beloved heir is. “I wanted to touch base. See what the old man was up to. Make sure you weren’t in a cage again.”
Ryker’s fingers clench into a fist. But his voice is cool betraying no emotion when he says, “Nice of you to care so much.”
Ian laughs and it’s that annoying bray I had to endure the entire time we dated. “Listen, a girl I used to know went missing. You remember her from the party?”
“There were a lot of girls as I recall.” He manages to sound bored by the whole conversation. “Why? Did you knock somebody else up?”
“Nah, this bitch was frigid. Tight, red dress. Fat as a pig. Think you talked to her for a few minutes.”
His description doesn’t even surprise me. Ian never has compassion or empathy for anyone who isn’t himself. As for the frigid part, I didn’t let things go very far with him because I knew he was screwing other girls on the side. The one time he ignored my “no”, I kneed him in the balls and told him only the gators would find his body if he ever tried that again.
A muscle in Ryker’s jaw works for a long moment and his gaze flashes with fury. Still, his tone is carefully controlled. “Not ringing any bells. You said she’s missing?”
He could sell me out right here. I have no doubt that if Ryker turned me over to Ian or even my stepbrothers, he could expect a handsome payout. But he’s not that type of man.
The environment around Ian gets quieter and I hear the faint sound of a toilet flushing. “Yeah, her family is real worried. If you see her, give me a call. They need to know she’s safe.”
“Sure,” he answers casually.
They chat for a few more minutes but the conversation is forced and stilted. When they do finally hang up, Ryker tosses his phone back on the coffee table. His voice is growly when he asks, “Do you know what this means?”
I blow out a breath as the heavy truth settles on my shoulders. “They know I’m gone.”
5
RYKER
The next morning, I wake to the smell of bacon and eggs. The storm has finally passed, and the sun is shining. Brooke fell asleep on me last night. I stayed awake to make sure she was safe.