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)
In the silence that follows, I drain the rest of my beer before pushing to my feet. “Good luck with the performance.”
“See you around,” he calls after me and I know he will. He has about a half dozen people at Courage County Fire and Rescue that he works with and could call for help. But he’ll still dream up another task that he needs my assistance with.
On the drive to my place on the ranch, I roll the windows down and let Luna stick her head out. The air is thick and heavy in the way that only the South gets right before a thunderstorm. Clouds are already gathering overhead, gray and menacing.
The moment I start down the dirt path that makes up my driveway, I know something is wrong. My heart beats faster and my mouth goes dry. Once upon a time, I could deal with the unexpected without thinking twice. Now, the slightest thing out of routine has me on high alert.
Luna pulls herself from hanging out the window and quickly rests her head on my thigh. She’s not trained to be a service dog, but it doesn’t stop her from looking out for me. She always pulls me from my nightmares and senses when my anxiety is climbing. She puts her head on my thigh since she can’t put it on my chest like she normally does.
I pet her as I take a deep breath, letting her soft fur ground me. I scan the house again, looking for what’s wrong. The porch light is on. I know damn well that I didn’t leave it on, and I don’t have those fancy ones that come on automatically.
The flowerpot that was an art project from Leo and Lyla is two inches off center from where it normally is. The muddy footprint on the step is further proof that someone has been or is in my home.
It could just be a bored teenager. There are more than a few of them around Courage County. The graffiti on the barn near Brody’s place is proof enough of that.
Most of the rooms are made of glass walls, except for the bathroom and a portion of the kitchen where the place needed structural support. The intruder is probably in one of those rooms.
“Stay here, Luna,” I say as I ease from the truck. She’s a fierce guard dog and I don’t doubt for a moment that she’d protect me. But I can’t risk losing her if this isn’t an idiot teenager like I suspect. Luna is too precious. Besides, the footprint is small. An intruder easily overpowered.
There’s no point in trying to conceal my approach. Whoever this is can probably see me through the windows. They let me look out into the world and give me the sense of freedom I crave.
After returning stateside, I didn’t sleep inside a structure for months. I needed the sky above me and the earth under me. I couldn’t stand the feeling of being caged in. That’s why Brody and Colt suggested a glass house. It’s a solution that allows me to feel outside without actually being outside.
Striding into the house, I prepare to face the intruder, but I stop short when I spot the raven-haired beauty standing in my kitchen. It’s her, the curvy woman whose smile got me through the darkest nights of hell.
Brooke
Ryker is different now. I know that the moment he steps into his modern kitchen with the sleek appliances and the rustic furniture. There’s a darkness around him that wasn’t there when I met him three years ago. Back then, he was lighter. Happier.
He shoves his hands in the pockets of his worn blue jeans that stretch tight across his thick thighs. He wears leather cuffs around his wrists now. It seems strange then I remember that he’s out of the Army. He doesn’t have to be as strict with the way he dresses or the jewelry he chooses. But his hair is still military short, like he’s waiting to be recalled.
For a moment, I wonder if he even remembers me. Ian dated a lot of girls. Some of them while we were together.
Ryker opens his mouth and in a gritty voice that sounds like whiskey poured over gravel, he calls my name.
I want to close my eyes and drown in that sound. My nipples pebble in my top, and I ache in that spot between my thighs. How is it that he has this power over me? How is it that a word from him has me wanting to curl up in his lap like a cat?
“What are you doing here?” His blue gaze is so different today. Back then, it twinkled with mischief. Now, there’s so much pain in it.
He’s fighting demons. I sense them but I don’t understand them. Does this have something to do with his work overseas? I know he came back with medals, but his missions were classified. Even with my great hacking skills, I haven’t been able to figure out what he was doing.