Page 123 of Rescued Heart

“Yes, you did!” Riley screamed. “You knew how Nathan kept his expensive lifestyle. How he afforded your apartment. I saw you flaunting online the purses and shoes he bought you. If we can’t get our money, we’ll take justice. It’s only fair. Because not only did we lose our inheritance, but when my fiancé got hooked into Nathan’s poker ring and lost everything, he had to marry an heiress to recover financially. I lost the man I loved.” Riley shrugged. “It’s only fair that Nathan does too.”

Bianca swallowed. “Nathan’s dead.”

“And you should’ve been dead already too, except my idiot brother can’t seem to kill you. Third time will apparently be the charm.”

Third time?“It was you all along.” Bianca stumbled.

Kelson growled. “It was Nathan’s fault that Roger stole my business. That wasn’t supposed to be part of the deal.”

“Until you gambled and lost the rest of our money.” Riley trudged closer to her brother.

My brother’s work company’s in money troubles.

“Your brother owes the Duke too?” Bianca whispered.

The light on Bianca drifted to the ground as Riley turned toward her brother. “You might have finally done something right.” A half smile took over her scowl. “By killing Roger, you just made me the new Duke.”

Kelson tilted his head back toward the cabin. “Well, Duchess, only after you kill the old hag I tied up in the cabin.”

Bianca probably should care what Riley was talking about, but nothing really mattered except getting herself and Eddie out of here alive. She rocked another step away. If she could reach the tree behind her, she could duck, and then what? Grab a stick for a weapon?

“Don’t move.” Riley’s voice whipped over the crickets. The light refocused in on Bianca’s face. “You better take ten steps—only—in my direction and not move any other way, or I’m shooting you and then making you crawl out. If you obey, I’ll make it quick.”

Bianca squeezed her fingers together. Whatever happened gave Eddie more time to get away. She lifted her chin. One step, then the next one. Her shoe crunched on a leaf.

“Keep coming. You think you’re smart, but trust me, I’m smarter. It’s taken me months to get you where no one can connect the dots to me.”

“To us,” Kelson mumbled.

Bianca forced her feet forward. “I thought we were friends.”

“Friends don’t steal my money.”

Kelson raised his arm with the gun again. “I’ll just shoot her.”

“No. You’re done planning. We’re tying her up with Roger and his girlfriend. Then we’ll burn down the cabin.”

Kelson grabbed hold of Bianca. “Except you brought the firefighter.”

Riley motioned with her gun for her brother to go ahead. “Don’t worry. He’ll come out soon enough.”

“Leave him alone.” Bianca jerked her arm, but Kelson thumped his gun against her head, and her knees buckled, making her lean against Kelson’s hold.

“Let her go!” Eddie’s yell echoed from what sounded like the direction of the other cabin.

Bianca tried to shake her head, but it throbbed too much.

“The police are on their way.” If he’d reached the cabin, he should have kept going. Not returned. “Better to be arrested for attempted murder thanactualmurder.”

Riley shined her light into the woods, sweeping east to west. “Good try. But there’s no cell phone signal up here. A hero’s luck runs out eventually, and yours is long overdue.”

“My firefighter radio doesn’t need the cell phone tower. Help is one minute out,” Eddie’s voice rang out.

Was he only pretending?

Please run, Eddie.

But all she could see were trees and bushes in the shadows.

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