Page 47 of Outlaw Ridge: Ryker
Emma didn’t even hesitate. “No,” she said firmly. “Absolutely not.”
Ryker echoed her without missing a beat. “It’s too risky. If Ethan’s watching, he’ll know we’re setting a trap. And if he’s not the one behind this, if it’s someone else, you’ll be walking straight into a target zone.”
Dr. Colvin’s shoulders tensed. “But he reached out tome.I can—”
Emma held up a hand. “No. You’re not bait. End of discussion.”
The doctor opened her mouth again, clearly ready to argue, but Emma’s phone rang, slicing through the room with a sharp burst of sound. She glanced at the screen.
Charlotte.
“Emma,” Charlotte said the moment she answered, her voice tight, breath fast. “I’m at the old house. The one Ethan and I inherited. The rental.”
Emma’s pulse jumped. “Why?”
Charlotte’s voice wavered. “I… I don’t know. I’ve been having these dreams. Seeing things. It’s like something pulled me here. I needed to know if he’d been back.”
Emma moved toward the center of the room, blocking everything else out. “And?”
“The back door was unlocked,” Charlotte said. “There were footprints in the dust. Something’s been moved. The hallway runner, it’s shifted. And there’s a photo missing.”
“What photo?” Emma gripped the phone tighter.
“The one of you and Ethan. From the academy graduation party. It used to be in the hall. It’s just… gone.”
Ryker had already crossed the room to stand beside her, picking up enough of Charlotte’s side of the call to stiffen.
Then Charlotte made a sound, sharp, choked.
Emma’s heart slammed into her ribs. “Charlotte?”
“There’s someone upstairs.” The words were a whisper and filled with terror.
Then silence.
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Chapter Twelve
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Ryker grabbed his coat the second the line went dead.
Emma was already trying to call Charlotte back, phone pressed to her ear, moving toward the door. Her expression was tight, focused, but when she lowered the phone and shook her head, he didn’t need her to say it.
No answer.
She yanked her coat from the back of the chair and shrugged it on
“Jemma,” Ryker called over his shoulder as they passed, “we’re heading to the Ross family house. Possible intruder. Get backup rolling that way.”
Jemma nodded and reached for her radio as they hit the exit.
Ryker barely waited for the cruiser doors to shut before he had the engine running and peeled out of the lot. He didn’t know if this was a trap or if Charlotte had actually stumbled onto someone inside that house. But either way, they had to check it out.Now.
What he hated, what burned at him, was that Emma was being thrown right back into danger. She hadn’t even had time to fully shake off the explosion, let alone the text messages or the body dressed likehim.
And now she was heading toward another possible ambush.
