Page 88 of Brooke's Bliss
Rye went pale.“Holy shit.I think that’s it.”
“Rachel loves Bliss.She doesn’t want to leave it, but Iwould bet she would enjoy traveling a bit and showing the world to her kiddos.I grew up never going anywhere.I didn’t get out of New Mexico until Shane andI started rodeoing, and once we hit the road, it was hard to stop.We becamenomadic, and I think it’s because as children our world was so small.It feltgood to bust out of it.”
“Brooke didn’t leave this part of Colorado until she went tocollege, and then it was Denver and then New York, and Max and I have beenwaiting for her to come home.”
“And that made her feel like you thought she would fail.Orhoped she would.I’m not sure which is worse,” Bay commented.
“They’re both terrible,” Tate said, judgmental eyes lookingat them through the rearview.“I feel sorry for your poor sister, and then youbeat up her boss.He’s probably going to press all the charges he can.”
So he was looking at time, maybe.Fuck.
“I’ll make sure he doesn’t,” Rye promised.“Trust me.It’snot the first time we’ve dealt with something like this.He was assaultingher.”
“She didn’t mention that, but I’ll talk to her when I makemy report,” Tate offered as he turned the vehicle into the parking lot.
Nate Wright stood out front looking twelve kinds ofauthoritative.Shane looked worried.
Max was laughing his ass off.
Nate stalked over and opened the door.“Rye, you know Iexpect this…”
Rye managed to get out of the car.“From Max.I know.Butthat asshole had his hands on my sister.”He looked back in and winked Bay’sway with a conspiratorial gleam.When he stood up, Rye had a serious expressionon his face.“I wasn’t about to let some asshole manhandle my sister in themiddle of a café.How the hell would that look?”
Max stopped laughing, and his eyes widened.“Really?”
Brooke’s whole body went on alert.“Excuse me?”
Bay got out of the car and Nate had his hands out of thecuffs quickly.
“Tate, did you need to cuff the former sheriff and our localartist?”Nate asked.
Tate shrugged.“It’s protocol.Sir, we need to talk aboutserial killers.I think they were joking, but I’d like to have theconversation.”
“Oh, I’ll let you read the files, buddy,” Nate promised.“Now go to the clinic and get the city guy’s version of events.Elisa’s comingin, and she’ll handle the rest.”
Tate nodded.“Yes, sir.”
“I am not a piece of property, Ryan Harper,” Brookeannounced.“Do you have any idea what that stunt might have cost me?”Shestrode over as Nate was getting around to uncuffing Rye.“Don’t you dare,Nathan Wright.You would totally toss Max in jail for the night.Rye should getthe same treatment, and I’ll make sure the only thing he can get from Stella’sfor lunch and dinner is a cabbage and beet salad.”
Rye went pale.“Hey, we should talk about this.”
Rye was trying to give him cover.The trouble was he wasn’tsure where all the land mines were.
“I think that guy’s version of events is that those twokicked his ass,” Tate said, though he was already walking back to his vehicle.“My auntie told me Logan is the great man he is today because of what happenedto him here in this office.I thought that was about training and stuff.”
“You’re going to love that beet salad, Rye,” Max taunted.
Shane moved into his space.“What the hell happened?”
“Did you think for two seconds about what we’ll do if hedecides to press charges?”Brooke asked.“How is that going to affect Racheland your kids?Do you know how much stress she’s under?I could have handledit.”
“Oh, it was what happened to him here, but it definitelywasn’t training.”Gemma watched as Tate got in his car.“It was about fourteenhours of being tortured by the Russian mob, but you should know nothing bad hashappened since I took over.I’m really careful since before I came, someonedrugged Nate’s coffee.Now that wasn’t the mob.That was the serial killer.”
“He was here to offer me my job back,” Brooke announced.
Shane’s jaw tightened.
Bay felt his stomach drop.
