“Don’t you think he’ll find it weird if I disappear every day? Can’t I call you and meet once a week? When I do, I want to see my sister. I’ll do your dirty work, but I want Tara safe,” Riley reiterated firmly.
“The kid will stay safe. Bernice will be the only one to bring her food and take her to the bathroom. If any of you assholes touch her, I’ll call Skull to handle it. Do I make myself clear?” Kenny asked the bikers in the room.
A mumbling went through the crowd as they nodded and sat back watching the scene unfold.
A fat, slovenly biker thrust a pair of keys in her hand. “She’s the green one on the far left. You'd better not scratch it. We don’t want another reason to punish little Tara.”
She clutched the keys in her hand and wondered when she and Tara would ever catch a break. Life seemed to go from bad to worse.
“Can I speak with Tara before I leave? I want to ensure she listens and doesn’t cause any trouble while I’m gone,” Riley explained.
Stitch hauled Tara up by the scruff of the neck, led her down the hall, and thrust her inside a room.
Riley heard the thud, indicating Tara hit the floor. She closed her eyes and bit her tongue from railing at these idiots.
Kenny shoved her hard, making her fall on the floor. “You got two minutes to say your goodbyes. Then, I’ll expect to hear from you by Thursday. If I don’t, Stitch will need anew toy to keep him occupied while we wait. No later than seven p.m. on Thursday. You got it?” he asked menacingly.
Riley pushed herself to her feet and scurried down the hall. Stitch leered at her as she passed him and entered the smelly room. Scanning the darkened room, she searched for any way to free Tara from the biker’s grasp. The filthy place contained no windows, and they planned to padlock the door.
Wasting no more time, she clutched her sister to her, who cried hysterically. Riley cupped her face. “Don’t worry. I’ll find this Garrett and will have you out of here in a jiffy. Do as they say and don’t attract any attention. No showering or anything where you must remove your clothes,” she whispered. “I’ll return as soon as I can. I won’t let you down.”
Tara clung to her until Stitch pulled them apart and slammed the door shut. “You’d best be going, girl. Time’s a ticking.” He thrust a piece of paper with a number into her jeans pocket.
Riley licked her lips and held her elbow close to her side, refusing to let them see her in pain. She located the car and slid into the driver’s seat. It took five times to get the piece of junk to turn over. The men watched as she drove out of their makeshift compound.
The rain came down in sheets as she drove toward Mystic Ranch. Her mind raced with a plausible excuse as to why she might be asking about one of the hands. Astute to the ways ranches worked, a single woman riding in and asking for a man meant a couple of things. He either knocked her up or she wanted a good time. Ranch managers usually frowned on the latter as it promised to cause problems among the men.
She wiped her overgrown bangs away from her eyes asthe rain came down in gusts, making it difficult to see. The brakes on the piece-of-junk car barely worked. She didn’t need to wreck Stitch’s car.
Riley worried about Tara and hoped her sister managed to hold it together until she returned. The vehicle started chugging and lurching. Lights flashed on the dashboard. “No, no, no. You can’t do this to me now,” she exclaimed as she moved it to the side of the road. The car died shortly after she moved toward the ditch.
Riley placed her head on the steering wheel and groaned. She needed to find Garrett Johnson as soon as possible. This meant she needed to walk the rest of the way in the pouring rain and darkening sky. She glanced in the back seat, hoping for an umbrella. She only found a plastic bag from the grocery store. She pulled it over her head and tucked the long blond ponytail inside and tied it to her head like a handkerchief.
Opening the door, she stepped out and shivered as the cold, water drenched her T-shirt and her arms. Locking the vehicle, she crossed her arms to shield herself from the onslaught as she pressed forward.
“Find Garret Johnson and save Tara,” became her mantra as she headed toward Mystic Ranch. She only prayed she found him in time.
CHAPTER FIVE
Garrett packed the rest of his things and loaded them into his truck. Turning toward the path he used earlier in the morning, he donned his rain gear and walked the familiar trail in the dark.
Part of him hoped he might find Snow sitting on the rock waiting for him, and part of him lumped her with all the other women who let him down. He sat on the rock and listened as the lake rippled. The water calmed his thoughts down.
Whatever compelled him to drive over to the Serenity Ranch and demand they give him a chance, worked. When he left here, he planned to go to the big house and tell Mr. Baron he intended to leave. He didn’t like getting lumped in with those guys who up and left. This time, he’d have to suck it up. Getting a job at Serenity Ranch felt like the right move. He didn’t fit in with the men here. The Houser brothers made a mess of things every chance they got. The manager turned a blind eye to avoid catching flak from the two men himself.
“Heard you planned on leaving,” Frank said behind him. “I sure hope it’s nothing we said.”
“Don’t worry your small brain about it,” Garrett said, listening to where the man stood on the trail.
“Snow ran off with the biker from the bar. Nan’s fit to be tied. Mr. Baron sent someone after them. It appears she preferred him over you,” he cackled.
“What has you out skulking in the woods, Frank? You’re only brave when your brother’s with you. I don’t see him,” Garrett replied.
“Baron sent me searching for you. He didn’t want you to leave without your pay. Maybe I’ll tell him you already skedaddled and I’ll forward it along to you,” Frank said bravely.
Garrett laughed out loud. “Baron won’t believe you. He knows no one entrusts you with money.”
“You’re an asshole, Johnson. None of us can say we’ll miss you. Where do you plan on going?”
