“My arm throbs and my leg won’t stop aching,” she admitted. “Next time a motorcycle gang kidnaps me, remind me not to smart off when they’re in a bad mood. I can hear my mom now, ‘Riley Marie, don’t squat with your spurs on.’ Her way of saying use common sense.”
“Something tells me your mom would be proud of you,” Garret said, cutting her pizza into pieces on a plate and placing it on her lap with a towel to keep from burning her. Then, he placed a water bottle on the table close to her.
“I don’t know. Lately, I feel like giving up. We can’t seem to catch a break. No pun intended,” she said sadly. “This will set me back weeks. Don’t worry. I won’t feel sorry for myself for too long,” she said as she pierced the food and popped it in her mouth.
“You’re too stubborn to stay down for long,” he chuckled.
She narrowed her eyes as she continued to chew. “I call it self-preservation.”
“You’re overdue for another dose. Since you only woke up, we can hold off for a bit, but I’ll expect you to tell me if you’re hurting,” he said gruffly.
“I will, pinky promise,” she said cheekily.
Garrett’s phone rang, and he rose to retrieve it.
“Jameson, what’s up?”
“We have a drunk man requesting to see his daughters. He’s claiming we kidnapped them and threatening to callthe police,” he explained. “You can imagine how thrilled Matthew feels about now.”
Garrett swiped his hand down his face and stroked his jaw. “Tell him I’ll come up in a few minutes.”
“Will do,” Jameson said before hanging up.
Returning to the living room, he sat close to Riley. “Your father showed up at the farmhouse and claims we’ve kidnapped you. He’s threatening to call the police.”
“Oh, crap,” Riley said, attempting to swing her leg off the pillow.
“I want you to let me handle it,” he announced, stopping her.
“You don’t understand, if he gets his hands on Tara, I won’t see her again,” she said desperately. “When he drinks, he says and does things…”
“How does he find you?” he asked, waiting to hear her explanation.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. At first, I thought he put a tracker on our luggage. I tossed them after the second time he showed up. We purchased clothes from a charity store and tossed the rest.”
“Do you have anything you kept with you all this time?” he asked.
“We only kept Mom’s jewelry. I can’t pawn it. It’s probably only worth a couple of bucks, but she gave us matching necklaces and bracelets. I have one necklace she used to wear all the time. Tara and I share it,” she said slowly.
“Where do you keep them?” he asked.
“In Tara’s old backpack. We lost it when the bikers took me. I don’t know what happened to it,” she admitted.
“Do you feel up to a short drive to see your father?” he asked, grabbing his keys.
“As long as you don’t carry me,” she warned him with a scowl.
“Fine, I’ll get your crutches, but you’ll sit while we talk to him. You’re supposed to keep your leg up,” Garrett said before telling Tara they’d return in a bit.
They drove to the farmhouse, and he guided her up the steps of the porch, ensuring she didn’t fall.
He heard the team talking to a man in the kitchen, guessing they were trying to sober him.
“Sit on the couch, and we’ll cover your legs. He doesn’t need to know your injuries,” he said, leading her to the living room. Placing a blanket over her, he put the crutches behind the couch.
He texted Jameson.
We’re in the living room.
