Edge of Hunger. Rhyannon ByrdЧитать онлайн книгу.
was a heavy pause, and then Riley said, âArenât you going to ask what happened to her?â When he didnât respond, Riley growled, âSheâs been killed, Ian. Murdered.â
He swallowed, unable to scrape up so much as a grunt. âIâll be there in fifteen,â he finally managed to choke out, before disconnecting the call. Fury crawled its way through his system, sickening and thick, consuming his body heat along its way, until he was standing there, shivering, his skin cold and clammy. Not wanting to look at Molly, he scanned the room, finally eyeing the flash of his keys on the TV stand by the window.
âThe sheriffâs your brother, isnât he?â she asked softly. âRiley?â
He tried to nod, but the movement came out too jerky, like a spasm. âYeah. Like I said, Iâm surprised Elaina left that little bit of information out.â
âShe told me that you had a brother and sister, but thatâs all.â She took a deep breath, then quietly said, âSomethingâs happened, hasnât it?â
Ian turned to look at her over his shoulder, wondering what the hell she was, what the hell was happening. âKendraâs dead.â
She flinched, shaking, the color draining out of her face as if she were bleeding out, leaving her pale and ghostly, like the damn voices she apparently heard in her screwed-up little head.
âI have to get out there. Rileyâs waiting for me.â His gut felt as if itâd been stripped with acid, and he struggled to keep down the scotch. âWhere are you staying?â he asked, heading for the door.
âOut at the Pine Motel.â She moved through the front door as he jerked it open, standing beside him as he quickly locked it.
âThe Pine Motel? Christ,â he muttered, âThat place is a dive.â
âThanks for that remarkable observation,â she said thickly, and he could hear the threat of tears in her voice as she followed him down the rickety stairs. He headed toward his truck, her dark blue rental parked beside it, the moonlight no kinder to it than the sun had been.
Giving her his meanest glare, hoping itâd make her listen, he said, âGet back there, then lock the windows and door and donât answer it for anyone. You understand?â
She lifted her chin, opening her car door and sliding behind the wheel. It struck him that she looked too small within the run-down rental, too fragile and easily breakable. âDonât worry. I know how to take care of myself.â
Ian could tell that the low sound of doubt he made in response grated on her nerves more than any snide comment he could have delivered.
âWhen will I see you again?â she burst out, when he started to turn away.
He shook his head, jamming his hands into his front pockets before he did something stupid, like try to touch her. âYou wonât.â
âIanââ
âI want you to stay away from me,â he growled, cutting her off. âTomorrow, when dawn hits, you get your ass in your car and go back to wherever it is you came from. You hear me?â
âThereâs nothing wrong with my hearing.â
âNo,â he rasped, âjust your sanity.â
âIâm not crazy. I wish I was. And Iâm also not running. Not until weâve set things right.â
âGet out of town, Miss Stratton.â He punctuated the order with a hard look of warning, then slammed her car door. Ian waited until sheâd started the engine and driven out onto the street, her taillights disappearing down the road, before turning around and climbing into his truck.
He sat for a moment, staring at nothing, lost in thought, wondering if heâd ever see her crazy little ass again, hoping that she was smart enough to do what heâd told her before things got any more screwed-up than they already were. She could end up hurt. Hell, if she was right, if something was gunning for him with murder on its mind, she could even end up dead.
With a low growl of frustration, he jammed the key into the ignition, hit the gas and headed into the night.
CHAPTER FIVE
Saturday Afternoon
WHAT HAD BEEN a shitty night turned into a grinding, bitch of a day, every lead they followed slamming into a frustrating wall of nothing. By the time Ian finally made it back to his apartment, it was late the following afternoon. While the forensics team had dealt with the gruesome crime scene, heâd spent the hellish hours helping Riley retrace Kendraâs steps, talking to everyone they could find, while getting the third degree about her personal life. It was almost embarrassing, how little he was able to tell his brother about the woman heâd known for almost six months. And the crowd at Kendraâs favorite bar knew even less. A couple of people remembered her leaving with some blond guy, but no one could provide his name. One cocktail waitress coming back on shift had called him âtasty,â and the bartender was able to describe his eyes.
âLike a huskyâs. That cold, ice-blue. Know what I mean?â
Thereâd been an odd moment when Riley had finally pulled up in front of his apartment building to drop him off, his brotherâs expression one of intense frustration, as if he couldnât decide what to say. Or how to say it. Then heâd scraped one hand back through his shaggy hair and asked, âDid you ever head out to that storage place over in Mountain Creek?â
After Elainaâs funeral, Riley had shipped their motherâs personal belongings back to Colorado, storing them in a nearby facility. Instead of selling the small house where sheâd lived, which had been in Elainaâs family for generations, he had left it in working order, along with some furnitureâsince, according to Riley, Saige was thinking of spending some time there when she wasnât wandering all over the world, searching for her bits of junk. Everything else had been brought to Colorado, including some things that Elaina had apparently wanted Ian to have. Not that heâd been interested. Heâd told Riley to throw whatever it was into storage, along with the rest of her stuff, which his brother had done. Then Riley had turned around and given him a set of keys to the storage unit, warning him that he might want to get his hands on whatever sheâd left him someday.
Considering what theyâd just been through, it had seemed an odd thing to bring up, but then Ian had given up trying to figure out how Rileyâs head worked a long time ago.
âI told you I wasnât interested in anything of Elainaâs,â heâd muttered, opening his door.
Before he could climb out of the truck, Riley had reached over and grabbed hold of his arm. âI think maybe you should go out there.â
âWhat the hell for?â heâd growled, pulling free of his brotherâs grip.
Riley had scowled as heâd slumped back against his seat. âIf I told you, youâd never believe me,â heâd said with a hard sigh, sounding worn out. âHell, I donât even believe it myself. But if thingsâ¦if things get weird, Iâll go out there with you. Help you find what she left for you.â
Shaking his head, Ian had climbed out of the Bronco, slamming the door behind him. As heâd walked around the front of the truck, Riley had stuck his head out the driverâs side window and shouted for Ian not to go anywhere until heâd heard from him.
Huh. As if he had the energy to go anywhere. Frustration had gnawed him down to the bone.
Slamming his backside down on his sofa, Ian tossed his cell on the battered coffee table,