Page 73 of Locked Down

“Hawk, please.”

“Hawk,”she amended,“I fail to see how changing my will changes anything at this moment. Ryker said I was no longer in any danger and in point of fact, I have never been in danger. Nor has my uncle.”She turned to glare at Archer Gray. The man might scare the hell out of her, but she was pissed off, and she wanted him to know it.

“Invicta, I told you when you came to me that we would step in and do as you asked. I sent you Ryker. He has protected your uncle.”

She snorted.“The man who originally shot at Uncle Austin? The same guy who almost took him out in a hit-and-run? Right.”

Archer’s face remained impassive, but something flickered in his eyes. She had the distinct impression that she’d just landed Ryker in a huge pile of shit.Too fucking bad.

“That is beside the point. We had no idea you would approach me when we set those incidents in motion. You coming to me was serendipitous. As was Ryker stepping in because your uncle did in fact have many holes in his security. Ryker filled them. Your uncle is much safer today than he was. Ryker has done nothing to harm your uncle and I have done nothing but keep my word.”

“Nothing to harm…A guy tried to shoot my uncle. Did you guys set that up as well?”

Hawk glanced at Archer, but the other man stayed calm.“No, we did not set that up. As a matter of fact, Ryker protected your uncle by killing the man who broke in.”

Vic went lightheaded as the blood drained from her head. Her stomach rolled. She hadn’t really connected the dots before. Ryker killed a man to save her uncle.Holy shit.And she was the one who brought him into the situation. Did it matter that Archer wanted him in with her uncle? She wasn’t sure but the result was the same. Because she’d gone to Archer, Ryker killed a man. And he’d never said a word to her about it. Not one word.

“Invicta, you must focus,”Archer ground out.“Your uncle is being supported by some…powerful people. They sent the man to make an attempt on your uncle’s life to raise his profile. He wasn’t supposed to succeed. Ryker didn’t know this and took the man out. I’m telling you all of this so you will trust me when I tell you this next bit.”

Vic stared.“Oh my God. Ryker killed an innocent man?”

A flare of impatience lit Archer’s face. He started to speak but Hawk cut him off.“When a man breaks into another man’s home and points a gun at him, he’s not innocent. The people who sent the potential assassin knew Ryker was in place and so did the man in question. He knew the risks. Ryker saved your uncle’s life. Your uncle had no idea it was a set up.”

Vic stared at the table and rubbed her temples. She was heading toward information overload, and a raging headache formed at the base of her skull. Hawk placed a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin in front of her. She shot him a grateful look and took a couple of aspirin chasing them with the water.

“All of this is somewhat beside the point at the moment,”Archer began.

Hawk gave him a look and took over.“I know it’s a lot to process, and we’ll explain fully, but for now I need you to focus on what I’m about to tell you.”

She wanted to run screaming from the room, but instead, she reminded herself that she only had to be here a few more hours, and then she was home free.“Fine, I’m listening.”

Hawk gave her a quick smile.“In your current will, you leave everything to your uncle.”

He seemed to be waiting for her to confirm this, so she nodded her assent.

“That would include Buffalo Ridge, your parents’ solar farm which automatically becomes yours at the stroke of midnight.”

“That is correct.”She tried not to sigh. Was Hawk going to get to the point anytime soon?

Archer interrupted.“Have you stayed up with what’s going on with the solar farm?”

She let out a big sigh.“No, I haven’t. My parents…well, my leaving was a big dea,l and I…I just had a lot to deal with as it was. My parents and I aren’t close so I’m not sure the state it’s in currently. I am going back to Texas and taking it over after my birthday.”

Hawk and Archer shared a look, but Vic was clueless about what it meant.

“Invicta,”Archer began,“your father has been doing an amazing job of running the solar farm. He’s made some very wise decisions and happened to hit it just at the right time. Buffalo Ridge is currently estimated to be worth several hundred million dollars.”

Vic’s entire body froze, except her lungs, which purged themselves of air in a sudden whoosh. The room spun. Hundreds of millions? She slammed her hands down on the table and dragged in oxygen like she hadn’t breathed in days.“Seriously?”she squeaked.

Archer nodded. She turned to look at Hawk. He nodded as well.

“Holy shit! Holy fucking shit!”She started hyperventilating. She’d been thinking it would be broken down and that she’d be destitute when she quit, but hundreds of millions?

“Breathe.”Hawk’s instruction came from next to her, but he might as well have been in another room. Shock was making it hard to focus. Hundreds. Of. Millions. The room started to spin again.

Archer slammed the table with his open palm an inch from her face.“Focus!”he snarled.

She reared back and blinked. Her vision cleared and her breathing returned to normal.

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