Page 97 of Ryker

I no sooner reach our car, when something catches my attention. The black Mercedes parked behind us in the circular driveway is rocking.

My blood chills.

“Tara, get in the car,” Ryker commands, but I flick my finger up at him, silently telling him to hold on. Then I creep closer to the vehicle.

Mom’s bouncing on Travis’s lap in the backseat, making loud porn star noises.

My last fuck burs to cinders.

Stalking back to Ryker, I drop my ass into the passenger seat and slam the door shut. “Get me out of here.”

Chapter 33

Ryker

Tara hasn’t said a word since we left the house. I think she’s still processing whatever happened in that office. If I’d been just a minute quicker, maybe I could have stopped whatever went down in there from happening.

But when I headed for the office, I couldn’t figure out which direction to go. I went into the first door I saw, only to land in a huge, pompous library. I was about to try door number two when Tara barreled out of it, looking like she wanted to set the house on fire, with her inside it. My decision to handle her family turned into a rescue mission to get my girl out of that house as fast as possible.

“I’m sorry.” Tara sits in the passenger seat with her hands in her lap. “I didn’t want to tell you he was my stepbrother the other day when you asked.”

“I don’t blame you. If he was my stepbrother, I wouldn’t want to admit it either.” Yielding onto the highway, I check my side mirror before crossing two lanes. “What happened in there, Tara?”

“I don’t know,” she says. “William’s acting more assholey than usual.”

“So, yelling and throwing things are standard household activities?”

“Yes. He didn’t use to be that way, back when my mom and him first got married. But over the years, his temper’s got way worse. Garret just feeds his fire.”

She runs her hand up her arm, soothing herself.

“You’re afraid of him.”

“I’m afraid of what he can do. My mom’s in that house with him.”

I grip the steering wheel and choke it. “Will he hurt her?”

“No,” she whispers. “I don’t think so.”

Think is not the same as know. “What did he say to you that has you ready to burn his house down?”

She wipes her nose with the back of her hand. “He told me to get the Greene Street building by any means necessary. As in use my body if I have to.”

“Jesus fucking Christ.” The highway turns red with my anger. My chest constricts every time I draw in a breath. Rage grips my throat, making it hard to swallow. “What kind of asshole says that shit?”

“He’s acting stupid,” she murmurs. “His need to have this stupid building makes zero sense for profitability. I’ve run all the numbers. Even if we have every piece of property around it, it’s not worth more than a parking garage at best. I think he just wants it so Clyde-Smith can’t have it.”

“Competition doesn’t make someone say shit like that to their daughter.”

“Stepdaughter.” Tara leans against the window. “I’m done. I fucking told him I quit. He can suck dick to get the deals he’s so desperate for because I’ll never do it. The Brisbane’s can all kiss my ass. Including my mother.”

I grip the steering wheel harder and stay quiet. I’m glad Tara knows her worth. I’m proud of her for standing up to those pricks and walking away. My respect for this woman grows by the day.

“I can’t believe he wanted me to sell my body for a fucking building.” Her eyes round and she sits forward. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“I get it.” Tapping her leg, I smile to let her know I’m not offended. “I can’t believe he’d ask you to do that either.” Swallowing my pride, I shove down the fact that we both know I’ve sold my body for much less. “It’s one thing to make the decision yourself. Quite another to have someone force it on you.”

“Is that how it was for you?”

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