Page 46 of Snared Rider

“Don’t lie to me. I can hear in your voice something’s wrong. What’s going on?”

“Are you alone?”

“Yeah, I just got into bed.”

Oh great, like that is an image I need in my head right now.

“I messed up,” I breathe the words in a rush of emotion.

“Messed up how?”

I wince.

“I told my dad I was staying at a friend’s, but I’m not. I’m at a concert.”

There is a pause. A long pause. It’s so long ice creeps into my stomach. “You’re at a concert?”

“Well, I already saw the band, but Ryan and I had this huge fight.” And it had been a hell of a fight. God, I don’t even know how it got started, but it ended with him walking out of the hotel room he booked for us and leaving me here alone.

“Who the fuck is Ryan?” Logan’s growl is alarming.

Crap, this is not going to go well. To be honest, I’m not sure Dean would have taken this situation any better than Logan is, but at least I could guarantee he’d keep his mouth shut. I’m not so sure Logan will.

“He’s just a guy.”

“I guessed he’s a guy, Beth, but who the hell is he?”He sounds pissed off. My stomach roils.

“What’s it matter?”

Logan makes an irritated sound in the back of his throat. “It matters, and we’ll talk about this shit and the fact you lied to your dad about where you are later, but right now just tell me what you need me to do to help.”

My eyes roll up towards the dirty ceiling. The fact I lied to Dad is shitty, but Logan is not my father and he does not need to lecture me.

“I just need some money for the bus or the train.”

“This guy—he hurt you?”

“No.” Not physically anyway. Some of the things Ryan said had been pretty mean.

He sighs. “Just get a taxi home. I’ll meet you there with the cash.”

I guess Logan thinks I travelled to Mountgerald (the next town over) or maybe into Leeds if he’s offering to pay for a cab. I don’t even want to contemplate how much a taxi from London to Kingsley would cost.

“I can’t.”

“You can’t?”

“No. If you can just wire the money to me I can sort myself.”

“Wire it how? This isn’t the fucking movies, Beth.”

“Well, you could send it to the front desk here, I guess.”

I have no idea if this is possible, but I’m crossing everything it is. Because if it’s not I don’t know how I can buy a ticket home. Maybe I can pick up one from the station, if Logan buys it online—

“The front desk of where?” His voice sounds controlled, but I can hear the bite in his tone. Oh crap. I should not have mentioned the front desk. I realise my mistake immediately.

I swallow hard. “Of… of the hotel I’m at.”

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