Page 59 of Edge of Danger

“Do you owe them money?” It was the easiest guess.

Robert nodded. “Yeah. That was the money I was trying to scratch together when I left Walker with you.”

“Right.”

Still, Robert stared at the floor, fingers picking at the armrests. There was more to the story. “What else? This isn’t all about money. Don’t bother lying and wasting my time.”

A heavy sigh. “I was sort of involved with a member of the family.”

For the sake of everything. “Okay.”

“Gabrielle Solomon. She was visiting the Eagle Pass casino. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen her, but she’s hot. And smart. Into the business side of things, not just spending the family money. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her.”

Or his hands, Brax would’ve bet.

“The first time I talked to her, she told me she loves kids. Babies, you know. I told her I had a kid. She lit up.”

A sick certainty started unfurling in Brax’s gut, but he needed to hear it from Robert. He wouldn’t let him off the hook.

Robert lifted a shoulder. “So I played up the single-dad thing. She fell in love with Walker, and it brought us closer.”

Which was why he’d stolen Walker away from Tessa. So he could seduce some wealthy woman, who might’ve been smart, but wasn’t smart enough to see through him.

If there had ever been a time Brax wanted to kill Robert, this was it. All the agony he’d put Tessa through, and all so he could rope a woman.

“I screwed things up,” Robert admitted, rubbing his temples. “I was so stupid. I cheated on her.”

“On Gabrielle Solomon?”

“Just the one time. A couple nights before I went to you. She threw a fit, told me she’s not the sort of woman guys cheat on and get away with it. Threw me out. She told her brother Victor, and he decided all the money I owed them was due immediately.”

“Do I even want to know how much?”

Robert cringed. “Fifty thousand.”

Brax closed his eyes for a moment as this washed over him.

“I’ve been running from them ever since. I don’t know what I’m going to do.” Robert shrugged before bending forward, resting his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands.

Brax thought it over for a little while before pointing out, “They’re not going to kill you, if that’s what you’re worried about. That’s not how they’ll get their money back. If I were you, I’d go back and take my beating, then work out a plan.”

When Robert flinched, Brax added, “I know it’s easier said than done, but they won’t let this go. Would you rather live on the run for the rest of your life?”

“Well...”

“Don’t tell me there’s more to this.”

“One of the guys on their security team...hates me. It’s personal.”

“What does that mean?”

“I said some things back in the day, he took it the wrong way. Overly sensitive,” he scoffed.

Brax rolled his eyes. “What’s his name?”

“Jakob Hawkins. He wants to kill me.”

“Robert.”

---