Page 37 of Taken By the Bounty Hunter

Chapter Eleven

Georgie

The mountain view from our luxury suite is so high up that it feels like I’m on another planet.

Our wedding ceremony took all five minutes in the magistrate’s office at the courthouse, including signing the paperwork.

The best part was doing all of this while knowing that my father, uncle, and a gaggle of other elders from the Covenant Kinship were one floor down, offering moral support to The Prophet while he was being booked in for impeding a murder investigation, and, hopefully, questioned in the murder of Elder Trace.

And now we’re booked into the prettiest hotel I’ve ever seen.

I look down at the ill-fitting, borrowed ring on my finger—the best we could do on short notice. Joaquin came through on that part, too.

“I’m married,” I say aloud, smiling at my ring.

No one answers because Jefferson has gone downstairs to check out the pool and find some snacks in the lobby. We made love three times last night, and I’m sore in places I didn’t think possible until today.

It’s a good sore.

Gazing out the window, I try to spot Jefferson down at the pool, but he’s not there.

Strange.

Just then, the sound of the magnetic card reader outside beeps. I turn and smile as the door swings open slowly.

“Babe, I told you to wave up at me when you got to the pool…”

But it’s not Jefferson.

My brain buffers at the sight of the limping man entering the room. “Uncle Nevyn?” I rasp. “What are you doing here?”

My rat-faced uncle lurches into the room. “Is that any way to greet family?”

I ease slowly backward, aiming for the desk chair where Jefferson lazily dropped his clothes and holster.

God, I wish I’d learned to handle something more powerful than a .22 caliber handgun. It’s probably not that different? Let’s hope. “How did you get in here?”

I try to remain calm, and not give away how scared I am at seeing him again.

“Your boyfriend was kind enough to give me the key. He said I should stop in and say hello.”

“What a coincidence that we’re at the same hotel,” I say.

“Isn’t it? So glad I ran into you. You left so quickly that you didn’t make it to your discipline hearing.”

My hands scramble behind my back, finally locating Jefferson’s belt.

“Hearing? Aren’t you supposed to have those before you get locked up?”

Nevyn leans against the mahogany armoire casually. “That’s the thing about a private enterprise. We can do things our own way.”

The sound of the retention strap coming loose gives me away.

Nevyn perks up. “What have you got behind your back?”

My body tenses. “Where’s Jefferson?”

“He’s been arrested for kidnapping, of course. Your dad is worried sick. Come home now, and he won’t be punished for losing you. If you resist, well, let’s just say he won’t have much of a say in who you end up married to. Now, why don’t you show me what you’ve got behind your back.”

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