Page 15 of Bryson's Treasure

Chapter 6

Lynn wrappedher fingers around Midnight’s halter. His nostrils flared as he breathed. Whatever had scared him must’ve been bad, but Lynn’s heart was racing for another reason. “I almost kissed him,” she whispered into Midnight’s neck.

She’d felt his erection press against her as she moved around on top of him. It had only added to her need. She’d gone three and a half years without sex. One time lying on top of his very hard, muscular chest, and her woman parts were going haywire.

“Here.” Bryson came up behind her and handed her a lead.

Midnight nuzzled against her as she clipped the lead onto his halter.

“Thank you. He still seems spooked.”

Midnight tossed his head and let out a neigh. She ran her hands down his neck, and Midnight pawed at the ground. Taz came out of the barn with a grim look on his face. Whatever had spooked Midnight wasn’t good. Collin walked out next with a burlap sack, and when it moved, Lynn knew it was a snake.

With her stomach in knots, she headed over. “Let’s find out what they found in the barn.”

“Taz and I found a rattlesnake in Midnight’s stall, but someone also unlatched the gate. When we looked at the video feed, it was blank. I know we locked the gate when Bryson and I were in there. We need to figure out what’s going on. It seems to be directed at you, Lynn.”

Midnight nudged her shoulder, trying to get her attention.

Bryson reached over and grabbed the lead from her hand. Azadeh walked over and slipped her little hand into Lynn’s. Azadeh looked up with her blue eyes. “Bryson and I protect you.”

Lynn couldn’t help but smile down at the young girl.

She watched as Bryson led Midnight over to a pen. She didn’t miss the twitch of his lips when Azadeh spoke. “I’m not sure who would be after me. How can we be sure it’s me they’re after? A snake could have wandered in.”

Bryson came back and stood in the circle next to Azadeh. The young girl hadn’t dropped Lynn’s hand, and she felt the girl shiver for a second. They had been outside in the snow for a while, and it was time to talk about her past.

“Everyone around here knows how much you love Midnight, and the stall door was left open. If it had been any other horse, it might not have been related, but the camera feed was turned off. Someone is trying to mess with you.”

“Well, it’s not going to work,” she insisted. For too many years, she’d let people run all over her, and they weren’t going to run her out of the one place where she’d started to feel like her old self. She wasn’t completely sure who the old Lynn was, but it wasn’t someone who was going to run at the first sign of danger. Lynn looked up at Bryson. He’d clenched his jaw at her statement.

“Whoever is messing with you made a move in the middle of the day with everyone around.” Bryson pointed at the wiggling burlap sack. “Whoever did this is getting desperate to come after you with everyone around,” Bryson huffed.

She glared at the snake. “I don’t know who would be after me. It wasn’t like I was in the barn.”

Lynn’s mind was racing. She had no idea who she could have made mad enough to do such things. Hoping they would just go away wasn’t an option. “I don’t think it’s someone from my past. I only know one person who fits that bill, and I have no clue why he would come after me now.”

“Let’s go inside, and you can tell us who you think it might be.” Bryson motioned toward the house. “If you tell us your real last name, we might be able to find more info.”

Her cheeks turned red from the lie she’d told Taz and the police. Over the past few weeks, Taz hadn’t said a word about it. She knew he had kept the cops away and told them she would talk to them again when she was ready.

If she was being honest with herself, she would never be ready to talk about her past, but it was time to talk about her ex. She didn’t think he would try anything, but someone was coming after her.

“Okay, but I need something strong to drink.” She turned and walked toward the house.

She sat down on the couch in the living room, and Azadeh sat right next to her. Bryson sat on Lynn’s other side. Taz and Collin sat down on the two chairs, and Hannah came and sat on Taz’s lap.

Bryson reached over and squeezed her leg. “Nobody will judge you here. We just want to help.”

Closing her eyes, she rested her head against the back of the couch. “My current last name is Rockefeller. Five years ago, I married Gabriel Rockefeller.” Lynn felt Bryson pull away from her at the mention of being married. “Three years ago, I received an offer from a well-known company for an app I developed. I accepted the deal and sold the app for over a million dollars. When the deal was done, I wanted to celebrate with Gabriel, but he traveled a lot for his position in the family industry.”

“Just want to make sure I’m clear on this. Are you talking about the Rockefellers who own RRT Consulting?” Hannah asked.

“Yes, his family owns that company, and everyone works for them. One of the arguments we had for years was that I wouldn’t work for them or develop any apps for them. I wanted to keep my work life separate. I kept it a little too separate, I guess.”

“Why haven’t you tried to contact him yet?” Taz asked.

Lynn let out a long sigh. “Give me a second. I’m trying to get there.” She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. “After I sold my app, I was so excited, I booked a flight from Seattle to New York to surprise him and tell him about what I’d done. It was me who ended up getting the surprise. I walked in on him with another woman.”

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