Page 42 of All Jacked Up

He ignored Dayton and raised a brow slightly as he waited on me to respond.

Was he here because I was? He’d come barging into this room. Why would he do that? I’d rented a car and driven it here from the airport. How would he have even known I was here?

“What are you doing here?” I countered.

His jaw flexed as he said nothing, but appeared to be waiting for me to answer him first.

“Mr. Carver, I’m going to have to ask yo—”

Ransom’s eyes didn’t leave me as he cut off Dayton. “Dayton, remember who you’re speaking to.”

The threat in his cold tone sent a shiver through me. Dayton didn’t say anything more, and I decided I’d better talk before he followed through on whatever threat he’d made just now.

“My mom’s dead. Dayton was with the officers who found her.”

Ransom’s face paled slightly, but it didn’t make him appear less intimidating.

“Where is she?” he asked.

“Brighton,” I told him.

“I’ll take you.”

“I have a rental car.”

“I will take you. Come on.” He nodded his head, stepping back so that I could exit the room. He didn’t even glance over at Dayton again.

I started to obey, then stopped when I reached him. Why was I just doing what he told me to do? Because he made my heart race? That was a weak response. I didn’t want to be weak.

“Why are you here?” I asked him again.

His lips quirked at the corners ever so slightly, as if he was amused. “Because you are.”

I shook my head. “No. You didn’t know I was here.” How could he?

He stepped closer to me and lowered his head toward my ear. “There’s not much that happens in this town that I don’t know, Shakespeare.” The low, husky timbre made my body tingle in many different places.

A smart woman would go outside, get in her rental car, and handle this herself. But I wasn’t smart, it seemed, because when I looked back at Dayton, who was watching us with curiosity andtrepidation in his gaze, I knew I was going to leave here with Ransom.

“Thank you for everything,” I told him.

He nodded once. “Of course. Again, I’m sorry about your loss. Even if …” He didn’t finish that sentence.

Dayton knew I hadn’t kept in contact with her often. He’d had to call me more than once about her because I didn’t answer her calls.

When I turned back to Ransom, he was glaring at Dayton as if he’d done something wrong.

“Let’s go,” I told him, wanting to get him out of this station.

Dayton didn’t deserve whatever animosity Ransom was directing at him.

His hand rested on my lower back, and I jolted from the touch.

A low chuckle came from Ransom. “Easy, Shakespeare.”

His palm remained on my back as we walked past others in the station. I didn’t make eye contact with anyone. I kept my focus straight ahead. It felt as if every set of eyes was following us, which was probably my imagination.

The cool autumn breeze that had found its way to Madison was still warmer than what I was used to this time of year in New York. I inhaled deeply through my nose and finally stopped walking once we were almost at the parking lot.

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