Page 80 of Cowboy Under Siege

He loosened his grip on her arm enough that they didn’t appear odd as they walked to the front desk. She requested access to the safe deposit box.

“Can we see your ID please, Ms. Taylor?”

She gulped. Her bag was back in Montana. “Uh…I misplaced my wallet and I lost my ID. Is there some other way I can prove my identity?”

Dom’s fingers were back on her arm, biting in until she nearly cried out in pain.

“Let me see.” The employee typed something into her computer system. “It seems there is a password on the account. If you know it, you could access the box.”

Oh god.Now was when Trinny revealed just how estranged she and her mother were. What would her mother use for a passcode?

She racked her brain, bouncing from her grandfather’s birthday to the last four digits of her mother’s cell phone number, which Trinny didn’t know.

Dom’s stare burned into her profile. The employee was patiently waiting for her response.

“Let’s try this: 0101.” It was a stretch, being her own birthday.

The woman entered it into the system and shook her head. “I’m sorry, that isn’t correct.”

Dom leaned against her, and she shot out a foot aimed at his shin. It connected, and he let out a grunt before inching away enough to give her room to think.

Her mother’s birthday. A self-centered person like her mother would definitely use her own birthday. “Try 0720.”

The woman tapped at the keys. “Yes, that’s it. I’ll take you to the box right away.”

Trinny’s relief was short-lived considering what they’d find once she opened the box.

The woman led them into a room and unlocked the family box. Then she set it on a table and retreated to the doorway while Trinny examined the contents.

Dom beat her to the task. He whipped it open and dropped back a step. When he cut his fingers through his hair, she knew his come-to-Jesus moment had finally arrived.

He shook his head as if stunned. “I thought…”

“You were wrong.”

He glared at her. “You know where the book is.”

“Maybe I do. Maybe I don’t. Can you describe it to me again?”

“No, you little bitch! You know where it’s at. Tell me now and I won’t torture you too long before I kill you.” He made sure to pitch his words as a low growl, but the space had tall ceilings and an echo.

Out of the corner of her eye, Trinny saw the employee take a step closer to the exit and wave a hand at somebody.

Her heart hammered so hard that it felt as if her whole body shook. Everything sharpened to a singular point in time where she knew Dom would be walking out of here in handcuffs.

She tilted her chin in defiance and glared back at him. “Tell me again what’s in that book. Did my mother write how she feared for her life right before you pushed her over that balcony?”

“Security!” the employee called.

Dom lunged for Trinny. He yanked her body against his in a chokehold even as cold steel pressed against her temple.

ChapterSixteen

Jaren entered the bank and rushed to the counter. “I’m looking for a woman. She probably came in with a—”

A scream cut him off. “Security!”

Jaren locked a hand on his spine, the grip of his weapon in his palm. He and Judd exchanged a look and made a break for the sound.

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