Page 88 of Romeo

I’ve never actually been arrested.But the interrogation room where I’m sitting alongside Beckett, waiting for Riley to be brought in, looks just like I imagined it would.Cold concrete walls, a metal table with a ring welded in the center for handcuffs.

It’s cold in more ways than one.

The door opens, and Riley is ushered in by a uniformed officer.His hands are cuffed in front of him, and his belt has been removed.He’s still wearing jeans, boots, and the same T-shirt he’d had on this morning.

He takes a seat in the chair across from us, and the officer cuffs him to the table.

“That’s really not necessary,” Beckett says.

“I have orders to keep him locked up tight,” the officer replies then turns and leaves the room.

“Are you okay?”I ask Riley.

“I’ve been better, and I’ve been worse,” he replies with a half-smile in my direction.I reach across the table, desperate to touch him, and grip his hand in mine.“Any idea what happened to Landers?”he asks Beckett.

“Nope.Tucker is looking into it.So far, all they have is the fight at the hospital.I did some digging, and it looks like the guy posing as his head of security has been deep undercover for the past couple of years.Ever since Odie made a couple of financial moves that raised some red flags.”

“White collar crimes?”Riley asks.

“Yes and no.I can’t get any real answers because everything is confidential, but I’m going to keep doing some prying.”

“What’s my bail set at?”

“You don’t have one,” she says, frustration ebbing her tone.“Something else I’m working on.Right now, I need you to keep your mouth shut and play the part of a model prisoner.My guess is Dodger is pulling strings to keep you in here because that means you’re not doing any digging.”

“Okay.I’ve yet to have the face-to-face I’m guessing is coming with the guy who arrested me, so I’ll see what I can get him to tell me too.”Riley turns to me.“Are you okay?”

“I’m not currently handcuffed to a table, so I’d say I’m doing just fine.”

“It’s going to be okay.”He squeezes my hand.“Stick close to Tucker for now.Don’t leave the house unless absolutely necessary.”

“We’ll keep it locked down,” Beckett says.

“What’s the status of the things happening at the ranch?”

“When I spoke to Nova earlier, she said that Elliot and Bradyn managed to catch two guys as they were prepping to set one of the pastures on fire.They’ve been arrested and confessed to getting paid fifty grand each to cause some trouble.”

“So it was a paid distraction.”

“Looks that way.They’re all on high alert, ready to fly out here if necessary.”

“I need them at the ranch.My parents are sitting ducks if this thing escalates.”

“Do you really think it will?”I ask, fresh fear icing my veins.

Riley shifts his gaze to me and gently squeezes my hand.“With Odie dead, I think it’s entirely possible.”

Chapter30

Riley

“Ihear you’re ready to have a conversation.”Detective Shawn Sampson strolls into the room, an arrogant smile on his face.

“Something like that,” I reply, keeping my tone neutral.If I stand any chance of turning this interrogation around, then I have to play ball.At least a little bit.

“Good.”He takes a seat across from me.“Now, how about you start with why you murdered Odie Landers?”

“Given that I didn’t, I can’t start there.”