Page 29
Story: Primal (Wolf Ranch #7)
28
RILEY
My skin prickled from adrenaline. My heart rate was at stroke point. I stood frozen, one foot in front of the other as if I’d been hit by a stun gun. “Who….who…who’re you?”
He reached out and flicked on the reading lamp.
The light made me blink, but also made the man, and the gun he held, clearer.
I’d never seen him before. I couldn’t tell his height because he was lounging–very comfortably–in the recliner, but he was big. Perhaps the same size as Dad but wiry. Dark hair fell in lanky clumps to his chin. Brown eyes. Sallow cheeks. A mustache. A tattoo peeked out from the collar of his white t-shirt dedicated to a vintage heavy metal band. He wore jeans and sturdy work boots.
And an evil look that raked up and down my body.
“You must be the daughter. Got enough pictures of you on the walls.”
That look? It turned to something else. Seedy and gross.
I might’ve been drugged and kidnapped by Cody. Tied to a bed. I’d been freaked, sure. But nothing like this.
He was going to do bad things to me and use that gun.
“Even better.”
I swallowed hard, but my mouth was so dry it hurt.
“You want to know who I am, sweetheart?”
Did I? I wanted to hit rewind on the past few minutes and be in my car driving around town. Anywhere but here.
I nodded because I figured that was what he wanted.
“Neil Kobchek.”
I blinked. His name meant nothing to me.
He huffed. “Yeah, your daddy didn’t tell you about my brother, did he? ”
I took a step back when he rocked forward in the recliner and stood. Loomed over me. I retreated again.
“Nope. Stay right there.”
As if I was going to run when he had a gun! Would he chase like Cody had?
Cody. I needed him right now. Hell, I needed the entire police force.
“My brother’s the one he put away for twenty years.”
Oh. Oh.
The trial in Bozeman. The shitshow he mentioned.
“I’m… sorry your brother is in jail.” My voice warbled. I wasn’t sorry. If he was convicted and spending two decades in prison, then he must’ve done something pretty bad. Like holding someone at gunpoint in their home. Why wasn’t this guy also in jail?
He laughed then stopped. No smile graced his scary face.
“So am I,” he snapped. “It’s time to make your daddy sorry, too.” He closed the distance between us and raised his hand. I flinched, but he only ran his fingers through the ends of my hair.
I was shivering now. Bile rose into my throat.
“Please don’t touch me,” I whispered.
His hand dropped. Gaze hardened. “I don’t rape,” he snarled, as if he had a code. As if I’d insulted him.
My breath stuttered out, and I wanted to cry in relief.
“I kill.”
Okay, well, that was bad.
“I was waiting for your daddy, but this is better. He needs to suffer like my brother’s going to suffer in his own caged hell. Call him and get him over here. He’ll watch while I put a bullet in your head.”
I shook my head without thinking. I didn’t want to have a bullet in my head. But he must’ve thought I was refusing to call Dad.
“CALL HIM!”
I jumped.
“Okay. Okay. My cell is in my purse on the counter.”
He nodded, waved the gun to indicate I should get it.
I walked back to the kitchen, pulled out my cell. My fingers were so shaky, I dropped it on the counter with a clatter. What was I going to do? If Dad showed up, he would die. We both would. I had to warn him. Something.
“No funny stuff.” He stood across the center island from me. I could try to run out through the garage, but the door was down. I’d be dead before it made it halfway up. He was blocking the only other exit. “Tell him to come home because the water heater’s broken.”
“It got replaced over the winter,” I said. God, why had I said that? My thoughts and mouth weren’t in sync.
“Fine, then something that brings him here. Now.”
I nodded.
Unlocking my phone, I saw ten texts and three missed calls. All from Cody.
Cody. He could save me. He would survive being shot. He’d said as much after Dad threatened him.
He couldn’t die.
I hit the call button.
“Riley!”
That voice. That deep growl of anger and frustration filled my heart, wet my panties and gave me hope.
“Daddy. I, um, need you to come home. Right away.”
For long moments, Cody remained silent. All I could hear was my heartbeat in my ears. All I could see was the man and his gun.
“What’s the matter, Riley?”
“I broke up with Pete.”
He was quiet again, hopefully trying to figure out why I was saying the things I was.
“Daddy, are you there?” I asked, hoping he’d catch on that we hated me calling him that. It wasn’t our kink. In fact, I thought it was a little gross, especially considering our age difference.
Cody hesitated. God, I hope he registered that I was sending a message. “I’m here.”
“I know you wanted me to go out with someone older, more mature. You were right. Bring me some ice cream?”
The guy waved the gun around, not happy.
“You at your Nana’s?”
“No. I’m at home.”
“All right, I’ll be there soon.”
Relief made tears fall down my cheeks. “Thank you, Daddy. See you.”
Table of Contents
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- Page 28
- Page 29 (Reading here)
- Page 30
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- Page 39