Page 130 of The Moments You Were Mine

“Don’t look at her. Don’t even think about her.”

“It focused Ike on getting out. He convinced Ace they’d get payback. With my family taken care of, everybody wins.”

I pushed him away from me with a force that had him grimacing as he hit the wall again.

“I think Ike will have some fun with her tight little ass before he’s done.” Tony sent a grin in Fallon’s direction. My fist connected with his jaw, and he spun sideways, a dark laugh filling the air.

“That’s enough,” the guard said, coming to stand next to me with his baton in hand.

One guard with a stupid-ass baton wouldn’t prevent me from finishing off Tony, but it would ensure I had paperwork to do, ensure we were delayed in leaving. And I suddenly needed to get the hell out of there. I needed to get back to Rivers and find Ike Puzo before he did something more than mutilate a cow and burn down a building.

Fuck.

I spun around, strode over to Fallon, and hauled her to the door. I banged on it.

“Our administrator is on his way,” the guard in the room said.

“Good for him. We’re leaving.”

The officer who’d walked us inside opened the door. His eyes jumped from the prisoner to his fellow officer and then to us.

I propelled Fallon past the guy into the hall.

The door banged shut behind us. The guard’s heels clacked on the floor as he caught up. “You need to wait.”

“Fuck that. This goddamn place released a convicted felon—one who has it out for my wife and her family. The last thing I’m doing is waiting around while you all pull your dicks out of your asses and try to figure out what happened.”

As I charged down the hall, Fallon slid her hand into mine, squeezing. I finally looked down into her face. Fear resided there, but it was coated with the same burning anger lighting me up.

A man in a cheap suit and a regrettable goatee met us at the exit doors, blocking our path. It was unnecessary, as we couldn’tleave until someone in the locked security room buzzed us through. “Mr. Steele, Ms. Harrington. If you could be so kind as to join me in my office.”

I leaned toward him, and he took a step back. “No. You figure out what the hell went wrong on your own. My wife and I have more urgent business. We have people to protect because you failed at your job.”

Inside, I was shaking with rage, but my voice was icy and calm.

The man hesitated.

“Our fathers”—my gaze darted to Fallon and back to the man—“both have the governor on speed dial. If you try to keep us here, I can guarantee it’ll put the final nail in the shitty coffin that has become your career.”

The man swallowed and then spun around to the windowed room where a guard sat. “Let them through.”

I didn’t say another word. I just strode through the doors as they buzzed open with Fallon’s hand still clutched in mine.

“Goddamnit, Parker,” Fallon hissed once we were out of the building. The full force of the midday sun in the Nevada desert hit us. Hot. Steamy. Burning like the anger I felt.

Burning like the guilt that knifed through me. How the fuck had we missed that Ace had spent time with Ike? They’d been in the same goddamn prison together, and not once had it come up on our radar. How many times would I fail her? How many times would I fail, and yet she’d still look at me like I was the hero of her story?

I nearly jogged to the SUV with Fallon’s hand still wrapped in mine. Sliding into the vehicle, I ripped my phone out of the glove compartment and started the engine so the air-conditioning would kick in.

“He’s been out. This whole time!” Fallon’s voice was high-pitched, full of worry and genuine fear. “God. Mom. He went after Mom because Dad wasn’t there…” She frowned. “But Dad was on the ranch for days after we came back from San Diego…” She shook her head, trying to pull it together.

“Ike was likely back East by then. Your dad’s place was broken into, remember? And someone had to bribe whoever killed Adam. Bad luck for Ike that he showed up at your dad’shouse, ready to do him in, only to find him gone. That had to piss him the hell off.”

“The first cow was mutilated while Dad was with me. He and Sadie and the kids left the next day.”

“Maybe that was Ace. They’re clearly working together. Or maybe they’ve been playing a cat-and-mouse game to torment all of you before pulling the trigger. Ike had to know it would hurt Rafe even more to ruin your name and the ranch’s before he killed you. Rafe would come running back, and he’d have everyone in one place.”

My heart fucking gave out even thinking about her being killed. That same terror I’d felt when I’d seen her on the ground after the shooting filled me.