Chapter 145
The room is spacious and clean. Quite opulent. It’s like the designer transported the insides of an Italian villa-complete with marble and finely upholstered furniture, glass chandeliers and even a cozy, roaring fireplace-into this dockside commercial building.
The stark comparison to the vacant warehouse behind me has me doing a double take.
“That’s our shipping and receiving area,” he says easily. “This
room is for receiving our special guests.”
That sounds creepy and ominous. “Ryker.”
I recognize him immediately as the wolf from the restaurant.
His features are too remarkable to forget.
He sniffs a bit at the gun in my hand, like it’s some accessory
that he finds offensive.
Whatevs.
“My brother?”
“He can join us shortly.” He holds out his hand. “Come. Sit.”
There are no other wolves in this room, but I can’t kick the feeling that there are other wolves watching us nonetheless.
He opens a black leather ledger and draws out printed papers. At a glance, I see my name on them and Roberts Corp. headings. “What are you proposing to do with these legal documents?” I ask.
He smirks. The man’s eyes pin me and his features bear
unnatural beauty. I think he’d use his looks, this monster.
Beneath his perfect, polished facade, I sense that this male is truly merciless.
“Sign them.”
The stack has to be at least a hundred pages long.
“Don’t bother trying to read them, I’ll save you the time.”
A lump is rising in my throat. I can’t let my brother d ie. I just can’t. Not after losing dad. But if this destroys the company, Pack Roberts will have nothing left…
“I’d like to have my attorney review them.”
He laughs, throwing his head back like I said the funniest thing. A few seconds later, his expression is deathly serious again. “No.”
“What do they say?” I ask carefully.
“That you’re turning over everything.”
The signature page has been placed on top. I flip through the pages trying to skim, but really I’m just looking to buy time. My options are very limited. I can sh oot this wolf. But if he
survives, he’s tearing my throat out. And what about Liam?
“As I said on the call, I need to see my brother first. Release him. I’ll give you whatever you want then.”
1 mean that. We can rebuild. Raise money. Start over. But there
is no replacing a loved one once they’re stolen from us. Death
is final.
I want to believe we will meet again, but I’m not so certain.
And I won’t abandon Liam. He deserves better than that.
I set my gun on the table so it points at him.
Ryker tsks.
He moves slowly and places his hand on the table to reveal his phone. The timer is ticking down.
Thirteen.
Twelve.
Eleven.
Ten.
“Do decide soon,” he advises. “You sign on time, or we kil l
him…”
