Page 14 of The Risk

Unless one of his brothers happened up here, on the most remote corner of his family’s ranch. And he didn’t want one of them walking into a trap, either.

Gene had to think. Use the head God had given him.

He wouldn’t be any use to her dead.

He fought the image of her dead in his field for far too long. Just dumped there like that woman from before. No. That wasn’t going to happen to Chantal. He wasn’t going to let it.

Gene had six bullets.

If he had to, he was going to make them count.

He just wished he could tell her she wasn’t facing this alone now.

His breath caught when the bastard went to her, grabbed her. The blond guy yanked her from the floor and shook her. It took everything Gene had to stay right where he was.

The guy had a much bigger gun, and it was pointed right at her now. Gene held his breath and waited. While the bastard yanked her shirt up and pulled something from Chantal’s skin. And just tossed it aside. There were wires, it looked like. A pad of some sort. What in the hell was that?

And why did Chantal look even more terrified than she had before?

11

Terror hadher curling up in the corner of the old cabin that stood at the corner of the Hiller Ranch. She’d been in that cabin before—many times.

She, Giavonna, and Genny had camped out there once when they’d been young teenage girls, so sure they were independent. Until it had stormed, and they’d all gotten too scared and had wanted to go home. Genny had cried, so Giavonna had called their parents to come get them. On a landline.

That landline phone was long gone now. And cell service, even if she had a phone, was nonexistent up here.

Chad and Guthrie had driven up to get them. She knew exactly how far away from home, from safety, she was. She would give anything for her older brother to show up and rescue her again.

The younger brother was pacing in front of her. He was so... erratic. Drugs? She thought it was possible. They had just kept going on and on about Charlie. About what he had done to someone.

Chantal was just collateral.

These people hated her brother Charlie because of his work as a cop with the TSP Major Crimes. Seriously bad things had been happening lately in Finley Creek, and Major Crimes was right in the middle of it. She was just these men’s instrument of revenge.

She was going to have to think. The older brother had recognized her pump and monitor when he’d been searching her for weapons or a cell phone.

Feeling her up was more like it.

He’d gotten off on taking her pump and insulin. He’d liked the control it gave him over her. She was going to be in serious trouble soon. Very, very soon.

Chantal had to get out of there. And to help—fast.

The guy just smirked at her, tilting the can of soda to his lips. “Thirsty, yet?”

“Jackass yet?” Her brother would be looking for her. They’d taken her phone and a photo of her bound and gagged. They were going to get it to Charlie. She knew that. Charlie would look for her.

Maybe he’d recognize the cabin, too. Charlie had been there many times before, too.

Someone would find her.

But she couldn’t just stay there and wait. It would basically just be waiting to die. She had to get closer to help.

That was going to be Chad, Genny, or Guthrie—the ones who had medical training. She had to get to them. She had to.

The jerk stepped closer.

Chantal couldn’t stop herself.