Chapter Forty-Six
Ryker
Sawyer has asked me every question in the book about Mr. Westmoore. I look back on every time I golfed with him and feel disgusted that I couldn’t see who he was on the inside. We comb through everything that is connected to Ben. It makes me wonder about everyone else who associates themselves with him. Does that make me just as bad because I was friendly with him? If I had only known what he had done to my Brynne, I would have killed him with my club last week.
“Grab towels,” Brynne yells as she budges through the door. Sawyer and I turn around to see Damon hunched over in Matteo and Brynne’s arms. Brynne’s clothes are wet and she has blood on her dress.
“What the fuck happened?” Sawyer asks. We both get up to help hold Damon. Brynne runs to the bathroom and grabs a handful of towels. She lays them on the couch and we shuffle Damon to the couch. “I’m still waiting for you guys to answer my sucking question,” Sawyer spats.
Brynne runs back down the hall and comes back with a bag. “He got shot the other night,” she clarifies.
“He went back to the motel and has been there this whole time,” Matteo adds .
“Fuck,” I say as I look at how gruesome his wound is under the gauze.
“It's not as bad as it looks, but he already lost a lot of blood. I need to stitch it up so he will stop bleeding,” Brynne says confidently.
Sawyer storms off and grabs his phone. It rings four times and then a woman picks up on the other end. “What have you found out about Digicon?” he demands.
“What the fuck is with the tone Sawyer? I’m still
digging, I told you I would call you when I found out more,” Clara says.
“I need more now,” Sawyer yells.
“Sawyer,” Brynne says softly. “I need you to calm down so I can do this,” she adds.
“Do what? What's going on?” Clara asks.
“Damon got shot and I’m stitching him up,” Brynne answers.
“Fuck, I told you this was dangerous. Did you get hurt?” Clara asks Brynne.
“No, Damon is hurt because of me,” Brynne admits. We all look at her at the same time. None of this is her fault and the fact that she thinks that makes me feel like shit.
“This isn’t your fault,” Matteo says as he places his hand on Brynne’s shoulder. She reaches up and grabs it and kisses it. It's so gentle and not Matteo at all.
“I haven’t found an address for the company, but it's
been around for a while. It's linked to basically every politician in the state. I don’t know why they would need a contractor on speed dial, but it’s the perfect cover for this line of work,” Clara says.
“Almost done, I’m going to have to stitch the exit wound too,” Brynne says. She finishes the last few stitches and Matteo and I move Damon so she can stitch his back. He doesn’t flinch at all when she plunges the hook into his skin.
“You guys need to stop killing and lay low for a while. This is getting dangerous Brynne,” Clara says.
“No,” Damon croaks. “We are killing Benny,” he
mumbles. Brynne’s eyebrows knit together and she looks like she is about to cry.
“Who is Benny?” Clara asks.
“Benjamin Westmoore, he's one of the guys from
Brynne’s past. Penfield gave us the name last night,” Sawyer explains.
“Brynne, I know you’ve wanted this forever, but please promise me you will be safe. It's dangerous enough without this stalker hitman trying to kill Damon,” Clara says. We hear a woman call out for her in the background. “I have to go. I’ll keep digging. Don’t you dare die on me Brynne Thornton,” Clara says firmly before hanging up.
“Never,” Brynne whispers. “I’m almost done. He got lucky that the bullet didn’t hit any major arteries. If it had got lodged inside of him, I don’t think I would have been able to get it out.”
We lay Damon back down and he groans. Brynne grabs a throw blanket and covers him up. She looks down at herself and how ruined her dress is. “I guess I should get cleaned up, I want all of you to move in here,” she says before disappearing upstairs.
We all look at each other in surprise besides Matteo and his shit-eating grin. “She already asked me earlier today,” he shrugs. Damon laughs and then coughs. Sawyer looks at the stairs like he is in disbelief that she just said those words. We all stay here basically every day as it is, so moving in doesn’t seem like that big of a deal. Except it is.
Spending every waking moment in the presence of Brynne would be an absolute dream. My father is going to
freak out if he comes back and I’m gone. You'd think being an adult would loosen the leash he keeps on me. Maybe I should wait and move my things after I talk to my parents.
“There is something we need to take care of before we go all unpacking,” Matteo says. Sawyer walks back into the living room and waits for Matteo to elaborate. “This bloody fuck made a mess in the motel room. We have to go clean it up before someone goes inside and thinks a murder took place,” he says.
“Fuck you,” Damon says from the couch. Brynne comes back downstairs in a silk nightgown. I have to restrain myself from being a selfish prick and taking her right back upstairs.
“I want to kill Westmoore,” Brynne says flatly.
“Okay, but we do more research this time,” Sawyer
says. My phone pings and I look down to see my father’s text. I sigh and everyone notices.
“What?” Matteo asks.
“ It’s my father. He's coming home earlier than
expected. Word of Penfield travels fast I guess,” I roll my eyes. Damon clicks the remote and the news pops up on the television. They show the haunted house and them wheeling out Penfield in a body bag. “How did you do it?” I ask.
“She shoved a baseball bat up what was left of his asshole,” Damon says.
“What do you mean what was left?” Sawyer asks.
“I cut him open from his ass to his balls and then
stuffed him,” Brynne shrugs. She acts like it's no big deal that we murder people for a living. It makes me love her more. I’m taken aback by my thoughts. I’ve never told a woman that I loved them before.
“I wonder if the baseball bat is in the bag with him,” Matteo laughs. I look back on the screen and a picture of Max pops up. “They're still deeming him missing?” Matteo rolls his eyes.
“Hachett is going to up his security because of this,” I say. “I don’t think Mr. Westmoore has security, but Hachett might make sure he does after this,” I add.
“How do we find Ben?” Damon asks.
“He is probably coming home at the same time as my father. Your best bet is to casually run into him. There is no way you’re going to get him alone,” I stress.
“He goes golfing with my father every Thursday and Caroline makes sure he goes to church every Sunday,” I say. Brynne’s eyes lighten up and then she looks at Sawyer.
“It looks like we're going to church this weekend honey,” she smiles.
“Honey?” Sawyer laughs.
“We are going to pretend to be newlyweds in the area and hopefully it will pique some interest,” Brynne explains.
“I should go with you,” I suggest.
“You can’t. They know you, Ryker. The whole point is to go in unseen this time. We obviously didn’t do a good enough job last time,” Brynne stresses.
“What if someone recognizes you?” Matteo asks.
“They won't because I’ll be in disguise,” Brynne smirks.
“Disguise?” Sawyer laughs .
“I’ll just wear a wig or something,” Brynne shrugs. I laugh at her nonchalant attitude.
“I guess we should get to the motel before it gets dark out,” I say. I want to go to my apartment and grab all of my things, but I know I can’t. I have other obligations I need to tend to before being able to do what I want. I don’t know how this will affect my intel with my father. Damon always told me to get as much information as I could while I was with my father, but now that they won't be staying at the motel, I don’t see the benefit of it.
“Are you getting your stuff from your place?” Brynne asks innocently.
“Not tonight. I’ll get it after I talk to my father. He isn’t going to like the idea of me moving so close to the election,” I explain.
“Who gives a fuck about the election,” Damon spats. I know he is right, but I have to think about my mother in all of this too. I don’t want to leave her alone with my father especially if I piss him off. I’ve never seen him raise a hand to my mother, but I wouldn’t put it past him. Especially with him being friends with Mr. Westmoore.
“ I can’t leave my mom alone with him,” I confess.
Brynne’s eyes soften and she reaches for my hand. “I understand.”
“Alright let's go get our stuff from the motel. Are you coming Matteo?” Sawyer asks.
“I already cleared my room out last week,” Matteo says. Brynne looks at him and they pass a secret message
through their gaze. Sawyer and I grab our jackets and leave to head to the motel. It was for the better to get out of that place before my father started to get suspicious. He's been talking about renovations to the place a lot lately.
I kiss Brynne and walk out the door with Sawyer. I look back at the house and my heart warms at the fact that I can call this my home. As long as I’m with Brynne, I am where I belong.