Page 56 of Deserving Ryleigh
“Fuck, do you think he’d actually do something physical?Something other than hide behind his keyboard?” Spike asked.
“No clue. But I don’t think we can ignore that possibility,” Tiny said grimly.
“I’ll contact the security company we contract with and tell them to be extra vigilant. We’ve already got a ton of cameras around the property, so I’m not sure adding more would do anything other than make it more difficult to monitor them all,” Owl mused.
“There’s more. Hedidsay that if Ryleigh gave his money back—and I’m assuming he meant the original amount, not the ten k she took last night—that he’d stop.”
“Do we believe him?” Stone asked.
“No way in hell. He’s enjoying this. He’s been stewing for years as he searched for Ry, and now that he’s found her, he won’t give up, even if shedoesgive the money back,” Tonka said.
Tiny agreed with him.
“What if we provoke him?” Brick asked.
“What are you thinking?” Pipe asked.
“Well, up until now, we’ve been on the defensive. Plugging holes as he makes them. Yesterday was the first time Ry fought back, by taking that money. And he responded. What if she does more? Takesallhis money? Hits him where it hurts the most?”
“He could act even more batshit crazy than he is right now,” Stone said with an unamused snort.
“If he gets too riled up, he could make a mistake. Open the door for Ry to find him. For the FBI to nab him,” Brick suggested.
“Or he could come out of hiding with an AK and try to blow his daughter away,” Tiny argued.
“Exactly. He couldcome out of hiding,” Brick said. “Look at us. We’re badass special forces. We’ve got two SEALs, a Coast Guard DSF, a Delta, an SAS, and two Night Stalkers. The day we can’t take down a fucking hacker who’s spent his entire life sitting behind a computer, making people’s lives miserable, is the day I give up my Budweiser pin. We need to piss this guy off enough that he can’t help but want to confront Ry in person.”
“No. Absolutely not. No way in hell,” Tiny growled. “We arenotusing Ryleigh as bait for this fucker.”
“Then how do you suggest we get him?” Brick argued, voice equally hard.
Tiny leaned forward in his seat, pissed way the hell off now. “Would you be suggesting this if it was Alaska he wanted?”
“I wouldn’t like it. I’d be scared as fuck. Butyes, I would.”
“Bullshit!” Tiny barked.
“If you have any other ideas, I’m listening. But this guy isn’t fighting fair, Tiny, and we can’t take down a ghost. We need him to show his face, and the only way I know how to do that is by sending him so far over the deep end that he tries to come after Ry personally.”
Tiny and Brick were locked in a battle of wills. Never had Tiny felt more animosity toward a fellow SEAL, afriend, than he did right now. And what sucked was that Brick was right. Tiny knew it, but he didn’t want Ryleigh toeversee her shithead father again. He’d done nothing but cause her pain, and Tiny didn’t want him to cause one iota more.
“Maybe instead of grabbing all his money at once, she could take a little at a time. Let his anger really build.When he’s ready to explode, she can tell him she’ll give it all back, but he has to come get it in person,” Stone suggested.
“He’s not going to be stupid enough to fall for that,” Pipe insisted.
Tiny didn’t take his gaze from Brick’s. The other man stared back just as intently as the others talked around them.
“She could promise there won’t be any cops, since she’s also broken the law, stolen his money,” Spike said.
“That excuse could work,” Tonka said slowly. “We could have the meet here. Where it would be filmed by the cameras, so our own asses are covered if we have to take deadly action.”
“No fucking way!” Brick said. “We’ve put our blood, sweat, and tears into this place. There’s no way I want that psychopath anywhere near The Refuge. I don’t care if we send all our women and kids away and shut down the place so there aren’t any guests. It’s still a horrible idea to invite him here.”
“Tiny? Stop glaring at Brick. What are you thinking?” Owl asked.
Tiny glanced at his friend. “That I hate this.”
“But?” Owl pressed.
