Page 92 of Deserving Ryleigh
“Easy, it’s just me,” he said, lifting his hands, showing he was unarmed.
Ry wanted to laugh. Even though the man was long since retired, she didn’t think he’d ever be the kind of guy anyonedidn’tassume was a threat. Yes, earlier, when he was relaxed and happy, he’d looked pretty mild-mannered. But now? He oozed a kind of menace that she’d only witnessed in Tiny and the other Refuge owners, when one of their own had been threatened. The menace that seemed to fill the room after the cabins exploded.
It had felt overwhelming then, almost choking her with its intensity. But now she welcomed it. Embraced it.
Her dad thought she was helpless. A sitting duck. Didn’t respect Tiny or anyone who lived at or came to The Refuge. Thought anyone who couldn’t handle “a little adversity”—his term for PTSD—was a wuss. This coming from a man who’d spent his life hiding behind a computer, sitting on his ass in his house.
Harold Lodge was a pathetic human being. And Ry believed in karma. Sometimes it took its sweet time making people pay for their evil deeds, but eventually they got what was coming to them. And she fervently prayed that today was the day her father would come face-to-face with karma itself.
But she couldn’t stop working while she waited for thatto happen. She had to continue with his sick mind games. Continue to read his taunts that popped up on the screen between the lines of code as they went back and forth. Her dad taking advantage of the power grid’s security system, and her patching holes as fast as he opened them. Eventually he’d run out of holes to poke, and she’d win.
But then what? Ry had no doubt he had something planned.
As he’d said, he held all the cards. As long as he had a detonator for the bunkers, as long as he controlled who lived and who died in a fiery blast, he had the upper hand. They both knew it.
“Wolf, what the hell are you doing here?” Tiny asked.
“If you think I’m going to sit my ass in a bunker while you have all the fun, you’re not the SEAL I thought you were.”
Ry wanted to roll her eyes. Fun? Wolf thought this wasfun? But then she shook her head. Of course he didn’t. It was just a phrase. She was actually glad he was here. Not for her sake, but Tiny’s. He wouldn’t let the man she loved take any insane risks. He’d have his back, while Tiny had hers. After all, he’d been a SEAL too. They could work together.
“What’s the situation?” Wolf asked.
“Not good,” Tiny admitted. And the fact that he didn’t sugarcoat anything made Ry respect him more. He quickly explained what was happening. Ry kept sneaking glances at the older man, and wasn’t surprised at the way he frowned and looked extremely concerned. His wife was in one of the bunkers. He had every right to be worried.
“I have a friend, he was on my team,” Wolf said. “He’s an ordnance expert. Maybe I can call him. Go out to oneof the bunkers and have him talk me through how to disarm it.”
Ry wasn’t so sure that would work. But she wasn’t sure itwouldn’t. She was completely conflicted. She wanted to get everyone out of those damn bunkers, right this second, but not if it meant causing all those bombs to go off—and her gut told her that Harold wasn’t bluffing.
“If you want to do something,” she blurted, “take Tiny and go find my asshole of a father. He’s here somewhere. Watching. Waiting for the right time to blow us all to pieces. Find him and kill him before he has a chance to do the same to us.”
She couldn’t believe she’d just said that, had encouraged anyone to kill another person. But enough was enough. Her father was an evil man. He had to be stopped. Even if she agreed and somehow found ten million dollars to give him, he wouldn’t go away. He’d come back. Wanting more. Blackmailing her, threatening her friends, doing anything necessary to get his way. The only way to make him stop, waspermanently.
She was probably going to go to Hell for wishing for the death of her father, but at this point, Ry didn’t care. As long as Tiny was safe. The Refuge was safe. She’d take whatever punishment she earned if the people she loved were protected.
“That won’t be necessary, daughter dear. I’m right here.”
Ry froze and her hands dropped from the keyboard.
Her father stepped out of the kitchen with a shit-eating grin on his face.
Her mouth fell open. She couldn’t believe he wasstupid enough to show himself willingly.Here. With Tiny and Wolf by her side.
He was as good as dead, he just didn’t know?—
Suddenly, Wolf moved…
Turning and running straight for the front door.
Ry watched in stunned disbelief. He was literally running away! So much for her thought that he was a big bad SEAL.
Her father laughed hysterically as the door swung shut behind Wolf. “He’s not going to be able to save his precious wife. I’m in control here.”
Tiny shifted and sidestepped out from behind the reception desk.
“No, don’t,” Ry whispered.
He didn’t listen. He stepped out in full view of her father, who wasn’t holding a gun, but she still didn’t trust him. Not in the least.
