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Bones: Is he ok?
Riley: Yeah, I’m not.
Bones: Can I ask if he did something?
Riley: He’s been nothing but nice. I have something to take care of is all.
Bones: On my way.
Riley: Thanks.
Shutting the phone, Riley leaned against the workbench. She wanted to get piss drunk, but that wouldn’t solve anything. What she needed to do was drive. Once Bones picked up Preacher, that’s what she would do. She’d leave town and get her head on straight. Then she’d figure everything else out. Her fingers touched the envelope. She looked at the damn thing then picked it up. Tearing the flap open, she pulled out all the papers from it.
Sections were stapled together. Each one had a name in bold black letters. Underneath each name was a different name. Riley realized these were dossiers on the Gypsy Kings. Temple had been digging into them. She had been bluffing when she told Gypsy that information. Wow, she wondered if he had been tipped off that The Muthers were indeed looking at them.
Thumbing through each one, she set them aside until she came to Preacher’s. The information read like a bad story. Her heart went out to him and Bones. Their mother had been killed in a car accident, and the car had been driven by their father. It seemed their father had killed himself afterward. What didn’t add up was that the man had been a mean drunk known to beat his wife and children. The way the information read, something nagged at Riley. Temple had even dug up the police reports where Preacher had made a statement.
Pulling out the dossier on Bones, she flipped through the papers until she found the police report with his statement. It was just similar enough to Preacher’s to be believable, but her gut told her their father didn’t kill himself. A selfish bastard like that wouldn’t feel one ounce of remorse that his wife had died.
“You’ve been doing your homework.”
Riley was so entranced by what she was thinking she hadn’t heard Preacher come back outside. “Temple’s been looking into you and the others. She thought I should know is all.”
Preacher reached around her and snatched up the papers she was reading. “You were thinking hard on this shit.”
“Did you kill your father?” She didn’t care if she hurt his feelings. No one cared if they hurt hers. Was it a bitch move? Hell, yes.
Preacher knew two things as he stood there staring at Riley. One, she wanted a reason to get rid of him, and two, she needed to fight with someone. What did it say about him that he’d give her both? Before he could answer her, he heard the sound of Bones’s voice.
“No. I killed him,” Bones said loud and clear.
Riley looked at the front of the garage where Bones stood. “You boys need to wear fucking bells around your necks,” she snapped.
Bones walked farther into the garage. “I don’t want you to think poorly of Preacher.”
Riley shrugged. “I don’t think poorly of either of you. You were young in a volatile situation. You did what you had to do to survive.”
“Do you really think that, or are you just placating us?” Preacher asked, trying to push her buttons. If they argued, he could possibly get her to spill what was crawling around in her head.
Riley didn’t look at Preacher. She couldn’t look at him. “It’s how I feel. Listen, I have to do something that might take me away for a few days. I asked Bones to come grab you.”
“If you didn’t want me to kiss you again, you didn’t need my brother to come get me.” Trying a different direction, Preacher smiled, giving her a wink. Truth was, he wanted away from her now that she knew the truth. What woman would want a man who stood by and watched his brother kill their father? Didn’t matter the circumstances. The fact was he had held Bones to him by blackmailing him. Preacher knew he was a bastard. He also didn’t want to wonder all the time if she thought ill of him. “Thanks for keeping me company for the last week.”
She knew Preacher was using his charm and great smile to cut her a break. She’d rather him yell at her. It would make things easier for her to walk away. “No need to thank me. I enjoyed your company.”
“See ya later, Riley.”
“Take care, Preacher.” And just like that, she watched him walk out of the garage and out of her life. Tears filled her eyes at how tight her chest felt. She hadn’t felt a connection to another human being in years. It caught her off guard how easily she fell into step with Preacher.
From walking around his house in her T-shirt and briefs to helping him shower, it was comfortable and easy. Maybe it was just a patient/nurse relationship. Maybe the kiss was just a kiss and nothing more.
As the car’s taillights disappeared down the street, Riley wanted to run after them and tell him she wanted him to stay.
She didn’t.
She wanted to scream his name and pray he heard her.
She didn’t.
