Love Me Reckless (Love Me Dangerous #2)

Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty-Three

SAWYER

I squeeze through the bank doors as the manager is locking up.

“It’s not five yet,” I say when he gives me a terse look.

He glances at his watch. “You have four minutes.”

My toes throb with every step in my work boots, sore from skiing on icy slopes for most of the day, and though I’m no longer in my coveralls, I look every bit the roughneck I feel. Especially with what I’m about to do.

The smartly dressed teller spins in her chair to face me., the key attached to her wrist by a plastic coil jangling against the desktop.

“How can I help you today?” she asks.

“I need to make a cash withdrawal from my savings.”

“Do you have your ATM card?” She nods at the little keypad on the shelf in front of me. I pull out my wallet and slide my card into the reader.

The teller swivels back to her screen. “Go ahead and follow the prompts.”

“Can you tell me how much I have?”

“Would you like your account balance?”

Nerves chew at my spine. “Yes. ”

She scribbles the number on a square of paper and slides it across the counter to me.

$12,433.12

Wow, that’s more than I thought. I still need to pay rent and buy food this month, so I punch in $10,000. It’s truly all I can spare, and no fucking way is he getting Kirilee’s ring. Or anything else—except the bus ticket I bought online during my break.

“Can I see some ID, please?” the teller asks.

“Sure.” I hurry with my wallet again, my fingers stiff. During that emergency motor fix, it must have been colder than I thought because my hands have been stiff and achy since.

The teller nods. “Thank you.”

“Can I get a cash advance on my credit card?”

“Yes, up to five thousand.”

“Can we add that to my total withdrawal?”

“I’ll need you to complete some paperwork.”

“Okay.”

The teller types into her keyboard and moments later, papers spit from a laser printer behind her. I skim the fine print and sign at the bottom, then return the forms.

The teller steps off her stool and opens the cash drawer. “Would you like hundreds?”

“Uh, yeah, that’s fine.”

After scooping up bills she locks the cash drawer again and turns to deal the hundreds into piles. “Would you like an envelope?”

“Please.”

With a smile, she gathers up the cash and slides it into a narrow envelope. It’s so full it’s bulging.

“Thank you.”

“Have a great day.”

As I head for the door with a minute to spare, I tell myself that if I managed to set aside twelve grand, I can save up again, meanwhile paying back the cash advance. I have a good job with good pay. My rent is affordable. Food costs are high but I know how to be frugal.

It strikes me that this wad of cash could be used to help Kirilee get her loan, or support her if it comes to that after we figure things out. The thought is like an anchor that drags my heart into the depths.

How am I going to explain to her that I’m broke?

When I finally untangled my life from Shel’s toxic one, I made a pledge never to fight again. Never to lie again.

I’ve broken the first one, twice. And now I’m going to have to break the second. I shake off the sense of doom invading my gut. It’s going to be fine—once Sheldon is gone, I’ll start anew.

Outside the bank, I squint into the wind, spotting Zach in his truck, with Sheldon sitting next to him. When I trot across the empty lot, Zach starts his engine. I jump in the backseat.

“Hey big bro,” Sheldon says with his lopsided grin.

Zach and I make eye contact in his rearview mirror. “Let’s go.”

“Where?” Sheldon asks.

“Bus station,” I reply as Zach accelerates onto the freeway.

“Aw, don’t be like that.” His shoulders slump. “I was starting to like it here.”

“Once you’re in Boise, you have to switch buses, but you’re set all the way to Dallas.”

Sheldon looks out the window, but there’s not much to see in the falling darkness. “How much did you get me?”

I slide the envelope from my pocket and hold it up. “Fifteen.”

Sheldon gives me a sour look in the rearview. “That’s it?”

We pass through Pinedale. The faded storefronts and seedy vibe remind me of the night Kirilee called me, distressed after getting booted from the tattoo shop. I stare out the window, but I’m not really seeing anything. It’s silent in the cab as we cross the broad valley to the town of Clearwater, which is adjacent to the interstate.

The bus station is a small building on the west end of town just off the freeway, the bright overhead lights in the bus bay making it easy to find. A row of cracked metal chairs fixed to the concrete are empty except for a few hunched-over figures. Travelers have to wait outside in this cold? I don’t like it, but at least the wait won’t be long.

Zach pulls to the curb across from the bus station. I jump down, and Sheldon joins me on the sidewalk. “Let’s get you checked in,” I say, hunching my shoulders to the icy wind.

Sheldon gives me a sideways glance, like he’s going to object. But he falls in next to me crossing the street.

At the window, I show my receipt and Sheldon flashes his ID to the attendant, and she prints his boarding pass.

I make sure we’re out of her sight of the window before I hand over the envelope.

Sheldon’s face reveals nothing as he tucks the money into the front pocket of his jeans. No gratitude. No sheepish grimace.

“Oh. Your coat,” Shel says, unzipping the ski parka he must have borrowed when he left the house this morning.

“You keep it,” I say, emotion crowding into my throat. I wish it didn’t have to be like this.

“Okay,” he says.

From the other side of the bay, a silver bus pulls in and coasts to a stop, the brakes squeaking. The engine’s deep rumble fills the night.

“Take care, Shel.”

“You too.”

It’s awkward, but I pull him into a hug anyway. He jolts like I’ve surprised him, but he claps me on the back. When I let him go, he gives me a rueful smile before turning away.

Unease twitches just beneath my skin as he walks toward the bus, his head down.

Am I doing the right thing?

Sheldon climbs aboard and disappears into the bus. I imagine him finding a window seat, maybe using my coat as a pillow for the first leg of the trip.

I turn away but before I can cross the street, a black SUV pulls to a stop in front of me .

Two athletic-looking guys in suits step out of the SUV. Both have the distinctive bulge of a shoulder holster beneath their suit jackets and one of the agents is keeping his hand on his hip as he walks toward me, like he thinks he needs quick access to his weapon.

What the hell?

“Sawyer Reed?” one of the suits says to me.

“Who’s asking?”

Zach hurries toward me, his eyes tense.

“Finn River Ranch security,” the other suit says, his dark eyes lasering in on me, like I might run.

“What’s going on?” Zach asks.

“Stu Valentine needs to see Mr. Reed here,” the first guard says, not taking his eyes off me.

“Stu? Why?” My thoughts tumble end over end. Why would the head of security at Finn River Ranch need to see me? And why didn’t he just ask? I don’t need escorts.

Zach scowls. “What’s this about?”

“This doesn’t concern you, Mr. Hayes,” the guard to my right says.

“It looks like you’re trying to apprehend a citizen without his consent, so hell yes, it concerns me.”

“I’ll go.” It’s starting to make sense now. This has to be about Kirilee, and if I am going to keep her, I have to play this straight. Resisting will only make more problems for us.

“Sawyer, you don’t have to do this,” Zach says.

I lock eyes with Zach. “It’s okay.”

“You sure?” Zach asks.

“Yeah.”

Zach seems to think this over for a moment. “Okay. But I’m alerting the sheriff.” He points his phone at the two guards, his eyes hard. “Finn River Security doesn’t get to roam the streets, snatching up whomever they please.”

“We’ll be sure to pass that message along,” one of the guards says, then beckons to me. “Get in the car, Mr. Reed. ”

I slide into the backseat. One agent follows me in while the other one enters from the opposite side. A different agent is behind the wheel, dressed similar to the two next to me.

When the SUV pulls a U-turn, I see Zach hurrying to his truck, barking into his phone.

The drive to the ranch feels like a voyage to another dimension. That Stu thinks I would resist meeting with him bothers me as much as the mystery behind what he thinks we’re going to accomplish by talking about it.

Did you enable Kirilee St. Claire to ditch her wedding?

Yep.

Are you prepared to accept the consequences?

Yes.

Did you punch Birch at the Finn River Medical Center?

Sure did.

Are you prepared to accept the consequences?

Like a rematch? I’d be delighted. Here, hold my lemonade.

We pass through the gate and the driver follows the main road past the snowy grounds and groves of aspen and fir trees. The thick overcast sky obscures the mountain peaks.

At Bear Lodge, the SUV passenger door is opened and I’m escorted out. We enter the lobby—I try not to stare at the vaulted ceilings, giant windows, river rock hearth with a real fire crackling and the massive antler chandeliers hanging above us on the way to the elevator.

Will Birch be joining us at this meeting?

Along the walls, black and white pictures of the ski slopes tell the story of the early days of the resort, from the construction of the first ski lift to mid-winter powder days, the sun bright in the background. In one, Kirilee and her brother are standing side by side at the bottom of the lift. She’s probably about seven, with two half-grown-in front teeth on display thanks to her mile-high grin. Her mom is right behind her, stooped to hug her. Their eyes look so clear—they look content, relaxed .

I have to fist my hands at my sides to keep from reaching out to touch the photo. How did that peaceful happiness slip away? And can they get it back?

After the elevator ride, we walk in a single file line, my work boots nearly silent on the plush carpet. At Stu’s door, one of the guards knocks.

“Enter,” Stu’s voice booms from behind the door.

I’m ushered inside the cave-like room with its dark walls and Stu’s large, mahogany desk facing two chairs. Pictures from Stu’s football days and family trips in the mountains are arranged behind him, giving the space a homey touch.

“Take a seat, Sawyer,” Stu says, nodding at the empty chairs. As I lower into one, the guards leave the office, closing the door softly behind them.

Stu folds his hands in front of him and purses his lips as he stares me down. “Today, one of our members had their identity stolen.”

I stare at him while my mind switches gears. So… this isn’t about Kirilee?

“We have reason to believe you’re behind it.”

Hello, curveball. “Uh, that’s bullshit.”

Stu’s jaw tenses.

“Sir,” I add quickly. “I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“This member had money transferred to an account. Tracing that information will take time, or we could solve this right now.”

Words dance around on my tongue. This is getting scary. He thinks I somehow stole from a ranch guest, then cashed it out?

“I’ve never stolen money in my life. I wouldn’t even know how to steal someone’s identity. Don’t you have to have a person’s personal information to do that, like credit cards, ID, passwords?”

“Yes.”

“I would never steal from a member.” I shake my head. “Not only because that’s not the kind of person I am, but the logistics are pretty much impossible. Not sure you heard about today, but it was full court press with the strong winds and a non-start of the Glory Basin backup motor.”

“It’s Kirilee St. Claire,” Stu says.

I lock eyes with Stu. “What?”

“Her personal information has been compromised.”

“When?”

“Fortunately her family realized what was happening before things got out of control, but her personal accounts have been breached.”

Oh shit. “Wait, you think I stole from Kirilee?”

“It’s been brought to my attention that you two have been spending quite a bit of time together.”

He might as well have opened a hole in the floor for me to fall through. “Is this coming from Birch?”

Stu doesn’t answer.

“I did not steal or tamper or use Kirilee’s information in any way. This is a mistake.” My panic is like a caged animal getting poked on all sides. “Let me show you my bank statements. I can pull it up on my phone. You’ll see I’m not lying.”

“All right.” Stu gives me a grim nod.

I pull up my bank’s website and log in, then navigate to my checking account transactions tab, then hand over my phone.

Stu sits back, slipping on a pair of black-rimmed readers from his desk to study the information. He scrolls, stops, scrolls.

“Going somewhere? You bought a bus ticket.”

Shit, this is not the road I want to go down. I huff a breath. “It was for a family member.”

Stu frowns. “What family member? You didn’t list any next of kin on your application.”

I grip the armrest of the chair. So they’ve done some homework on me and my personal life already? If they go any deeper, they’re going to get closer to my past and everything is going to fall apart.

“My half-brother, Sheldon.”

With a frown, he goes back to scrolling, then grimaces before glancing up again. “You also made a withdrawal of ten thousand dollars.”

“It’s money I’ve been saving. I also took out a cash advance for five thousand.”

“Why?”

“My brother’s… uh, in a bit of a jam.”

His eyebrows shoot up. “Enough of a jam you two cooked up a plan to steal Ms. St. Claire’s identity and drain her personal finances?”

“No! I’m telling you, this is wrong. I made no such plans. I have not touched Kirilee’s wallet or stolen anything from her.”

The answer hits me like a punch to the throat. Oh fuck.

Sheldon.

I watched him like a hawk, but he’s a pro. He could have slipped Kirilee’s wallet from her purse last night or even this morning. I was distracted by the idea that he might try to wrench that diamond ring right off her finger and he knew it—he messed with my head and set a trap—and I’d walked right into it.

Fucking Sheldon.

Has he really gone this far? The Sheldon I remember was sneaky, but identity theft is a new level of low. Whatever he’s mixed up in must be worse than he admitted to me last night. Much worse.

I’m also now convinced he’s not acting alone. He’s either working with someone, or he’s led his debt collectors here, knowing he’d score by stealing from me or my friends.

But because Kirilee’s accounts got frozen, he likely didn’t get what he was after.

Which means this isn’t over.