Betrayals of the Heart by Melissa Ohnoutka Read Free Book Online Page B

Prichard, please come to the front ticket counter.”
    She swallowed hard, giving Ryan a quick glance as he talked with the man at the rental car desk a few yards away. He was getting her a car. Just as he promised. His tall sturdy frame leaned casually against the counter, his right foot crossed over the other.
    Panic whipped through her.
    Had she let another part of her anatomy cloud her judgment? Trusted the wrong person?
    A million thoughts rushed her at once, but her gut feeling was stronger. Ryan wasn’t pushing her to stay with him. Oh, he’d offered to take her all the way to her destination, but he was honoring her wishes and even insisted on paying for the car since he’d inconvenienced her earlier. This was not the behavior she’d expect from someone trying to pull a fast one.
    So that meant one thing. Steven was there. Right now. Looking for them.
    If she didn’t act fast, she and her precious son would be on their way to a life even worse than what they’d left. Ryan’s life would end—in the most gruesome way possible.
    “Ryan, wait!” She grabbed Michael by the hand and joined Ryan at the car counter. “I have to tell you something.”
    He turned and gave her a pleasant smile. “Have you changed your mind?”
    Her heart ached for him as fear swelled inside her chest. They didn’t have much time. She had to tell him everything. “Look, I know you offered to help out of some kind of warped macho code of ethics, but I can’t let you do it without telling you the truth.”
    “What truth?” His entire demeanor transformed as he straightened to his full height, maximizing the intensity of his masculinity and strength. She inhaled deeply, contemplating her options. What would she do if he changed his mind? If it turned out Ryan was the one who’d called Steven?
    “Michael, you play with your new truck and airplane right here at the table, okay?” She didn’t want her son to hear what she was about to say, but she didn’t have a choice. Michael plopped down on the floor without a single complaint and began making his best rendition of a truck on steroids.
    Now all she had to do was get Ryan on board.
    She looked up to find Ryan watching, his brow furrowed. Taking a deep breath, she blew it out slowly before trying to speak. “My husband’s name is Steven Prichard.” She waited for comprehension to hit, but the implication never registered. “He’s a very bad man. He will kill you on sight for helping us and won’t be kind.”
    Still nothing.
    “Doesn’t that bother you?” she asked.
    “We’ve been on the road for over twelve hours. Why tell me now?”
    Well, that certainly wasn’t the reaction she expected. Or was it? He had every right to be mad. “I know. I wanted to tell you, was going to, honest. But I couldn’t figure out how to start.” She glanced over her shoulder hoping not to find Steven glaring back at her. “They just paged Steven over the intercom. Oh, dear God. He could be watching us right now.” She gave the terminal another once over, made sure Michael was still where he was supposed to be and then turned all her attention back to Ryan. “He won’t be alone, Ryan. Michael and I have to leave now.”
    “I see.” Instantly, his entire demeanor transformed back into the man she’d met that night at the airport. All businesslike, emotionless, short sentences.
    I guess that was her answer. He was going to break all ties and she didn’t blame him.
    She adjusted the strap on her purse and started to walk toward Michael. Do it quickly, like a Band-Aid and it won’t hurt so much. Besides they didn’t have a second to waste.
    “Wait.” Ryan grabbed her arm, stopping her progress. “Where are you going?” His fingers burned tiny prickles of heat into her skin.
    “I’m saving your life. Now, just let me go before it’s too late.”
    “Makayla, I can help.”
    “No. I thought I could do it. I thought if I told you what was at stake and you still stuck around