Chosen Prey by Cheyenne McCray Read Free Book Online

destroyed their lives.
    Lyra's attention snapped back to the present as the Border collies greeted them and the automatic floodlights came on.
    Dare watched the range of emotions that passed over Lyra's features before they went hard again. What was she thinking? What had she been through? If today was an example, this woman had been to hell and back.
    He ordered the dogs to stay, then took Lyra to a shelter that housed his vehicles. He had a whole range of work trucks, an SUV, and one empty stall where the truck he'd driven to her house belonged. The assholes had slashed the tires. He'd have to have his foreman and one of his ranch hands take care of it when they returned Manny's car.
    The night was cool as they strode across the hard-packed earth to the SUV. Even though his strides weren't hurried, he noticed Lyra had to double her steps to keep up with him.
    The SUV was night black with dark tinted windows. A midsize model that he'd had specially equipped. Everything in it was high-tech, including the GPS.
    Dare threw his duffle into the backseat, then held the passenger door open for her. "Get in."
    She tossed her backpack onto the backseat beside his duffle, then buckled her seat belt as he shut the door with a solid thunk.
    Dare strode to the driver's side door and, after removing his Stetson, swung his bulk into the seat and turned to set his black western hat on top of the leather bag in the backseat. He gave Lyra a long look before starting the vehicle. She appeared so strong yet vulnerable all in one.
    He started the vehicle, then headed down the dusty road from his ranch. They reached the two-lane paved road and Dare swung the SUV onto it, heading north. Earlier they'd driven from the opposite direction. He glanced in his rearview mirror before looking back to the road ahead of him. No headlights behind, just pure darkness.
    His own headlights flowed over mesquite and dry grass lining the road. A few red and white Hereford cattle grazed on the opposite side of a barbed-wire fence, their eyes glowing red in the lights of the SUV.
    "No one's following us." Lyra had been looking over her shoulder. She turned back around and let out an audible sigh of relief before her words came out sharp and bitter.
    "For now."
     

CHAPTER FOUR
    Neal paced the length of his large quarters and ground his teeth. He couldn't let his emotions get the better of him. Adam had just called again to say they couldn't find the PI's home. They'd only met a couple of people who knew him and said he lived on some kind of ranch, but they didn't know where it was in the valley. According to Adam, the valley was massive and it would be hell to track down one person's home or ranch.
    Neal growled, then sucked in a deep breath. Scents of sandalwood and patchouli incense mingled with the smell of the vanilla candles burning at the small altar at one corner of his room. He released his breath and he moved toward the altar.
    As he knelt before it, he bowed his head. "Forgiveness, Jericho, Lord of the Prophets, for my anger." A water glass always stood ready beside the pitcher next to the altar. He filled it and swallowed a hit of LSD, also known as Sacrament.
    While he waited for the drug to bring him to his meditative state, he reached for the vessel of the Prophets and a baggie of what further helped him communicate with Jericho.
    Marijuana, in its purest and most potent form.
    Once Neal had filled a bong half-full with water from the small pitcher, he tamped the dry leaves into its quarter-sized bowl and lit it. He brought the water pipe to his mouth and inhaled. Smoke filled his lungs, burned his throat, and he tasted the bittersweet taste of the weed on his tongue.
    After holding the smoke as long as he could, he exhaled. A white stream poured through his lips and the scent of the leaf grew stronger in his room. He sucked on the bong again, then twice more.
    He set the bong aside and sat back on his haunches, his hands folded in reverence for the