RainRiders by Austina Love Read Free Book Online Page B

to give him that. How fast his mind worked had come as a surprise especially under pressure. Fast-talking dirty lawyer! No wonder he’d been able to clear Carter of the many charges against him. And now he was going to paint a false façade to Shye in an attempt to discredit his character. The man was a shrewd attorney through and through even in his personal life. How will she know who’s telling the truth when I refuse to set Gage free until after we make the bust?
    Worry cluttered his mind.
    I managed to get her farm back. But will she believe it was me or will she credit her old friend, thinking he finally escaped the bad guys?
    He couldn’t risk a setup by releasing Gage before he caught Draven. He was so close to avenging Ty’s death that he couldn’t let go. Losing Shye over this would send him into seclusion, and as much as he loved her, he’d made a vow on his brother’s grave that he couldn’t break. He knew she wouldn’t want to marry a man who carried no honor. He prayed she would trust the right man and not be deceived again.
    His heart ached for her.
    Pinned between a promise made years ago to bring a killer to justice and a vow he’d recently made to the truest woman he’d ever known—his internal struggle ensued. Will Shye accept my reasons for holding Gage captive or will she believe his lies?
    All of a sudden the door blew open as a fierce storm descended upon them. Rain bands drenched Trip before he pushed the door shut. Then he heard a light tapping outside.
    “Trip…it’s me.”
    His heart leapt at her voice and he flung open the door. “Shye!” Immediately he swept her into his arms and kissed her face then her lips. “I missed you, angel.”
    She offered a warm smile then her gaze shot to Gage tied to the chair. “What’s going on?”
    “He showed up here looking for you. We had no choice but to make him stay.”
    “Tell her!” Gage shouted. “Or I will!”
    Shye backed away. “Tell me what?”

Chapter Six
    “I wanted to give you time to settle in.” Trip shot Gage a look of utter rage. “We got your farm back.”
    “You did?” Shye gasped with wide eyes. A mix of excitement and apprehension washed over her. “How? When?”
    “ I did it, darling,” Gage piped up. “The papers are over there.” He nodded toward Remle’s desk.
    “ You ? What’s really going on here?”
    “Your lover boy won’t release me until he gets his revenge.” Gage stared straight at her. “I came here to find you, return the land and apologize for my behavior of late. They dragged me through the door and tied me up before I had a chance to state my case.”
    Trip spun around. His eyes blazed with fury. “Shut the hell up! She doesn’t need more lies.” He grabbed Gage by the throat, lowered his head and growled through clenched teeth in a low menacing voice. “If I didn’t need your ass to lead the way, I’d drop you right here.”
    Shye shook her head to clear her mind. “What?” She’d never seen this level of rage in him. She placed a gentle hand on his arm. “Trip…please let him finish.”
    His eyes met hers briefly but in that momentary glance she saw the swirl of turmoil smoldering in their depths. Had she not known his gentle side this burst of outrage would’ve unsettled her.
    He removed his hands and stepped back at her request but every muscle in his body was still tense with visible anger.
    “Show her the papers,” Gage barked while rubbing his neck. “I signed the farm over to you, honey. There’s a copy of the title insurance and the contract is signed by me. The original title search is safely in my office should you ever need it.”
    Remle handed her the papers. She flipped through each page. Tears misted her eyes as she saw for herself Gage’s signature on each page and her name as the buyer.
    “But I haven’t paid you…I don’t have enough money saved for this yet.”
    “Don’t worry about it. You can reimburse me when you are able. Carter was killed