The Survivor by Rhonda Nelson Read Free Book Online Page B

swore.
    â€œHe’s been there and left?” Lex asked.
    â€œYes. Gus didn’t catch a name or the make of the car, much less the license plate. He lives about a quarter of a mile off the road and has a gate at the end of his drive to discourage trespassers. Bastard parked there and walked in, despite the signs.” She heaved a breath. “He’s lucky Gus didn’t shoot him. He was within his rights.”
    â€œBastard?”
    â€œThat’s what I’ve been calling him,” she said, feeling suddenly hopeless. “In the absence of a name, that one fits pretty well, don’t you think?”
    He chuckled. “I’ve been calling him Asshole.”
    â€œLet’s combine them,” she suggested. “Asshole Bastard is pretty damned fitting.”
    Lex heaved a breath. “Asshole Bastard it is, then. So where is he going next?”
    â€œValdosta, I think,” she said. “But I could be wrong. This is just assuming that he covers the southern points first, then circles around. Whether he’llhead east or west remains to be seen and, unfortunately, we’re not going to know until he turns up somewhere.” Honestly, without a name or the make of a vehicle or any other sort of lead, they were at this guy’s mercy.
    â€œThen you’ll need to alert your clients on each side.”
    She growled low in her throat. “This is just so damned frustrating. I’ve never had anything like this happen before.”
    â€œHave you ever inadvertently put a picture of a rare hundred-thousand-dollar item on your website before?” he asked.
    â€œNo,” she said, knowing he was trying to make her feel better. In all truthfulness, she couldn’t have anticipated this so there was no way she could have prevented it. Still… So many of her clients were elderly and lived alone. Burt Augustine had already gotten assaulted by this son of a bitch and had his place searched while he lay helpless on the floor. And whether it was logical or not, it felt like her fault.
    â€œWe’re what? Three hours from Valdosta?”
    â€œGive or take thirty minutes,” she said.
    â€œCall your client and let them know he could be on his way, then plug the address into the GPS and we’ll head there, too.”
    â€œWe’re going to be too late again.”
    â€œPossibly,” he admitted. “But we know where hewas and we’ll keep going until we get close enough to catch him.”
    She sighed and shot him a look. “You sound so confident.”
    â€œThat’s because I am,” he said, flashing her a smile. “Have a little faith.”
    â€œBecause you’re a former Ranger? Because you’re one of the most highly trained soldiers on the planet? A bonafide badass?” she drawled.
    He blinked and slid her a look, his decadent lips twitching with humor. “Yes,” he said with a humble nod. “But I wasn’t going to say it.”
    â€œNot to worry,” she said. “Payne told me.” She paused. “He said you’d come out of the military because of an injury.” She was prying again, but she was curious. Too curious.
    He didn’t move a muscle, but she felt him flinch all the same. “I did.” He waited a beat. “I got hit,” he said, though it was clear he didn’t want to tell her anything about it. “In the shoulder.”
    She winced and resisted the urge to touch him, to offer comfort. “I’m sorry.”
    â€œIt’s better than it was, but probably as good as it’s going to get.” He jerked his head toward the dog. “That’s where I found Honey. She was sitting outside the rehab clinic, almost like she was waiting for me,” he told her, laughing softly. “Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?”
    â€œNot at all,” she said, looking at the dog with much more appreciation. She had a sneaking suspicion this animal had