Cahpter 10

Flushing, Kizzy reached for the shirt.

“We’re looking into your kidnapping and your relatives,” Breed mentioned as he watched her.

She turned to stare at him as she lowered the shirt. “Why?” she asked after a moment or two.

“It’s not that we don’t trust you but we need to find out if Joey set you up or not. There could be more to this than anyone knows.” He pulled up his jeans and zipped them up.

She nodded. “I’m sure there is but I have no clue what that might be.”

Breed went and got a washcloth then cleaned her up.

She giggled a time or two when he passed the cloth across her folds.

“Do not get any ideas,” he warned. “We only have a few hours to sleep.”

She bit at her lip as she nodded. “Can you like… sleep in the bed with me this time?”

He raised his head and his eyes met her gaze. “I sure can. That chair sucks.”

She laughed and patted the bed next to her.

He got in and covered them both up. He spooned his body up next to hers and heard her sigh in a satisfied way as he closed his eyes.

Hours later, Breed was disturbed by odd sounds.

Kizzy began to move in the bed. She was twisting and turning in her sleep while whispering in a desperate tone. Then she screamed.

Breed jumped. He was awake instantly. He saw that she was caught up in a dream.

She wrapped her arms around him and held on. Her tears wet his chest. He caressed her hair and whispered comforting words in Cherokee to her.

She seemed to settle down when she felt him surround her.

Cowboy opened his connecting door but when he saw Breed in bed with her, he quickly closed the door between the rooms.

 Breed laid his head on hers and just held her. Her scent was subtle but it seemed to fit her. She smelled of cinnamon and sugar. He could almost smell apple pie as he breathed it in.

She didn’t say a word, then after a bit, her breathing evened out and her body relaxed.

Breed continued to hold her then he closed his eyes again, and fell back to sleep with her in his arms.

In an office in Huntsville…

Bright and early at 7 am an older man paced behind the huge walnut desk that took up much of the office. Bookcases polished to within an inch of their lives decorated three of the four walls, yet Brian Williams found nothing that pleased him there. He was waiting on Matt, his attorney, to report. He had already paid for a PI and his attorney’s hours weren’t cheap either. His mood was sour by all of this.

He had a family he cared not a whit for. His kids had all turned out to be shit. The decent one had no motivation to make riches from Brian’s empire and had made his own. He did have pride in that for a bit of time, then an accident took his only son away. All he’d had left were two brats and his no good daughter.

Why weren’t any of them as brilliant as him? Huh? Why didn’t they have a knack for making money? Choosing instead to be losers.

Joey was a total waste, gambling, running around with women and sitting on his lazy ass. Then Kizzy wasn’t motivated by money. She was easily manipulated and foolish as far as he was concerned.

No, there would be no one to leave his legacy to. He wondered if it were true that you couldn’t take it all with you? He chuckled in a snide way. Would serve those brats right he somehow could do that.

A few minutes later, his door opened and Matt walked into his office.

“Well,” Brian growled. “Did you find her yet?”

“Not yet,” Matt admitted. “Our PI did find her car in the parking lot next to where she worked. He also says no one has been to her apartment all week and she hasn’t been to work since Monday.”

“So this ransom could be real and not just a way for her to get my money?” Brian wanted to know.

Matt hesitated but didn’t say what he really wanted to say. “It doesn’t appear so sir.”

“Well, then forget it.” Brian growled. “I think she knows how I feel about shit like this.”

“Yes sir.” Matt nodded even as rage reflected in his eyes. “But sir, aren’t you the least bit worried about what happened to your granddaughter?”

“Huh, she’ll turn up one of these days. She always does,” he mumbled.

“And if this man Blade murders her because you didn’t pay the ransom? Then what?” Matt insisted.

“Life goes on.” Brian shrugged.

Matt didn’t say anything for a moment then had to swallow hard before he spoke again, “Joey is trying to tap his trust fund again.”

“Don’t give that little bastard another dime. He’s already borrowed more than he was supposed to get. Freeze it.”

“Did it occur to you that Joey might be behind Kizzy being missing?” Matt dared to ask. He knew in his gut that that man did this. Though his PI couldn’t prove it.

Brian snorted. “Joey isn’t that bright.”

“But he is that evil,” Matt mumbled under his breath. He could not stand Joey, what a waste of space. Joey also hated Kizzy like no one else. It would be convenient in several ways for Joey, if Kizzy never came back.

Brian looked extremely bored by the turn in conversation. “Well, if we cut off his money, he’ll have no choice but to finally get a job and be productive.”

Matt hesitated then said, “Maybe you should update your will, just to be safe.”

“They both know if something happens to me, neither one of them will get a dime,” Brian snapped.