Return To Stony Ridge

“Fine. Give me a name.”

“Teri.”

“Just Teri?”

“For now.”

And he sort of liked that, as well. She might be tired and scared, but she wasn’t going to let him intimidate her.

“Okay. We’ve established that I’m R.J. Monroe and you came here to see me. I’m guessing you don’t want your house redone in the middle of the night, so what can I do for you?”

TERI HESITATED a second before meeting his gaze. She had the strongest urge to tell him she was Corey’s aunt and all she wanted was her nephew. But the sense of suppressed violence in him stilled the words.

“Tell me what you did with Valerie and Corey,” she demanded instead.

R.J. paused in the act of lifting a cookie. Of all the things he’d expected her to say, apparently, that hadn’t been one of them.

“What does a woman from Texas want with Valerie and her son?” he asked slowly.

A flare of panic turned her hot, then cold. “How do you know I’m from Texas?”

“License plate on your car.”

So that was what had taken him so long outside. It hadn’t occurred to her that he’d check out her car, but she’d locked it. She was pretty sure she’d locked it. So she told herself it didn’t matter and lifted her chin.

“Where are they?”

“Why should I tell you?”

She decided she didn’t like him. He was too handsome, too arrogant and more than a little intimidating. And he knew it, too. He was deliberately baiting her. On the other hand, she needed his cooperation.

“We don’t have time for games, Mr. Monroe. I’m a private investigator. Lester Boyington knows his wife came here to meet you. He found your e-mail about Heartskeep.”

Watching him closely, she saw his jaw harden as his body tensed.

“If he gets to her,” she added firmly, “he’ll kill her.”

He tossed the uneaten cookie to Lucky who snapped it out of the air and waited hopefully for more.

The man didn’t look at the animal. His gaze remained fastened on hers. It took real effort not to squirm under that steady stare.

“And you know this because…?”

Anger made her snap at him. “Because I broke into their house early this morning and found your e-mail on their computer. I half hoped it was a false trail she’d laid for Lester to follow. But it wasn’t, was it?”

“You broke into their house?”

She shouldn’t have told him that, yet it didn’t seem to shock him. He probably figured investigators did things like that every day. Still, she picked her next words with more care.

“I’d been watching the house since dawn. When I was certain Lester wasn’t inside, I went in to get them out but they were already gone. Valerie had left the computer on—or someone had. Your message was on the screen.”

R.J. swore. His expression was angry enough to send her hand toward her waistband.

“Why were you trying to get them out?”

“Because Lester Boyington is dangerous.”

He studied her expression as if trying to read her mind.

“Who are you, Teri?”

Her eyes flicked away from his gaze afraid he’d see the lie. “I told you, I’m a private investigator. My name’s Teri Johnson.”

“Let me see your license.”

She set her jaw. “It’s in my purse and as you’ve already seen, that’s in the car.”

“Who are you working for?”

She was on safer ground now. “That’s privileged information.”

“Consider me privileged, then.”

“I don’t think so.”

He seemed to grow larger and even more menacing as he straightened in his chair. She’d already seen the strength of those work-hardened muscles and once again she was conscious of how isolated they were in this old farmhouse. Not to mention how unprepared she was to deal with a man like this. She couldn’t afford to show a single sign of weakness.

“Where’s Valerie?” she forced herself to demand once more.

The expression that flitted across his features came and went too fast for her to categorize. His eyes narrowed.

“Do you know Valerie?”

She hesitated. “I know she’s in danger. I need to get to her.”

She should have said yes. What was one more lie? He considered her for a long, lingering moment.

“Valerie told me she had no one else to turn to. Yet you claim you came to rescue her.”

Teri clamped her mouth shut. What could she say unless she told him the truth?

“How do I know you aren’t working for her husband?”

“Never!”

He seemed momentarily startled by her vehemence.

“So you don’t know Valerie, but you do know her husband.”