“Yes,” Rayna agreed, “there are.” She grinned when her eyes alighted on a book by T.J. West. It was her new one, Lasting Lyric. Rayna had been waiting for it to come out. “Tiffany West is one of my favorite authors,” she told Sloane as she picked up a copy. “I had never read rock stars until her series. Now I own all of her books in paperback, except this one.”
Sloane grinned, “She’s one of my favorites too. What other genres do you enjoy?”
“I normally prefer anything with suspense,” Rayna replied absently as she continued to browse the shelves. “I love anything action-packed with some romance. There’s a new author I’ve been wanting to try. She writes a thriller series. Hope is her first name.”
“Hope Cavanaugh!” Sloane exclaimed, walking quickly back to the counter. “Hope is one of my good friends. I just got some of her books in today. She is absolutely amazing.”
“I know there are three books out in that series. If you have them, I would like them all.” She was going to have more than enough time to read them. Another book caught her eye as she turned to leave. It was a beautiful cover with a woman holding a camera, taking a picture. “Heather Dahlgren...have you ever read anything by her?” Rayna asked Sloane. It looked like it was the first book in the series, and there was one more out.
“I’ve read every book on that wall,” Sloane responded as she opened another box of books, quickly unpacking them on the counter. “I have loved every one of them, and can personally recommend them all. Heather’s Sexy series is my favorite series of hers.”
Rayna picked up both books, scanning the back covers quickly, before adding them to her growing stack. Making her way to the front counter, she sat them down. “I will take both of these, and whatever you find of Hope’s.”
“I have the first three books in the series you were asking about. Now, these books aren’t exactly romance books,” Sloane advised as she handed them to Rayna to look at. “There is a small amount of romance in all of the books, but they are thrillers.”
“That’s perfect,” Rayna grinned. “That’s what I’m looking for.”
Sloane laughed as she rang up Rayna’s purchases. Adding some bookmarks with the books, she placed them in a teal bag sporting the bookstore logo and handed it to Rayna. “It was very nice to meet you, Rayna. I hope to see more of you.”
Rayna paused for a moment, before setting her bag down on the counter with a sigh. She had lived her life full of lies and deceit. Running from a man who wanted nothing more than to kill her. She was done lying, and she didn’t expect anyone else to lie for her, either. She had no idea how much Creed shared with Sloane, but this was one thing the man would not have to keep from her.
“Sloane,” Rayna started slowly, pushing a lock of dark brown hair behind her ear. “I don’t know how much you have been told about me, or my family, but I would like you to know who I really am. There is no reason for anyone else in Serenity Springs to be told at this time, but the Caldwells have always been good to me. I refuse to keep anything else from them.”
Sloane reached over and covered Rayna’s hand with her own. “You don’t need to share anything with me, Rayna. We all have our secrets. I know that you are an FBI agent, and I know you are here putting your life on the line to capture a horrible man that deserves to be behind bars. You don’t have to tell me anything else.”
Rayna’s eyes filled with tears as she looked into the compassionate, kind face of the woman in front of her. “Thank you for that,” she whispered, “but I do need to tell you. I need you to understand why we can’t be friends right now, even though I would love nothing more.” Swallowing hard, she continued, “My real name is Macey Johnson. My family and I lived in a house near the Caldwell ranch when I was growing up. My sister was Ryder Caldwell’s best friend.”
Shock filled Sloane’s eyes and her hand tightened on Rayna’s. “Olivia,” she murmured.
“Yes,” Rayna replied, “Olivia. We were placed into the witness protection program when I was just a child. Diego Cortez, a mob boss out of the D.C. area, hunted us for years after my father discovered something he shouldn’t have. He finally found us here, in Serenity Springs. Cortez killed everyone in my family, Sloane. Everyone. He took the people I loved from me. That is the man I am luring here. The man I am here to catch. And I refuse to bring that kind of danger to your door.”
“Rayna,” Sloane said softly, gently squeezing her hand, “you already have. Just coming here, to this town, you have endangered everyone who lives in it.”
Rayna pulled away from Sloane, pain filling her as she acknowledged the other woman’s words. She was right. Rayna had put everyone in Serenity Springs at risk the minute she stepped foot into the town. Unfortunately, she did not have a choice. There was no other way to capture Cortez. No other way to end this.
“And I apologize for that,” she said as she once again picked up her bag. “It is not my intention to bring harm to you, or anyone else here. I just want this whole thing finished. I need to bring that man to justice for everything he did to me, to my family, and to every other victim out there. My superiors and I think coming here and drawing him out is the best way to handle this. Cortez will be coming after me, but as long as I am not close to any of you, he will just seek me out.”
Turning to walk toward the door, Rayna paused as Sloane’s soft voice reached her. “You can’t do this alone, Rayna, and you don’t have to.”
“Yes,” Rayna replied, opening the door before turning back to look at Sloane. “Yes, I do.”
Chapter 10
Ryder swore softly when he scraped his knuckles against the engine of the old tractor. It was after 9p.m., and he had been working on the piece of shit for over two hours. No matter what he tried, the damn thing would not start. He knew he should just buy a new one. It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford it, he just preferred the old John Deere that had been his father’s for years. Shaking his head in disgust, he wiped his bleeding hand on his jeans. There was one reason, and one reason only, that he could not figure out how to make the tractor run again right now. His mind was consumed with a pair of liquid brown eyes full of pain and despair one moment, and hard determination the next. Macey Johnson, Olivia’s little sister, was back from the dead. Quiet, sweet, innocent Macey.
His young heart had yearned for Olivia’s love, but there was a time before his feelings turned to more than friendship, when his eyes had strayed to her sister more than once.
Olivia had been the friendly, outgoing type; a cheerleader, a dancer, and prom queen senior year at their school. Macey was the quiet one, a dreamer, spending hours hiding somewhere with a book in her hands. She’d had a sweet, gentle soul back then. One that touched anyone she allowed to get close.
In the summer of their junior year, Olivia had taken part in a play put on by the local drama club. Ryder normally met her at her house after she was done with practice and he was done with his chores. One day, he finished earlier than normal. He had been afraid if he didn’t get away from the ranch while he could, his father would put him to work doing something else, and he wouldn’t get the chance to show Olivia the new song he was working on. So as soon as he could, he grabbed his guitar and ran.
Hoping Olivia was already done as well, he showed up a half an hour early. Instead of Olivia, he found Macey in the gazebo out behind the house. She clung to the book in her hands, tears falling from her large eyes, soft sobs escaping. He remembered that day like it was just yesterday. It was the day he began looking at Macey as more than just Olivia’s little sister.
“Macey,” Ryder whispered, sitting down beside her, “what’s wrong?”
“She died,” Macey cried, dropping the book on the bench before scrubbing at the wetness on her cheeks. “She’s dead, Ryder.”
“Who?” he asked, reaching out to run a hand gently down her long, soft hair. Liking the way it felt against his hand, he did it again.
Pointing at the book, she whispered, “Bailey. The girl in my book. She d
ied. She had cancer and they couldn’t save her. Why would they do that, Ryder? Why would they end a book like that? That’s just horrible.”
Ryder sat there unsure how to respond. It was just a book. No one was really dead. It was a piece of fiction...not real. What the hell was wrong with her? “I guess not everyone gets their happily ever after,” he finally said with a shrug.
“But they should,” Macey cried. “In all books, they should. I know it isn’t true in real life, but she should have made it, Ryder. She should have lived.”
Not knowing what else to do, Ryder enfolded Macey in his arms, pulling her close and holding her gently until her tears finally stopped. Eventually, she leaned back and looked at him. His heart clenched tightly, and he gulped. She was so pretty. Why hadn’t he noticed that before? He could have drowned in the deep brown pools of her eyes. Ryder returned her gaze for several seconds before shaking himself. After slowly wiping away what was left of her tears, he picked up the guitar he’d set next to him, and lightly strummed a couple of chords. “How about a song?”
The smile first spread slowly across her lips, taking awhile to reach her eyes, but eventually it did. “Yes.”
Ryder sat with Macey until Olivia arrived home, and then came back the next day, and the next, just to see her. He ended up spending every afternoon with Macey until the play ended. He’d never told Olivia about the time he shared with her sister, and as far as he knew, Macey didn’t either. He had come to care for her a great deal in those weeks, but things changed when Olivia was back.
Ryder cursed again when he accidentally dropped the wrench to the ground. Resting his arm against the tractor, he dropped his forehead to it, sighing deeply. He would be lying if he said he regretted any of his time back then with Macey. He had cared for her a great deal. Macey was the first Johnson to touch his heart, even if her sister had held it in the end.
“Ryder?”
Ryder stiffened at the tentative sound of Sloane’s voice. He did not want to talk to anyone right now. He just wanted to get the damn tractor fixed and move on to the next thing that needed to be done. Knowing Sloane would never leave until he acknowledged her presence, Ryder straightened and turned to look at her. “Hey, Sloane. I see that brother of mine let you out of his sight for a few minutes?” he teased. Anything to distract her from the real reason she was there. Ryder knew why she was standing just a few feet from him, a frown on her face. It had been hours since he’d left Rayna’s house. More than enough time for Creed to tell Sloane what transpired. He was just surprised it had taken this long for her to show up.
“Actually, he and Cassie are both asleep.” Sloane grinned mischievously, “I snuck out to come see you.”
A burst of laughter fell from Ryder’s lips as he leaned over to pick up the discarded wrench. “Don’t let him find out you went to see another man.”
She walked over to climb up on the tractor and sit on the hard metal seat, before returning his laughter. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”
“You got it.”
Just as suddenly as it was there, the laughter was gone, and concern filled Sloane’s gaze. “I met Macey today,” she said quietly. “She stopped in the store this afternoon to purchase some books.”
“Rayna,” Ryder corrected, turning to work on the tractor again. “She goes by Rayna now.”
“Yes, that’s what she said.”
“It fits her.” Ryder grunted as he struggled with a bolt. “It’s a strong, courageous name, and the woman is obviously full of either courage or stupidity. I’m not sure which one just yet.” He knew. Rayna had always been a bright girl, at the top of her class. The woman had brains, but that didn’t mean she was thinking clearly right now. She was out to get herself killed. He may respect the fact that she was taking a stand, but the issue he had was that she refused to ask for help. Too bad, she was getting it anyway.
“I like her,” Sloane said, leaning toward him over the tractor wheel. “I think she’s very brave. I wish I was more like her.”
“You’re perfect the way you are, little sis,” Ryder grunted, pressing down harder on the wrench and finally loosening the bolt he’d been fighting with for the past few minutes. “Not everyone is meant to carry a gun and shoot at bad guys.” Ryder faltered, once again dropping the wrench to the ground when he realized that chasing bad guys was exactly what Rayna did for a living. He’d never actually considered it before, but now that the thought had entered his mind, he could not push it out. Little Macey Johnson carried a gun. Not only did she carry a gun, but he would bet his last dollar that she’d used it in the line of duty. Hell, why did the idea of what Rayna did for a living bother him so much? The woman had the fucking mafia on her tail. She worked for the FBI, and would have had to have made her way up to the position she held now with them. She could handle herself, but he still could not shake the nagging worry. What if she got herself killed?
“Do you think Rayna is?” Sloane asked softly.
Retrieving the wrench, Ryder walked over and put it in his tool box. Shutting the top lid, he locked up his tools and turned to face Sloane. “In the past, I would have said no. Macey was a timid, sweet, innocent girl. But the person she has become? Rayna Williams?” Shaking his head, he said, “Rayna doesn’t seem to be any of those things. She is strong, determined, and confident. She’s worked hard to get where she’s at, and if the FBI is trusting her with a mission like this, then she has to be damn good at what she does.”
“I hope so,” Sloane whispered. “I can’t imagine being in her shoes right now. Knowing the mob is after you. That’s just crazy! It’s like something out of a movie. Things like that just don’t happen in the real world.”
“They do in Rayna’s world,” Ryder muttered, shoving a hand roughly through his hair. “It sounds like that is all she has known for a long time.”
Sloane watched him for a moment before asking, “How are you, Ryder?” Holding up a hand before he could respond, she said, “I mean how are you really? Don’t tell me that you are fine, because we both know that you aren’t.” Lowering her voice, Sloane murmured, “Macey is here...but Olivia isn’t. That has to hurt, Ryder. Talk to me, please.”
Ryder blinked back tears of sorrow and rage. They wouldn’t do any good now. He had cried for Olivia and her family years ago, and now he just wanted to leave the past where it belonged. In the past. Resisting the urge to put his fist through a wall, he turned from Sloane and stared out the barn door into the night. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Sloane. Do I wish Olivia was alive? Yes, of course I do. A part of me will always love her. But what we could have had together ended before it even started. She’s gone, and there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it.” Looking back at her, he went on, “So, instead of dwelling on what can never be, I choose to look forward. Olivia may not be here, but her sister is. Rayna has come home, and even though the stubborn woman refuses to admit it, she needs our help.”
Sloane slid down from the tractor and stood in front of him. “She isn’t going to let any of us get close to her right now, Ryder. She is too worried that we will get hurt if she does.”
“Well, she isn’t going to have a choice,” Ryder vowed. “I am not going to just let that bastard roll into our town and take her out.”
Reaching out, Sloane gently laid a hand on his arm. “None of us are.”
Chapter 11
It had been two long weeks since Rayna arrived in Serenity Springs, and things were still quiet. She had stopped in Mac’s Diner three times the week before, and twice this week so far, but the news was always the same. Nothing to report. She hadn’t heard from Nate at all, but he was scheduled to check in that Friday.
After she unpacked the few things she brought with her, and the furniture was delivered and assembled, there wasn’t much else for Rayna to do. She went on daily runs, lifted weights she’d purchased that were now set up in her basement, and did regular outdoor target practice. She needed to stay in shape and be prepared for anyth
ing. She also spent hours reading, the only real pleasure she allowed herself.
Rayna was on one of her early morning runs, and wondering how long it would take Cortez to send someone after her. Even though she was willing to wait months if that was what it took, she was not as patient as she knew the mob boss could be. She just wanted the whole thing over with, no matter what the outcome was.
Turning down her driveway, Rayna opened up into a full on sprint the rest of the way to the house, pushing herself until she made it to the front porch. Gasping for breath, she wiped the sweat from her brow with her tank top and leaned over to stretch. All the while, she was extremely aware of her surroundings, so it was no surprise to her when a vehicle pulled into her driveway, making its way slowly down the lane, before coming to a stop beside her car. What did surprise her was the person who got out of the truck.
“Ryder,” she said, straightening to greet him. “What can I do for you?”
She cringed when he took her in, head to toe, knowing she was one hot, sweaty mess. She'd just finished running five miles in the early August heat. Not that she should care what he thought about the way she looked...but for some reason she still did. No matter how hard she tried, she could not forget the boy from her past, or the feelings she still had for him.
“I haven’t seen you since you moved in,” Ryder responded casually, as he walked towards her. “I was on my way to work, and decided to stop by to see how things are going.”
Raising an eyebrow, Rayna quipped, “That isn’t you who has been watching me morning and night? Is there some other cowboy roaming around my land on a gorgeous palomino?”
Looking sheepish for just the slightest moment, Ryder shrugged, “I was just checking to see if you were still around. I wanted to make sure you are okay.”
Saving His Soul (Serenity Springs Series, #3) Page 6
