Page 25 of Owned (Office Intrigue Duet 8)
When I had finished my task, I lifted my gaze to hers. “What. Happened?”
That seemed to cut through the emotional turmoil. “He came for me. Just like Ransom feared he would. I was supposed to be careful… Our past… It caught up to us.” She breathed in deep, seemed to swallow the tears. “He… He came for me. Just barged right in.”
“Who?”
“Jimmy.”
“Jimmy who?”
Braelyn shrugged, taking a deep breath. “I have to find my brother, make sure he’s okay.”
“I saw him a short time ago,” I assured her.
“Are you sure?”
I smiled. I couldn’t recall the last time someone had doubted me.
“I’m positive.”
“I did, too,” Trent said, moving closer. “I can go look for him if you’d like.”
“He left,” I told them both.
I decided to make an attempt to call him. Perhaps Ransom had simply made a detour and was unavailable. He could’ve very well found a submissive who struck his fancy and he was getting into character right now.
I highly doubted it, but it was a possibility.
After dialing Ransom’s number, I kept my eyes on Braelyn, listening patiently while it rang. When it went to voicemail, I hung up, shaking my head.
Her watery gaze leveled with mine, hung there for the longest time as though she was deciding whether she could trust me or not.
When she didn’t say anything, I figured now was a good time to get someone out there looking for Ransom. Rather than wait until tomorrow to get them safely to Sapphire Island, I would get things underway tonight.
Standing tall, I smoothed the front of my jacket, tugged on the cuffs, and dialed.
“Who are you calling?” Braelyn asked when I turned my back on her.
I didn’t respond to her, focusing on the woman who answered the phone. “Tiegan, I need you to find Ransom. Call Zion. Get him involved. Immediately. I want Ransom brought to the airstrip. There’s been a change in travel plans.”
“Of course. And I’ll have the jet prepped for you.”
I turned around, met Braelyn’s gaze as I added, “You can let Ransom know I have his sister with me.”
“Understood.”
“And Tiegan, tell Zion it’s a matter of life or death.”
There was a brief pause, as though she wanted to ask for details. Tiegan knew me better than most, which I suspect was why she answered with a simple, “I will.”
The call disconnected, and right before my eyes, Braelyn seemed to pull herself together. The tears dried up and in their place was a defiant gleam. Her shoulders squared, her chin tilting upward in a hint of temerity.
She would’ve launched into a tirade if it weren’t for Trent stepping forward, all but getting in my face.
“What the hell’s going on, Talon? Where’s Ransom?”
My knee-jerk reaction was to tell him to leave it alone, but I knew Trent wouldn’t let it go. He was like a dog with a bone. And considering Ransom had worked for him for a few years now, I figured he deserved some answers. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any.
“You’ll have to get Ransom to tell you that,” I said, keeping my voice low. “Right now, you just need to know that his life, as well as his sister’s, is in danger. I’m taking them to Sapphire Island.”
His eyes narrowed, his voice not much more than a harsh whisper when he said, “Why didn’t he tell me he had a sister?”
“Need-to-know, Trent. Which means this doesn’t leave this room. You can’t tell anyone. Their lives depend on it.”
“What about—?”
“Not even Zeke,” I interrupted, knowing where he was going. “No one. Not unless Ransom says you can.” I peered back at Braelyn briefly then met his hard, glittering gaze once more. “No one knows about her, and Ransom has a reason for that. It needs to remain that way.”
There was a pregnant pause and then he nodded. “Fine. But I expect an update from you. Whatever Ransom needs…”
Trent Ramsey was a man who cared about those who were close to him. And I could see the worry in his eyes. Plus, I suspected he didn’t trust me completely. Not many did, because I’d always been one who took care of things my own way, with little consideration to the consequences of others. That and I ensured I remained an enigma, even to those who thought they knew me well.
He stepped back, glanced at Braelyn again, his gaze lingering as though he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Then, without a word, he turned and walked out of the room.
I took a deep breath, turned to face Braelyn, only to be hit with the full brunt of her anger.
“Tiegan? Tiegan Shaw?” Although a bit high-pitched, her voice was laced with steel. “She works for you?”
“She does.”
“And you’re aware of what’s going on with my brother?”
“I am.”
“So the job offer … that was your doing?”
Clearly she’d put all the pieces together, and she didn’t appear happy with the result. Ransom had warned me that would be the case, but I could admit, I was rather intrigued with how easily she’d come to that conclusion. Beauty and brains. A brilliant combination.
