Framed Shadows: Shadows Landing #6, Kathleen Brooks [great novels of all time TXT] 📗

fast with his threats. He was never one to sit back and wait. Unfortunately, that was all Tinsley could do now. Sit back and wait for Paxton to solve his case.

15

Paxton had made contact with Walker Greene, who promised to have someone on the ground in Atlanta by lunchtime. The guys were meeting at seven and driving down in an FBI SUV that was used for undercover work. That left tonight with Tinsley. He didn’t like leaving her but the faster he could put the case to bed, the faster he could take Tinsley to bed and not worry about leaving it ever again.

He had it bad. So bad he was packing up their things and loading the suitcases into their cars to go off and spend the night at Ryker’s house. He wasn’t sure how it would be any safer until they pulled up. Then it all made sense. Ryker Faulkner was a crazy protective super-rich guy with a dark past and a chip on his shoulder. Of course he went overboard to keep his private life private.

Paxton followed Tinsley through the iron gate and counted the number of cameras and motion detectors he saw, guessing there were three times that number of hidden ones.

Paxton parked and got out to help Tinsley carry in her bag. She didn’t blink at the large house or the armed guards at the door to the guest house. Instead she talked about how sweet Ryker was. Paxton wasn’t buying it. There was nothing sweet about Ryker. He was a stone-cold businessman who was known to take no prisoners during negotiations or takeovers. He ran his shipping company with a ruthlessness that would make mob bosses seem cuddly. The garden door at the back of the house opened for them and Ryker glared at him.

“Thanks for letting me stay here, Ryker.” Tinsley leaned up and placed a kiss on his cheek before brushing past him and walking inside.

Paxton wasn’t so lucky. Ryker crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

“Yes, thank you for keeping Tinsley safe while I’m away,” Paxton told him, but Ryker didn’t move. He didn’t even blink. So Paxton leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on Ryker’s cheek. Ryker was so stunned he let Paxton walk by him and into the house.

“Should we take the guest room at the top of the stairs or the end of the hall?” Tinsley called out from somewhere in the house. Paxton hurried forward and found her halfway up the stairs.

“Tinsley, you’re in the room next to mine. Paxton’s staying in the guest room down here,” Ryker said with steel to his voice.

Tinsley just laughed and motioned for Paxton to follow her. Ryker’s hand clamped onto Paxton’s shoulder. “My house, my rules. Your room is around the corner and down that hall. It affords a good view of the front drive.”

Paxton dropped Tinsley’s bag at Ryker’s feet and smiled. “Thank you. I’m sure it’ll be perfect.”

Paxton walked over to Tinsley who looked ready to explode and kissed her slowly on the lips. “Goodnight, Tinsley. Sweet dreams.” He headed for the room and smiled to himself as Tinsley read Ryker the riot act. Paxton had to give it to the man. He didn’t give in, even when Tinsley stomped on his foot.

Paxton closed his bedroom door and headed for the window. It was a good security location. An hour later there was a soft tap on the door. He knew who it was before he opened it.

“Do you need another kiss?”

“Bite me, Kendry.”

“Ooh, I should have guessed the powerful Ryker Faulkner is into the kinky stuff. But hey, I don’t kinkshame.”

Ryker rolled his eyes and Paxton stopped joking as he saw the strain on the man’s face. Ryker pushed past him and dropped into one of the lounge chairs in the large room.

“Did something happen?” Paxton asked as he took the seat next to Ryker.

“Something is always happening, Kendry. Only this time it’s Tinsley. Look, I know she has an older brother, but you don’t understand what she means to us. Harper is Harper. Hell, I think she’s tougher than all of us cousins. Tinsley is the complete opposite of Harper. She’s all happy colors, rescuing butterflies, and finding the good in everyone. I don’t know how you got it, but I guess you saw what happened to me. Tinsley is the reason I’m still here. She was a little slip of a teen when it happened. As you can imagine, I was in a very dark place. Everyone wanted to help. I know that now. However, it was Tinsley who saved me. It was her pure heart, her goodness, her faith in humanity that saved me. Well, as much as I ever could be saved after what happened.”

“You were found innocent,” Paxton said. As much as he wanted to give Ryker crap, it was clear the man loved his family and Paxton would never give him crap for that.

“Doesn’t mean I am innocent.” Ryker took a deep breath. “Did she tell you about the assault?”

“Assault?”

“Walker, the guy who texted you from Keeneston, was in trouble. Someone was looking to kill him. His sister, Edie, had just lost her husband who was a part of Walker’s DEVGRU team. She was staying at Tinsley’s house. The man who killed her husband and was after Walker broke in, beat up Tinsley, and kidnapped Edie. I will never, in a million years, forget seeing Tinsley bruised and battered. Tinsley is special to me. You hurt her, you hurt me. You break her heart and I’ll break you. So, do what you need to in order to make Tinsley safe. If you can’t, because your hands are tied by being an agent, call me. I’ll handle it. But I swear, you put her in harm’s way and she gets hurt, I’ll kill you. You know I’m capable of it.”

“I would never let harm come to Tinsley. I swear on my life. It’s yours to take if I fail.”