Read Online Blake, Abby - Mikayla's Family [A Bride for Eight Brothers 6] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) by Abby Blake - Free Book Online Page B

as he reached for his gun Mikayla shook her head minutely. Confused, Bryce hesitated. Obviously Mikayla could see something that Bryce couldn’t.
    “Why don’t you come sit next to your whore while we sort out a few details?” The woman looked over her shoulder and gave him a smile that chilled the blood in his veins. At least all pretense of innocence was gone. Whoever this woman was, she represented a very clear danger.
    Bryce moved slowly to his wife’s side, unwilling to make any fast or seemingly threatening movements. His heart almost stopped when he saw the explosive device the woman wore around her neck. It would’ve detonated if Bryce had used his stun gun. But it was the miniature machine gun that the woman held aimed in Mikayla’s direction that concerned him most. Bryce stood beside Mikayla, angling his body so that he could protect her if bullets started to fly.
    The woman rolled her eyes, waved the gun sideways, and smiled sweetly when Bryce moved slightly, and she once again had clear aim at Mikayla.
    “What do you want?” Mikayla asked, sounding reasonable. This close, Bryce could feel her practically vibrating with anger, but she hid it well.
    “Simple, I want the man who killed my lover.” She sat back in her chair, looking relaxed as if she were making the most reasonable of requests. Bryce almost laughed. It was far from simple. This woman was obviously ready to commit suicide as long as she took Jet’s killer with her. None of them would hand over Ashton, ever. He’d acted in self-defense and had already been cleared of any wrongdoing.
    Unfortunately, the man himself walked through the door, his pregnant wife beside him.
    “Oh, sorry,” Tracey said, looking uncomfortable. “We didn’t realize you had a visitor.”
    Ashton took one look at Bryce and obviously realized something was wrong. He immediately went from doting husband and soon-to-be father to wary, alert police officer.
    “No problems,” Mikayla said, sounding a little strained. “Leila, this is my friend Michelle and her husband Richard.” Obviously Mikayla had figured out that if Leila Sanderson knew that this was the man who shot Jet that she probably wouldn’t hesitate to blow them all to pieces. Tracey looked confused, but a quick squeeze on her hand from Ashton doused her curiosity, for now. “I’ve already collected the things for the charity auction,” Mikayla said in a conversational tone. “They’re in the barn. Bryce can help you load them onto the truck.”
    Not fucking likely. Even if Leila Sanderson was stupid enough to let any of them leave the room, there was no way Bryce was leaving Mikayla unprotected.
    Bryce caught a glimpse of Lachlan watching them from the mudroom. Fortunately, Leila had her attention on Mikayla as she gave up the pretense of being a visitor and ordered Ashton and Tracey to stand where she could see them.
    Trying to appear casual, Bryce placed three fingers on his upper chest hoping like hell Lachlan understood what he was trying to say. Lachlan cupped his fingers together and then separated his hands in a crude imitation of an explosion. Bryce looked away, nodding his head minutely. Hoping like hell Leila Sanderson had missed the exchange, Bryce glanced back to find Lachlan gone.

    * * * *

    It took every ounce of patience Lachlan owned to creep back out of the house. He had no idea what had stopped him from walking into the kitchen the way he usually did, but he was very grateful that he hadn’t.
    He had no idea who the woman was or what she wanted, but if he understood Bryce correctly, she wore an explosive device around her neck and was most likely holding a gun on the four people in the kitchen.
    Finally clear of the house, Lachlan sprinted to the barn, quickly explained the situation to Ryan and Ty, sketched a rough plan, and then the three of them headed back to the house.
    He just hoped Ryan’s suggestion worked.

    * * * *

    Mikayla watched the woman who claimed to have