Read Online Turning Payne by Chantel Seabrook - Free Book Online
Authors: Chantel Seabrook
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Marcus guy knows something and I'm going to find out what."
Chase gave him a long, piercing look. "And Riley?"
Turner clenched his teeth at the speculation he saw in his brother's eyes. "She's got enough to deal with right now. The less she knows the better."
The front door slammed shut, and Lora came into the kitchen carrying two large grocery bags. Chase rushed to take them from her, and she rewarded him with a kiss. The smile fell flat when she spotted Turner.
"The prodigal son returns." Lora stood in front of him, hands on her hips, amber eyes narrowed on him. She barely came up to his chest, but despite her size there was a boldness to her that always made him smile.
"Hey Lo-lo," Turner said, tugging playfully on her dark ponytail.
He was still getting used to the idea that his brother had chosen a mate, and that his mate just happened to be Jacob Oliver's youngest sister. But if his brother had to choose anyone, Turner was glad it was Lora. She was practically like a sister anyways, only now she happened to be shacking up with his brother.
Lora rolled her eyes, then stood on her toes and placed a chaste kiss on Turner's cheek. "Thanks for the house warming present. Come to take it home with you?"
"Funny. And No." Turner shoved his hands in his pockets and propped his hip against the counter. "I was hoping you could keep her here for a few more days."
Lora frowned but nodded. "Chase won't tell me what's going on. This better not have anything to do with—"
"Riley." Turner quickly interrupted her when he saw Riley hovering by the basement door, her scent invading his senses. Her eyes were swollen as if she'd been crying, and his gut tightened.
The urge to protect her, wrap her in his arms, surged through him. She was proving to be a distraction. If he were smart, he would leave her with Chase and Lora while he tracked down Marcus. But leaving her, even with people he trusted, left a bad taste in his mouth.
Lora crossed her arms over her chest and stared up at Turner expectantly. Shit, this wasn't going to be good.
He cleared his throat and winced. "Lora, this is Riley."
"Riley Boyd," Chase said, the slight hint of a warning in his voice.
"Boyd?" Lora said, her expression deadpan. Her lips tightened in a thin line as she took turns glaring between him and Chase, then locking on Riley, who seemed just as baffled as Lora did.
Riley shifted uncomfortably under Lora's gaze. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I wanted to say thank you for taking care of my…" Her voice cracked. "Sister."
"Your sister?" Lora fisted her hands on her hips and gifted Turner with another dirty look. "What the hell have you done now?"
"Chase can explain it to you." He reached for Riley's wrist and pulled her towards the door. "We have to go."
"Explain what?" Riley's gaze locked onto his face.
"The less you know the better," Turner said, sensing the anger that was beginning to simmer within her, but not knowing how else to divert her attention.
Riley yanked her wrist free. "That's bullshit. I deserve to know what's going on if it involves my family."
Turner growled, a low rasp that pushed between his clenched teeth. "I'm trying to protect you."
"Protect me from what?" Riley took a step back so that she was standing next to Lora. "My sister's been turned into a lion. What else could you possibly tell me that could be worse than that?"
Turner ignored her, despite the growing desire to tell her everything. To expose Boyd for who he truly was. Why allow her to keep her precious memories of a man who was nothing more than a murderer?
He slammed his fist on the counter, making both of the women jump. Chase responded with a snarl that curled the side of his lips and exposed his canines. Fuck. He had to get out of there now. But he wasn't leaving without Riley.
"You're going to be in so much trouble when Jacob finds out," Lora said, with real fear in her words.
" If Jacob finds out," he said, crossing his arms over his
Chase gave him a long, piercing look. "And Riley?"
Turner clenched his teeth at the speculation he saw in his brother's eyes. "She's got enough to deal with right now. The less she knows the better."
The front door slammed shut, and Lora came into the kitchen carrying two large grocery bags. Chase rushed to take them from her, and she rewarded him with a kiss. The smile fell flat when she spotted Turner.
"The prodigal son returns." Lora stood in front of him, hands on her hips, amber eyes narrowed on him. She barely came up to his chest, but despite her size there was a boldness to her that always made him smile.
"Hey Lo-lo," Turner said, tugging playfully on her dark ponytail.
He was still getting used to the idea that his brother had chosen a mate, and that his mate just happened to be Jacob Oliver's youngest sister. But if his brother had to choose anyone, Turner was glad it was Lora. She was practically like a sister anyways, only now she happened to be shacking up with his brother.
Lora rolled her eyes, then stood on her toes and placed a chaste kiss on Turner's cheek. "Thanks for the house warming present. Come to take it home with you?"
"Funny. And No." Turner shoved his hands in his pockets and propped his hip against the counter. "I was hoping you could keep her here for a few more days."
Lora frowned but nodded. "Chase won't tell me what's going on. This better not have anything to do with—"
"Riley." Turner quickly interrupted her when he saw Riley hovering by the basement door, her scent invading his senses. Her eyes were swollen as if she'd been crying, and his gut tightened.
The urge to protect her, wrap her in his arms, surged through him. She was proving to be a distraction. If he were smart, he would leave her with Chase and Lora while he tracked down Marcus. But leaving her, even with people he trusted, left a bad taste in his mouth.
Lora crossed her arms over her chest and stared up at Turner expectantly. Shit, this wasn't going to be good.
He cleared his throat and winced. "Lora, this is Riley."
"Riley Boyd," Chase said, the slight hint of a warning in his voice.
"Boyd?" Lora said, her expression deadpan. Her lips tightened in a thin line as she took turns glaring between him and Chase, then locking on Riley, who seemed just as baffled as Lora did.
Riley shifted uncomfortably under Lora's gaze. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I wanted to say thank you for taking care of my…" Her voice cracked. "Sister."
"Your sister?" Lora fisted her hands on her hips and gifted Turner with another dirty look. "What the hell have you done now?"
"Chase can explain it to you." He reached for Riley's wrist and pulled her towards the door. "We have to go."
"Explain what?" Riley's gaze locked onto his face.
"The less you know the better," Turner said, sensing the anger that was beginning to simmer within her, but not knowing how else to divert her attention.
Riley yanked her wrist free. "That's bullshit. I deserve to know what's going on if it involves my family."
Turner growled, a low rasp that pushed between his clenched teeth. "I'm trying to protect you."
"Protect me from what?" Riley took a step back so that she was standing next to Lora. "My sister's been turned into a lion. What else could you possibly tell me that could be worse than that?"
Turner ignored her, despite the growing desire to tell her everything. To expose Boyd for who he truly was. Why allow her to keep her precious memories of a man who was nothing more than a murderer?
He slammed his fist on the counter, making both of the women jump. Chase responded with a snarl that curled the side of his lips and exposed his canines. Fuck. He had to get out of there now. But he wasn't leaving without Riley.
"You're going to be in so much trouble when Jacob finds out," Lora said, with real fear in her words.
" If Jacob finds out," he said, crossing his arms over his
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