Love in Xxchange: Rory's Last Chance by Bailey Bradford (poetry books to read txt) 📗

you think they’re going to take us seriously? Or will they go out and do a half-assed interview and give Art a heads-up, inadvertent or not?”

RORY’S LAST CHANCE

Bailey Bradford

100

Rory huffed, a sound of pure irritation slipping from his lips. “Yeah, I guess they wouldn’t just take my word for it and break down his door to find proof. If they even believed me, they’d want to interview him, and then Art would have an opportunity to dispose of any proof he had.”

“That’s what I was afraid of.” Chance thought his original plan to just beat Art into a vegetative state was sounding like a winner once again.

Rory sat up straight and patted Chance’s shoulder. “We need to find out where the pictures are, then contact the police. But how can either of us do that? I can’t step foot on the ranch, and I can guarantee you won’t be allowed on it, either.”

“We need to talk to Annabelle,” Chance said, thinking out loud. He jerked Rory back down to the couch and waved his hand when Rory started to speak. “Not to have her go looking, but she might be able to give us an idea of Art’s schedule, and maybe we can figure out a time and a way I can look for those pictures.”

Rory looked like he was about to protest, his eyebrows knitting together and his lips tipping down in a frown. He grumbled then looked at Chance. “Okay, I see your point, and I know why you want to be the one to sneak onto the ranch—that way, I’m not violating Ian’s edicts. I just… I don’t like the idea of you being in Art’s place by yourself.”

“We could ask Bo to go along after all,” Chance said, not too keen on the idea, because they’d have to confide in Bo. It wasn’t a matter of trust, but a matter of not wanting his lover to have to go through the telling of it again.

“We could,” Rory agreed. “He would be able to keep an eye out while you looked.

Guess it’s a good enough plan for now.”

Good enough was probably the best they could come up with. Chance stopped Rory in the hall, gently pushing him up against the wall. Rory gave him a steady look; Chance couldn’t detect any nervousness at the prospect of talking to Bo in his lover’s eyes.

“You sure this is what you want to do?” Chance knew the answer before he even finished asking the question.

“It’s what I need to do,” Rory clarified. “And that’s why I want to do it.”

Chance nodded. He wouldn’t argue with his lover; Rory knew his own mind, and Chance knew his lover’s strength. But more importantly, he knew this man’s heart, and as he closed his eyes and opened himself for Rory’s kiss, Chance clung to that knowledge as surely as his lips clung to Rory’s.

RORY’S LAST CHANCE

Bailey Bradford

101

Chapter Sixteen

Annabelle hadn’t like their plan to sneak onto the Mossy Glenn, and she’d had no qualms about letting Rory know it. When she reluctantly agreed to help, he should have been suspicious. His sister had always been every bit as stubborn, if not more so, than he was.

Still, neither him or Chance had a clue that she would take matters into her own hands.

Rory lifted his hat and swiped a forearm across his brow to keep the sweat from running into his eyes. Dropping the hat back in place, he looked at the barbed wire fence.

The wire was stretched taut and the repair was made. Rory stood up and was strolling over to Rama when his cell rang. He pulled the phone from the clip on his belt and saw Annabelle’s number. Rory flipped the phone open and brought it to his ear.

“Hey, sis, what’s up?”

“Rory…I found them.” Annabelle’s voice was thick with tears. Rory frowned; Annabelle wasn’t a crier.

“Sis, what’s wrong? You found what?”

“The p-pictures.” A sob came across the line as shock stopped Rory in his tracks at the realisation of what pictures his sister had to be talking about.

“Jesus, Annabelle.” Rory pushed a hand against his stomach, trying to shove down the wave of nausea that hit him. “Don’t look at them! Just get out of Dad’s office and—”

“I’m not in Dad’s office!”

“Then where—” Rory’s mouth snapped shut. “Are you in Art’s bunk house?” Please, God, he prayed silently, let her say no.

“Yes. I had to, after you told me.” Annabelle’s voice was now as shaky as her breath. “I won’t let him get away with it!”

Rory closed his eyes, fighting to stay rational when panic kept trying to take over. “Get out of there. Leave everything and get the fuck out of there, Annabelle.”

“No. He isn’t even here; he drove Daddy to town.”

Rory could hear the rustling of papers over the phone. “God! Rory, he has dozens of pictures—not just of you. There’s several men, and he’s…he’s—” Annabelle’s breath hitched.

“Please.” Rory’s legs gave out and his butt hit the ground. “Annabelle, please quit RORY’S LAST CHANCE

Bailey Bradford

102

looking and get out of there.” Oh God, were any of those men Chance?

“I think I should call the police, Rory. There’s plenty of pictures with him in them, and there’s writing on some of them. Names and…and evil notes.”

“Stop, please.” Rory watched as sweat dripped from his cheek to the dirt. “Those pictures don’t prove anything—the police would need proof that they weren’t consensual.

Art isn’t going to confess, and a lot of his victims probably won’t want to testify, either.” He knew he didn’t.

He could hear the sound of a drawer scraping open, then a startled gasp from his sister.

“Women, oh God, Rory, he has pictures of women, too!” A shadow fell across Rory and he looked up to find Chance watching him, a concerned look on his face.

“Annabelle, get out of Art’s room!” Rory pushed himself up and turned away from Chance, unable to deal with the look on