Ridge Creek Reunited (Ridge Creek Duology) Read Online Free Page A

driveway, I sense movement to my right. Luke steps in close. He’s been standing silently in the darkness, absorbing the conversation as he always does. He won’t have missed a single word. By now he will have sifted through the information he has and already be planning how he’ll respond. He’ll already know where I’m at and I know he will be with me every step of the way. The man’s a fucking genius and I love him like a true brother. “Thanks for coming man, but you don’t need to ride out with me. I’ll do this one on my own.”
    “No you won’t,” he announces as he lifts a hand to my neck and squeezes my nape. “You’re gunna need backup and me and Zane are it.”
    I look back to the verandah to see Zane nodding. “I can’t ask you to do this man, it could go South…”
    He cuts me off. “It goes South, we go South with you. You aren’t doing this alone. We bring her back. Today. Now get inside, cover up, get us some weapons and we’ll hit the road.”
    Deciding that I don’t have the time to waste arguing with him or Zane, I nod my acceptance. A short time later, my brothers and I are on the road to Melbourne.

Chapter Three
    Safe
    Meanwhile, Arianna…
    So this shit just got weird.
    I’ve woken up in the back seat of what I figure is a hellishly expensive car. A car with a white leather interior that’s so soft I feel like I’m sitting on a fluffy white cloud. There’s a flat screen on the back of the seat in front of me and a full center console complete with buttons, screens and dials between the two rear passenger seats. My mind instantly decides that this car has more of an MC Hammer feel than a Melbourne crime boss feel. Vincent Altieri must really be rolling in the cash.
    Even weirder, Pierre is lying on my lap, drooling lightly and snoring . He looks fine.
    Why did they kidnap my dog too?
    I suppose I should be grateful that at least Pierre appears okay. For now.
    I’m also okay , for now. Apart from a light headache I don’t feel too worse for wear. Which seems nothing short of a miracle and leads me to believe I must have a very hard head.
    Which reminds me how I got here.
    I tense up instantly as my fear and flight instincts spark back to life.
    Ohmigod Jake.
    What happened to Jake? Is he okay? I need to know what happened. I need to know if he’s okay. I also need to escape. And I need to escape working on the understanding that it is unlikely a person gets two divine interventions in one lifetime so I’m likely on my own this time.
    Fuck.
    My gun is gone, which one would expect. I think I made it reasonably clear I was willing to use it. Shooting someone would seem to demonstrate that. Interestingly however, I am once again not tied or restrained. Is Vincent really as dumb as Tony? Doesn’t he already know I’m capable of an effective escape?
    Assessing my surroundings I begrudgingly admit that I ’m sitting in what most would consider a very nice car. I suppose I should be thankful that this time I’m traveling in style. Being kidnapped and traveling in style is much nicer than being thrown against your will into the back of a filthy truck.
    After a few more beats I also realize that this whole scenario doesn’t add up. Not only does the car not fit the profile of my supposed abductors, I doubt its good kidnapping practice to place a woman unrestrained in the back of a luxury car with her dog. Especially if you are ferrying her to her execution point.
    Which leads me to wonder what is going on here. Why am I not dead already? Couldn’t they have just shot me while I was knocked out and dropped me in one of those mine shafts Tony was planning on using the first time? Although I’m glad they didn’t because right now I’m thinking it’s not over till the Fat Lady sings.
    I’m still alive.
    And if I’m still alive, I can hold hope that Jake is alive and that Emma is already doing some computer magic to find me again. I can still hope that if I stay alive long enough,