Witness Protection (The Witness Series) (14 page)

I am
hurt,
I flip the phone off and curl back into bed. I cry myself into a restless sleep th
at night, I don’t know where the hell I stand with Ryder but I know this, I am mad about him and he is a dangerous game to be playing.

CHAPTER
6

Finally, the stupid girl showed some fear. I strung that body up, busted my ass and wasted my time only to see her swimming and prancing around with those
cops
hours after. My blood boiled, my
life’s
work, my reason for living and she was laughing in my face. I am glad now, that I cut the stupid girls finger off. It was the perfect ending to my day, seeing Maya go down.
Passed out cold.

Now for the next step in my plan, I know they are expecting it, they are waiting and waiting for me to pounce and I will, by
God
I will. All the security in the world
won’t
stop me getting my hands on her and when I do, she will scream until she has nothing left. I have big plans for Maya, maybe a game of cat and mouse in the woods, a few bullet holes before I fuck her and slit her throat. Might even put her up in a wild animal
habitat,
watch her get torn to pieces. That
will be nice for her cops
to find.

But first, oh first, I am going to make her life hardly worth living.
In fact
, she will want me to kill her when I am done, she will come to me,
she
will be putty in my hands. My grand plan, and oh what a plan it is, will bring her to her knees. Enjoy your little fuck fest Maya, because soon enough, you will be nothing but a bloody corpse hanging from a tree, or perhaps turned into wild animal crap. Now that makes me laugh, oh yes, that would make my day!

* * * * * *

A week passes with no more word from the killer, I am approached by reporters and asked to make a report, at first Ryder and Nate refused but the decided it could be the perfect way to get the killer to make a mistake. If he gets angry enough, he might just crumble and stuff up. So, here I am sitting in a reporting studio with a young perky woman who is asking me stupid questions.

“Maya, can you tell us how you feel about the killings?” She asks.

“I feel sick, not because of him but because those poor girls had to endure
that,
and their families had to experience that loss.”

“How did you feel when you saw BTK killing that woman?”

“It hurt me, but not in the way he wants
.”

“Oh?”

“He wants a name, he wants to haunt our minds and put fear in our hearts, well, he hasn’t with me.”

“He hasn’t, even after the body that was strung up in your complex?”

“No, the body was horrific and my heart goes out to that poor family, but it is all just a game to him. A game I
won’t
play.”

“And the package at your door?”

“A child could do better.”

The reporter blinks at me. “Are you
afraid
Maya, for your own life?”

I make a point of snorting. “No, he is a sick, pathetic man who has no life and feels the need to pick on people weaker than him. He thinks he is superior to the world but he isn’t, fact is, he is weak as hell. I mean,” I say, crossing my legs. “What sort of sicko picks on young girls, does he really think he is big and strong? Take on someone your own size buddy and we will see how that goes for you.”

“Someone like perhaps the two very handsome cops you are living with?”

I smile. “I would like to see him take them on, yes.”

“So, Maya, is there a romantic interest for either of the men?”

I grin and tap my lips. “Now that would be telling.”

“Do you think the killer will strike again?”

“Of course he will.”

“Do you know why?”

“He is a sad man
who’s
mummy treated him badly so he is taking revenge on the world.”

“What would you say to him, if you were face to face?”

“I would say,” I say, looking right into the camera, “Do the world a favor and put a bullet in your mouth, you pathetic weak son of a bitch.”

The reported gasps and fans
herself
.

“Well then, that concludes our interview.
Thank you Maya.”

I stand and walk out, trying hard to control my trembling hands. I meet Nate and Ryder at the door, Ryder grips my shoulders.

“Y
ou did real well.”

“Let’
s
hope it works.”

“It will piss him off, hopefully enough for a mistake to be made.”

“Hopefully.”

“You ready for tonight?” Ryder asks.

I give a weak smile. Tonigh
t we are going to Nate’s
family’s
ranch for three days to get away and also so I can meet his fami
ly.

“Sure.”

“Are you all packed?”

“In the car.”

“Good good. You ready to rumble
Nate,
we got a long drive ahead?”

“Yep, all good bud.”

We walk out
to the car and double check our
things,
then
we all get in. It is going to be a long, long drive so I settle in the back seat, stretching my legs out. Ryder jumps in the front and Nate gets in the passenger seat. We begin the drive out to the ranch, and I feel a small amount of comfort as slowly we leave the city for a while. I need a break,
just a little time away.

Ryder is gone most nights and Nate stays with me, in a sense it has been good, we have gotten close and become even fonder of one another and it helps that w
e both share the same deep feelings
for Ryder, if only he would s
top running. I haven’t gotten much out of Ryder, we had an amazing night and then he just went ahead and pissed off, leaving me alone and
confused
and since then, he has been so distant he may as well have just ended it.

“Your family sound nice Nate.”

“They are sweetheart.”

“I bet they love you.”

“I bet they do to.” He laughs.

“Not as much as me.”

“You love me?”

“Of course!”
I grin.

Ryder doesn’t say anything, he just keeps driving
as through we aren’t speaking around him
. I sigh and close my eyes, fighting back the tears that are threatening to come thundering out.

“Since when did you two start c
onfessing your undying love?” He says suddenly
, his voice is rough and scratchy.

“We got no shame in admitting how we feel.” Nate says, giving me a wink.

“Yeah well keep lids on your love shit, I don’t like it.”

“We are close, maybe you ought to try having a heart!” I snap.

“Don’t…”

“Alright you t
wo, enough.
This is a trip away
for us all
to
just chill.”
Nate cuts in.

“Tell him to
chill,
the man can hardly look at me since we had sex. Pushed and pushed and now he has it, he has no interest in wanting anything more than to snap at me every chance he gets.”

Ryder pulls the car over with a hiss,
then
he leaps out of the car and opens my door. He grips my arms and hauls me out, then slams my body against the hot metal of the car.

“You think you know everything do you? Think you know how I feel? I have been aching to t
ouch you, aching to see you
in my bed since that night but I have shit that I have to deal with before I complic
ate my life further with you
!”

“Complicate?”
I w
hisper, hurt.
“That’s all I am
?
Complications for you to deal with?”

“I didn’t…”

“Don’t Ryder, just stop while you have the chance.”

I get back in the car and slam the door closed. Ryder kicks some rocks and swears loudly for a few minutes, then gets back in. He opens his mouth to speak but Nate stops him.

“Don’t mate, just leave it.”

I can feel Ryder’s eyes on me as he pulls out, and I know he can see the tears tumbling down my cheeks. I
lay
down and shove my face into the pillow, and that is where I stay until we pull up at a gas stop.
I don’t get up when Ryder pulls the car up. I hear Nate get out, but I keep my eyes closed. I hear the two arguing outside the door.

“Fuck Nate, stop acting like a child.”

“Really mate? You want to go there?”

“I didn’t mean what I said.”

“You know what
Ryder,
get your head out of your ass for five minutes. If you have an issue with feelings passed between Maya and me then say so, otherwise back off. If you don’t want to be
a part
of this, don
’t be but she is important to me and will be in my life, even if you don’t want her in yours.”

“I want her, so fucking bad.
”

“Then why are you running?”

“I got hurt.”

“F
eelings are different this time, if you can’t see that you are blind.”

“My heart got fucking ripped out.”

“I know, but she loves you Ryder,
Christ
only kn
ows why but she does
. If you can’t deal with it leave, but stop wasting time and heart space.” Nate growls.

“Nate, fuck, stop making this so damned hard.”

“Do you love her?”

“What I feel is beside the point, I have shit going on that I need to deal with.”

“Janelle, it’s always fucking Janelle. She fucked it once and she will do it again, walk awa
y Ryder or you will lose the best thing
in your life.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“Make it that fucking easy!”

Nate turns and storms off. I sigh and get out of the car, Ryder stares at me but I ignore him and follow after
Nate. I find him
sitting on an old wooden chair under a huge tree. I sit beside him and take his
hand,
he turns to look at me and gives me a smile.

“It will be ok cowboy, things will work out.”

“Ryder is complex sweetheart, it goes far deeper then you know.”

“So tell me.”

“It’s not my place. He has been hurt, badly.”

“Janelle?”

“Yeah.”

“I won’t ask Nate, because you are right, it is his place to tell me but know th
is,
I
won’t
give up on him
.”

Nate pulls me close. “That I know gorgeous, that I know.”

“You love me Nate?”

“To the stars.”

“And I love you to the
moon,
you will always be my friend now, no matter what happens with Ryder and me.”

“I hope so, come on, we should get going.”

We get some drinks and burgers then get back into the car. Ryder gets into the
driver’s
seat without a glance to either of us. I want to grip his shoulders and kiss him, I want to tell him it’s all ok but he just looks so distant and so damned hurt, I don’t know what to say to take away the pain in his heart.

We drive another five hours, and finally we pull up at a beautiful old ranch. The main house takes my breath
away,
it is white with a patio running around the full outskirts. The house itself is wooden, and has an old school charm about it. It suits the
outback,
it suits the stables and barns surrounding it. I peer around at the hectares and hectares of land occupied by horses and cattle.

“Oh Nate.”
I breathe.

“Pretty huh?”

“Oh yes.”

When we get out, I breathe in the fresh warm air. It is such a beautiful change to the big city smoke. I see a bunch of horses whinnying at the fence and rush over. An old grey mare nuzzles my palm and I press my cheek to hers and breathe in the scent of horse and country. She
whinnies
again when Nate walks over.

“This is my old girl Josie.”

“She is gorgeous.”

“I will take you for a ride while we are here.”

I beam. “Oh, I would love that!”

“Nathan!”

I hear a woman cry out and we both turn to see a beautiful blonde haired woman running down the steps. I figure it must be his sister. When she gets up close, I see she is just as beautiful as Nate, with the same big brown eyes. She is stunning. He wraps his arms around her and swings her in a hug, I smile and step back, only then noticing Ryder is standing beside me.