Everything you need to know about Red.
Being a father to be, and in such a complicated moment of his professional life, Red has a lot to protect. He'll have to do the impossible in order to save the woman of his life from the murder accusations tha...
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We're once again in my safe house in Yachats, a small town perched above the Oregon Coast Range along the Pacific. I knew I'd need this place at some point, although I'm aware it won't be for too long. Portland is no longer safe for Mia, for both of us, and the quicker I wind up my mission the better.
The thought of what would've happened if I wasn't in Mia's apartment tonight inflicts dread in me. What were those men going to do to her? It must have been Patrick who sent them but for what reason? To kidnap her and hold her in his possession against her will? Just how twisted that bastard's mind is?
The ring on the phone stops and my attention shifts.
"It's late, even for me. Must we talk right now, you rascal?" I hear the voice I nearly forgot.
It's been years since we last talked, and many more since we met.
"Well..." I pour myself a drink from the bottle, a warm breath emitting through my nose. "I figured we better talk now or else we may never do it again."
"Why? You think I'm gonna die like an old fella without seeing my grandson again? Stop being an ass, Rayden. Enough with the heroic adventure that brought you nothing but miseries!" he nags, still speaking like an emperor whose word is the law. He technically is. "Come home. And bring her here; I bet she's the one holding you hostage over there, right? Like father like son, folly romantic."
I place down the bottle, but I don't pick up the full glass of whiskey.
Standing upright, I say, "You didn't even ask for details. Why?"
"You said she's important. When a rigid man like you says such a thing, it means high-class shit. The Attorney General owes me a few favors from here and there, so it was a perfect time to collect some of the payments," he explains vaguely. "I don't care about your story, son, or hers; I just want you back to Cripple Creek in one piece."
"I cannot leave her," I say after a sigh.
"I never ask you to, did I?" he snaps. It's his way of talking. "Listen, Rayden. We, Hunters, protect what's ours. If you think she's yours, then bring her home. Understood? We can protect her here. You know we can." The last part comes out sternly and powerfully.
I clamp my teeth and my jaw flexes for I feel treed. Useless even. I didn't know it would reach the point where I'd want to take Mia to the last place I wanted to go. Colorado. But after what happened tonight, I can't think anywhere safer than the place I was born, and where my parents grew up.
"You're right, Grandpa. It's late. Sleep well." I end the call, grab my whiskey, and parade toward the small terrace using the sliding doors in the living room.
Harsh wind regards my bare chest but I can't seem to feel a thing. There's a lot in my head, my woman and my child being the chief of them all. How do I keep them safe? I lean onto the aluminum guardrails, watching the darkness spurring the shimmering stars dangling from the sky.
