Colby Core by Debra Webb Page B

around her arm. “No way.”
    â€œNo one’s going to talk to you about Renwick.”
    â€œThat may be so, but I can’t let you take that risk. At least at the convenience store I could see you.” He flung a hand toward the warehouse. “I can’t do that here. It’s out of the question.”
    Tessa took a moment, searched his eyes. He did care what happened to her. Not in that overbearing possessive, twisted way that the Master did. But basic human compassion. The kind the master did not possess.
    â€œI’ll be fine.” She drew in a breath of courage. “I have to do this. We can’t waste any more time.”
    Riley pulled the gun from his coat pocket. “Take this with you.”
    He was likely to need it more than she, but if it made him feel better…she accepted the weapon and slid its comforting weight into her coat pocket. She reached for the door again.
    â€œFive minutes,” he warned. “If you’re not back out here in five minutes I’m coming in.”
    She nodded. Clearly she wasn’t going to talk him out of that condition.
    Tessa trudged through the muddy parking lot. The day’s warmer temperature had melted the snow and turned the ground to mush. The front entrance of the establishment opened with ease, surprising her. She’d expected to have to pound on the door for someone’s attention.
    A guy mopping the floor stopped and stared at her.
    â€œI’m looking for Ike.” She kept her hands in her coat pockets, let her fingers wrap around the butt of the handgun.
    The guy jerked his head toward the bar. “He’s stocking.”
    â€œThank you.” Tessa stiffened her posture and headed that way. Her mind kept ticking off the seconds. Making this happen fast was essential.
    â€œIke?”
    The man behind the bar settled a bottle of whiskey into place before meeting her gaze. He braced both hands on the counter. “If you’re here to tell me that you’re carrying my child, then get in line. I ain’t interested in getting married and I don’t make enough here for child support.”
    His crude comments flushed Tessa’s cheeks. “No. Nothing like that.” She wasn’t quite sure how to respond to his proclamation. “I…I need to get in touch with Renwick. I heard you could help me.”
    Ike’s gaze narrowed. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”
    â€œPlease.” She allowed the emotion pressing against her breast bone to show in her eyes. “It’s very important.”
    His expression remained rock hard. “Look—” he glanced around the room “—I don’t know who sent you here, but using that name can get you killed.”
    She nodded. “I know. But I need to reach him. He’s the only person who can help me.”
    Those tell-tale lines of further consideration scrawled across his forehead. “What’s your situation?”
    â€œHere’s my number.” She grabbed a napkin and held out her hand for a pen. Ike pulled the one from behind his ear and tossed it on the bar. She wrote down the number for Riley’s secure cell phone. “Tell him Tessa wants to talk to him.” She added her name to the napkin to ensure he didn’t forget.
    Ike picked up the napkin and looked at what she’d written. “I’m not saying I know anyone named Renwick. But, if I did, he’d probably want to know what you want to talk about. Seems to me—” he cocked his head and aimed a condescending stare in her direction “—anybody with a name like Renwick might be a busy man. What’s your hook, lady? You can’t reel in a big fish without the right size hook and a little appealing bait.” He stared at her breasts as he said the last.
    Fear rattled Tessa’s bones but she refused to let this ape see it. “Tell him I need a long vacation. I’m ready to