The car pulled up to a brick rambler without any lights on, and the driver looked over his shoulder at them. “It was great to meet you, man.”
Ryder shook his outstretched hand, palming him a twenty.
“Thanks.”
He nodded. “This is our location?”
“Yep.”
Ryder glanced at Bree. Her lips were tight, and she looked stretched thin. He focused back on the driver. “I’ll make it worth your while to wait.”
The guy’s eyes lit up. “Okay.”
“I don’t know how long we’ll be,” Bree spoke up.
“That’s okay.” The guy held up his twenty. “This is more than I make in an hour.”
Ryder forced a smile. “I’ve got a hundred and an autograph for you if you wait.”
“Sweet. Thanks!”
Ryder wasn’t sure if he was more excited about the money or the autograph. He slid out of the car and extended his hand to Bree. Her palm against his felt so right, and though he had no clue what they were doing here or what situation he was placing himself in, he would do it for her. He realized he’d fallen completely for her. It was fast, but it just felt right to him. His thoughts flickered to Tate, and he said a prayer that he and Bree would be safe and return to his son soon.
Bree stood next to him, and he marveled again at how beautiful she looked in that dress. The white was the perfect contrast for her gorgeous skin. They walked up onto the sidewalk. She stared at the dark house before glancing around the quiet neighborhood. She seemed to be looking everywhere but at him. She shivered, and Ryder shrugged out of his jacket and put it around her shoulders.
“Thanks,” she whispered, finally focusing on him. The jacket drowned her, and another surge of protectiveness went through him. She looked so fragile and beautiful. Was it too soon to tell her what he was feeling?
“You want to tell me what we’re doing here?” he asked instead of splaying his feelings at the wrong moment.
She blew out a breath. “My sister and I were separated from each other when I was ten and she was eight.”
Ryder couldn’t imagine the pain of that. His family was intact and always there for him. His mom might tease him and tell him he had “crap for brains,” but she adored him. His siblings would do anything for him. Bree had no one.
“When you gave me the advance,” Bree said, “I hired a P.I. to find her—Peter Ormond.”
Peter wasn’t her boyfriend. That was a piece of good news. “And …?”
“I found her last night for the first time.” She bit at her lip. “Jaz is amazing, and I think she’s some kind of undercover agent or criminal.”
“What?” Ryder asked, but then he heard movement from the bushes to his left. He instinctively pushed Bree behind him as four men appeared. They were dressed in black. He couldn’t see any weapons, but he sensed they had them. His stomach plunged, and the moment felt surreal. He could hardly process these men striding toward him in the semi-dark, seemingly-safe neighborhood, like something out of a movie.
The leader inclined his chin, and one of the men strode up to the Uber and rapped on the driver’s window. He handed the driver some money. “Our friends don’t need a ride,” he said.
The Uber driver took off fast.
“Wait!” Ryder yelled. He about sprinted after the guy, but Bree was clinging to both his arms from behind him. Bree! What did these men want, and what would they try to do? Ryder wasn’t going to let them hurt Bree.
The men walked up to them on the sidewalk as casually as if they were strolling through the park.
The leader spoke, peering around Ryder’s shoulder at Bree. “Come on, sweetheart,” he said in a Jersey drawl. “Your sister requested this meeting. Where is she? I miss that beautiful face, and I want my cash.”
Bree was shaking behind him. Ryder stared at the guy. “She’s not part of any meeting.” But she’d known exactly where to come. What was going on? “How much cash do you want?” He had about a thousand in his wallet. Somehow, he doubted it would be enough for these men. They looked like professional hit men.
The guy focused in on him. “Ryder Quinn. I like watching you play, man. I don’t wanna rough you up, but I was promised fifty grand for the info I’ve got, and I want it now.” He arched an eyebrow, clearly challenging him.
“You aren’t going to get it from the pretty boy football player.” A woman’s voice came from the grass behind the men.
All four whirled to face the speaker. She was a shorter, tougher version of Bree, with flowing dark hair instead of the curls.
“Jaz,” the leader murmured, almost reverently. The guy looked so tough it surprised Ryder to see him gazing at Bree’s sister with such admiration.
“Jasmine.” Bree cried out, moving to Ryder’s side.
“Hi, Troy,” she said mockingly, ignoring Ryder and Bree. Then she flew at the man closest to her, taking his legs out with a low kick. His head hit the sidewalk with a sickening thud, and he didn’t move.
Ryder’s eyes widened, and he definitely let out a non-manly gasp.
Jasmine was already jabbing her small fists into the next guy’s abdomen. He bent over, and she flipped around behind him and put him in a chokehold. Another man grabbed at her waist from behind, but she slammed her head back into his face. There was a crunch. Then blood spurted out of his nose.
Ryder saw the leader pulling out a gun. He dodged at the guy, slamming his fist into the man’s hand. The gun went flying, and the man whirled to face him. “I told you I didn’t wanna rough you up. Doesn’t mean I won’t.”
Ryder had too many brothers to not know how to fight. He went at the man with jabs, uppercuts, and even a few headbutts. The guy put up a decent fight, but Ryder had bested his brother Griff in fights before, and he could hold his own.
The porch light next door flicked on, and a man came out. “What’s going on?”
“Get back inside and call 911!” Jasmine yelled at him.
He obeyed.
Ryder noticed Bree in her beautiful dress slamming her joined hands down on one of the guy’s necks as he fought with her sister. The guy turned to engage Bree, but Jasmine knocked him to the ground easily and pummeled him with her quick fists.
Ryder focused back on his fight a little too late. The leader jabbed his fist into Ryder’s temple and black exploded across his vision. He went down hard, thumping his shoulder into the sidewalk.
He struggled to sit up. He had to protect Bree and her sister. Actually, it appeared the sister could more than hold her own. “Bree.” Her name was a barely audible croak.
“It’s okay. Stay down.” He heard her heels clicking next to him. Her cool hand on his forehead pushed him back down to the sidewalk.
“The men.” His vision was clearing, and all he could focus on was protecting Bree and her sister. He forced himself to a seated position, blinking and searching the dim night.
“Jaz has got them.” Her voice was full of pride.
Ryder looked around and saw Bree was right. Jasmine had the leader pinned down, his face squished into the grass, one guy knocked out cold, and the other guy barely stirring but looking as miserable as Ryder felt. The pressure in his head was going away quickly, but he felt worse than he’d ever felt after a football game.
“There were four,” Ryder said.
Jasmine nodded at him. “One of them took off. Smart guy.” She shoved her knee deeper into the leader’s back.
“Come on, Jaz.” The guy ground out the words. “It’s me, love. You used to treat me so nice.”
Sirens screamed through the night.
“I’ll show you nice. You’ll give me the information for no cash now.” Jasmine jumped to her feet and ripped the guy up with her. Ryder couldn’t figure out how or when she’d tied his hands behind his back. He’d be impressed if he wasn’t so confused and worried about what Bree was involved in.
“Let’s go,” Jasmine demanded.
Ryder wondered if she was talking to Bree, but she
dragged the guy down the street as he protested and pled with her. “I’ve been looking all over for you, baby,” he said.
“Shut up,” Jasmine growled at him.
Bree stood. “Wait, Jaz!”
Jasmine looked back, clearly annoyed. “How do you keep finding me?”
“I hired a P.I.”
“Do you know how dangerous that is for you?” Jasmine shook her head. “I’m sure you’re a fabulous person, but the sister gig isn’t my life. Call your guy off and stop trying to find me. This is the second op you’ve made messy.” With that, she dragged the guy off into the night.
Bree slumped down next to Ryder. He was still feeling a little out of it, but he reached out to her. She cuddled against his chest and let him hold her until the police converged on the quiet street and pulled them apart for questioning. Ryder didn’t know what to think about Bree or her crazy sister. He wasn’t averse to danger, he was a Quinn after all, but he had Tate to think of. He studied Bree as she spoke with a police officer. When they got home, he was getting some questions answered.
Chapter Twelve
Bree felt a myriad of emotions as the police dropped them off at Ryder’s house. They decided they’d get his vehicle later. She was exhausted, confused, and depressed. Jasmine was some kind of secret ops person, with an obviously disturbed past, and she didn’t want or need Bree in her life. The only bright spot of tonight was Ryder. He’d fought brilliantly, and she loved how protective he’d been of her, trying to keep fighting even though he probably had a concussion and refusing medical help so he could stay by her side.
They walked inside, and all was quiet. Bree slipped off her heels and held them in one hand, not wanting to click around on the wood floor and wake up Tate or Navy. Neither of them said anything, but they headed for the stairs and silently padded up them and then down the hallway to Tate’s room. She dropped her shoes outside her bedroom door. Ryder eased the door to Tate’s room open and waited for Bree to walk in. She crept to Tate’s bedside. Peace and warmth flowed through her at the sight of the little boy. He was curled on his side. His cheek squished against the pillow. His soft, even breaths filled the room.
Ryder let out a long breath next to her and pushed his hand through his hair. Bree smiled up at him. He stared down at her as if not sure who she was anymore.
Ryder took her elbow and walked her to the stairs leading down to his suite. She wasn’t sure being alone in his bedroom was a good idea, but it wasn’t like this would be some romantic interlude. What if he fired her? She wouldn’t blame him. She cast a glance back at Tate. How could she leave that little man? Ryder’s palm on her elbow felt warm and possessive. How could she leave the little man’s dad?
They reached the master suite, and Bree could see sparkling lights off in the distance outside the wraparound windows. Ryder flipped on a lamp, and she glanced around at the room. The bed was huge. She swept her eyes over it quickly. She could see doorways leading into what were probably the master bath and walk-in closet. There was a large reading nook with bookshelves built into the wall, a fireplace, and some comfy-looking chairs. Ryder escorted her there.
He turned on another lamp and waited while she sank into an overstuffed chair. She curled her feet up underneath her and focused on the book titles instead of looking at him. There were a lot of romance books mixed in with the suspense, self-help, and motivational books.
Ryder sat in the chair kitty corner to hers. If she put her legs down, their legs would touch. She let herself look at his handsome face, and instead of apologizing and begging him to not fire her, she said, “You read romances?”
Ryder’s gaze flickered to the books, and he gave her an abashed smile. “Sometimes. I like Jennifer Youngblood’s, good mix of romance and suspense. But most of the romance books were Jessica’s.”
Bree wondered if that meant he still longed for his wife. He hadn’t cleaned out her books in eight months. If she walked in that closet, would more than half of the shelves and hanging racks be full of Jessica’s clothes? She shook her head. This wasn’t about Jessica.
“So your sister …”
“Yeah.” Bree clasped her hands together. “I’m sorry I put you in a dangerous situation.” She didn’t think now was the time to remind him that he’d insisted on coming with her.
Ryder reached over and put one of his large palms over her clasped hands. “Bree, I’m not worried about me.”
She met his gaze. “You’re worried about Tate.”
He nodded, his lips set in a grim line. “And you.”
“Me?”
“What if you had been there alone?” He pulled his hand back and jammed it through his short hair. “What if Jasmine hadn’t shown up? Those men would’ve …” He clamped his mouth tight, and a muscle worked in his jaw. His body was coiled like he wanted to fight again.
“I …” Bree didn’t know what to say. He was worried about her? “Does this mean you aren’t going to fire me?”
“Fire you? Why would I fire you?”
“I brought danger to you, possibly to Tate.” She bit at her lip, hating herself for putting it out there, but she couldn’t ignore it. She hated herself even more for putting Ryder in danger’s path.
Understanding lit Ryder’s blue eyes. “We’re very safe here,” he reassured her. “I’ve got security set up with a team who aren’t on site but monitor the property. There’s a fence surrounding the perimeter and cameras everywhere. Honestly, my fame and money is putting Tate in more danger than a couple of crazy interactions with your sister.”
Bree nodded. She didn’t really think someone was going to come after them because she was Jasmine’s sister. She didn’t even know what Jasmine did at this point. “That’s good to know, about the security, not your profession bringing ransom attempts or whatever.” She fidgeted with her hands. “I meant getting you in that fight tonight though. I’m so sorry. How’s your head?”
“And people claim football is dangerous.” He smiled. “I’m fine Bree. I’m glad I was there tonight.” His smile disappeared. “Though your sister protected you more than I did.”
Jasmine. A rush of desperation filled her. Jasmine wanted nothing to do with her. She was upset that Bree had messed up her ops.
“Can you tell me about your sister?”
Bree shrugged. “Like I said, I haven’t seen her in fourteen years.” She could still picture Jasmine as a tough and very smart-alecky eight-year-old. “When we were kids, she was super funny and cute. She’d say the most hilarious things. I adored her. Our foster family adopted her but asked for me to be relocated.” She closed her eyes, the pain washing over her anew. Not so much the rejection but the separation from Jasmine. If only one of them could be adopted, she’d always been glad it was Jasmine.
Ryder put his hand over her joined ones again. Bree’s eyes flew open, and she stared at him. “That must’ve been hard.”
She nodded, a tear cresting her eyelid and rolling down her cheek.
“Oh, Bree.” Ryder stood, wrapped his hands under her legs and back, and plucked her off the chair.
Bree gasped and wrapped her arms around his neck for stability. She stared into his blue eyes—so close, so intriguing. “What are you doing?” she asked.
Ryder settled back down into the chair with her in his arms. “Comforting you,” he murmured. He ushered her head to the nook of his neck and shoulder and simply held her.
His strength and warmth wrapped around her, and Bree felt comfort, but she felt a lot more than comfort too. The back of her dress was open, and his hands on her bare skin brought shivers of pleasure.
Bree didn’t know what to say, so she just let herself enjoy the moment. She knew all those hours he spent in the gym were for functional strength and speed with football, but sheesh, they created some beautifully formed muscles in his chest and abdomen that she was now feeling pressed against her. Her hands were still around his neck. She thought she’d better keep them there, though she was more than tempted to exp
lore the muscles of his shoulders and chest through his thin dress shirt. Who knew where his suit coat had ended up, and at some point, he, or one of the EMTs, had removed his tie and unbuttoned several of his shirt buttons.
“You hired a P.I. to find her?” he asked softly.
Bree sighed. “Yeah, and now it’s even worse.”
“Why?”
“She obviously wants nothing to do with me, and whatever she does is dangerous.” She shuddered, and he pulled her in tighter. “I wanted to be part of her life. Be the big sister who protects her,” she mumbled against his neck. “That fairy tale has flown away.”
“I think your sister is very capable of taking care of herself.”
Bree didn’t argue that. “She’s an impressive fighter at least.” But why was she putting herself in these rough situations?
“Yeah.” Ryder ran his hands along her bare back, and pinpricks of awareness and desire leapt through her. “But she’s a complete idiot to not want you in her life.”
Bree pulled her head back and stared into his handsome face. “Why?”
Ryder ran one hand along her upper back and neck before cupping her cheek. “Anyone would want you in their life.”
Bree’s heart was thumping so fast she could hardly catch a breath to respond, but she couldn’t believe he truly meant what he’d just said. “No one has wanted me to be a permanent part of their life.” She shouldn’t have shared her deepest hurt with him. Growing up, she’d never stayed in one home or school long enough to make lasting friendships. In college, she’d made some great friends but nobody she considered family. Is that why she longed for Jasmine? She’d always imagined it was a selfless need, to protect her little sister. Jasmine didn’t need her protection, but Bree still wanted to be around her. She yearned to be part of a family.
“No one knows what they’re missing out on then,” Ryder said.
Quinn Family Romance Collection Page 9
