by Diana Gardin
“It’s…it’s okay,” she whispers.
I pull her shirt over her head. My eyes find the wound. It’s bleeding profusely, but as I lean down to look closely, I can see that it’s not a bullet hole.
Breath whooshes from my lungs in a relieved sigh. “It’s a graze. Flesh wound. It’s going to be okay. I probably could clean this up and bandage it for you.”
“G-g-good. Then let’s cancel the doctor.”
I offer her a wry smile. “The doctor is coming. He can give you something for the shock and the pain.”
Walking over to the shower, I turn it on hot. “I’m going to let you take a quick shower while we wait for him. When you come out, he’ll probably be here. All right?”
She nods, wrapping the towel I placed in her hands around her shoulders. “Ryder?”
I stare at her, thanking anyone up there in the sky who will listen that she’s okay. I can’t remember the last time I was that scared…it felt like the way I feel when I’m on a mission and one of my brothers isn’t responding.
It felt like it did when I got that last phone call from Echo and I knew something was really wrong.
Staring at Frannie, drinking her in, I fold my arms across my chest. “Yeah?”
“Thank you. F-for taking c-care of m-me.”
Space be damned, I reach out a hand and cup the back of her neck. “You don’t have to thank me for that. We’re in this together.”
Dropping a kiss on her forehead, I reach around her and tug on the shower door handle. “And I’m not done taking care of you yet. Is it okay if I come in with you to make sure you’re all right?”
At her nod, I push her ahead of me. I pull the shirt over my own head and then shove my pants and boxer briefs down over my hips. Toeing off my shoes, I step out of my bottoms and get in the shower right behind her. Right now, I can’t seem to let her out of my sight.
I’m thankful that not only is she still standing here with me after the harrowing day we’ve had, but she’s allowing me to be the person who supports her now. Her tears mix with the hot water, and I pull her against me and hold her while she cries.
After her shoulders stop their shaking, I take a step away from her. The huge shower provides the room for me to lather up a sponge. As I run the bubbles along her shoulders, collarbone, and chest, she keeps my gaze trapped in hers. There’s a story there. Pain. Suffering. Fear.
“No more,” I promise, my words lifting over the sound of water against stone tile. “He won’t hurt you anymore, Frannie. You’re so much stronger than he knows. He thinks he can intimidate you into coming back to him. He’s wrong.”
Her shoulders lift as she stares up at me. “Am I? God, Ryder…I was so scared today. I still am. What if he comes back? What if…what if you had been hit by one of those bullets today? I know your job is to protect me, but if you were hurt as a result of it…”
Grasping her chin in my fingers to silence her, I shake my head. “Don’t. We don’t give in to his tactics, you hear me? Not today. Not ever.”
She nods, her lower lips disappearing between her teeth. Setting down the sponge, I take the bar of soap in my hand and rub until my palms are soapy. Then I kneel in front of Frannie. So gently my touch is nothing but a whisper, I brush my fingertips around her wound, cleaning it with soap and water. She hisses between her teeth but stays still.
“That’s my girl,” I murmur, lifting my gaze to watch her. “So tough.”
When I’m finished cleaning the graze, I stand in front of her again and pull her toward me.
Her words are almost lost in the roar of the water, but I catch them.
“I’m tough on my own, Ryder…but I think I’m even stronger with you.”
God help me, I feel the exact same way.
14
FRANNIE
“You thought you could keep her from me? My own daughter? I don’t need you, Francesca. We don’t need you. I’m taking her and going someplace you’ll never find us. Someplace you’ll never see her again.”
I hold Dove closer to my chest, cradling her in my arms. She whimpers, sensing the wrongness going on around her and the tension of my body. “No. Eli, you’re going to prison for a long time. Leave us alone!”
Eli’s ugly sneer curls his lips. It’s the same ugly smile he used to wear right before he was going to hurt me. Right before he was going to hold all the power he had over me, knowing I was unable to fight back. Knowing I had nowhere to go.
But not Dove. I’ll never let him hurt Dove.
But I seem to be losing my grip, no matter how hard I try to hang on.
“No!” I scream. “Don’t take her! You can’t have her!”
“Frannie! Easy, sweetheart! You’re safe, you’re with me. No one is trying to take you. Wake up, baby.”
My eyes fly open, and I’m shaking all over. I sit up in bed like I’ve been electrocuted.
And that’s when I notice that I’m in the bedroom at the condo, with Ryder kneeling beside the bed. My legs are twisted in the sheets from thrashing during what must have been one hell of a nightmare, the horrific pieces of it still clinging to my awareness like old filth.
“Oh God.” I gasp for each breath, my eyes flying wildly around the room. Trying to find a focus, a shelter in the raging storm inside my heart.
“Hey. I’m here, baby. I’m right here.”
Ryder climbs into bed next to me, lifting the sheet and untangling my legs, molding his big, hard body to mine and spooning me from behind. Slowly, but without hesitation, I relax against him. The tension in my body releases, one muscle relaxing at a time because of Ryder’s proximity and the safety his body provides.
The gray light of early dawn disturbs the darkness in the room, creeping in through the wooden shutters. But I’m not ready to start this day. After all the wrestling I was doing against Eli in my dreams, my side hurts. Now that the shock has worn off from the previous night, I’m feeling the pain in my side like a bad burn that hasn’t yet healed. Fire licks my skin and a moan escapes me.
Ryder pulls back. “Let me see.”
Turning on the bedside lamp, he sits up and peels up the T-shirt I wore to bed. Hissing through his teeth, he climbs out of bed.
“You ripped the stitches the doc put in last night. He left some butterfly bandages in case we need them. Let me go get them and some gauze to re-dress it.”
He’s gone for less than a minute in the bathroom, returning with the supplies he needs.
“I can’t believe I got shot last night.” My voice is hoarse, like when I used to be a high school cheerleader and strained my voice cheering on my team for hours on a Friday night.
“Last night was scary as hell. You are so fucking strong, Frannie.”
Shrugging, and wincing at the movement as it tweaks my side, I shake my head. “I’m not strong. I’m just surviving. Like every other woman in this world. We have good days and bad ones. But all we can do is live them as best we can, and try to end the day being proud of at least one thing we’ve done.”
He stares down at my side, his fingers so gentle and careful as he adds the butterfly bandages and then replaces the gauze and wraps it in tape. When he’s finished, he puts his little bag of supplies on the nightstand and returns to the bed, lying in the same position beside me.
We’re quiet for a few minutes, just breathing and watching the dawn break.
“What was it about?”
I know exactly what he’s talking about, but I feign ignorance. “Hmm?”
“The nightmare. It was intense. When I heard you screaming, I thought someone was in here with you. Came running. Saw you tangled up in the covers, and the way you looked…” His voice breaks.
My mind flips toward everything Ryder has done for me. He’s been there, without hesitation or question, every step of the way. And yes, his job is to protect me. But it seems to go deeper than that. He cares about me in a way that he hasn’t quite verbalized, but that I can feel with every fiber of my being.
&n
bsp; I owe him honesty. At least a part of it. I can answer this.
“I was dreaming about Eli. Taking everything from me. I’ve fought so hard to escape him.”
His arms wrap around me, but lightly. Not tightly enough to hurt the wound in my side. “We won’t let that happen. Me and you…we can take him. You trust me?”
Do I? I trust him enough to protect me, yes. But do I trust him enough to tell him my biggest secret? Dove is just too important, too vital a part of my existence to place her safety and well-being in anyone’s hands but my own.
The nagging voice in my head disagrees. But Ryder isn’t just anybody. He’s proven himself. Let him in.
“You said something…” Ryder’s voice is soft, his breath tickling my ear, his tone thoughtful. “You said, ‘Don’t take her.’ Any idea what that was about?”
I can’t help it, my body tenses. Ryder senses it, his arms loosening around me for a moment in reaction to my stiffness.
“What is it, sweetheart? What are you so afraid of? What am I missing here?”
I inhale through my mouth and exhale through my nose, something I learned from a psych resident at the hospital to calm anxious nerves. But panic swarms my stomach, as hard as I try to fight it. “I’m tired. Can we try to catch a few more hours of sleep?”
Silence. Then, “Sleep, tough girl. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
When I open my eyes for the second time, it’s in the full light of late morning. I’m not sure what time it is, but I become immediately aware of the fact that I’m not in bed alone. The previous day and the early-morning hours come rushing back, and a profound sense of gratitude lodges in my throat.
Swallowing back the tears, I realize that no matter how long I have him for, no matter how hard I’ve tried to push him away, the man sleeping behind me has been entirely too good to me. I’ve been difficult at best, and terrible at my worst. And he’s hung in there and stayed with me, protecting me without being an asshole about it.
And last night…last night and this morning, things shifted. I’ve made love to the man, and then taken a step back. But the tenderness he showed with me last night was on a different level, and now that I’m healthy enough to look clearly back on the way he undressed me, the way he looked at me and took care of me…I can’t believe I missed it before.
Thorn Ryder cares about me.
Like…he really cares about me.
And right now, his warm body is pressed against mine, and the evidence of a morning hard-on is pressed against my back. Desire pools hot and fast in my belly, and a million dirty pictures flash inside my head like a movie, detailing all the things I want to do to him.
Turning slowly, I see that his breathing is deep and even. Ryder is still asleep, lying on his side. One hand was slung over my hip, and I gently nudge him until he’s lying on his back. Ducking beneath the covers, I find the waistband of his boxer briefs, the only thing he’s wearing in bed with me right now.
With lightning quickness, Ryder’s hand grabs my wrist.
“What…” His voice is gravelly, low. Murky and sexy with sleep. “…are you doing?”
My voice is breathless with anticipation. “I was just about to wake you up.”
Shoving his briefs down in front to free his thick erection, I fist him in one hand. He hisses through his teeth, a muttered curse falling from his lips.
“Shit.”
Gripping him tightly, I stroke him up and down and allow my head to pop out from under the sheet. “Good morning, Ryder.”
“Jesus,” he croaks, eyes burning down on me. “What happened to space?”
“I think…” I dip my head and allow my tongue to swirl around the fat head of his cock. He groans, his hips thrusting upward of their own accord. “…you blew that out of the water last night, Ryder.”
And I take him fully into my mouth, sucking him deep. And damn he tastes good. He’s smooth as silk wrapped around a stone hammer, with a vibrant pulsing just beneath the surface that lets me know he’s fully alive and all man. I bob my head on top of him, taking him into my mouth over and over again, responding to each grunt and groan he gives me like it’s a gift.
“You’re fucking”—he gasps—“amazing. Jesus.”
Pulling back, I lick him from root to tip, and his hands delve into my hair. His hips thrust wildly into my mouth now, finding a rhythm he can’t seem to control.
“Keep that up, sweetheart”—he grunts—“and I’m gonna come in that pretty mouth.”
Instead of letting up, I continue swirling my tongue around the full, long length of him, and my opposite hand finds his balls inside his boxers and cups them gently, rolling them in my fingers.
“Oh God.” I glance up to see Ryder’s eyes roll back in his head. “Oh, fuck. I’m gonna blow, baby.”
With a loud groan, he thrusts forward and tenses, his seed streaming into my mouth as he empties himself completely. His fingers toy with my hair as his hips slow and relax, and I swallow every last drop of warmth that he shot into my mouth.
Sliding up his body, careful not to rub my sore side against his hard planes, I settle back against him. Placing a hand over his chest, I feel the quickness of his heartbeat.
With a finger under my chin, he pulls my face to his and kisses me, long and deep. Slow. Languid. Tongue dancing with mine. When he pulls back, there’s a grin on his face that’s lighter than I’ve ever seen on him before. It pulls a smile right out of me in return.
“That might have been the best wake-up call I’ve ever gotten.”
Satisfaction fills me. “Well, good. ’Cause it’s definitely the best I’ve ever given.”
He chuckles, and I sling a leg over his. “And that’s enough space, for now, by the way.”
He glances down at me, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Yeah?”
I offer him a coy smile. “Yeah. If I’m going to be locked away with you, we might as well have some fun.”
A slow smile quirks his lips. “That’s what I’m talking about.”
But, as happy as I am in his arms, in the back of my mind I’m already planning the next time I can sneak away to see my baby girl.
15
FRANNIE
“I want to take you somewhere today.” Ryder watches as I finish my omelet, scooping the last bit of egg, onion, and cheese off my plate and popping it into my mouth.
“Holy shit, that was delicious.” I let my fork clatter onto my plate. “I’m usually the one who cooks. I don’t know when the last time was that someone made me a meal.”
Ryder’s lips twitch. “Maybe it’s time to let someone take care of you for a change.”
I think back to the shower we shared last night, when Ryder held me in his arms while I cried. He was strong for me then, and sweet. Exactly what I needed. “Maybe. Where do you want to take me today?”
He grabs my plate and puts it in the dishwasher, along with his own. I have a future flash of a possible life with this man. A future where he cooks me breakfast, or dinner, and then puts the dishes away. A life where I’m his soft place to land when he’s had a rough day, and where Dove and I are able to make him laugh and smile after a long day at work. A life where Ryder is our center, our protector.
Our everything.
It’s a life that’s so far away, such a whimsical dream, that the premonition makes me gasp with shock.
“I’ll tell you when we get there. Just go get ready.”
I lift an eyebrow, not moving from my seat at the dining room table. “You’ve got a surprise up your sleeve now, Ryder?”
He smirks. “Maybe. Go get ready. We leave in half an hour.”
A lightning bolt of panic strikes me. When we left the condo together yesterday, someone found us. Bullets flew. I have the stitches in my side to prove it.
Ryder must see the shadow that crosses my face, because he crowds my space and tips my chin up. “We got the guy who shot at us yesterday. And I have a plan to make sure we aren’t followed today. This is a learning
curve, because we haven’t been given much intel on Eli and what he’s up to. But I can protect you, Frannie. I just need you to trust in that.”
Hesitantly, I nod. “I trust you, Ryder.”
He studies my expression, searching for something. “Do you?”
In my own way, I definitely do. I might not be ready to spill all my secrets, for my own personal reasons, but if there’s anyone I trust right now, it’s him.
“I do.”
He gives me a rare, full smile. His bright white teeth nearly blind me, the dimple in his left cheek endearing me to him even more than I already am. “Good.
As I turn to walk toward the bedroom to get changed, Ryder slaps my ass. I yelp, and turn to glare at him. A false glare, because secretly I’m immediately turned on.
He merely winks.
The way that wink makes me feel, all giddy inside, like a schoolgirl feels when the boy she likes gives her attention…that should be a red flag. But it isn’t. Instead, I just scurry off to the bedroom to shower and find something to wear for the day.
Half an hour later, we’re back in the parking garage, but Ryder unlocks the doors to a different car. The BMW sits right beside it, windows intact and good as new.
“Why aren’t we driving the Beamer?”
His voice is mournful. “Eli and his team of asshats made my car, so we can’t drive it anymore. This is a rental.”
The rental is a luxury brand, though, true to Thorn Ryder form, so I sink into the plush leather seats and in seconds we’re cruising down Wilmington streets.
“How did you get the windows fixed so fast?” My curiosity bleeds through into my tone.
“Pays to know Jacob Owen. He had a glass company out here overnight. He also called me last night while you were sleeping. He let me know that the team took the man who shot at us back to the office. We have an interrogation room there we call the Cage. It’s exactly like it sounds, so I’m not going to say anything else about it. He gave us a lead on Ward.”
My stomach flip-flops. “And?”
