by KB Winters
“Come in,” I said, holding on to every ounce of composure I had inside. I swept my arm aside to let him pass. He didn’t budge from his place on the faded welcome mat, his booted feet anchored in place. A wave of heat swept over me and I felt my cheeks tinged with color. He was so maddening, and yet he hadn’t even said a word. “Fine, suit yourself.” I turned away and walked back to the kitchen, leaving the door open behind me.
Only then did Ryker step inside. He shut the door and locked it. “Everlie, we need to get something sorted out before we do anything else.”
I spun around and crossed my arms over my chest. My fingers dug into my own ribs as I waited for his next statement. I arched a brow, refusing to speak to him unless it was unavoidable.
He sighed, and a surge of guilt hit me at the tired look in his eyes and the way his clothes were wrinkled. He was obviously exhausted, and I imagined him trying to sleep on the flight, his large, muscular frame stuffed into an airplane seat. My fingers ached for him, and I forced them deeper into my skin, a pinch of pain keeping me from falling into his arms.
“I know you’re still mad at me. You have every right to be. I’m not here to try and change your mind about us,” he started. A lump swelled in my throat at the way his voice hitched on the word. “I’m legitimately here to help with this whole Tori situation. So, let’s both put our feelings aside, and work through this together.”
I dropped my arms and eyebrow, unable to hold onto the last shreds of my anger. I didn’t want to forgive him. And he hadn’t asked me to. But I wanted him. My own strength was so sapped, and I was overwhelmed by the urge to melt into him and let him be my strength. I crossed the kitchen to the coffee pot, and started fidgeting with it to make some coffee, before my hands did something incredibly stupid.
“Fair enough,” I said, my back turned as I took the carafe to the sink and topped it off with water from the tap. “What do you need me to do?”
Ryker waited until I was done, and had the coffee brewing, before he answered. “Tell me what happened. Start at the beginning.” He dropped his eyes to the table in the kitchen.
“You can sit down. I’m just gonna make some coffee.” I threw a glance at the coffee pot, as though he couldn’t put together my plan on his own. I pocketed my hands. “Are you hungry?”
Ryker pulled out one of the chairs and sat down. “No, I don’t want to put you to any trouble. I can go grab something later.”
I rolled my eyes. “Heavens! Just say yes!”
Without waiting for him, I stormed to the fridge, threw the door open, and started rummaging through the drawers to see what was available. “Honestly, I’m trying to be nice…” I murmured to myself.
“Everlie, sit down!” Ryker’s sharp tone snapped me from my mutterings. I straightened and rounded on him as he jumped up from the table. My eyes were blazing, but I was startled to find his blazing with just as much heat…maybe more. “I don’t need you to make me coffee or food or anything! I’m not the bad guy. For fuck’s sake, I’m here to help you and Tori and you’re acting like I’m the real problem. Do I need to remind you that right now, your best friend is in some FBI holding tank? She probably has three or four agents busting her ass right now, asking question after question after question. She’s probably exhausted and hungry and scared and alone. So, let’s drop the petty bull shit and get down to business!”
Ryker’s harsh indictment was like a punch in the stomach. My face crumpled, and tears pricked at my eyes. The thin facade I’d built shattered into a million tiny pieces and I was left gutted, just as I had the moment I’d stepped into the living room and found Bennett reading Tori her rights and slapping handcuffs around her tiny wrists.
Then, just as quickly, my sadness rebounded, and as it rose within me, it boiled red hot, and my whole body flooded with rage. I snapped up to full standing height, going toe to toe with Ryker, ignoring the fact that he had a good four inches on me and at least fifty pounds of solid muscle. “You think I don’t know that?” I shouted in his face. “I’ve been absolutely sick about this and doing everything I can think of to try and help her! After all the shit you’ve pulled, you do not even get to act like some knight in shining armor! You and your stupid buddy Bennett are the reason Tori is even in this mess! I wish we’d never met either one of you!”
Ryker flinched at my last, searing statement and his lip curled back into a cold smile. “Oh really? How do you figure that? We’re the reason? You think you’ve got it all figured out, princess, but you don’t have a fuckin’ clue! If Tori is hooked up with some militia-brainwashed, wannabe terrorist, that’s on her. That has nothing to do with Bennett and it sure as shit doesn’t have anything to do with me. I get that you’re pissed off—but this is on your friend—not mine!”
“Oh, really?” I roared. “How do I know this isn’t some cooked up scheme you and your pal Bennett came up with to help you worm your way back into my life?”
I knew it was ridiculous as soon as it came out of my mouth, but I didn’t know what else to say. Ryker’s words had set off a firework show of panic in my mind. Militia? Terrorists? I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I desperately wanted all of it to be a scam, a nightmare, a mistake.
Ryker’s eyes went calm at my outlandish statement and he took a step toward me. I opened my mouth, and then closed it, fumbling for words. I opened it again, and he leaned in and crushed my mouth with his soft lips. My mind went blank, everything other than the searing heat between us vanished. Ryker’s hand cupped the side of my face. He stroked my cheek and then wrapped his hand around to cradle the back of my head, deepening the kiss. His tongue pushed past my lips and invaded my mouth. Sparks and stars went white behind my tightly closed lids and a moan escaped from the back of my throat. I clung to him, afraid that if I let go, I’d fall to pieces.
Just as abruptly as it started, it ended. Ryker pulled away, stared into my eyes, and ran his thumb down the side of my face before letting me go.
“I’m going out. I’ll be back when I have answers.”
He was out the front door and slammed it behind him before my lips stopped trembling from his kiss.
Chapter Fourteen
Everlie
Ryker didn’t come back until later that night. I didn’t know where he’d been all day, but when he came back inside the apartment, he assured me that he’d retrieved the information he’d promised. Neither of us addressed the passionate kiss in the kitchen before he sat me down in the living room, promising to tell me everything.
“Now, technically, I’m not supposed to tell you any of this, but after everything—you deserve to know the truth and I’m done trying to cover all this shit up.”
“Thank you.” I nodded and perched on the edge of the couch.
Ryker sat next to me but left a space between us. “Did Tori tell you about a girl named Cassandra? They worked together at the burlesque club.”
“Yeah. Uhm, they were actually dating. At least, they used to be. Tori said something a few days ago when she took an extra shift. She said some Cassandra girl had been MIA. I just figured she was another one of Tori’s flakes.”
Ryker nodded, processing my information. “All right, well, the reason Cassandra went MIA is because she’s linked to this group of homegrown terrorists. The group Bennett and I were sent to track down. That’s the whole reason we’re here in Vegas in the first place. I can’t tell you names of the group or their crimes. It’s not important and I don’t want to put you in danger. All you need to know is that they are very bad guys. Bennett and I were a part of a raid on one of their hiding places. We took them all in. The reason we were able to make that happen was based off of information from a few sources, but most prominently, that of Cassandra George. Tori’s Cassandra.”
My eyes went wide as the dots connected inside my head. “Wow. Do you think Tori knew? I mean—how could she?”
Ryker grabbed my hand. “I know. But, the fact is that this one particular group is more dangerous and bigger
than we’d originally thought. When I came back to Vegas this last time, it was because the team uncovered entirely new information. Tori is a part of that new information—or at least, her name was mentioned.”
My heart sank. “But why?”
“That’s the part I don’t know.” Ryker sighed, and I could see the anguish on his face. He was used to having all the answers and being in control. Being on the outs looked like it was wearing on him. “Ev, I’m not working with the FBI anymore. There are classified things I can’t know. I haven’t been able to get Bennett back on the phone. He’s been tangled up in this shit all day.”
“What were they looking for here?” I asked, looking around the room that was still in disarray from the FBI-led search the night before.
“I don’t know if it was something specific—or just looking. Likely, they were looking for any clues or something that would connect her to the militia group. They took her cell phone and personal computer and the tech team will go through them with a fine-toothed comb. So any emails, phone calls, texts. They’ll go through everything looking for evidence.” Ryker looked around the room and I could see the wheels working in his mind. “But, given the way they scoured this place…I’d bet there was something else they were looking for.”
“Am I…safe?” My voice croaked, a new fear filling my thoughts. “I mean, what if they think I’m involved too?”
Ryker’s eyes circled back to mine and he took my other hand, joining them together between his own. “I’ll keep you safe, Everlie.”
I tugged my hands away before I got lost in him again. I pushed my hair away from my face and gathered it in a low ponytail over my shoulder. I toyed with the ends while I tried to gather my thoughts. The idea of being under Ryker’s care both exhilarated and terrified me. I knew I’d be safe and protected with him. But, could he protect my heart? It was already so battered and bruised. I couldn’t take falling for him all over again. Not when I’d only just started to get the pieces of my heart back together from loving him the first time.
“It’s late. You and I both need some sleep. I’ll try to get a hold of Bennett in the morning. He’ll know more of what’s going on. Do you want to stay here tonight? Or would you rather we go to a hotel?”
Ryker’s question was simple, and yet I couldn’t decide on an answer. I wanted the comfort of my own bed but being in the house alone felt uncertain. I was terrified that if I stayed, the FBI agents—or worse—would burst in and I’d get swallowed up in the mess Tori was in.
“A hotel…that would be better. But, I have rehearsals all day tomorrow. I won’t be able to help.”
“That’s okay. I’ll take care of everything and keep you as updated as I can. Go ahead and pack a bag and I’ll call and make a reservation.”
I stood and nodded. “Two rooms, Ryker,” I added, stopping to turn back halfway down the hall.
“Not gonna happen, Ev. The best you’re getting is two beds. I need to know you’re safe. I can’t do that if you’re in another room or on another floor entirely.”
I was too tired to argue. And in the back of my mind, I knew he was right.
* * * *
We checked into our room at a downtown hotel and I was pleased to see that he’d respected my wishes and booked a room with two king sized beds. I took my bag into the bathroom and changed into a tank top and shorts. I scrubbed away my makeup, tied my hair into a topknot, and slathered my skin with lotion. It was soothing to go through my normal bedtime routine in the midst of the madness, because nothing about this situation was normal.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, my eyes caught on the sight of Ryker’s bare back. He’d stripped to his black boxers and I barely suppressed a sigh before it could slip through my lips. He was as perfect as I remembered, every inch of his muscled back making me want to run my hands and nails up and down the expanse of skin. I stashed my bag at the end of my bed and he turned at the sound.
I tore my eyes away from his washboard abs, but I wasn’t fast enough.
He flashed a crooked grin, the first moment of lightness in the heavy evening. “This is cozy.”
I rolled my eyes and pulled back the sheets on my bed. “Let’s just try and get some rest.”
Ryker was still grinning like an idiot, but he climbed into his own bed and reached for the light in between the two beds and flicked it off. The room was pitch black when I lowered myself to my bed. I adjusted my position, finding it hard to get comfortable. When I finally stopped tossing and turning, I was aware of the thick silence between us.
After a few minutes, Ryker rolled over, and when he started to speak, I knew he was facing me. “Everlie, I know I’m not supposed to say this, but I’ve missed you.”
I bit my lower lip and sucked in a surprised cry. My chest was tight, and I fought to release the tension. “Ryker…” I squeezed my eyes closed.
Ryker’s sheets rustled again. “I know. Forget I said anything.”
* * * *
When my alarm clock buzzed the next morning, the room was still dark. I reached blindly to the bedside table, groping around until I found my phone. I silenced the alarm and struggled to shuffle my bone-tired body from the bed. In the next bed, Ryker was tossing and turning. I bit back the urge to ask if he was awake. I didn’t have time to talk even if I knew what to say to him. His last words the night before were still clinging to me like a frosty chill.
I tiptoed to the bathroom and hurried to dress. I re-packed my belongings in my bag, unsure if I would be returning to the hotel after rehearsal. Ryker had my number and would call after I was done for the day.
“Where are you going?” Ryker asked as soon as I stepped out of the bathroom. He’d flipped on the bedside lap and was sitting on the edge of his bed, still wearing nothing but his shorts.
“Rehearsal.”
He shoved off the bed. “I’ll drive you.”
I winced. “No, no, it’s okay. This is why I wanted my car here.” The night before, I’d insisted on bringing both of our cars to the hotel. “I’ll call you when it’s over and we can figure out what’s going on. While I’m in rehearsal, I won’t have my phone on, but I’ll text you the address in case there’s something breaking…”
Ryker’s jaw tightened, and I knew he wasn’t happy that I was pushing him away even further, but it was the only way I could keep my sanity. Seeing him was hard enough. Spending every waking moment together would push me over the edge. “All right. I’ll get ready and go track down Bennett.”
I nodded. “Okay.” I turned and made my way to the door, my bag slung over my shoulder. “Thank you,” I said, pausing to look back at him, before I pushed out into the softly lit corridor.
* * * *
“Everlie! You missed your mark…again!”
I pressed my eyes closed, silently cursing myself, before turning to face my frazzled choreographer. “I’m so sorry. I’m just—”
Ricardo pursed his lips at me, cutting off the tail end of my excuse. “From the top.”
There was a pause before the music started over and I caught a few dirty looks as I crossed the floor to where my dance was supposed to begin.
“You’ve got this,” Jason, my partner, assured me with a smile. He took his place just in time for the music to begin and we started over. Towards the crescendo of the song, Jason spread his arms wide, waiting for me to run into them, but my mind faltered, splicing in Ryker’s face. My split-second hesitation was all it took to throw off the performance again, and Ricardo screamed for the music to stop.
My heart sank to the pit of my stomach at the fiery glare from my fellow dancers as Ricardo muttered under his breath from the other side of the studio space. “I’m sorry.”
Jason wrapped a comforting arm over my shoulders, but I shook it off, stalking to the restrooms. “I need a break,” I announced, slamming past the double doors.
In the restroom, I splashed some water on my face and then sagged against the marble counter top. Rehearsals were getting mo
re intense each day. Hours and hours blurred together as we prepared for the impending launch of the show. The pressure was astronomical. Not only did the show have to be perfect, but we’d received news that the big wigs behind the show—aka, the money—were only giving our production six weeks to make or break the show. Ever since that news dropped, everyone had been on edge and snippy.
I’d started out so strong with rehearsals and everyone could see the easy chemistry between me and Jason when we danced. Ricardo had been singing our praises from the beginning to anyone who would listen and assured the entire cast that we’d be a hit. But, I didn’t exude the same, rock solid, confidence.
“Get it together, Ev,” I told myself, dragging my eyes up to the mirror. My cheeks were flushed and coated with sweat that had more to do with the way my stomach was pitching about like a wild horse, and less to do with the strenuous dance practice.
I swiped my hair back, readjusting my tight topknot, and splashed more water on my face before going back to face my peers.
“You okay?” Jason asked when I joined him.
“Mmhmm,” I answered. “Peachy.”
Chapter Fifteen
Ryker
Bennett wasn’t expecting me. That much was clear from the look on his face when he answered the door to his hotel room.
“What the—how did you find me?” He sputtered.
“Adler gave me your room number.”
He sighed. “Listen, man, like I told you last night, there isn’t much else I can tell you now that you’re not on the case. It’s all classified. Shit, I’m already in deep shit with everything I’ve already told you.”
“I get that, but we need to talk. Can I come in?”
He looked at me for a long moment before he stepped aside and let me in. He was dressed like he was either planning to go to the gym or had just returned. He ran his hands through his hair and hunkered down into a chair at the two-person table. His large frame made the furniture appear smaller than it was, and his discomfort was obvious as he shifted back and forth. “Tori’s still in FBI custody. They tried to get me to talk to her, you know, because of our ‘history’,” he put his fingers up in mock quotes. “Anyway, she won’t talk to me. Shit, she cussed me out seven ways to Sunday before they finally got the clue that our time together didn’t exactly end well and that having me there when probably wasn’t the best move towards gaining her trust.”
