Stryker

by Lexi Buchanan

  “So you’ll just let them carry on doing this until someone else puts a stop to it.”

  Coach stepped back as he looked over my shoulder, his eyes wide before he masked his surprise.

  “Well,” Lethal Black gloated.

  I clenched my jaw and turned to face my opponent.

  “If it isn’t Stryker and his Coach having a mother’s meeting,” he continued. “I always knew you needed a wet nurse.”

  Asshole.

  I threw my head back and laughed. Coach gave me a strange look while Lethal Black grew angry because I hadn’t reacted how he probably wanted.

  “Nice try.” I laughed and walked away.

  He let me go, but only because his coach stepped in front of him, and shook his head.

  Since I turned eighteen and started to fight for them, I’d never let my opponents antagonize me into a before fight confrontation. I was good at walking away from them, probably because I didn’t want to be forced to do that shit. I’d wanted to be a fighter for me, and so that my dad would come to watch me. Be proud of me. I never wanted to be owned.

  “Stryker, you baffle me sometimes,” Coach mumbled when he fell into step alongside me.

  “Why’s that?”

  “You’re angry, and always have been. Yet you’ve never fought outside of the ring.”

  “As long as they have control, I’m fighting for them. So why waste my time fighting when I don’t have to.”

  “That makes sense. I think.”

  Grabbing a clean towel, I wrapped it around my neck and moved over to the mats to do some rope work. My head had started to pound with everything running around inside.

  Coach shoved the ropes into my hands, and whispered, “Carter’s here, but he’s being watched so he’s staying away from you for now.”

  My eyes shot to his.

  “Ropes.”

  Evie

  ALTHOUGH IT WAS ONLY a day since I’d last seen Stryker, I missed him like crazy. I worried about him and Carter as well.

  Carter sensed trouble when he’d left Peter’s house last night, and so far today, Millie hadn’t heard anything from him. So we both wondered what was happening.

  Millie would be annoyed with me once she realized that I’d snuck out of Peter’s house to meet Patrick especially after I’d promised Carter that I’d stay inside and wouldn’t leave.

  I’d promised Peter as well, but he’d had to go into work, and expected to find me at his house when he returned. I felt a small twinge of regret for sneaking out, but I had to know what Patrick wanted to talk to me about. I wished I could have ignored him, but I couldn’t. Or rather I could until he told me it had something to do with Stryker. I’d do anything to protect him.

  I wasn’t stupid though, which was why I waited sitting on a bench on the East side of the pond in central park. I loved the park, the wide-open space, and just plain people watching. It usually made me happy, but today my nerves jumped in my belly and I felt nauseous.

  It wasn’t too warm yet but my temperature rose as I stood and watched him approach. I wasn’t the only one to notice him either. Patrick was well groomed as always, and his suit, perfectly tailored. He was a good-looking man, and but for his recent change in personality, an easy man to get along with.

  “Surely I’m not so unpleasant to warrant a frown on that beautiful face.” Patrick reached up and ran a finger across my brow. It took everything in me not to flinch at his touch though.

  He watched me carefully, and I felt that he was on his guard with me. Why, I wasn’t going to waste my time trying to figure out. There wasn’t anything I could do to him, other than bring his father’s shady dealings into the light.

  “Let’s sit.”

  It didn’t take much considering my legs had gone weak with apprehension.

  I looked ahead at the pond and felt his eyes on my face so I turned, and asked, “What’s really going on Patrick? Why are you doing this for your father?”

  He sat forward, elbows on his knees and dipped his head. Seconds later, he met my gaze. “He’s my father, Evie.”

  He looked back at the lake and I couldn’t decide whether or not he was working at getting my defenses down. That made me wonder why? And then he continued, “You wouldn’t know what it’s like to always want your father’s approval, but never to get it. Living in the shadow of having Declan Fitzwilliam as your father isn’t what people presume.”

  Stunned. “Patrick, you know my father. You know what he’s like. I love him, and I know he loves me, but he’s been absent more than he’s been present. As a child, I lost count how many times I would call him to tell him of an award that I’d won at school, or that I got all my spellings correct at the Friday test, only to know that when he was saying well done, that he was distracted and hadn’t really heard a word I said. I know what you’re saying isn’t the same, but even though he told me ‘well done’ it wasn’t what I needed to hear.”

  I cleared my throat and still felt that something wasn’t quite right. We’d never talked about our parents or our upbringing before and hearing Patrick say about his father, made me feel sorry for the little boy that he once was.

  “I didn’t mean to say that.” He sat up and lifted his face to the sun that had appeared from behind a cloud. “I hate how this thing between us has gone off track. I hate how we’re both being pushed and forced to do things that neither of us want.”

  “I don’t understand. You texted me asking to meet you to discuss Stryker.” I hesitated and bit my lip as I searched the area for some type of answer. “You’ve never talked to me like this before so I’m confused after the way you’ve treated me.”

  “I’m a bastard, Evie, and I’m so fucking tired.” His eyes slid to my face before he continued to stare ahead. “I treated you the way that I did in hope you’d go to your father and get him to step in to stop the whole wedding.” He sighed. “What my father wants, he gets. I’ve never gone against him, Evie, until…” He shook his head. “Even when I know what he wants is wrong. It just isn’t done.”

  She wondered what he’d been about to say, but let it go for now, and asked, “So it was your father who wanted the wedding?” I questioned, the frown back on my brow.

  “You’re father is a senator, he thinks,” he paused, “it doesn’t matter what he thinks. We have to get married to keep him off our backs and Stryker safe.”

  Goose bumps raced across my skin. “Safe?”

  “He’ll get rid of Stryker for good if the wedding doesn’t go ahead. That’s why I’m here. He wants the wedding on the weekend to go ahead, and he’s promised if it does, he’ll let Stryker…live.”

  My blood chilled listening to him and although I wanted to believe him, it all seemed farfetched. Stupid even. Which was why a chuckle escaped my lips that I covered with my hand.

  The look of surprise Patrick gave me caused me to laugh harder.

  “I don’t see what there is to laugh about,” he grumbled and proceeded to ignore me for a few more seconds. He then stood in front of me. “Evie, for God’s sake! Pull yourself together.”

  Hiccupping to a stop, I wiped at the tears that had now appeared on my lashes. I had to will them away because I refused to cry in front of him.

  “I need your agreement before I leave.”

  “Agreement to what?” I asked, confused and hurting. A headache was building at the back of my eyes.

  “I need to tell my father that the wedding is going ahead on the weekend. I also need you to confirm with your parents, while I’m here, that we still need the minister on Saturday. It doesn’t matter if the rest has been cancelled.”

  I opened and closed my mouth before I could get any words out. “I can’t marry you, Patrick…I’m in love with Stryker.”

  Patrick got in my space and pulled me up from the bench. “You haven’t been listening. Stryker’s health depends on the weekend. That’s the only choice you get. Stryker’s health. It’s all in your hands.”

  My heartbeat raced as
a wave of dizziness hit me. Patrick slid his arm around my waist, holding me against him as my legs went weak.

  I pushed free and dropped back down to the bench. My fists clenched at my sides and my instinct was to punch him in the face, which I thought he sensed when he covered my fists with his hands.

  “Don’t hit out at me, Evie. You know it’s my father who is pulling the strings. All I’m doing here is passing on his message.”

  “Doing his dirty work you mean.”

  Patrick flinched.

  “Think what you will. It doesn’t change the outcome…only you can do that.”

  There was only one option available and that was to go through with the wedding. But could I change the deal? Could I do it on my terms?

  I inhaled deeply and met Patrick’s gaze. “I’ll marry you on one condition.”

  “My father was specific, Evie,” Patrick replied, sounding tired, as though he’d had enough of everything.

  He certainly wasn’t the only one and I couldn’t help the brief twinge of sympathy I felt for him. But then I remembered how he’d treated me, especially the time he took what he wanted.

  It could have been worse though . . .

  “I’ll go through with the wedding as long as Stryker is given back to his father. A clean slate. Stryker and his father owe your family nothing. From the minute we say ‘I do’, your father and his friends never have any contact with Stryker or his family again. Ever. He’s left alone to have a life.”

  Patrick stared at me with surprise. He should have expected me to counter his deal, but he hadn’t. It wouldn’t surprise me if his father had expected me to, though.

  “Let me make a call.” Patrick stood and moved out of hearing.

  Oliver, the man with Patrick stared at me, and when I caught his eye, he looked through me. He was big. Not as large as Stryker, who was over six feet tall, but his dress shirt showed the muscular definition in his arms and torso. For some reason I didn’t feel threatened, which confused me considering that I now had a better understanding of the business that the Fitzwilliam’s ran.

  “It’s a deal,” Patrick announced but wouldn’t meet my gaze. “Make your call to your parents.”

  Something wasn’t right.

  “What did your father say?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can I trust him?”

  His eyes flicked to mine before he turned to watch across the pond. “You don’t really have much choice.”

  He was right, and I didn’t trust his father. I wasn’t even sure I trusted Patrick.

  With hands that were unsteady, I took my cell from my pocket and called my parents.

  Chapter 20 ~ Stryker

  THE MINUTE THE DOOR to the hotel suite closed, I dropped my bag and just stood and looked out of the floor to ceiling windows that lined the outer wall.

  Married.

  I was hurt and eaten up with jealousy that she was with another man. I wanted my anger to fuel me. Not on this occasion though. I didn’t have it in me because the hurt went too deep. I tried to believe what the guards had told me was pure fiction, but I didn’t think it was. She was going to marry Patrick tomorrow and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.

  Stuck in Chicago with guards at every damn turn, and she was back in New York with him.

  If only I could talk to her. Hear her tell me that everything between us meant nothing. Even as though words ran through my mind, I knew they weren’t true. She’d wanted me just as much as I wanted her, which I never thought would be possible.

  Clenching my fists, I turned to the desk where the phone rang and rang. It stopped and started up again. I wanted to knock the thing off the desk, but on the third round I grabbed the annoying thing.

  “What?” I growled.

  “Stryker? It’s Carter. You alone in there?”

  I blinked in surprise. I knew he was around because I’d seen him downstairs in the gym once Coach had pointed him out, but I was surprised to hear him on the phone.

  “I’m alone right now,” I replied, so damn tired that I wanted it all over with.

  “I’m downstairs and we need to get you out of here and back to New York.”

  “I can’t go anywhere. I can’t risk Evie.”

  “Dammit, Stryker. You’re both as bad as the other. Evie is only going ahead with the wedding because Declan promised her to let you go after the fight. She bargained the marriage for you. She thinks he’s going to let you walk away and go back to your father. But that’s a lie. Declan won’t let you go and the fight tomorrow isn’t officially sanctioned, which means anything goes. They make their own rules. You hear what I’m saying? You know what that means.”

  I’d never fought in an unsanctioned fight, but I’d heard about them. It was one way for Declan to end things with an enemy or someone who’d crossed him. Lots of blood would be spilled.

  “I hear you. What do you want me to do, Carter?”

  “I want to get you out of there, and I need for you to trust me. If not for yourself, then trust me because Evie needs our help.”

  My hand clenched around the phone. “I’ll do anything I can to protect her.”

  “Okay, I’m going to come up for you. Be ready.” The phone went dead. I let it drop back to the desk.

  Be ready. Ready for what?

  Seconds later, I dashed into the bedroom and quickly changed into jeans, and a clean T-shirt. I fastened my sneakers, pulled a sweatshirt on, grabbed my cap and went to wait in the room.

  A knock at the door had me looking through the security hole before I yanked it open to admit Carter.

  “We need to go before one of them gets ahold of Patrick or Declan.” Carter looked up and down the corridor. “Let’s go.”

  I followed behind him and found that I wasn’t surprised when he shoved me into the elevator.

  “I got them to the lobby. Told them Declan was checking in and had sent me up to watch you while they went and helped him. It won’t take long for them to realize it was bullshit.”

  He stopped the elevator on four.

  Again, I followed him. This time we ran up two floors and got in the elevator again.

  Carter grinned, and watched something on his cell. “Look.” He turned it to me and I saw the lobby. “I planted a small camera down there so I could make sure the coast was clear.” He grinned. “It worked.”

  As the doors opened, Carter looked out and then indicated we were still in the clear. “We’re going to walk straight out of here and into the black SUV that’s sitting directly outside.”

  I nodded.

  My heart beat rapidly as I placed one foot in front of the other toward the exit. The doors loomed closer and tempted me to run, which Carter obviously sensed.

  “Hold on. We’re good.”

  I didn’t know where his confidence came from because I was so fucking scared that I’d be caught and taken back to hell.

  Outside, I breathed in the smell of freedom and followed Carter into the SUV. The minute the door closed, we were being driven away from the hotel.

  Yanking my cap off, I wiped the sweat from my forehead and sat back breathing heavily while I watched Carter chat to the guy driving the SUV.

  I presumed he was a friend of Carter’s and that I hadn’t jumped into more hell.

  As we left the city behind us, Carter settled back and watched me. “Whatever you’re thinking, stop. You’re safe now and Evie will be soon. I have something to tell you about me and the private jet we have waiting to get us back to New York.” He turned away and faced the way we travelled. “You, more than anyone, are aware that sometimes things aren’t as they seem, and neither are people. Me included. My real name is Carter Thompson, and I have a story to tell you…

  Evie

  MY MOTHER DROVE ME crazy with her constant chatter about the wedding that was happening tomorrow. My father had looked sad when I’d arrived, and after a tight hug, he’d kissed my forehead and left the house.

  I sensed that he knew somet
hing wasn’t right, but my mom certainly didn’t. At least, her actions said she was clueless.

  She’d wanted me married for a while now because she thought a marriage and then a baby would be good for my father’s political career. Sometimes I wondered what planet she lived on. Although my marriage would make the local news, I’d be surprised if it made national news. I wasn’t all that important. My mother was delusional.

  Millie had travelled with me and had made it known how stupid I was being, and that Declan wouldn’t keep his part of the deal.

  I wanted to believe that he would though. I needed to believe that Stryker would be free to have a life even if it wasn’t with me. I loved him so much that I wanted that for him. It would break my heart knowing he was with someone else, but wasn’t that how he’d feel knowing that I was married to Patrick. It would kill him.

  Tears ran down my face as I huddled on a chair in my mother’s glasshouse. For years, I’d called it the boathouse, and still did, because that’s what it held and it was on the bank of the lake. But, my mother had made the upstairs into a lounge where she’d entertain her lady friends while their husbands went out on the lake fishing in the boat. It was too frilly for my liking really, but the white furniture in here was comfortable.

  I’d used it as a hideaway since I was about fifteen because on rainy days my mother thought it was too far from the house so I knew that she wouldn’t bother me.

  Having a Kleenex shoved in my face, I took it from Millie and watched her sit at the end of the sofa that I currently cuddled up on.

  I sniffled some more until Millie broke the silence. “I’m worried about Carter. He isn’t answering his cell or replying to my messages.”

  Wallowing in my own sorrow, I’d forgotten about my best friend’s feelings for Carter. “I’m a terrible friend.”