Sheltered

by Alexa Riley

  “She doesn’t care.” This time there’s no power to his words. He looks down at the floor and I can see his shoulders sag. He doesn’t even believe his own words.

  “I know that if you turned yourself in, she wouldn’t lose you,” I push, trying to make him see another choice. As much as I don’t care for Fritz in this moment, I don’t want this pain for his mom and dad. They are good people, and it’s clear Fritz isn't well in the head and is having a complete breakdown. “The police can offer you protection. All you have to do is put the gun down.”

  He picks his head up as if remembering the gun. Shit, why did I remind him he had it?

  “It figures Ryker would go after you. He actually thought I cared about you. Can you imagine?” He laughs, but it’s cold. “I bet you reminded him of our mother. It’s the reason I picked you to begin with. But I think he may have fallen for you instead. Am I right?”

  He looks me up and down, as if appraising me for the first time.

  “I can see the appeal. But I’m a man with refined tastes.” His words sound ludicrous considering his disheveled appearance. He’s nearly looks feral. “I’ve tried for years to find a weakness in my brother’s armor. The only thing he ever cared about was his goddamn horses. Until you came along.”

  It’s then I think about Diamond getting caught in the fence. Of course, it was Fritz.

  “I wonder if you’ll make the same sound as that pretty white horse of yours,” he says as he raises the gun.

  “Fritz, please don’t do this,” I beg, holding my hands up. I wish I’d told Ryker I love him. That he’s was the best thing that ever happened to me.

  I close my eyes tight, unable to look at the gun pointed right at me. Fear takes hold, and I scream as the gun goes off.

  Chapter 26

  Ryker

  I park in front of the gallery and see the sign on the door that tells me it’s closed. The receptionist isn’t there, so I get close as John comes up beside me to block what I’m doing.

  I take my knife out of my back pocket and jam it into the lock, popping it open. I could go around the back through the warehouse, but I don’t want to spook Fritz. If he’s got Blair back there, I don’t know what he’s capable of, but I don’t want to put her in further danger. I need to take him by surprise.

  Just when the door pops open, I hear what sounds like a gunshot go off. Terror like I’ve never felt washes over me, and it’s all I can do not to run through the gallery and burst into the warehouse.

  John called the investigation team on the way here and told them what happened. I’ve been working with the FBI for a while trying to get evidence against my brother. I never wanted it to come to this, but when I found out he got Blair involved and she was the one who was going to go down for it, then I knew it was time to step in.

  I never even knew who she was the first time I saw her. What I told her was the truth. I saw her on that bench and my whole world turned upside down. Then I found out that she was the one Fritz was using for his whole operation and that’s when I truly turned against him. I’d gone that day to check on Fritz because I hadn’t wanted to believe all the feds had told me. I wanted to have a look for myself. If he was willing to put someone else’s life on the line to save his own ass, then he didn’t deserve protection any longer. Blair would always come before anyone in my life.

  They told me to stand down as they were on the way, but I don’t know how much more time Blair has. All I can do is pray that she’s still alive as we move down the hallway to the back of the building.

  When we get to the door, I hear Blair’s voice in the distance, and I breathe a sigh of relief. John is on the phone whispering that there were shots fired and for them to be ready. He looks at me and nods, letting me know they’re getting into position.

  The door to the warehouse is unlocked and I pull it open just an inch. From where I’m standing I can see Blair on a crate, her body pulled into a ball with her hands in front of her in defense. She’s got blood on her face, and every part of my body is screaming to after her. But I can’t see Fritz. There’s a stack of crates to the right and I don’t know where he is.

  As silently as possible, I open the door and slip inside. I feel John close behind me as we move around the room. I look over at him and he goes to the left and I go to the right. I get down low and creep around the stack of crates until I spot Fritz. He’s right in front of Blair, and I watch as he raises his gun. She closes her eyes, and I know I might be too late.

  Anger and adrenaline pump through my veins as I see her cowering in fear. My brother stands over her, ready to end her life, and I unleash all the rage I have inside me. I lunge for him and I knock the gun up and out of his hand. He still manages to fire it, but the bullet hits the ceiling as we come crashing to the ground. I wrestle with him for a second before I’ve got him under me. I’ve always been bigger than him, but now I’m fueled with the need to hurt him for daring to touch what belongs to me.

  With one hand I hold his chest down and with the other I ball up a fist and punch him across the face. Blood spills from his nose, but I punch him again, needing him to feel the pain he caused me.

  “How could you?” I say as I grab his shirt with both hands and shake him. “How could you do this?”

  “You took everything I had. I wanted to destroy everything you cared about,” he spits at me, and there is nothing left to be said.

  Whatever there was between us as brothers is now gone forever. I know my parents will love him no matter what, but they’ve been the ones to cut him off and keep their distance. He created a toxic relationship and they had to do what was right to protect themselves. In this moment, I can see that they were right. I was the one who pushed for them to let him back into the family and make it work. But I don’t think I truly saw what he was capable of until now.

  I feel arms pull me off of him. There’s a team of people in FBI jackets swarming in to get him off the ground and put him in cuffs.

  I glance around looking for Blair, but I don’t have to because she leaps into my arms. The feeling of her warmth against me is a relief like I’ve never felt, not even when I pulled her from the river.

  “I love you,” she says, wrapping her arms and legs around my body. “I love you so much, Ryker.”

  “I love you, too, Cricket,” I say, burying my face in her neck. “I’m so sorry. I never meant for this to hurt you. I tried to tell you—”

  “Shh,” she says, cutting me off. “Later.”

  I glance over to see Blair’s old boss being taken out on a stretcher and put into an ambulance. There are dozens of people in here and I know we’re going to have to talk to the police before they let us leave. I don’t care as long as I can hold on to Blair while we do it. Right now I just need her in my arms.

  “Are you okay?” I ask, pulling back a little to look at the cut on her forehead. It might need stitches.

  “I’m fine,” she says, looking at me like she hasn’t seen me in years. Tears stream down her face, and I know they’re a mix of relief and fear. “Are they taking him to jail?”

  I look over at where Fritz is being put in the back of a car. The case against him is huge, and now with attempted murder, he’ll probably be in for life. He tried to defraud the government, which is a federal crime, but he’ll probably be safer there. After all the black-market criminals he owes money to, he’ll need a place to lay low. They’ll probably go after Lilith for some of the charges, but he’s the one who will face most of it.

  I nod and hold her close as John comes over to where we are.

  “Johnny!” Blair says, turning in my arms. “How’s my Diamond?”

  He tells her what happened while the emergency responder comes over and checks out her head. She needs a few stitches, and they tell her they should dissolve in a few days. Overall, I’m thankful she’s alive, so I try not to panic over a couple of stitches. When we’re finished we give the FBI a short account before they let us go, telling us they’ll be in tou
ch.

  “So, Roxy called you and told you where to find me?” Blair asks, a little stunned.

  I help her into the car and buckle her up as I nod. “Yeah, I had him watching you. Then I told him to watch out for Fritz. I knew he’d try to find you, and your old apartment was the first place he’d check.”

  “I’m just surprised,” she says and shrugs her shoulder. After I gave Roxy a small beating that first time, we’d come to an agreement. “I guess he wasn’t so bad after all.” I pull back and look at her as jealousy streaks through me. “Calm down, cowboy. I love you,” she says, placing a kiss on my lips.

  It’s amazing what those three little words can do to soothe my soul.

  “I love you, too,” I say. “Now let’s get you home.”

  Chapter 27

  Blair

  One week later…

  Ryker kisses the spot on my head where I took the blow from Fritz. He does this at least twenty times a day. I’m not sure if he’s trying to comfort himself or me. Oddly, I’ve had the easiest recovery from all of this. Where Ryker doesn't want to hear Fritz’s name, I’m a little thankful to him. He brought me to Ryker.

  I look up at Ryker, who is standing next to my chair in the kitchen. His bright green eyes are on the spot that still shows a small bruise. I know he’s deep in thought about what could have happened. I still catch a haunted look in his eyes from time to time, and I know he’s slipped back into remembering that day.

  I reach out and grab his hand, locking my fingers with his. “Ryker.” I say his name softly, breaking the thoughts he was lost in. He falls to his knees next to the chair I’m sitting in. It’s then I notice this is the same chair I was sitting in when Ryker told me he wasn’t letting me go. “You know the last time I sat here you said you were keeping me,” I tease, trying to lighten the mood. It works, because he smirks at me.

  “Nothing’s changed.” My breath hitches when his thick southern accent coats his words. It always does when he gets a little emotional. It makes me heart flutter each time. “Still not letting you go.”

  My eyes drop to the hand I slid into his as I watch him push a ring onto my finger. My eyes start to water, and Ryker pulls me into his lap. “I told you I don’t like tears in your eyes, even if they are happy ones.”

  I throw my arms around him, kissing him all over his face. He goes tumbling back onto the floor, but I keep kissing him until my mouth lands on his and we are kissing deeply. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Ryker rolls us so I’m under him.

  “You didn't ask me anything,” I sass back.

  “Hmm,” is all he says before he kisses me again, and we both know he isn’t going to ask. I start to pull at his shirt, wanting us both naked and making love. I forget that we’re on the kitchen floor. Ryker seems to forget, too, because he pulls at my shirt as well. One would think after this morning we’d be worn out from making love, but we haven’t been able to stop since the doctor gave me the all-clear.

  “Meow.” The sound next to us breaks us from the moment. We look over at Bear, who wants to know where his breakfast is. I giggle, and Ryker shakes his head before pulling us to our feet.

  “Mom and Dad will be here in a little.” He gives my ass a squeeze before letting me go. He groans as he adjusts his cock in his.

  “Eat. I’ll feed Bear.” He kisses the top of my head and points to my plate. I roll my eyes. He’s been big on this eating thing lately. “Don’t roll your eyes. You could be eating for two.” My forkful of eggs stops halfway to my mouth. Ryker says it so casually as he fills Bears bowl. My eyes go to my stomach, and I gently pat it. How had I not thought about that? I’ve been lost in my Ryker haze for the past week, I guess.

  “Don’t overthink this, Cricket.” I look back up at him. He leans up against the counter and takes a sip of his coffee.

  “I’m not. I’m just happy,” I admit. I normally plan for everything, and a month ago this would have sent me into a mini panic attack, but not anymore. How different life is when you have someone else to lean on. Someone you know would never let you fall and would do anything to make sure that you never did.

  Ryker makes me feel like I can be the me I’ve always wanted to be. I was afraid to be true to myself because I was hung up on being someone else’s ideal. I no longer wanted to be the girl from the trailer park, and I was too worried about things that I shouldn’t have cared about. With Ryker I can just live and enjoy each moment as they come. It doesn’t matter where I come from.

  “Your mom will be excited.” I hold up my ring finger, finally taking a look at the ring. I glance at the necklace around my neck and notice they match. “How long have you had this ring?” I ask, letting the diamond shine in the light. No one will miss that I’m engaged with this thing on my finger.

  “Our mom,” Ryker corrects, coming back over to stand next to me. He brings a bite of food up to my mouth, and I take it. He doesn’t answer my question, but if I know my obsessed fiancé, he’s had it for a while.

  “I like the sound of that,” I admit. I love both of Ryker’s parents. They have been so good to me. I still feel sorry for them for everything that happened. They pretty much lost one of their sons. I know he’ll be going to jail, but I think he needs more help than that.

  Ryker told me a few nights ago when we were lying in bed that Fritz always had a chip on his shoulder with him. Ryker only wanted to be a big brother to him, but Fritz was never interested. Everything was always a competition for Fritz. He held on to so much anger, and still Ryker doesn’t understand it. Sometimes people are just who they are. That’s something I’m coming to understand with my mama. There is no changing them; you can only let them be. Besides, no one can truly understand crazy.

  I was still a little surprised when my mama reached out to me after what happened hit the news. I know we might never be close, but it meant something to me. She might not have taken the best care of me as a little girl, but because of her and Fritz, I was led to what I wanted more than anything. I’m here with Ryker, the man I’m going to spend the rest of my life with.

  Ryker reaches down for his phone and looks at the screen. “They’re here.” I know the guards just messaged to let him know his parents are on their way up the long driveway to the house. Since everything happened, Ryker has hired a security team. I thought it was a little much, but if it puts him at ease I’m happy with that.

  I head towards the front door with Ryker and we watch as his parents pull up. Kathleen almost comes flying out of the car.

  “Woman, you wait until I stop the car or I’ll spank your ass,” Jackie says in a growl, shaking his head.

  Katherine ignores him. “Did she say yes?” She’s smiling from ear to ear and it’s the happiest I’ve ever seen her. It warms me, because I know she’s been in tears most of the week. She told me cutting Fritz off years ago was one of the hardest things she’d ever done, but she didn't have much of a choice. He had become so toxic to the family. She’d hoped he’d grow up if he had to make his own way.

  I hold up my hand, showing her my ring. She screams happily and engulfs me in a giant hug. “Don’t let him steal you off to the courthouse,” she says as she pulls back and shoots Ryker a hard look. He goes to open his mouth, probably to say that is what we are doing, but I cut him off.

  “I think we can plan something small pretty quick.” Ryker closes his mouth. I’m sure he wants to say something else, but I shoot him a look of my own. Kathleen is excited about this, and if spending the next few weeks planning a quickie wedding keeps her mind off of other things, then that what we are going to do.

  “All right.” Ryker sighs. “Go get your book, Mom. I know you want to.” Kathleen winks at me as she runs back to the car, and Jackie pulls me into a hug.

  “Welcome to the family,” he says in my ear before kissing me on the cheek. “Thank you. You not only made my wife and me happy, but you’ve brought Ryker back to life. Haven’t seen him this laidback in years.”

  My eyes brim with tears o
nce again. I finally feel like part of a family for once in my life. Kathleen comes rushing back with a big scrapbook-looking thing in her hand with Ryker and Blair's Wedding emblazoned on the cover. “It looks like you’ve been working on it for a while.”

  “Since Ryker told me about you.” She smiles. I can’t help but laugh. “Come, there is so much to be done and we know Ryker isn’t going to give us much time.” She pulls me into the house and back into the kitchen area, where Jackie makes her a cup of coffee and Ryker gets me a tea. She opens the book and starts showing me everything.

  Ryker sets the tea down in front of me and a moment later picks me up and places me back on his lap. I blush a little, but Kathleen carries on talking a mile a minute, showing me a ton of different ideas.

  I let myself melt into Ryker as he wraps his arm around me and listens to his mom go on as well. Jackie rests his arm on the back of his wife’s chair, smiling softly at her. Ryker kisses me below my ear, whispering that he loves me, and I know that Ryker will give me the happily ever after every girl dreams about.

  Epilogue

  Blair

  Two years later…

  I roll over onto my back and stretch my arms and legs. I must have fallen asleep for a second, and I squint in the sunshine as I look around.

  Ryker and our daughter Chloe are walking hand in hand across the orchard over to where I’m at. We came out here earlier for a picnic and I must have dozed off after we ate. I reach a hand down and rub my growing belly, thinking how this baby is sucking all my energy lately.

  “Looks like Mommy is awake,” Ryker says as he sits down on the blanket beside me. He kisses me on the lips first then kisses my belly. “You tired?”