by Amy Marie
“Some guy called here last night looking for her.” He shoved a forkful of eggs in his mouth before he continued. “Sounded like a real asshole, so I may have forgotten to get her the message.”
“What did he say?” Ryder gritted out the words, finally giving up on the prospect of filling his twisted gut with food.
“Nothing really. Just asked if she was here, and when I said she wasn’t he said he needed to talk to her. Wasn’t what he said really, more how he said it. Left his name and number and that was it.”
His dad pushed a few more forkfuls past his lips, and despite the nonchalance he was trying to put out, Ryder could tell something was bothering him.
What the hell was he supposed to do with this information exactly? Emma had left without a word or even a backward glance. That wasn’t how you acted when you loved someone, and despite spending the better part of six years trying to get over her, he was right back where he’d always been, in love with a woman that could so easily walk away.
Chapter 14
Emma
Emma boarded the private jet that Roland had waiting for her and tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. Despite the fact that no less than a week ago she was ready to marry the man, she couldn’t figure out how he’d found her at Ryder’s. It was almost funny to her now how superficial their relationship actually was. When they started dating, she avoided telling him about her childhood, her mother, and the small Texas town that she called home. What she never stopped to realize was the fact that Roland never asked her about those things, and not because he was trying not to pry, he just didn’t care.
When she woke up in Ryder’s arms only hours ago, she’d felt happier than she’d ever remembered. Her mind finally clear; she was ready tell him everything. She was going to sign over the land that was rightfully his, and Roland – well, she’d figure out what to do about him later. She didn’t have all the answers yet, but she knew that keeping anything else from Ryder was out of the question.
That was until she got that phone call from Roland. After leaving the bed, she answered the call, ready to tell him that she wouldn’t be paying back her mother’s debts in any way, shape, or form when he dropped his latest bombshell. She was getting used to being blindsided, and the feeling was not a welcome one.
It only took Roland a few words to convince her to board the plane he had waiting on her. He knew where she was, and if she didn’t come back home, she would be the worst, and the last thing that ever happened to Bill and Ryder MacIntosh.
She closed her eyes as the plane took off, picturing the way Ryder looked lying across his bed, the thin sheet doing little to cover the impressiveness that was his body. Holding on to the image of him, she could feel the sensations of his hands on her body. The way he held on to her so tightly, so claiming, made her feel whole. Maybe that wasn’t the way things were supposed to be. The strong woman she’d become over the last few years warred with her, telling her that it shouldn’t take another person to make you feel whole. But she didn’t care. Maybe that’s why they call the person you’re supposed to be with your other half.
When she landed in the city, a car was waiting for her. She stepped inside without question. What was the point? The formally dressed driver wouldn’t tell her anything even if they knew. Instead, she took her place in the back of the black sedan and closed her eyes, trying to find peace in the picture of Ryder that would be etched in her brain for eternity.
Arriving at Roland’s penthouse, she took the elevator up, doing her best to make polite conversation with the doorman as she usually would. That was not an easy feat, her inner voice screaming at her that she was willingly walking into her own execution. It wasn’t that she feared she was walking into her own death, but keenly aware that what lay ahead might be worse. What life would she be left with when everything was said and done? A life without Ryder would be a life without love, but she wasn’t willing to put him and Bill in danger. If she’d learned anything from her mother, it was how to be selfish. She could take what she wanted, damn the consequences, and let those closest to her suffer, or she could accept a life without anyone else. She could be alone, keeping everyone at a distance so the ruin that followed her didn’t affect another person.
After a few calming breaths, she unlocked the penthouse and stepped inside. Just the thought of seeing Roland made her stomach churn, but she had to face him. There was no running, not when Roland knew that the secret to hurting her was going after the McIntoshes.
She didn’t speak when she saw him, and he returned the action, pouring another glass of whiskey as he paced the large kitchen.
What stood before her was a version of Roland she’d never seen before, and considering the many faces of him that were slowly being revealed to her, that was saying a lot. For a man normally so put together, he looked as if he was standing on the precipice of disaster. As if on cue, he ran his hands through his inky hair, creating greater unruliness.
Laughter left his lips so abruptly and unexpected, Emma jumped slightly in her chair.
“You have a nice little trip?”
She didn’t answer, and he didn’t look up. Fear riddled her, and she prayed that whatever he wanted from her gave her some bargaining power. Before she left Texas, she signed the deed to the land back over the Bill and Ryder, leaving it for them to find. It wouldn’t matter if she did everything Roland asked of her, she wouldn’t be walking away from this situation, and she’d be dammed if she was going to take the cowards way out to try to save herself.
“You’ve made real work of fucking up everything I’ve put in place.”
His maniacal laughter continued, but what really scared her was the vacancy in his stare. Dark circles rested beneath eyes that she once saw her future in. How could she have been so blind?
When he slammed his fist against the bar she jumped, but said nothing.
“Everything was going exactly as it was supposed to until you decided to royally fuck all my plans.”
“What do you want from me, Roland?”
“I expect you to have the deed to the land for me in the next few days,”
She nodded, thankful that the paperwork wasn’t filed yet showing that the land had been signed back over to the rightful owner. It would buy her a little bit of time at least. “And?” she prompted, trying to move on to whatever it was that he really wanted.
“Hydromexlizine was in the last stages of clinical trials when you decided to up and quit your job.” There was no humor in his voice despite his laughter. He poured himself another whiskey before downing the amber liquid in one gulp.
Hydromexlizine? She remembered the drug well. Locke Pharmaceuticals had been engineering the drug even before she’d started working there, and by the time clinical trials were ready to begin they’d already began to market it as the cure for cancer. Unfortunately, there were more than a few problems, and she’d refused to test the drug on so much as a rat until they worked through the kinks. That had been the last she’d heard of Hydromexlizine other than rumors that several scientists had either quit or been let go due to “differences of opinion” when it came to the drug. Far more disturbing was a claim made by one scientist that the drug not only wasn’t a cure, but actually caused further mutilation of the DNA abnormality, creating further metastasis. The drug didn’t care cancer; Hydromexlizine worsened it. That was one conversation Emma overheard that she couldn’t forget. The scientist who made the claim disappeared shortly after, and at the time, believing the drug was dead on the table, she never suspected his disappearance was anything nefarious.
Roland slammed a drink down in front of her, causing the amber liquid to splash out. “Drink up.” He motioned with his finger as he downed another of his own.
“How?” She ignored the drink in front of her while waiting for him to answer. The drug was shut down before even making it to clinical trials, something that wasn’t possible without her overseeing the affects the drug had on her animals.
He laughed mockingly
as if waiting for her to catch up, and suddenly, she did. Roland wasn’t the type for stolen kisses in the breakroom, yet he had taken her by surprise a few times at work. Was it possible that he had forged documents to get the approval for Hydromexlizine?
“You didn’t.” Her heart was racing, and bile rose in her throat.
He held his drink out to hers in a silent toast while giving her a predatory smile.
Over the last few weeks, not only had she come to the unyielding conclusion that she’d fallen so far from grace when it came to her chosen profession, she also missed the small detail that her fiancé had been using her to gain the approval of a drug that would kill millions. Worse, all of it was her fault.
“Imagine the legal repercussions you would face.” He shook his head in mock concern. “Your approval on a drug that you never once tested.”
Her mouth fell open at the accusation, and she pulled her shaking hands in her lap, wringing them together. For a drug to go to market, there were more channels of approval it would face, but her signature, however he managed to obtain it, was necessary to take it to the next level of testing. She didn’t doubt for a second that she wasn’t the only one being blackmailed to see the drug hit the market.
“I can make all of this go away.” He tried to reach for her but she shot back, repulsed by even the thought of it.
He let out an exaggerated exhale as if growing tired of their conversation. “Finish off the final approvals for the drug, and we’ll let you walk away.”
We’ll let you walk away. Of course, he wasn’t acting alone in this but who else? “I—” She cleared her throat trying to steady her voice. “I need some time to think this over.”
He stood, rolling his eyes in frustration as if she was a child asking for extra credit after bombing a pop quiz.
“And some assurances that I can walk away after.” There was no chance she would be sign off of the trials, but she needed time to come up with a plan. Maybe if she followed the chain of command, she could figure out who else they were blackmailing to gain the approval.
“Tomorrow,” he said finally. “Now, get the fuck out.”
Not waiting for another ball to drop, she was out of her chair and his penthouse within seconds.
Chapter 15
Emma
Several hours passed before Emma arrived home. After leaving Roland’s, she walked the city, trying to find an answer to the predicament that was her life. She needed to call Ryder, but what would she say exactly? He wasn’t going to let her get away with half-truths and there was no way to skirt around it. If he found out that Roland was threatening her, he would jump into action, ignoring the potential danger it would put him in. She couldn’t do that to him or Bill. Too much damage had already been done to them courtesy of her mother.
Pulling the keys from her purse, she put it in the lock, disturbed to find that it was already unlocked. She held her breath as she opened the door, preparing herself mentally for whatever was on the other side. She always locked her door.
It took only a moment for her to register the voices coming from the other side. Ryder and…Sommer? Confusion furrowed her brows as she stepped inside and into the living room, finding them seated across from each other deep in conversation.
Sommer was the first to look up and her tight features fell with relief. “Emma! Thank God!” She jumped up from the couch and headed to her, pulling her in a tight embrace.
When her friend refused to let go so looked over her shoulder at Ryder, who was now also standing.
“What’s going on?” she asked in confusion as she rubbed a hand across her friends back.
When Sommer pulled away, it was impossible to miss the sheen of tears that filled her green eyes.
“We were so worried about you.” Sommer sniffed while using the sides of her fingertips to wipe away the black smudges of her mascara.
Ryder moved in the second Sommer backed away and pulled her into an embrace. “You shouldn’t have left without talking to me,” he whispered as one large hand smoothed the hair at the back of her head, his grip on her waist tighter than the usual hug would entail.
“How?” Emma started to ask in confusion, trying to figure out how her best friend and Ryder ended up coming together.
“Found him waiting outside your place,” Sommer offered.
She was at a loss of words. She may have not expected Ryder to ignore the fact that she was gone before the sun came up, but it never occurred to her that he’d be at her house by the time she made it home.
“You need to tell us what’s going on, Em.” Sommer took her seat on the couch and folded her hands in her lap expectantly.
Ryder released her and her eyes darted between the two of them. How was she supposed to tell them without putting them in danger?
Setting her bags down next to the couch, she weighed her options. The Spurlocks had more money and power than any one family should. They could easily ruin Emma and everyone she’d ever associated with in the time it took to order a pizza. The truth came with a price, and it was a risk she wasn’t willing to take.
“You guys shouldn’t be here,” she said.
Ryder and Sommer looked at each other in such a way that it made her feel like it was precisely the response they’d expected from her.
Ignoring the silent conversation, she went to the kitchen, grabbing a beer from the refrigerator. She was suddenly exhausted but desperately needed something to take the edge off.
She closed her eyes and swallowed a long pull from the bottle as Ryder and Sommer entered the kitchen behind her. They needed to go. She didn’t have the strength to ignore them and the harder they pushed, the more difficult it would be to keep them out.
Without turning around she pulled two more bottles from the fridge and held them over her shoulder for her guests.
“If you’re not going to talk, then we’ll tell you what we think is going on.” Ryder pulled the cap from his beer before taking a swallow. “Roland is threatening you.”
His statement was so matter-of-fact it took her by surprise. How had they come to that conclusion so quickly?
“Or maybe he has something on you,” Sommer added, “but you’re not the type to do something illegal, or whatever, so that just brings us back to a threat.”
Oh, how wrong her friend was. She may have not knowingly assisted Roland in his plan, but she was still to blame.
“You don’t have to face this alone, Em.” Ryder caressed her cheek with the pad of his thumb, sending a wave of emotion through her.
She turned away, feeling the burning of unshed tears threatening. The raw emotion that was trying to take precedence morphed to rage when she thought of Roland. “You guys need to go.” Her hands went to her hips as she stared each of them down. “You cannot help me, and I need to face this on my own.”
When neither of them budged, she tried to change her tactics. She loved both of them, but right now wasn’t the time to bask in happy la-la-land. The closer they were to her, the greater the danger. She wasn’t about to let either of them become a casualty in the battlefield of her life. “I want to take a shower and sleep. I don’t want you here.”
Ouch. The words stung coming out, and she fought the need to reassure them both. This was the only way to get them to leave.
She fought to keep her eyes trained on them despite the overwhelming need to look anywhere but. For all the years that she’d known Sommer she’d never seen her look so hurt. Her posture slouched slightly, and she looked away, a new sheen of tears replacing the ones she’d shed when Emma first walked through the door.
“I’m going to talk to Roland again in a couple days,” Emma lied. “Once I know more about what’s going on, I’ll talk to you guys and we’ll figure it out from there.”
Grabbing another bottle from the fridge, she went to Sommer and hugged her. “I need to get some sleep.” Her tone was softer now as she spoke the words against her friend’s head. “Go home and call me tomorrow night.”
She turned to Ryder next and hugged him. She held him a little too long, but she didn’t care. This might just be the last time she would feel his body against hers, and she wanted to memorize the way it felt. The safety that encompassed her when she was in his arms was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. She inhaled his masculine scent and pushed down the longing that resided deep in her bones. When the sting of tears returned, she tried to pull away, but he kept her there. His hands sliding up her back to keep her in the embrace.
“Thank you for coming, but there is nothing you can do.” She pulled away from him harder until he let her go.
He wasn’t going to leave. He wasn’t the type to walk away, he was stronger than she ever was.
The sound of the front door opening and closing signaled Sommer’s exit, and another jolt of sorrow filled her. She swallowed back the lump in her throat and said the only thing she could think of that would get Ryder to leave. “We don’t belong to each other anymore. We never did.”
The words were hollow but they hit him all the same, she could tell by the way his body straightened and the pain that showed in his tight features.
“You don’t mean that.” He reached for her, but she stepped back.
“Go.”
The word gutted her, and she turned and walked away, the tears cascading down her cheeks before she made it to her bedroom, closing and locking the door behind her. After a few moments, the front door opened and closed again, and she let herself break.
Chapter 16
Emma
Standing in a towel in her closet, Emma tried to find something to wear. How was she supposed to dress for her meeting with Roland? Her mind immediately went to her favorite Jennifer Lopez movie as she imagined needing to be able to defend herself. Somehow, she didn’t think booby-trapping her apartment was the answer. Roland knew exactly how to destroy a person, and it wouldn’t be a physical act. Her black power suit was likely a better option, but the thought of needing to get away from him in a pair of stilettos was just stupid, so instead she opted for a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and a pair of Nikes, just in case.
