Appeal to You (A Beyond the Cove Novel Book 3)

by Jaclyn Quinn

  Ryder flung himself back on the bed, draping an arm over his eyes as a desperate feeling washed over him. Finally, he pushed himself back on the mattress, forcing his eyes closed and praying for sleep to come or he was going to be worthless at work.

  His eyes popped open again, a thought crossing his mind that now he couldn’t get rid of. Ryder groaned, pushing back out of bed. This time, he only grabbed his jeans and glasses, not even bothering with shoes. He was in his kitchen and then out the door within minutes. “If any assholes come and take this, I’m gonna be pissed.” Quietly, Ryder set the plastic store bag down in front of the laundry room door, leaving some bottles of water and a twenty-dollar bill shoved in a box of granola bars. He assumed Chris would wake early and get out of sight for the day. Please let him come back here tomorrow night.

  Like Ryder knew he would be, he was fucking exhausted the next morning. He’d tossed and turned all damn night, worried about the kid and that he’d made the wrong decision. As soon as the sun rose, Ryder was up, grabbing a pair of shorts and a shirt. When he got down the bottom of the stairs to the laundry room, he saw the bag was gone, and in its place was a note written in colored pencil on drawing paper. All it said was, “Thank you,” but it was the first time Ryder had breathed a sigh of relief in hours.

  Avery stepped into Inkubus around lunch time the next day, thinking maybe Ryder would have some free time and they could look for Chris. He no longer had that worry of looking out of place in the shop. Over the last year, he’d stopped in plenty of times to have lunch with Jake or Eli or just because he was nearby. He’d wondered at first if it was weird, but they had all been going through something traumatic together. That had a way of making everything else—like a man in a suit hanging out in a tattoo shop—seem insignificant.

  He knew Parker often found himself there, too. So, he wasn’t surprised when he looked at the waiting area and saw Parker making himself comfortable; his laptop sat on his thighs and there was food and drink on the coffee table in front of him. Parker glanced up and smiled. “Hey, Avery. Looking for Novak?”

  Okay, so maybe he hadn’t thought this one through. “I, uh…actually, I’m looking for Ryder.”

  Parker’s head tilted, his brow furrowed in amusement. “Huh. Unexpected, but okay.” He chuckled and set the computer down on the table in front of him. “I think he’s almost done. Want me to check?”

  Avery held up a hand and shook his head. “No, that’s okay. I can te—” Shit, you almost said text him. Not that it mattered or was some big secret, but damned if it wouldn’t get the rest of the group talking and speculating about something going on between them. Avery cleared his throat then said, “I can tell he’s busy, so, I’ll just—”

  “Hot damn. Seeing you in that monkey suit never gets old.” Ryder walked out in front of his client, stopping at the glass counter. Ryder’s client snickered, making his way over to Parker. Avery pushed down the feeling he got every time he saw Ryder—because he had no idea how to explain it.

  “Yo, look at this, man. It’s fucking phenomenal,” the big guy, who’d just walked out with Ryder, said to Parker. He reached over his shoulder and pulled his shirt up, revealing the tattoo that spanned his entire back. It was… Damn, that’s amazing. The Spartan soldier stood resilient and fearless; a crimson plume in a crest on top of his helmet suggested he was of high rank. Avery stared in awe at the metal breastplate wondering how Ryder had managed to make it appear to be gleaming in sunlight. The soldier brandished a shield of metal and wood on one side of his imposing body, while the other hand gripped a sword. A long, crimson cloak hung over the man’s shoulders, billowing behind the soldier.

  Avery flicked his gaze to Ryder, who was leaning both forearms on the glass counter while staring at him with a look of pride in his eyes. The man knew his artwork was amazing, and that was so much sexier than Avery ever thought immodesty could be. Ryder wasn’t being arrogant but, instead, exuded a sexy confidence that most definitely caught Avery by surprise. “That’s incredible,” Avery said as he stepped closer to the counter.

  “Thank you.” Ryder stood to his full height, which was a couple of inches shorter than Avery’s six-foot frame. “So, uh…what are you doing here?” All the confidence Ryder had just shown melted away, and he suddenly seemed—is he nervous again?

  “I thought, if you had time, we could look around for Chris. I’d do it on my own, but you know what he looks like better than I do, and he knows you.” Avery watched as Ryder averted his eyes, shaking his head.

  “I wish I could, but I have a client in forty-five minutes. Leaves me just enough time to scarf down a sandwich and get my station ready before they get here.” Worry no longer creased Ryder’s brow, and a sour feeling twisted Avery’s stomach. Had the man moved on already? Last night he was all concern and empathy and today nothing?

  Avery pressed his forefinger and thumb into the inner corners of his eyes and huffed out an I-should-have-known-better sigh. “Why am I not surprised?” he said more to himself than anyone else. He glanced back up at Ryder.

  “What the hell does that mean?” Ryder’s back straightened, his jaw twitching, and even behind those black frames, Avery could see the storm raging in his eyes. It was another emotion Avery had never seen from Ryder before. The man was full of surprises lately…and right now, he was pissed. “I can’t just up and leave. Could you just cancel on someone last minute? This is my job, Avery.”

  “Ryder—”

  “You think I don’t give a shit?” Ryder asked defensively, his voice rising. “I worried about that kid all damn night. And all damn day I can’t stop thinking about where he’s been. If he’s okay. I—”

  Avery took the final steps to Ryder, going behind the glass counter even though he probably shouldn’t be back there. “Hey,” he said, gripping the back of Ryder’s neck as he grabbed his bicep with the other hand, touching the man in a way that sent chills prickling all over his skin. “I’m sorry. You’re right. That was presumptuous and uncalled for.”

  “What’s going on out here?” Jake called out as he walked to the front of the shop.

  Great, Ryder had just managed to cause a scene, and it was Avery’s damn fault. And now Avery was caught red-handed—or, at least, with his hand still on the back of Ryder’s red-hot neck and his other hand gripping his tattoo-covered arm.

  Avery let go of Ryder and took a step back, clearing his throat in a moment of embarrassment. “Sorry. That was my fault.” He glanced at Ryder, getting a small nod from the man. Then Avery looked around, realizing Parker and Jake were both staring at him and Ryder in shock. Okay, so they’d never seen an exchange like that before between them—had never seen Avery with his hands on Ryder. Quite honestly, Avery hadn’t allowed himself to touch the man like that since the very first time they’d met. There was a reason for that, but it wasn’t one he was willing to dissect while their friends stared at them.

  “Yeah, okay,” Jake said, still staring at them skeptically.

  Avery knew his next sentence was going to cause even more of a stir, but still he asked Ryder, “Can you step outside with me a minute?”

  Ryder nodded again, turning to Jake to say, “Be right back,” before heading out the door.

  Avery gave Jake a small, apologetic smile, waving to him and Parker as he followed Ryder out. Luckily, the man had walked a few feet down the sidewalk, out of sight from prying eyes. He had his hands shoved in his pockets and rocked back on the heels of his beat-up white Converse, avoiding all eye contact with Avery.

  “Look, I really am sorry,” Avery said again. “I had no right going into your place of work and doing that.”

  Ryder’s shoulders sagged as he glanced down at the sidewalk. “I shouldn’t have lost it like that.” He breathed in deeply, then added, “You need to know…I only want what’s best for that kid. I want him to be okay, and I don’t know how to guarantee that.”

  “Unfortunately, I’m not sure you can guarantee that. All we can do is try to
find him and get him off the streets. That’s the first step in making sure he’s okay.” Because Avery couldn’t make any promises as to what was going to happen with Chris, either. It killed him that he almost had as much doubt in the foster care system as Ryder—but he had a sickening feeling that Ryder knew firsthand the hell it could be. Not that every home was bad, but he’d heard enough horror stories to last him a lifetime. Avery didn’t have an answer, though, as to how to make any of this better. He suddenly wished he’d gone through the process of being licensed to foster. It was never something he’d ever considered, sadly.

  “I have to get back in there, or I’m not gonna be ready for my next client.” Ryder took a deep breath. “I’m done by seven, if you want to, you know…go look. I have no idea where he would go during the day.”

  During the day? That struck Avery as odd because it was the nights he was most concerned about, but he’d already put his foot in his mouth once today, so he bit his tongue. “Okay, where do you want me?” Shit. You have a way with fucking words today. A smile tugged at Ryder’s lips, and as Ryder opened his mouth to respond, Avery rushed to revise that last question. “I meant, where should I meet you? Here or at your place?”

  Ryder looked off into the distance, his eyes growing dark—but this time, the storm brewing was one of raw desire and need. The man looked back at him, a smug smile on his face as those eyes roamed up and down the length of Avery’s body. How does the man make me feel like he’s touching me without actually touching me? There were those chills again, racing all over his sensitive skin.

  “Ryder,” Avery snapped, pulling the man out of whatever wicked fantasy he’d just conjured up in his mind.

  “What? Oh, sorry. Jeez, that took a while, huh?”

  “What took a while?”

  Ryder’s plump lips curved up in an impish grin. “Thinking of all the places I want you.”

  Avery’s pulse kicked up, his mouth opening and closing like a damn fish as he tried to think of a sarcastic response. All he could do, though, was envision taking Ryder up against the brick wall to his right, the whole of Brighton Pier looking on and Avery not giving a shit as he buried himself in the heat of a very willing Ryder.

  “Hot damn,” Ryder breathed out. “I’ll spare a few minutes if you want to make whatever the hell you were just thinking a reality.” He wiggled his eyebrows, touching the tip of his tongue to his upper, full lip, giving Avery a glance of the silver rod through the pink muscle in his tempting mouth.

  What would that feel like as he—shit, Avery. Don’t go there! Avery arched an eyebrow, patiently waiting for Ryder to give him a serious answer. His silence had absolutely nothing to do with his inability to not say the wrong thing today. Right…

  Ryder raised a challenging brow, clicking the metal in his tongue against his teeth, then playing with the damn thing with his lips, as if to say, Yeah, I know what you were just thinking, and it would feel fucking amazing. Still, Avery waited until finally Ryder said, “Meet me here.”

  Messing with the man had certainly become one of Ryder’s favorite pastimes. He wasn’t blind or stupid. He knew just where Avery’s mind had gone while he stared at Ryder’s pierced tongue. Ryder sure as hell could show him just what his talented tongue could do.

  Abruptly, he snapped back to reality when he thought about what an ass he’d been. Yeah, Avery had been out of line, but the only reason it hit a nerve with Ryder was because he hadn’t been honest in the first place. He’d never been so confused in his life. He knew the kid couldn’t be out there alone for long. He also knew he needed to find out where Chris was going during the day. If he couldn’t make sure Chris was safe, then he had no business helping him hide. You have no business helping him hide period. He wouldn’t let it go on for too long. He couldn’t. Chris needed a stable, safe, loving home. The thought crossed Ryder’s mind for a split second that maybe he could be that person…that safe place for Chris. Then he reminded himself that he could barely even take care of himself.

  “Okay, I’ll be here at seven,” Avery replied.

  Ryder smiled and nodded. “I’ll see you later.”

  They parted ways, and Ryder ignored all nosy eyes on him when he walked back into Inkubus. He barely had any time to get his station ready for the next client, so he quickly avoided eye contact as he went back to his area. He picked up the paper towels and cleaner right before Novak got to his doorway.

  “What the hell was that all about?” Novak gripped the doorframe, giving Ryder a strange look.

  “Nothing. Just a misunderstanding.” Ryder shrugged like it was no big deal, but inside, his heart was racing. He never was any good at lying. Honestly, he hated it just as much as he hated confrontation. But he saw no other way around this particular situation, at least, until he figured things out.

  “Uh huh…” Novak crossed his arms and stepped into Ryder’s workspace. “I’ve never seen you that upset before, man. Something going on with you and Avery?”

  Ryder sighed, knowing he had to get out of this one somehow without letting Novak know what was going on. He didn’t think his friend had heard anything that was said between him and Avery. Novak wasn’t one to beat around the fucking bush. If he’d heard it, he’d admit it.

  So, Ryder settled for partial truth. “My neighbor died last night. Avery drove me home, so he was there when I found out.” Ryder went back to his task but didn’t look Novak in the eye.

  “And you guys got in a fight about that?”

  Ryder released a heavy breath, choosing his words carefully. “Avery said something that hit a nerve, that’s all. We’re all good now.” Shit, that last statement might have been too much. Since when were he and Avery all good? Now his friend was really looking at him like he’d grown a third eye or some shit. “Look, I really have to get this stuff done before Julio gets here.”

  Novak studied him for another second, but Ryder continued to set up until, finally, the guy left him to it. For fuck’s sake. He couldn’t do this for too much longer. Lying made him feel fucking dirty—made him feel like them.

  For the next few hours, Ryder blocked out everything except what he was creating. He lost himself in the designs, in the repetitive movements and constant buzzing of the machine. Art had always been a way to escape. As far back as he could remember, he’d pick up the pencils and paper that his art teacher would sneak him in school and just draw. He could draw for hours which, most likely, helped him transition into being a tattoo artist.

  A sadness tugged at the back of his mind, remembering those times. There was so much he’d wanted to forget as a child; things that were burned into his mind no matter how hard he tried to cut them out. He felt branded, in a way. There would always be this part of himself that he felt wasn’t his own anymore. Instead, people had left their permanent mark. He’d never been one to let it bring him down, though. He only had one life to live, and as soon as he’d been free to live it for himself, that’s exactly what he’d done.

  There were similarities between Ryder and Chris; things like loving to draw and using that as an escape, but also things Ryder couldn’t change for the kid. One thing he could do, though, was try to find a solution to this whole fucked-up mess. Because if there was one thing Ryder knew for sure, it was that Chris was too pure to suffer what Ryder had. Ryder was going to do everything in his power to make sure that Chris never went through that.

  Before he knew it, his mind had drifted, zeroing in on the job he loved. His last client of the day left, leaving Ryder to lock up behind him. Kenz got out after her last client, and Novak and Eli had gone home earlier. They both tried to be home at a reasonable hour for the boys. Some days only one of them could get out early, but Mondays were generally slow.

  His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out, smiling down at the screen. It only took a year to finally see Avery’s name light up his phone.

  Out front. Can you let me in?

  Instead of answering, Ryder walked out of his station and towa
rd the door. Just seeing the man on the other side of it perked him right up. All of him. He had no idea how that feeling hadn’t faded yet.

  He’d asked Avery to meet him here, having no idea if he was more worried about them finding Chris or not finding him. It was twisting him up inside.

  “Hey,” Ryder said, opening the door for Avery. He’d changed into jeans, a black T-shirt, and a pair of black Nikes. Damned if Ryder didn’t love the sight of a dressed-down Avery just as much as he loved those monkey suits. He didn’t think the man knew how to be messy; always with every dark-blond hair perfectly in place, his face either cleanly shaven or with a very light dusting of a beard, and that sparkly-white smile. There you go again with the sparkling-smile shit.

  “Are we the only ones here?” Avery finally asked after a minute of Ryder perusing the man from head to toe.

  Ryder took a step closer. “We sure are. Why? Do you want a tattoo?”

  “Yeah, because that wouldn’t be weird at all.”

  “Why would it be weird? I’ll stick you with my needle any time you want.” Ryder gave a cheeky grin. This was where he felt comfortable with this man. The banter between them was the only thing that made Ryder feel like they were on the same level. He was nowhere near good enough for Avery; it wasn’t something he was in denial about. And he was okay with it; just like he was okay with how everything else in his life was turning out. Anything was better than how his life used to be.

  Avery barked out a laugh. “Those cheesy lines don’t get any better do they?”