Guarded by the Soldier

by Laura Scott

  Marc frowned at her lackluster tone. “We can go to the hotel instead. It’s already been arranged.”

  “No, it’s fine. I’m being silly.” She forced a smile. “Although, I would like Ryker to come with me. At least for a day or two.”

  Marc lifted a brow. “I’ll get him. He’s likely finished with his statement by now.”

  “Thank you.” The thought of having Ryker stay with her filled her with relief. Everyone involved in the case seemed convinced Kevin Blake was dead, but how could they know for sure? Granted, Mike had a point about the fact they would have been working together if they’d both known about the money.

  Marc returned with Duncan, a sheepish expression on his face. “Um, looks like Ryker already left, but Duncan agreed to take you home.”

  Left? Why would Ryker have taken off without telling her?

  Without so much as saying goodbye?

  Her heart seemed to stop in her chest. Obviously, Ryker felt his job of protecting her was over. He hadn’t really cared about her and Aaron, not the way he’d loved his girlfriend and her daughter.

  “Olivia? Are you ready?”

  She drew in a deep breath, trying not to let her despair show on her face. “Um, sure. But will you please call Mike to let him know? He offered to bring Aaron.”

  “Of course.” Duncan took a few steps away, speaking quietly into the phone for a few minutes before turning back to her. “He’ll meet us at your place.”

  She nodded and wearily pushed herself to her feet. She followed Duncan back out to the parking structure where he’d left their SUV. She was surprised it wasn’t being held as evidence, but remembered Ryker saying something about the security video. Maybe that was all they needed.

  She was happy to leave the hospital and to know she’d be seeing Aaron again soon.

  But the hollow feeling in her chest wouldn’t go away.

  Ryker’s leaving had put a gaping hole in her heart and she knew that her life would never be the same without him.

  EIGHTEEN

  Walking away from a woman had never been so difficult. Ryker’s heart felt as if it were being ripped out of his chest. He already missed her.

  But their time together was over.

  She needed to move on, and he knew having him around would only be a horrible reminder of the danger she and Aaron had been in. The violence she’d witnessed. Seeing all that blood had made her shiver.

  She’d get over him, even if he wouldn’t get over her.

  His role in life was to save others, the way he’d always wished someone had stepped up to help his girlfriend and her daughter. Now that his mission was accomplished, it was time to move on.

  Olivia would be fine with Duncan and Tony, but by the time he’d called a rideshare for a pickup, he was already doubting his decision to leave.

  Shouldn’t he at least say goodbye? Let her know that if anything changed for her in the future, she could reach out to him? What if the violence didn’t bother her the way he’d thought it did?

  The rideshare driver pulled up in a fancy black BMW. He was staring through the passenger window at Ryker impatiently. “Well? Are you coming?”

  “No.” He turned and headed back through the parking structure to the hospital entrance. He frowned when he noticed Duncan’s SUV was gone.

  His heart squeezed and he quickened his pace. When he burst into the lobby, he raked his gaze over the area, looking for a familiar face.

  “Marc!” He rushed toward the FBI agent. “Where’s Olivia?”

  “She left with Duncan and Tony.” Marc frowned. “Tony said you left.”

  “I’m back.” He couldn’t believe he’d missed them. “Where are they headed? To another hotel?”

  “No, she’s going home.” At Ryker’s blank look, Marc added, “You know, her house. Where she once lived. Mike is bringing Aaron out to Madison to drop him off there.”

  The home she’d shared with Tim? Every cell in his body rejected that idea. “Why would you let her go there? Did you confirm Kevin Blake is dead the way Harper Moore claimed?”

  “She can’t very well stay in a hotel indefinitely. But to answer your question, we’re still working on validating Blake is dead. But even if by some freak chance he’s not, the mercenary group is done. If Harper Moore survives, he’ll spend the rest of his life in jail.”

  It made sense, but Ryker still didn’t like it. He turned and walked back outside, pulling up the rideshare app on his phone.

  The same driver pulled up, eyeing him warily. This time, Ryker slid into the back seat of the Beamer, reciting Olivia’s address.

  He sat back against the leather seat, trying to think of what he’d say to her when he saw her again. He wanted to support her, without being a constant reminder of the danger she’d been in.

  There was no doubt he wanted to be there when her baby was born. But again, he wasn’t so sure she wanted him. She’d leaned on him at the hospital, but that was when she was anticipating a premature birth.

  Her due date was less than six weeks away. Would they still be talking to each other? Or would they have already drifted apart?

  He had no idea. But at the very least he could provide his contact information, before walking away.

  He’d leave it up to her to make the next move.

  * * *

  Olivia felt ridiculously nervous when Duncan pulled up in front of her small house. Oddly, it looked different.

  Or maybe she was the one who’d changed. In her head she knew the house was just a structure, but she couldn’t help but shiver as she stepped out of the SUV.

  “Wait here with Tony.” Duncan glanced at the house. “I want to do a quick search of the place before you go inside. Just to be sure no rogue mercenaries are hanging around.”

  She nodded, secretly glad to postpone the inevitable for a while longer. The more she thought about it, she knew she’d end up going to a motel once Aaron arrived. Even if Blake was dead, she didn’t feel comfortable here.

  This house represented a chapter of her life that was over and done. Time to move on with the next phase. The sooner she could put the place on the market and unload it, the better.

  Tony Seavers came up beside her and pressed something hard into her side. “You’re going to walk away with me, understand?”

  Huh? She belatedly realized he held the muzzle of a gun against her. “You? You’re involved?”

  “Let’s go.” Tony pressed the gun against her, leaving her little choice but to take a step away from Duncan’s SUV.

  “Did Harper Moore or Kevin Blake put you up to this?” She wanted to keep him talking, hoping Duncan would return before they could get very far. She wasn’t sure where Tony was taking her, not that it mattered much. In her condition, she couldn’t make a run for it.

  “Blake isn’t dead, although we faked his demise to throw Moore off track. Kevin is meeting us soon.” Tony walked her farther from the house, looking up and down the street. Everything made so much more sense now. The way he’d let Seth in to see her, the way he’d hung back, leaving them to go into the parking garage alone to meet up with Harper Moore.

  Now this.

  “It was you and Blake against Seth and Harper Moore, wasn’t it?” The fact that each owner had tried to outdo the other was so obvious now, she couldn’t believe they hadn’t considered the possibility sooner.

  “Think you’re smart, huh? But I have you now.”

  She swallowed hard, wishing Ryker was there with her. But he wasn’t.

  And if Tony Seavers and Kevin Blake had their way, she’d never see Ryker, or Aaron, again.

  Tears pooled in her eyes and she tried to blink them away. She had to be smart. There had to be something she could do to get away.

  She glanced at the nearby houses, trying to remember the names of her neighbors. But she didn’t see
anyone, much less someone she actually recognized.

  A black BMW pulled up beside them. Her heart momentarily stopped in her chest as she frantically searched for a way to escape.

  The driver’s-side window opened only an inch. “Get in.”

  “Will do.” Tony must have been expecting a car sent by Kevin Blake to pick them up. He held her in place as the driver rolled the window back up and edged the vehicle ahead a couple of feet.

  The door behind the driver was opened by someone inside. Tony pushed her in and she stumbled, catching herself by grabbing on to the edge of the door.

  A quick glance inside revealed Ryker’s familiar face. Her heart soared. He’d come for her! With a quick movement, he tugged her toward him.

  “Go!” Ryker shouted to the driver.

  The BMW lurched forward, the rear door swinging shut behind her.

  “Hey!” Tony shouted after them.

  “He has a gun!” She reached for Ryker. “Keep your head down.”

  “Gun?” the driver shouted. “You didn’t say anything about a gun!” The wheel jerked beneath his hands. “What if he shoots at me?”

  “Just keep going,” Ryker barked. Then he turned toward her. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

  “F-fine.” She stared at him. “How did you know?”

  “I didn’t at first, but as soon as I saw the two of you together, I figured it out. And convinced the Uber driver to play along.” Ryker pulled out his phone. “I have to call Duncan.”

  “Tony is waiting for Kevin Blake to arrive. He’s not dead after all.”

  Ryker let out a low whistle. “I’m glad I beat him.”

  “Me, too.” She wanted to ask him why he’d left her in the first place, but he was quickly filling in Duncan on the latest turn of events.

  Next he called Marc and brought him up to speed. “Tony Seavers is working with Blake. I need you to send a team to Olivia’s house ASAP.”

  She couldn’t hear what Marc said in response. Ryker slid his phone into his pocket, then leaned forward to tap the driver on the shoulder. “Take a left here, then another left.”

  “Hey, I’m not going back there,” he protested. “That’s crazy.”

  “Take two left turns, then drop us off.” Ryker had no sooner said the words when the sharp report of gunfire could be heard behind them.

  “Duncan!” She covered her mouth with her hand, feeling sick, praying that Tony, or Kevin Blake, hadn’t shot him.

  “Hurry,” Ryker urged the driver.

  “Where’s your gun?”

  “Tony took it back at the hospital, said he needed it for evidence.” Ryker’s expression was grim. “It’s protocol after a shooting, so I didn’t think much about it.”

  “We can’t go back there without any way to protect ourselves.” Her voice rose with panic. “Tell the driver to take us away.”

  “I can’t leave Duncan alone.” Ryker met her gaze. “I still have a knife.”

  A knife? Against a gun?

  The driver did as Ryker suggested, bringing the car to a screeching halt. Ryker threw a wad of cash at the guy, then helped her out and took her hand.

  “This way.” He gently tugged on her hand, cutting through several backyards in an effort to return to help Duncan. As they approached a line of trees, a man suddenly came barreling out toward them, a gun in his hand.

  Kevin Blake! The moment she recognized him, Ryker let go of her hand and rushed toward him. Blake lifted his weapon, but didn’t get a shot off before Ryker tackled him to the ground.

  “Help! Someone help!” She yelled at the top of her lungs, hoping and praying someone would come to help Ryker. She held her breath as the two men struggled for the gun.

  Ryker was younger and in better shape, but he’d also been going on very little sleep. She couldn’t predict the outcome, but she could help him. Quickly she surveyed the area for a potential weapon—a downed branch, a discarded garden tool. Anything.

  As she sent up a silent prayer, she saw Marc Callahan tear through the tree line, just as Ryker managed to get the upper hand on Kevin Blake.

  Then it was over. Marc cuffed Blake’s wrists as Ryker rose to his feet, immediately searching for her.

  “Ryker.” Her breath caught in a sob as she ran over to hug him. He caught her close, pressing his mouth to her temple.

  “Shh, it’s okay. It’s all over. You and Aaron are safe now.”

  “Duncan has Tony Seavers,” Marc said with satisfaction. “Looks as if each owner found his own accomplice in an effort to outdo the other. Come on, Blake. Time for you to go for a little ride.” Marc dragged him back toward her house, where his vehicle was parked at a sharp angle, no doubt abandoned in a hurry.

  She leaned heavily against Ryker, trying to absorb the fact that this nightmare was truly over.

  “You aren’t in labor again, are you?” Ryker asked.

  She shook her head, unable to bring herself to let him go. He didn’t seem to mind, cradling her close and rubbing a hand down her back.

  “Why did you leave me?” She lifted her head to search his gaze.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left until we had evidence that Kevin Blake was actually dead.” Ryker’s expression was full of remorse. “I had no idea Tony Seavers was on the take, but looking back, it makes sense.”

  “I don’t care about Kevin Blake or Tony Seavers, Harper Moore or Seth Willis.” She wanted to shake some sense into him. “I care about you, Ryker. I was so hurt when you left without saying goodbye.”

  “I’m sorry,” he repeated. “I should have let you know.”

  That wasn’t what she wanted to hear. “Why, Ryker? Why did you leave me? Is it because I’m just another case to you? You wanted to save me and Aaron the way you couldn’t save your girlfriend and her daughter? Is that all this was to you? A job?”

  “No.” Ryker leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. “You and Aaron mean so much more to me than that.”

  “Then why?” She still didn’t understand.

  He sighed. “I was afraid that being with you would be a reminder of all the bad things that have happened over the past several days. I felt you shiver when you mentioned all the blood around Harper Moore. I thought you might want to move forward with a clean slate.”

  What she wanted was to move forward with him. But she wasn’t reassured by his words. “First of all, you’re wrong about what I want. What I need. And secondly, what do you want?”

  “You.” He said the word simply. “I want you, and Aaron and the baby.” He placed his palm on her belly. “But I also know that your feelings for me are confused with gratitude.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” She scoffed at the idea, then realized she didn’t know anything about Ryker’s family or even where he lived.

  Did it matter? She gazed into his eyes, remembering how she’d looked into his hazel eyes the night they met, when she’d wanted to make sure he wasn’t like her late husband and brother. All she saw, then and now, was sweetness and compassion.

  “Listen, I know things have been crazy since we met, but you need time to rest and relax.” Ryker tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Take a break, Olivia. Spend time with your son. If you want to see me, all you have to do is to ask.”

  “I want to see you.” The words popped out of her mouth before she could think. “I know I’m pregnant and not exactly in a position to say this, but I love you, Ryker. I fell in love with you the day you put your hand on my stomach and reveled in the movement of my baby. The way you’ve been so kind and caring to me and Aaron—well, I’ve never experienced that sort of tenderness before.”

  His expression was filled with doubt. “Any man would have done the same. Like Duncan. If he’d come to rescue you instead of me, you’d be with him.”

  She shook her head, irritated he
’d mentioned that twice now. “No, Ryker, I wouldn’t. I like Duncan and the Callahans I’ve met so far, but there’s only you. I love you. And if you don’t feel the same way, I understand. But don’t confuse what I’m feeling with gratitude.”

  He looked down at her, but remained quiet. She had no idea what he was thinking, what he was feeling. Despair began to build inside her, till finally she saw a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. “Okay, I won’t.” He swept her close and kissed her, showing her without words how he felt.

  Maybe it was too early for him to say the words. That was fine with her. She loved him enough to wait.

  “Hey! You’re trespassing on my property!” A cranky man shook his fist at them from the doorway of his house.

  Ryker broke off the kiss and grinned at the guy. “Sorry, sir. We’re leaving.”

  The man glared at them as Ryker took her hand and led her through the gap in the trees to the backyard of her house.

  “Ryker?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Do you have a family?”

  He hesitated, and her stomach clenched. “No, I was raised in foster care, until the army became my family. Now I have friends, who are like my family.”

  Her heart ached for him. “You deserve so much more.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. I’ve done okay. My friends are awesome.”

  He was awesome. And he didn’t seem to realize it. “You are an amazing man, Ryker. I love you.”

  He stopped and turned toward her, capturing both of her hands in his. “I love you, too, Olivia. So much it scares me. I know meeting you was part of God’s plan for me and I hope you feel the same way.”

  “Oh, Ryker.” She was touched by his reaffirmation of his faith. “I do. God sent me a wonderful man to protect me, and to care about me. I feel so blessed to have met you.”

  “Ditto.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t want to rush you, but I’d like to keep seeing you. And Aaron. I want to be there with you every day, until your baby is born, and every day afterward.”