“Skye, you okay?” I turn to see Sam walking toward us, his eyes on Winter and so full of love. Seeing his eyes, I realize the look Sam has right now is the look that Ryder has in his eyes when he looks at me, I turn and see Ryder staring at me and the very same look on his eyes. “Skye? Hello, earth to Skye?”
“He loves me,” I whisper, and I’m in shock, how did I not know he was in love with me.
“Damn, about time! Skye that man has been in love with you for as long as I can remember. He was just in denial it’s about time he grew a set of balls.” Sam tells me as he pulls me into a hug, “I know you love him, and you’ve always loved him. Forgive him for being an asshole.” He whispers into my ear “If he hurts you again, I’ll kill him,” I look up at him, “Well I’ll try, and he’s a big fucker.”
I laugh as I pull away from him, “He is and your right, I should forgive him. I want to, but I haven’t actually said anything to him.”
“He knows you’re talking to him, so he knows that you’ve forgiven him. It almost broke him when you wouldn’t even look at him let alone talk to him, but he deserved it.” Sam is like the big brother that I never had; well he and Oscar kind of took Soph and me under their wing when we were in the same Unit.
“Let’s get something to eat and make a plan of action for tonight.” Ryder picks up the room service menu and starts going over it.
“You’re always hungry, you’re like a bottomless pit,” I tell him but snatch the menu out of his hands. I feel lighter knowing that Ryder and I are going to be okay, well hopefully, as long as we communicate.
“We never got dinner, and we were meant to get some when we got back to the hotel, but I had to call Henry.” He grabs me by my waist and pulls me into him; this is so unlike him, he is never affectionate to anyone in public.
“Are you okay?” I whisper to him, “You’re going to give everyone the impression we’re together.” As much as I love the affectionate Ryder, it's not something I’m used to.
“Skye, we are together, we’ve been together since I got here you’ve just never realized it.” He’s a presumptuous ass.
“If you say so. What’s going to happen tonight?” I have a tightening in my stomach, almost like butterflies and I only get them when something’s going to happen, something bad.
He pulls me around, so we’re face to face. “We’re going to find your sister but baby, you can’t come.” His voice has a do not argue with me tone to it.
“Oh, shit here comes the fireworks,” Sam says, and I hear the others chuckling.
“I can’t come? Really?” I’m so mad right now.
“Yeah baby, you can’t come.” He knows how mad I am and he’s gearing himself up for an argument. “Skye, you’re pregnant. If we do find these guys, they’re going to fight their way out of being caught.”
“It’s my sister Ry, mine. I didn’t ask any of you to come, and I’m so grateful that you’re all here, but I won’t be sidelined.”
“Fuck! I knew you’d do this. What part of your pregnant do you not understand?” Ryder shouts and scrubs his hand over his head.
“I know I’m pregnant you moron! What’s that got to do with anything?” I’m being a bitch but, I need to know what’s going on. I have to find my sister.
“They’ve already killed Gloria. I can’t lose you or our baby! I swear to God I’ll tie your ass to the fucking bed. You’re not coming!”
“Try it, I dare you.” I throw my hands on my hips and stare him down.
He pulls me close to him again and whispers “Please Skye, I’m begging you, stay here while we go to the warehouse.”
“What am I meant to do?” I raise my eyebrow at him, he better not think just because I’m going to have a baby it means I’m staying at home!
“You can go to the strip club.” The way he says it is so patronizing, he's lucky I don't punch him.
“Fine so I'm staying here with Winter, is she allowed to come to the strip club?” I have an idea, and I need to make sure that it's ok for Winter to come before I can put my idea in place. I'm not stupid I don't want anything to happen to my baby, but at the same time, I can't sit here and wait not knowing what's happening.
“Yeah Winter can go to the strip club.” The way Sam says it is sarcastic, but I don't care as soon as they leave here we're going to the strip club. Nothing will happen to either of us, we will kill anyone who tries to harm us.
“You have all the fun, go to the warehouse, and we’ll wait here like good women are supposed to. Is Maisey staying too?” I'm being a bitch, but oh well, I see something move in Maisey’s eyes, and I think she knows what I'm planning.
“I’ll stay, the boys don't need me there’s plenty of you to clear the warehouse. I'll stay here with the girls. You never know what might happen.” Maisey says with a smile on her face. “So where are the guns?” She asks Sam with attitude, and I wonder what the hell that is about.
“They’re on the way. They’ll be here in an hour.” Sam narrows his eyes at her.
“Hmm, my contact would have had them here waiting for us before we even landed.” Ahh, they’ve been arguing over who gets the guns, no wonder she’s pissed knowing Sam he completely dismissed her and didn’t listen to her. He wants things done his way and that way there’ll be no surprises.
“How many guns are coming?” Ryder asks as he retakes the menu, “What are we all eating?” He raises his eyebrow at me daring me to be defiant but I’m hungry, so I bite my tongue and sit on the sofa.
“Not in here that’s for damn sure.” Oscar sounds distracted, and I look over at him and see he’s texting away with a deep furrow between his brows.
“I saw the restaurant downstairs, it looks nice,” Winter says looking hopeful.
I walk toward the bed and pick up my purse from the floor, “Sounds good, I’m starving. Ryder’s rubbing off on me.”
“I bet that’s not all he’s doing.” I hear, and I wonder who the hell said it.
“Watch your damn mouth, Travers! Don’t speak to my wife like that!” Ryder’s hostile towards him and now I understand why, but I do think that it was a long time ago and with Will working with us that he should ease up on him.
“Let’s go before Ryder kills Will.” Sam laughs as he shakes his head at Will,
Everyone starts to leave but Oscar is still on his cell looking worried, so I walk over to him “Hey is everything okay?”
“Yeah, just Emma. It’s Connor’s birthday next week, and it’s killing her, and I don’t know if I’m going to be home to help her through this.” He looks devastated, and I can’t imagine what he’s going through.
“Go, go home and be with your family.” He starts shaking his head, “you have more family than us. I have so many people here who are going to help me find Addi, Hailey has people helping her heal and find that asshole Eric. Emma needs someone, and the only person she needs is you. So, get the next flight home and go be with her and that amazing daughter of hers.”
“Skye, you are truly one in a fucking million. You never want anything do you?” He’s being weird, and I don’t like it. “I mean you’re selfless, you always help everyone but don’t expect help in return.”
“Shut up and just buy your damn plane ticket.” I start to walk away, but he stops me by pulling on my hand and into a hug. “Get off.” I don’t push him away as he’s my brother and he needs this so instead I wrap my arms around him and squeeze letting him know that I’m here for him and that I’m grateful he’s here for me too.
“Want to get your damn hands of my wife?” There’s a slight warning to Ryder’s tone, but it’s mainly full of humor.
“That’s the second time he’s called you his wife in less than ten minutes, and you haven’t killed him yet. So, you’ve come around to the idea?” Oscar whispers to me, and I pull away to look at him. “You’re staying married to him?” He doesn’t sound shocked, in fact, he sounds pleased with himself.
“
Yeah, I’ve got used to it. We’ve things to discuss, but we’re seeing where this leads. I kn…”
Ryder interrupts me “It leads to you starting to use my name. Come on before Sam has a fit about standing in the hall for too long.”
I roll my eyes at him and follow Oscar out of my room, leaving Ryder standing where he is, “Finally!” Sam says as he sees us, “I’m wasting away here.”
“Where the hell do they put it?” Maisey says as she stares at Ryder and Sam in disgust. “I’ll eat one donut, and I’ll have to be on a strict diet for a month.”
“Ugh, tell me about it, but I eat what I want whenever I want I just make sure I work hard the next day,” Winter says, and it’s as though she has a new lease of life, she’s happy and healthy.
Sam’s cell starts ringing, and his face splits into a big ass smile, “The guns are here.”
“Do I get one too?” Winter asks shocking the hell out of all of us. She looks around at all of our stunned faces and laughs, “Sammy taught me how to use one. He told me he never wanted me to be that vulnerable again.”
“Damn, you’re going to have to watch out for her now Sam, you piss her off she’ll shoot you.” We all laugh at Oscar except for Sam.
Sam gives Oscar his death glare. “Are we having dinner or what? I’ll meet you in the restaurant.” Giving Winter a kiss before he takes the stairs to meet his contact. He’ll be back before we even order our food.
Chapter Seventeen
Ryder
“Try not to get into trouble,” I tell Skye as we leave the hotel, she looks pissed that she’s not able to come with us, but she also has a look in her eye that tells me she’s going to be defiant.
“I’ll do my very best.” She salutes me before walking back into the hotel where Maisey is waiting for her. I have a gut feeling that she’s going to get herself into trouble and I just hope that whatever she does that she doesn’t end up getting hurt.
“Who’s driving?” Will asks as we walk to the hotels parking lot.
“I am I don’t trust any of you to drive on the left-hand side of the road.” I agree with Oscar, I don’t trust any of them to drive, and I know first-hand how Sam drives.
“Shotgun.” Will shouts as he starts fucking power walking to the damn car, that’s not going to happen? I’m the tallest, and I’m not sitting in the back, it’s not going to happen.
“So, what are the girls up to?” Sam’s voice pulls me away from the thoughts of homicide. I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks that they are up to something and I look at Sam and see the worry in his eyes.
“Skye won’t let anything happen to Winter, you should know that!” I’m pissed that he would even think that. Skye didn’t even know Winter that well but had her back when she found out she’d been raped. She wouldn’t let anyone harm her.
“It’s not Winter I’m worried about.” I give him a look that calls bullshit, “Yeah okay, I’m worried about Winter, but I’m mainly worried about Skye. Dude, she’s pregnant, and she shouldn’t be having this much fucking stress. Where the hell are her parents?”
“Fuck, her mom is a bitch to Skye. Her dad needs to grow some balls; he lets that woman walk all over him. What the hell happened?” Oscar asks, and I know how much of a bitch her mom is, she told me about the call to her dad and what her mom said to her. “So, what happened?” He asks again as we get to the car.
Thankfully I don’t have to kill Will, he’s already sitting in the back of the car with Patrick, “She slept with a married man when she was seventeen, and he was her boss. When the affair came out Skye’s mom was ashamed, and her parents kicked her out.” As soon as I get into the car I start to clean the gun that Sam’s contact got us, I don’t know where these guns have been and how they’ve been used. Cleaning them lets me get used to it and the way it works, also cleaning any mess that has been made by someone who doesn’t know how to use a gun properly.
“That’s bullshit, what the hell?” Patrick says, and I know that he really likes Skye although most people do. Skye’s laid back most of the time, and she’ll be there if you need help.
“Yeah, I know. Her mom is a social freak. Everything is about image and having your daughter screw a married man sent her into a panic. She blames Skye for her loss of social standings. I say she lost them because she’s a bitch.” I hate her mom, there’s no way in hell she’ll be allowed anywhere near my child.
“Damn, what a cold-hearted bitch. No wonder Skye doesn’t talk about her family, what about her dad? Is he an asshole?” Sam sounds as mad as I feel right now, the bitch tries to upset Skye when we get home I’ll take fucking pleasure in kicking her out of Skye’s house.
“The dad’s more of a pushover than anything. If he grew a set of balls, he might set the bitch right. I can’t stop wondering where the hell Skye came from? I mean she’s completely different than her parents.” Oscar states the damn obvious, Skye’s nothing like her parents thankfully.
“Where’s this warehouse and are we expecting trouble?” Will says sounding uncomfortable.
“We’re going to prepare for the unexpected as we always do,” I tell him glad that his head’s in the task that lies ahead. “We aim to find Addison and bring her home.”
“Yes, sir.” I look in the mirror and watch as he takes out the guns that Sam gave him, and he too starts to clean them. He’s methodical as he does them; he’s making sure he’s ready if anything happens. I hear movement and look to see Patrick also cleaning his gun; good they’re as ready as they’ll ever be.
Pulling the scan picture that Skye gave me out of my wallet and look at the tiny baby in the picture, knowing that Skye is carrying my baby only makes me love her more. The woman is giving me something I never thought I wanted but now that it’s happening I want more than life itself. God, I don’t think I’ve been this excited or fucking scared before. How can something so small terrify the shit out of me yet at the same time I can’t wait to meet him? I say him because if Skye has a girl, I think I’ll be locked up, anyone goes near my baby girl, and I’ll kill them, so it has to be a boy.
“What’s that?” Oscar asks being a nosey ass.
“What does it look like?” I put the scan picture back into my wallet, I know Oscar’s just trying to distract everyone but I’d rather he do it with someone else. “It’s a scan picture.”
“Is it a boy or a girl?” Sam slaps me on the shoulder, “Congrats man, so are you excited? I’d think I’d be shit scared.”
“It’s a boy!” I tell them, and they start hooting and hollering, “and I’m a bit of both.” I answer him truthfully.
“Is Skye happy it’s a boy?” Of course, Oscar would have to ask that. I give him a look that tells him to shut the hell up, “You're a piece of shit! You don’t know what it is yet!” How the hell does he know that “Oh don’t tell me, you’re scared of having a girl?” The fucker’s bating me.
“Like you haven’t had nightmares when it comes to Clara dating.”
“She’s not dating. Ever! I’ve told her already she’s grounded until she’s thirty.” I can’t help but laugh at the seriousness of his tone, there’s no doubt that he’s told Clara just that.
“You two can’t be serious? Everyone dates when they’re in high school. Do you not remember how fun it was?” Sam’s voice is full of humor, and I know what he’s remembering.
“Yeah, I’m deadly serious. I remember what it was like in high school, I was one of those assholes who just fucked around because it was fun, so no I don’t want my daughter dating until she’s thirty!” I totally fucking agree with Oscar, and I knew that man was gone! He and Emma are serious as hell, and he loves Clara like she was his own.
“Damn you’re going to make that poor child a nun! Hell buy her a damn chastity belt while you're at it!” Sam tells him, and the fucker can’t stop laughing.
“Fuck you asshole, just you wait until Winter’s pregnant, and I’ll see you heading for the fucking chastity
belts.” Oscar pulls up at an abandoned building that doesn’t look like a warehouse; it looks as though it’s a condemned building.
“Take that back! Don’t fucking jinx us, we’re happy the way things are.” I look at my lap to hide my smile, Sam’s too over dramatic. “Where the hell are we? I thought we were going to a warehouse?”
“We are, but we don’t know what’s waiting for us. So, we’re doing some recon.” Oscar points to the left, and I see a big fucking warehouse, thankfully there’s only one floor. We’ll be better able to see an ambush or stop one.
“Okay, so who are we expecting to see? The band of misfits?” Patrick asks, and I think he’s forgotten their names, so calling them the band of misfits works for him.
“Expect the unexpected.” I look at Oscar, when the hell did he become a fucking fortune teller? “They’ve been here before, and before we go in, I want to see what we're up against.” He reaches across me and into the glove compartment and pulls out binoculars, where the hell did he get those from? “These have heat sensors; if someone’s inside we’ll know about it.” He explains, and I’m still wondering where he got them from, “I can feel you staring at me.”
“Yeah? that’s good, where did you get those binoculars?” They cost upward of two grand.
“My contact got them.” Sam chimes in.
“Who exactly is paying for them?” There’s a slight tone to my voice, there’s only one right answer here and having the money come from my pocket isn’t one of them.
“Well, it’s for your wife, so you’re paying for them.” The laughter in Oscar’s voice makes me realize that he’s joking. “We’ve billed the company.” He goes back to looking through the damn binoculars, and we sit and wait.
“It’s cold, why the hell is it so damn cold?” Sam bitches as we make our way to the warehouse, after an hour of watching Oscar look through the binoculars he deemed that no one’s inside and we can search it. I think we’ve wasted a damn hour for nothing; we should have gone in guns blazing.
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