Ruzek looks up from his feet and smiles a half-smile. “Well, next time I won’t make the mistake of giving J any information without details to share. I feel like I have been grilled, but he is fine. He was just checking up on you, said his nurse refuses to entertain him.”
He lets out a deep chuckle at the last part. I knew poor Dani was in trouble, but, on the plus side, it sounds like she is standing her ground. You go, girl!
“Cool. Let’s go find Gabe and say a few goodbyes. I am ready to get out of here. Gabe can wind down the party,” I say, feeling the exhaustion creep in.
Ruzek gives me an approving nod and we set off towards the center of the room looking for Gabe. It takes nearly ten minutes before I catch sight of my business partner and, true to form, he is in the center of a large group, entertaining them all.
I sidle up next to Gabe and lay a hand on his shoulder blade to quietly announce our arrival. He looks down and gives me a smile before concluding his flamboyant story.
“I kid you not, I had no clue whether it was a he, a she, or an it. But, damn, it looked so good I just couldn’t help myself. The way I see it, if the tent pitches, I am in,” Gabe says with extraordinary flair.
The entire group erupts in laughter and I wish I had caught the first of the story to understand why the punch line carries such weight. While the others are still laughing, I take the opportunity to tell Gabe that Ruzek and I are leaving. He understands and we agree to meet tomorrow afternoon before the second round begins.
Ruzek and I say goodbye to a few more people while making our way to the front of the hotel. There we catch sight of Ryan and Micah deep in a discussion once again. That cannot be good, but I am too tired to stand around and watch. I hug Ruzek goodbye and climb into the waiting town car.
Chapter 25
Rylee
The rest of draft weekend went off without a hitch. There were no more Ryan or Micah sightings and my stalker was also absent. Ruzek stayed the weekend and drove back to Boston with me. I had a hard time leaving J, even though he practically threw me out first thing this morning.
It seems as though Dani is warming to my brother’s not-so-subtle flirting tactics. She says she isn’t, but I would beg to differ. The way she smiles at him betrays her. I even her caught her trading flirty banter with him. I wish she understood that I really don’t care. All I said to her before I left was, “Be good to him; he deserves it more than most.”
I meant that statement in more ways than one. Be good to him if you decide to cross the professional barrier. Be good to him in his recovery.
He deserves the absolute best in this world, because that is all he has ever given me. I want him to have the best. I hope she read at least a few of those things into my statement, but that could be wishful thinking on my part.
One thing is for sure though, J is smitten with her. I truly hope he eventually finds the one for him as I have with Austin. J was all too ready to get me out of his house this morning so that he can have some alone time with Dani. It is just as well, because work will be crazy for the next couple of weeks, if not months, after this successful weekend.
Ruzek and I make the drive back in near-zombie states. It was a long weekend full of late nights, unbelievable success and bit too much celebrating. We arrive at my house in the early afternoon, where Ruzek leaves me under the guard of the officer stationed at my home.
After throwing a load of laundry in, I hop in my Jeep and drive down to the shelter to pick up Boss. I miss my big, furry friend. Boss is beside himself with excitement and takes me to the floor with his version of hello. Those obedience lessons are showing through. Ha.
Boss and I spend the next few hours curled up on the outside sofa. I fall asleep for a few hours before my ringing phone wakes me. I hurry into the house to pick it up.
“Hello?”
Silence hangs on the other end of the line. My other cell is lying on the counter and I didn’t notice which one I answered. I swipe open the one on the counter to see the picture of Austin and me. This tells me I am using my old phone and, as I am about to hang up, the caller speaks.
“Rylee, our time is coming. I cannot wait.”
The voice sounds somewhat familiar, but I can't place it. It sounds like the caller is in a tunnel or the reception is bad. Either way, my heart races and my stomach plummets in fear. With shaking hands, I pick up my new phone to dial Ruzek as the other phone falls to the floor.
“He just called me,” I say in a high-pitched voice.
“What do you mean, he called you?” Ruzek asks, clearly groggy.
I probably woke him up. Normally I would feel bad for that, but right now I am too freaked out to care.
“I don’t know who. He said our time is coming and he can’t wait. Fuck, Ruzek, I hate this.”
Tears of fear now sliding down my cheeks.
Sounding awake now, he responds, “OK, Rylee, take a breath. I will be there in fifteen minutes. I’ll call the officer out front and have him come to the door. You let him in and then lock the door. I’ll call you when I get there.”
I hang up the phone and stand by the front door, still trembling. Two minutes later, I hear a knock and nearly jump out of my skin when Boss barks. Looking through the peephole, I confirm that it is the officer before letting him in.
“Hello, Miss Ash. I’m Officer Walker. Are you OK?”
I nod. “Thank you for coming in. Please call me Rylee.”
With a reassuring smile, he shakes my hand. “Sure, Rylee. I’m going to check all the doors and windows, if you don’t mind. Just want to be sure we have all of our bases covered.”
My body still quaking in fear, I command a strong voice to reply. “Yeah, sure. I think I left the back open. I will go close it and make sure Boss, my dog, is in the house.”
As promised, fifteen minutes later Ruzek shows up. Office Walker assures him that all of the possible entry points are secure and goes back to his post across the street. Ruzek locks the front door behind the officer and takes a visibly deep breath before facing me.
We trade small insincere smiles before he walks over and gives me a hug. The hug is out of character for Ruzek, but it calms my unsteady body and slows my panic.
“What’s this for?”
He squeezes me tight. “You look like you could use it.”
He is right. I am missing my family right now. I would give anything to have J, or Bode, or Austin here to melt into for comfort. But they aren’t here.
Hugging him back, I try to calm my emotions. I don’t want to lose my shit in front of him again. Ruzek has seen me at my worst, but there has always been someone else there to support me. Protection is his job, not support, I tell myself. We have a weird relationship. I believe we are friends, yet at the same time it is his job to ensure my safety. The lines that were once clear are blurring.
Summoning all of my inner strength, I step back from the hug. “Thank you.”
He nods. “All right, so I spoke to my superior on the way over and first thing tomorrow morning we will come up with a plan to stop all of this shit. We had hoped it might run its course with a little time. Since that isn’t the case, it’s time we get out in front of it. We can’t have you living under protection forever.”
I sigh a breath of relief.
“Sounds good. I bet you are ready to be done with babysitting duty anyway,” I say with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood.
He half-coughs, half laughs. “Well, I would rather you not need protection, but I think I will miss you. I am just getting used you bossing me around all the time.”
“Well, I believe I will miss you, too. Since we are friends, I expect to see you around when you have the time. After this is all over, I mean.”
I mean it too. I want Ruzek and I to stay friends after this ordeal is over. Whether he feels the same way or not I don’t know.
With a sparkle in his emerald green eyes, he replies, “I would like that. You guys are a great group. You remind me a lot o
f the friends I left back home. When I first met all of you, it was like seeing myself ten years ago.”
With all the touchy feely stuff out of the way and my nerves back to calm, Ruzek and I take to the couch. We watch episodes of New Girl on Netflix before I go to bed and he makes himself comfortable on the couch for the night. I try to give him J’s room, but he says he wants to be near the doors. Always the protector. I could not be more grateful.
Chapter 26
Rylee
Sleep comes fitfully until I feel an arm slide around me. Content to have Austin home, I snuggle back into him and grab his hand to pull him closer. Then I realize Austin is not the person in bed with me.
My groggy mind tries to process the scene. The arm wrapped around me is toned and a lot like Austin’s, but the fingers are shorter and stubbier. The mysterious stranger nuzzles into my hair and places a kiss on the back of my neck. My hackles go up immediately and adrenaline wakes my exhausted body.
Now fully awake and on alert, I try to stay still to give the impression I am asleep. Pretending to be oblivious to the person will give me time to come up with a coherent plan. My heart is racing and I can only hope that the man in bed with me cannot feel it pounding.
So many things are running through my mind. Where is Ruzek? Why didn’t he stop this person from getting up here? Where is Boss? Boss would never allow a stranger to waltz into my bedroom or the house unannounced. How am I going to get out of this situation?
The unknown hand makes its way under my shirt and strokes my stomach, causing my fear to escalate. I am doing my best to keep my body from trembling in fear. I can tell that the stranger is a large man, clearly much taller than I am, as he slides closer to spoon me.
I need an exit strategy. My phone is on the table behind the man, making it impossible to get to. I need to get downstairs to Ruzek, but how do I escape the person now holding me close?
Pushing the fear to the back of my mind, I focus on the familiar way this man is stroking my body. Steeling my nerves, I decide I will have to play along with the seduction until I have an opening to get out. I don’t want to die tonight, but I won’t be taken advantage of either.
His hand slides over my breast and I do my best to feign interest with a distressed, ‘hmm’. This seems to spur him on and he continues his unwelcome assault on my body.
“Oh, Ryles, I always knew it would be me and you. I know how you like it.”
Holy shit, I know that voice and that stupid nickname. The smooth and now terrifying voice belongs to Ryan. What the fuck? I know I have been in this position with him before, but that was different. It was consensual. How can he do this to me? Why is he doing this?
My mind is reeling as the pieces come together. If Ryan is my stalker, then he is responsible for all the recent pain in my life. He is responsible for J’s accident. He is responsible for the detective’s death. He is responsible for keeping Austin and me apart. My fear is overcome with anger and a plan forms. Forgive me for this, Austin.
I roll over into Ryan, meeting his dark gaze. It baffles me that he thinks this is permissible, but if this is what he wants it is exactly what I will use against him. He runs a hand down my face.
“Oh, Ryles. I have missed you so much, baby.”
My stomach turns in disgust. “I am so glad you’re here, Ryan. I missed you, too.”
I swear I can taste bile in the back of my throat as the lie makes its way out of my mouth. He leans in, kissing me with fervor. I allow the kiss to continue as I pull him atop me, faking interest in his advances. His heavy body over mine reminds me that I will only get one chance to extricate myself from this situation. His musky cologne turns my stomach.
He continues to caress my body as he deepens the kiss. The taste of cinnamon lingers from the toothpaste he has always preferred. A taste I once thought was sexy is flirting with my gag reflex now. Still playing along against my body’s wishes, I place my legs between his and raise my arms above my head. I have one chance to get him off me. A silent countdown runs in my head. If this plan fails, I don’t know what will happen. Either way, I plan to make enough noise to alert Ruzek.
Three, two, one … go. I fake a cough to break the kiss. He raises his head slightly.
“Are you OK, baby?”
The concern in voice disgusts me. Of course I’m not OK, you are on the verge of raping me, I think to myself.
My adrenaline spikes as I ready to strike out against my ex. I slam my knee up into his groin at the same time that I throw an elbow across his face. Every ounce of strength I can summon is thrown at him in two solid blows. A loud crack sounds when my elbow makes contact with the bridge of his nose. Blood spurts out, covering my face and chest and testing my already sensitive gag reflex.
“Fuck, Ry, what are you doing?” he groans.
His eyes are watering and he doubles down in pain from my sudden attack. I wipe my arm across my face to clear the blood from my vision. My body still raging, I use all of my remaining strength to throw his now crumpled body off me and sprint for the door. I glance back to see him still holding himself and writhing in pain. Good, that is exactly where he deserves to be.
His eyes meet mine. “This changes nothing, bitch.”
A new wave of adrenaline, laced with fear, courses through my body. I run down the stairs in search of Ruzek. All the lights are off, but I can see him on the couch with his head tilted back. I flip on the kitchen light as I run through. That’s when I see Micah standing by the front door.
Fuck.
I look between him and Ruzek, who I now realize is likely unconscious. He is bleeding from a gaping head wound. Micah looks like a deer in the headlights when he takes in my blood-covered appearance.
Without much thought, I flip the light switch off and on a couple of times, hoping to alert the cop outside before leaving it off. I figure I know my way around better than they do, so the darkness is my ally.
Chapter 27
Rylee
Concerned for Ruzek, I ignore Micah and make my way to him. Grabbing his shoulders, I whisper.
“Ruzek.”
He is out cold and the deep gash in his forehead is bleeding profusely. Shit, he needs help now. Struggling to find my next move, I remind myself to breathe. His radio, which is on the coffee table, breaks the silence.
“Ruzek. Is everything all right in there? I saw the lights flash.”
Thank God - the lights got Officer Walker’s attention. Ryan hits the stairs, but his pounding steps are slow. Ruzek has a gun, but I don’t see it with the rest of his things on the table. Shit. He always has it on him and never goes anywhere without it. I need to find it before Ryan gets down here. I don’t want to use it, but I have to protect myself and my unconscious friend.
Hoping for the best, I check his hips and it isn’t there. OK, think Rylee. Where else could it be? Maybe Ryan or Micah took it. I guess that is a definite possibility. With one last effort, I check the waistband of his jeans. Damn, he is heavy. I roll him forward enough to get my arm behind him. Sliding my hand down his back, I feel his piece as the radio goes off again.
“Ruzek. Come in, Ruzek.”
Just get the hell in here, I think to myself as I pull the gun from his waistband. Jackpot – it’s loaded. Not having a plan at the moment, I slide down beside the far end of the couch. God, I wish Ruzek would wake up. I could really use some help here. Where the hell is Boss? My stomach tightens because I know something has happened to Boss; he would never be this quiet with strangers in the house.
Ryan descends the stairs one clomping step at a time.
“Where the fuck is she?” He screams at Micah.
His steps are coming quicker now, escalating my pounding heartbeat. Peeking over the couch, I can see Micah has not moved and looks utterly terrified.
“Jesus, Ryan, what are you doing? I didn’t sign up for this shit. You assaulted a cop, and it doesn’t look like she wants anything to do with you.”
“Shut the fuck up. She doesn
’t know what’s good for her, but she will when I find her. I will kill the bitch before I let her run off with some other dude,” Ryan barks at Micah.
His words spread terror throughout my body and my palms begin to sweat. I wish I had pants on so I could dry my hands on them.
“Whatever you say, man, but I ain’t killing nobody. This shit is insane. You’re on your own,” Micah says to Ryan.
I am thankful it seems that I only have to deal with Ryan now.
“You are such a pussy. It’s no wonder you couldn’t make it in the big leagues. Now where the fuck is she?”
Micah gestures in my direction and I slouch down, trying to hide behind the arm of the couch.
Ryan turns a light on and his steps become stomps as he crosses the kitchen tile.
“Come on, Ryles. Let’s talk about this, baby. I know you still love me. You want this as much as I do. Now where are you? You’re pissing me off.”
I curl myself into a small ball with a tight grip on Ruzek’s gun. It has been a while since I have held or fired a gun. I hope I don’t have to use it tonight, but I feel safer with it than I would be without.
The footsteps are closing in and my options are limited. I can’t stay here. I am in no position to protect myself if he comes around the back of the couch. There is nowhere for me to conceal the gun, since I only have a tank top and my panties on. Head on is the only way to deal with this situation.
With a deep breath, I countdown again: three, two, one … Then I vault up with a tight grip on the pistol and a finger on the trigger. Please God, don’t make me use this.
Ryan is covered in blood, stumbling towards me. He has a clear limp and his face is swelling. He smiles a wicked smile, showing the blood in his teeth.
“There you are. Now come here, or your detective friend dies.”
He raises his arm so I can see the gun in his hand pointed at Ruzek. With a stroke of luck, my weapon has remained concealed behind the back of the couch, giving me a slight advantage. My best hope is to talk him down without getting too close. I can’t let him kill Ruzek.
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