by Faith Gibson
“Spyder’s right. You might be broody and keep things close to the vest, but you’re one of the most honorable males I know, and I’d follow you to Hell and back again, no questions asked.” Hawk clapped Ryker on the shoulder.
“Thanks. I—” Ryker’s phone rang, cutting him off, and he was thankful for the reprieve. “Lucy? What’s going on?”
“Everyone’s safe, for now. Four of Josiah’s men showed up, demanding we release Rhiannon. They said they knew she was here. I told them they were wrong and they could look around all they liked. I don’t want to say any more because I don’t know if our phones are secure.”
“Are they still there?”
“No. Kyllian followed to make sure they left the area.”
“Sutton was supposed to be on his way with backup.”
“He’s here. That’s one of the reasons Josiah’s men decided to leave. Four against six didn’t seem like good odds, I guess.”
“We’re on our way back. We’ll be there in little over an hour.” Ryker wanted to know everything that happened, but if Lucy didn’t think the line was secure, he wouldn’t risk asking.
“Okay. We’ll see you then.” Lucy hung up, and Ryker let out a breath. “Pull over.”
Spyder looked at Ryker to see if he was serious. “On the side of the highway or at the next exit?”
“Next exit. I want to check the car for trackers.”
“Shit. Yeah, okay.”
Ryker didn’t trust Josiah Talbert as far as Marshall or Major could throw the human. Spyder took the next exit and parked behind a truck stop. The three of them got out of the SUV and searched the undercarriage for any sign of something that shouldn’t be there. When they found nothing, Ryker motioned for them to get back on the road.
Hawk shut his door and sighed. “If Rhi’s father is as good with computers as Lucy thinks, they wouldn’t need a tracker to keep a lock on us. He can do that from behind his computer.”
“Just another reason we need to get to the man. But we can’t do that at GIA headquarters. Too much security.”
“Then we ambush him between work and the compound. Lucy can tell us if there is an office other than in DC where GIA Headquarters is located. If not, that means it’s at least a seven-hour drive. There’s no way he commutes. He would have to have an apartment or house somewhere closer to the office,” Hawk said.
“Depends on how much Josiah trusts him. If David is loyal, and it seems he is, then Josiah probably trusts him to spend time away from the compound.” The other phone he carried pinged with an incoming message. Quinn. He raised his ass so he could peel the device from his back pocket. It was odd having an actual name and face to go with the sender of the email, but he appreciated it now more than ever. The job was straightforward. One Hayden could handle. His youngest brother was still in training, but Ryker trusted him to do the job, and Hayden had asked to be sent into the field. Ryker accepted the contract, but he didn’t forward the email to Hayden’s phone. If they were compromised, he didn’t need the knowledge of their mercenary work falling into the wrong hands.
“We just got our first contract from Shepherd.”
“You want one of us to take it?” Spyder asked.
“No. I’m giving it to Havyk. He asked for it.”
“Is he okay? He’s seemed a little down lately.”
“We had a talk earlier. It seems seeing War and Mav finding mates has Hayden wishing for love of his own.”
“That’s understandable,” Hawk said, sighing. Ryker didn’t understand the BDSM lifestyle. He wondered how you could find a mate somewhere like a fetish club, but maybe that wasn’t why they went there. Maybe they chose to let loose a little until they found their mate. The rest of the ride was made in silence, and when they pulled into Lucy’s driveway, Ryker tensed. He knew the reason but refused to address it. Hayden and Kyllian met them at the SUV.
“Lucy said the phones might be compromised. If that’s the case, do we know the males didn’t hide bugs inside the house while they were looking for Rhiannon?”
Kyllian crossed his arms over his chest. “They did, actually. We found three of them, but until we get a sweeper in here, we aren’t taking any chances. We need to move Rhiannon somewhere else. Somewhere she can speak without giving herself away. Hiding out in the tunnel isn’t an option.”
“Where is she now?”
“In the game room with Mac. They’re trying to shoot pool without giggling. I turned the music up pretty loud so any noise they make will be drowned out,” Hayden said.
“Is Sutton still here?”
“Yes. He, Legend, and Brick are keeping an eye on the perimeter. I’ll go get him.” Kyllian jogged off toward the back of the house.
Ryker turned to Hayden. “I have a job for you. Since the phones might not be secure, I didn’t send the information to yours. I’ll use Lucy’s printer and give you a paper copy. First thing tomorrow, I’m going to get a cache of burner phones we’ll use for our merc jobs.”
“That can wait until you talk to Pop. We need to figure out where to take Rhiannon first.”
Kyllian returned with their father, and Lucy joined them outside. “I have an idea,” she said. “We need somewhere safe for the girls, and I have the perfect place. Tamian’s parents’ house is a fortress, and Josiah would never know to look for Rhiannon there.”
“Where is Tamian?” Ryker hadn’t seen the Gargoyle since they returned.
“He’s on his way to New Atlanta.” Lucy slid her hands into her pockets. “He was torn about staying, but I convinced him we could handle things here.”
“Say we do take the girls to Xavier’s. Won’t Rhi’s father be able to track our movements?” Ryker asked. He didn’t want to trust the woman’s safety to anyone else, but that was jealousy speaking. Tamian’s father was a full-blooded Gargoyle, and he loved Lucy. She had spent quite a bit of time with Xavier and Elizabeth, and Ryker knew Rhiannon would be in good hands with the male. Ryker had a job to do, and that meant he had to put aside his personal feelings. Feelings he was all too aware were getting deeper by the second. He didn’t want to claim the female, but he also didn’t not want to. Ryker had never been so conflicted in his life. “How are you going to explain the fact that Xavier and Elizabeth look the same age as Tamian? At least with Pop and Rory, they appear a little older than us.”
“Well, we could tell her the truth. Or you could use your Gryphon voice on her. Either way, it’s a chance we’re going to have to take. You know I don’t mind her being here, but what happens if we don’t find all the bugs and they hear her talking? They’ll come back, and the next time, I doubt they come unarmed. If we use the tunnel, we can get her to the other side of the lake where there’s enough tree coverage to obscure our movements.”
“I don’t like the idea of sending her to live with strangers.” Ryker scrubbed his hands through his beard.
“They’re no more strangers than the rest of us. She trusted you to keep her safe, and if you tell her this is what’s best, she’ll believe you. Unless you have a better idea?” Lucy narrowed her eyes at Ryker. His niece was feisty, but she was also smart. And she was right; Xavier’s home was secure. But it was also over an hour away.
We will go with her.
We have a job to do.
Nothing is more important than protecting our mate.
She’s not our mate.
I say she is.
“Ryker?” Lucy called his name, probably not for the first time.
“Sorry, just arguing with the beast.”
“If it makes you both feel better, you can go with her,” Lucy added.
“I have a job to do, and I can’t do that babysitting Rhiannon.”
Someone gasped, and Ryker didn’t have to look to know who it was. By the time he did look toward the house, Rhiannon was already through the door. Mac scowled at him.
Rhiannon
Rhi’s nerves were shot. When the door to the passageway opened, she wanted to run. Far. But it had
been Lucy telling them the coast was clear. Even though Josiah’s men were gone, the house wasn’t safe for Rhi to talk freely, so she went back to being silent. It was like being back at Haven all over again. Josiah Talbert was still controlling her life, and she hated him for it. Her mother had taught her hate was a harmful emotion. It was negative energy which poisoned the mind. Without her mother guiding her, Rhi had allowed hatred into her heart and soul. If Daisy were still alive, she would find a way to cleanse the negativity. Since she was gone, it was up to Rhi to wash away the bad energy.
Mac was doing her best to keep Rhi occupied until they figure out where Rhi could go that was safe. Hayden had asked Mac to shoot pool with him, only instead of grabbing a stick for himself, he handed it to Rhi and pointed at the table. He then turned the music up loud so she and Mac could whisper to one another. Rhi hadn’t shot pool since she was a teenager, and then she hadn’t been any good at it. Mac wasn’t much better, but at least she could break the balls and scatter a few. Rhiannon’s cue ball ended up missing the others more often than not until Hayden showed her how to do it properly. He had aligned his large body behind hers, wrapping his arms around her. If that had been Ryker, Rhi would have probably fainted. Since it wasn’t, she paid attention and finally got the hang of breaking.
Lucy had brought in snacks and sodas earlier before disappearing back into her office. Hayden and Kyllian, along with Sutton and two other large bikers, patrolled the grounds in case Josiah’s men returned. It was late, and Rhi was tired. It had been a long, trying day, and she was ready for it to end. She was afraid if she went to sleep, her first taste at freedom in ten years would disappear and she’d find herself back at Haven, but she could barely hold her eyes open. She placed her pool cue in the rack and motioned upstairs to Mac. Mac nodded and grabbed Rhi’s hand, pulling her through the house toward Lucy’s office. Mac grabbed a pen and notepad.
“Let’s go find Lucy and tell her we’re going to bed.”
Rhi nodded, then followed Mac through the house. When they didn’t find Lucy anywhere, they looked out the front window to find she was talking to Ryker and all the other bikers. Rhi’s heart sped up at the sight of the man. She wanted to run to him. To feel safe in his arms. She and Mac stepped out onto the porch.
“I have a job to do, and I can’t do that babysitting Rhiannon.” Ryker’s words were like a slap to the face.
Rhi clapped a hand over her mouth before running back inside. She didn’t stop until she was in the bedroom where her clothes were. She knew Ryker was out of her league, but to hear him say he considered watching over her as babysitting hurt. Deeply. She hurried into the bathroom and closed the door, sliding against it until she was sitting on the floor. Why couldn’t she remember she was nothing to him other than some poor little girl he rescued? Why did her heart so desperately cling to thoughts of being with an older man who had a daughter almost her age? Why couldn’t she have a crush on one of his younger brothers? But this felt like more than a simple crush. Rhi was drawn to him and had been since he found her in the dumpster. When he pulled her out of the container, something inside told her he was the kind of man she’d been dreaming of ever since she realized boys could be more than someone to play video games with.
Maybe it wasn’t her age. Maybe it was because she had nothing to offer Ryker or any of the Lazlo brothers. They had rescued her. The whole family was doing everything they could to protect her. Wasn’t that enough? The only good that came from them helping her was the fact that Mac now knew Elijah was alive. Rhi couldn’t even tell them where Haven was.
Rhi needed to get her head out of her ass. She needed to get away and start a life somewhere else. Somewhere far away from Haven, Josiah, her father, and Ryker Lazlo. She had brought nothing but trouble to their door. Climbing to her feet, she returned to the closet and retrieved her bags, filling them with the clothes and toiletries Rory had bought her. One day, she would find a way to repay their kindness. Until then, she would take her trouble elsewhere. Rhi grabbed her things and slipped silently down the stairs, continuing until she reached the lab and its secret passageway. Rhi wasn’t in shape, so by the time she jogged the quarter mile to the other end of the tunnel, she was winded.
There was a keypad on the wall, and she had no idea what the code was. The lights were green, and that meant go, didn’t it? She approached the large metal door. If she couldn’t get out, she would have to return to the house and face the man who didn’t want her around. Rhi grabbed the handle and twisted, then put her shoulder to the cold surface and pushed with a grunt. When it opened, she sucked in a lungful of crisp, night air. Rhi hitched her bags higher on her shoulder and stepped out into the night. The heavy, steel door closed with a bang, making her jump.
What little moonlight shone through the trees was enough for her to see the dirt path skirting the lake. She knew she didn’t have much time before Mac came to check on her, finding her things gone. Rhi hurried down the path as quickly as she could and not trip. The farther away she got from the house, the harder her heart pounded. She should turn back. She should trust Mac and Lucy and Sutton to keep her safe. She didn’t need Ryker. She didn’t need him to babysit her. She could tell him she didn’t want him around, and she knew he’d leave her alone. Let the others in his family watch over her. That’s what they did. They helped others like her in similar situations. She had no money. She had no way of getting anywhere other than on foot and then she had no paperwork or identification allowing her to get a job.
Great. Way to think things through. No wonder Ryker thinks you’re a baby.
Realizing her error, Rhi turned back toward the door. She got two steps in when someone stepped into her path. “Hello, Anna.”
He expected her to be silent, but Rhiannon did the one thing she couldn’t ever remember doing – she screamed.
Chapter Ten
Ryker
“Fuck!” Ryker turned his face toward the moon and let out a deep sigh. He knew he needed to go after Rhi, but he didn’t know what to say to the female.
“You can be a real dick, Dad.”
Ryker faced his pissed-off daughter. “Tell me something I don’t know, Mac.”
“Rhiannon has been through hell. Not just today, but every day for the past ten years. She hasn’t had anyone she could count on since her mother died, and now she probably feels like a burden. I saw the way she looked at you, and yeah, she might be young and naïve, but you could do a lot worse. That woman would have been good for you. Good to you. But you have this need to keep everyone at arm’s length. Your job is important, but one day, you’re going to realize it isn’t the most important thing in the world. Family is. Love is. Even someone like me knows that. So you go do your job, and I’m going to go see if I can repair the damage you’ve done.” Mac stormed off toward the house.
“She’s not wro—”
“Not now, Hayden. Yes, I’m a dick. We all know that. I’m sorry I hurt her feelings, but she doesn’t want me. What she’s feeling is nothing more than hero worship. It’ll pass. She’ll get over this crush and find someone who’s right for her. Someone her own age. Now, let’s figure out how to get her to Xavier’s without her father and Josiah figuring out where we’ve stashed her. Lucy, you seem to have this all figured out, so why don’t you tell us your plan?”
Lucy was glaring at him. Great. Now his Little Dove was pissed at him too.
“I’m going to call Xavier. You” — Lucy stabbed a finger at his chest — “go fix your shit.”
The Hounds, his father, and brothers were silent, and Ryker was embarrassed. That pissed him off. He had no reason to be embarrassed. He was a fucking Gryphon. President of the Hounds. Yes, he hurt the woman’s feelings, but he did have a job to do. It was his responsibility to keep both his family and his MC on the right track. Keep them focused on the things that mattered, like hunting down the fucking Ministry. Getting them mercenary jobs to keep the money coming in. Keeping his family safe. If he had to be a dick to do it, so
be it.
Ignoring the looks the other males were giving him, Ryker said, “We’re going to need—”
“Stop.” Sutton motioned to the other Hounds. “Go patrol the area.” Sutton was no longer president of the MC, but his authority wouldn’t be denied. When they were alone, his dad asked, “What’s this really about?”
Ryker knew better than to lie. “I can’t have her, Pop. I had my one shot with Juliette.”
“Are you telling me what War has with Kerrigan isn’t real? Or Mav doesn’t love Natalia?”
“No, of course not. But War isn’t president of the MC. Mav’s my second, but neither are responsible for getting the merc jobs. Making sure the family is taken care of.”
“Are you saying I didn’t do my job because I had your mother in my life?” Sutton didn’t wait for Ryker to answer. “If Juliette were still here, would that affect your job? The way you handle your responsibilities?”
Ryker huffed. “No.” He hated when his father made him see reason. “I get it. But what if I’m right and she’s only seeing me as the hero who saved her? What if I give in to my feelings, then she decides I’m too stern? Too rough? Too much to handle?”
“You show her the softer side of you. The male deep inside you were before you lost Juliette. The male who used to laugh and joke with your brothers. The one who used protecting your mother as an excuse so you could spend time in the kitchen with her where it was just the two of you. Show her the real Ryker Lazlo. Don’t let her youth and naivety get in the way of something you know in your heart you deserve. Let it guide you back to the man you were before. Let her show you the good she has inside from being her mother’s daughter and worshipping her goddess. Let her surprise you with her strength because it’s in there. She wouldn’t have gotten away from the cult if she weren’t strong.”