“Nick has a few things he’s checking into, and in the meantime I have a few ideas of my own we can start with.”
“What’s that?”
“How much do you think Rosa might know about all of this?”
I rear back, shocked by his question. I open my mouth to quickly reject the thought, but then snap it shut and think about the possibility. Rosa has been with my parents a long time, she’s worked those charity functions for years. Could she know? Or at least suspect?
“She was one of the people who told me you were in danger if I didn’t leave. She said I had no idea what your father was capable of,” he adds, shocking me again.
“I want to say she knows nothing, because I believe she would try to stop it if she knew.”
“She’s scared, and by that I mean fucking terrified. I saw her fear all those years ago, and I saw it again earlier today when your parents showed up.”
Scared? I think about the way she has always obeyed my parents, yet still secretly did what was in my best interest, even if it went behind their backs. I always thought it was because she didn’t want to lose her job, but maybe it is because she’s scared. The thought breaks my heart.
“I don’t think she will tell me shit, but I’m hoping she might open up with you.”
“I’ll try. I can call her tomorrow to see if she can come by, or we can go see her.”
He nods. “I think it’s a good place to start.”
“Okay, and if she doesn’t know anything? What will be the next step?”
He watches me a moment, as if weighing some sort of internal battle. “That’s enough for one night. Let’s just take it one step at a time.”
I think about arguing because I can tell he has something else in mind, but I decide against it. I’m not sure how much more I can withstand for tonight. My head feels like it’s about to explode and I’m exhausted despite the fact I just slept most of the day away.
“You’re probably starving.” He reaches back and grabs the pizza box. I shake my head; my stomach is in too many knots to eat anything right now. His eyes narrow disapprovingly. “You need to eat something, Emily, you haven’t eaten all day.”
“I’m not hungry, Ryder!” I snap, not appreciating his bossy tone. We glare off, but I quickly realize I won’t win this. I roll my eyes and take a slice of pizza. He grins smugly at his victory and it makes me want to slap his sexy face.
We sit in comfortable silence for a few minutes until he breaks it. “Do you mind if I use your shower?”
Heat immediately pools low in my tummy at the thought of him naked in my shower. Oh lord, don’t go there, Emily. “Of course,” I say easily, trying to act like my mind wasn’t just in the gutter. Clearly I don’t do a good job of it by the smirk he gives me. I hate that stupid smirk… “I don’t have any soap or shampoo that doesn’t smell girly though, sorry.” I give him a smug smile back, not really all that sorry.
“Doesn’t matter, I have my own. Stone brought me my bag.” He winks at me, jacking up my annoyance another notch.
“Glad to know you just assumed I was going to allow you to stay here.”
“You didn’t have a choice in the matter.” He stands up and grabs a black duffle bag that sits by the door then turns back to me, his smirk spreading. “You want to join me, Em?”
Oh god… My cheeks heat at the idea and an ache starts between my legs. He chuckles, knowing his affect on me, which really annoys me. He walks away, not bothering to wait for a response, probably because he’s smart enough to know the answer.
Hearing the shower turn on, I grab the blanket at the end of the couch then lay down and try not to think about him in there. Wet, glistening, water dripping down his abs… ugh! I huff, annoyed with myself, then look over at Summer. “I’m in serious trouble, girl.”
Chapter 16
Ryder
I shut off the water thirty minutes later with my dick still hard as fuck even though I just jacked off twice. Emily’s scent surrounding me made it impossible not to, but it brought no relief. Only she can sate this intense need rushing through me. I consider what my chances are of being allowed to sleep in the same bed as her tonight, but I assume it’s not great. Getting out, I re-bandage my ribs then throw on a pair of athletic pants and decide to forgo a shirt.
As I walk out of the bathroom I can’t help but smirk, knowing the blush I will see on her pretty face from that decision. “Hey, did you want to watch a movie or…” I trail off when I get to the living room and see her fast asleep. Seriously… Again?
My annoyance vanishes when I take in her vulnerable state. Her innocent face should be soft with sleep but instead is furrowed with worry. The pale blue marks under her eyes are a good indication of how hard the last few days have been on her, or hell, the last month. The dog lays curled up behind her legs, surprisingly fitting in the small space. Her chin rests on Emily’s knee and her eyes raise at me, as if wondering what the fuck I’m doing just standing here watching them.
Dropping my bag at the side of the couch I lean down and pick up Em, cradling her delicate body in my arms. She stirs only enough to snuggle her face closer into my chest. The dog follows close behind me as I make my way into her room, which is dimly lit from the lamp she left on. I decide to lay her on top of the bed instead of turning down her covers, not wanting to wake her. I cover her with the blanket I had used previously as she snuggles into her pillow. The dog jumps up and curls in next to her. Lucky bastard. Not being able to hold back, I lean down and press a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Night, Em.”
She expels a sigh as I stand back up, and just as I turn to leave she mumbles: “I love you.”
My heart stops and I spin back around to see she’s still fast asleep. Was she talking about me? Looking at the dog, I realize it’s likely she was talking about her. I shake my head, pissed at myself for acting like a pussy, then turn off her lamp and close the door, leaving it open just a crack.
Heading back to the living room, I get myself settled in for another long night, wishing I were lying next to Emily and not on this fucking couch alone. I know she’s hurting and I fucked up. I’m going to give her time, but not much. I will prove to her she is mine. That is my last thought before I slip into a deep slumber.
Sometime in the middle of the night I’m awoken by a blood-curdling scream. I shoot off the couch, my heart pounding in fear when I register it’s coming from Em.
Grabbing my gun, I race down the hall and plow into her room. It’s completely black, her scream still piercing through the air. Flicking on the light, I see her on the floor, huddled in a corner. I take in our surroundings, training my gun around the room, only to see there is no one here.
I rush over and kneel down in front of her, then frame her tear-streaked face in my hands. “Hey, hey, Em. Baby, what’s wrong, what happened?”
She finally snaps out of her hysterics and it takes her a moment to register me. She looks around the bright room, a little disorientated, before her watery gaze comes back to mine. “Who turned off my light?”
“What?” I ask through heavy breathing, my heart still pounding like a fucking drum.
She starts sobbing. “Someone turned off my light!”
“I did.”
“I sleep with it on, I don’t like the dark.”
The memory of the way she reacted in the theatre when the lights went down suddenly pops into my head, and my stomach instantly twists with guilt. “Fuck, I’m so sorry, baby.”
She drops her head in her knees and cries harder. “I was so scared when I woke up and couldn’t see.”
Picking her up, I cradle her trembling body in my arms then sit on the bed, bringing her down on my lap. I hold her close and apologize repeatedly, feeling like complete shit. She calms down a few minutes later and tries to pull away, looking embarrassed, but I don’t let her.