“Miner, take Marnie and Oly to my house. Put it on lockdown. Take Fezzik too,” Ry orders.
I’ve only met Miner once, but he’s nice and sweet. Rylan and Shock discuss Fezzik and what’s going on with him.
The distance between Ryland and me is getting to me with everything going on.
“Rylan?” I choke on his name as tears roll down my face. Oly is crying too, unsure of what’s happening.
Rylan walks over and kisses me so deeply. It’s as if he’s trying to tell me everything without saying a word, and my heart clenches. He pulls away and presses a kiss to Oly’s forehead.
“I’ll be back with Harlowe. Be safe and do whatever Miner tells you.”
“I will. I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”
“I’m glad you weren’t. They would’ve hurt you both.” This time, it’s his voice that chokes with emotion.
Miner directs us to the back, and I shut everything off, making sure nothing will be ruined before locking up. We load back into Harley’s truck, and he drives us to Rylan’s place. The house is in lockdown, and I can’t stand the worry, but I know Rylan and Aftershock will bring her home.
“Don’t worry. They’ll get her back,” Miner says, reading my mind.
“I know. I’m just worried they’ll get hurt.”
He chuckles softly. “Most people don’t worry about Prez like that. He used to fight in places that aren’t normal rings and aren’t safe. I’d be more worried he’s going to lose his shit and go all grizzly on them.”
“You think?”
“Honestly, it’s going to be more Aftershock losing his shit. That’s what I would be worried about.”
“What would he do?”
I don’t know Aftershock that well, just what Harley tells me. The other night he just sat and watched her playing with Oly and didn’t talk much. I get the feeling he’s the silent type.
“He’ll blow shit up. Do you know what an aftershock is?”
“Isn’t it what happens after a major earthquake? It’s what relieves more pressure.”
“Yep. That’s what Shock does. He lets out the pressure and shakes the hell out of shit. He was in the military, part of the engineers’ unit, and also received extensive training in explosives ordinance demolition. Plus, he and Loki have been blowing shit up since they were young boys.”
“How did Rylan get his road name?”
“He’s the biggest, meanest one of us.” He chuckles. “When he loses control, things get destroyed and people sometimes die. He’d never do that to you,” he quickly adds.
I smile. “I’m not worried about him hurting me. The way he is with Oly shows me that.”
I look over to where Oly is playing in the living room with the new toys Ry must have gotten yesterday after I left, or maybe today.
I decide to cook. It always helps distract me. I don’t want to think about what is going on, whether Ry is getting hurt, or if Harley is okay. I’m beginning to connect with all these people, and I don’t really want to, but it’s too late.
I can’t stop it now.
Miner sits at a laptop, working and responding to messages on his phone. A couple of times he walks out to the garage, and I know he’s talking to Rylan. I set up my phone to play some music as I bake a loaf of fresh bread and make a beef stroganoff with the piece of moose roast Ry had in the refrigerator.
Oly is sleeping in the spare room, which now has princess sheets on the bed and a matching comforter. The proof of his level of commitment is right in front of me. But I struggle to see myself staying here and being with him. I’d love to stay in Alaska, but it’s only a matter of time before my life is taken over. I trust that Sparrow House, the Adairs, and Holden have all helped me, but my father and Silas are very powerful men.
Before I know it, there is a beep, and the house is disarmed. Rylan steps through the door. As soon as I see him, my knees almost give out, and I hold on to the counter, worried because he’s not showing any emotion. He just watches me.
“She’s safe.”
I rush to him and jump into his arms, holding him tight, my legs wrapped around his waist as his arms hold me just as firmly.
