“As far as I can tell, nothing touched them.” So that meant if Holden had been in his office when the blast went off, he would have been fine. I still can’t get a grip on the fact that he almost died yesterday and how that made me feel.
“We need them,” I say.
“What about the potential bugs?” I ask. “We don’t know if they’re attached to his computers somehow.”
“As much as I don’t want to admit this. He’s right,” Micah says reluctantly.
Les snorts a laugh. “There are bug sweepers in his office. Check them because I think the answer to our mole problem is on those computers.”
“Got it.”
“Let me know when you have them, and we can come meet you,” she sighs. “And Micah? It starts tomorrow.”
He chuckles, but it sounds evil. “I’ll let the others know. I can’t fucking wait.” On that note, he hangs up.
I rub Les’ back. “What’s the deal with the Mustang?”
She snuggles back into my chest. “When Ryder was fifteen, he mentioned in front of my dad about that being his dream car. He had posters on his wall and everything of this jet black sixty-seven Ford Mustang Shelby.” She smiles. “They’re still there. Anyway, on Ryder’s sixteenth birthday, Dad surprised him with one to rebuild becauseRyder had been researching how to.” My heart sinks because I already know what she’s going to say. “That’s the car he just lost.”
I know how close Ryder was to Luca. He was as close to him as his own dad. Losing something like that is going to break Ryder’s fucking heart.
“I don’t know how to tell him,” she says softly.
“I can tell him if you want me to.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I want to,” I kiss her forehead. “Let me take care of it.”
Now I just have to figure out how.
It’sthe following day before I find the nerve to tell Ryder about the car.
After breakfast, I pull him outside on the little back patio. “There’s something you need to know.”
Ryder’s brows knit together. “What’s that?”
“When Micah called about the damage to the house, he told us something else.” We already told everyone about the computers and broke the news to Gage about his car. Who the hell spends three million dollars on a car? “Your Mustang is a total loss.”
I watch Ryder’s face closely, and I see when his heart breaks. “Complete loss?”
“I’m sorry, Love,” I say because I don’t know what else to say.
“Luca got me that car,” Ryder says gruffly. “That’s the last thing I had of him.” He rakes a hand down his face. “I was almost done with it. When I was done, I was going to take Les out in it.”
“Les told me about Xander’s car.” It’s the same one except for silver. “I know it’s not the same, but we can see what we can salvage off yours and build another.”
“Nah, it’s fine,” Ryder says, standing up. “It’s just a fucking car.” He storms back into the house, and I let him. Ryder is getting used to letting his feelings out; I don’t want to push him. I give it fiveminutes before I follow him, and he and Les are in a face-off in the kitchen.
“Ryder. Don’t make me remind youagainthat I’m the fucking boss,” she grits out.Shit.
“Don’t make me remind you that this fucker is blowing shit up now,” he growls.
The rest of the guys are watching it play out at the island. Ryder is already riding that fine line of freaking out again. I can see it in the way his hands are shaking. I know he’ll never hurt Les; I’m not worried about that. But I saw his face when he realized he scared her; I don’t want to see that again.
“I’m not fucking stupid, Ryder.”
“Then stop fucking acting like it,” he says, and I watch Les’ eyes widen.
