“I know something about addiction,” Liam says quietly. “The way it whispers that the solution is just one more hit of whatever’s destroying you.”
Dom moves to the refrigerator, pulls out four water bottles, and passes them around. His movements are deliberate, giving me space to process.
“I can’t keep doing this,” I say, surprising myself with how broken my voice sounds. “Running illegal games would feel good for a minute, but it’s just another fix. And this time, it could hurt all of you.”
“Would you consider getting help?” Cora asks, her voice gentle but direct. “There are programs specifically for gambling addiction.”
The old me would have laughed it off, made some joke about group therapy being for losers. Instead, I nod. “Yeah. I think I need to.”
“In the meantime,” Dom says, leaning against the counter, “we need to find you something that gives you that rush without the self-destruction.”
Liam tilts his head. “Rock climbing? Skydiving? Something with physical risk but regulatory oversight?”
I can’t help but smile. “Maybe. But I’d still need actual work.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Dom says. “My company needs someone who understands risk assessment. Someone who can look at development opportunities and tell us which ones are worth taking.”
“You’re offering me a job?” I stare at him.
“I’m offering you a partnership position.” Dom holds my gaze. “Your ability to analyze risk isn’t the problem, Ryder. It’s where you’ve been applying it. Use it to build something instead.”
I mull over Dom’s words, feeling a strange mix of gratitude and unworthiness. These people believe in me more than I believe in myself.
“Plus,” Liam adds with a subtle smirk, “if you need that thrill, that rush of adrenaline—” he exchanges a meaningful glance with Dom and Cora, “we can certainly handle that in the bedroom. Whenever you want it.”
A welcome heat flushes through my body, momentarily pushing away thoughts of Pike and my professional disaster.
“Is that right, counselor?” I challenge, raising an eyebrow. “You think you can match what I get from putting everything on the line?”
Dom’s eyes darken. “We could make you beg within minutes if we wanted to.”
Cora slides closer, her fingers tracing up my arm. “There are plenty of ways to feel that edge without destroying yourself.”
“Actually...” I hesitate, suddenly self-conscious. “There is something I’ve thought about. A fantasy, I guess.”
“Tell us,” Cora encourages, curiosity lighting her eyes.
I take a deep breath. “If this thing with Pike ever blows over, I want to be hunted.”
“Hunted?” Dom repeats, his attention fully captured.
“Like the Hunt but reversed. Me alone in a forest, the three of you tracking me down.” I can feel my pulse quickening just describing it. “No maze, no rules—just wilderness and the knowledge that you’re out there somewhere, closing in.”
Liam’s expression shifts from surprise to intrigue. “And when we catch you?”
A shiver runs through me. “Whatever you want. That’s part of the thrill.”
“Jesus, Ryder,” Dom breathes, and I can tell by the slight flush on his neck that the idea turns him on.
“You’d give up that kind of control?” Cora asks, her voice soft but intense. “Be completely at our mercy?”
I nod, meeting each of their eyes. “With you three? In a heartbeat.”
The atmosphere in the kitchen shifts instantly, heat building between us. Cora’s eyes light up with mischief.
“Can I wear a mask when we hunt you down?” she asks, an unexpected thrill in her voice. “Like in the Hunt? I want to see the look on your face.”
“Tie him up, too,” Dom adds with a smirk. “Once we catch him.”
