Ryder tipped his chin toward Alex.
“It’s a sleight of hand trick. Magician stuff,” Alex explained. “There was a pressure point in the band, just like my dad used to do with fake coins.” That hint of a smile was the first spark of light I’d seen in his eyes all day.
Maybe this man really could abracadabra my problems away. God, if only.
“Well,” Alex started, clearing his throat, “we should get your band before someone beats us to it.”
And just like that, he seemed to be shifting back into his role. Protector. Operator. My ...what, exactly?Bodyguard?
“I’ll ask Beau to send in his deputy parked outside Audrey’s to grab her ring. None of us are leaving here alone.” Ryder moved toward me, and I could tell he wanted to say something else. Maybe apologize again, which I didn’t want. I needed us all to move forward.
“We need to find a secure location to get to while we wait on the secretary to reach out. We’ll work the case from there. I’m sure we have eyes on us as we speak,” Alex said in a grave tone. “They could hit anytime.”
Hit anytime?My stomach wrenched. “What if we get rid of the rings? Would that remove the target from our backs? Can we hand them over to the government?”
“Maybe, but we have to find a way to get them to someone we trust. But we don’t know for sure whether the people who broke in Friday are after you, too.” Ryder grimaced, that detail clearly weighing heavily on his mind. “I need to talk to Beau and Trevor about tightening up security until we can put together an exfil plan and get you and Chase somewhere safe.” Ryder reached for my arm and leaned in, preparing to kiss the top of my head. “Love you, sis.”
I froze. The wordslove youlanded like a punch to the chest. The good, restarting-your-heart kind.
Before I could answer, he turned to Alex. “Watch her. Don’t let her out of your sight, got it?” He paused. “Maybe leave Trevor’s bedroom, though.”
He took off after that, and I gave a small nod to Alex and started for the living room. I peeked in to check on Chase. Satisfied he was laughing and absorbed in building LEGOs with Seraphina, I shifted back into the hall. That sound and sight were proof that some piece of normalcy could still exist amid the chaos.
I’d started to turn, unsure where I planned to go, when Alex blocked my path.
“I’d like to go outside, please.”
He frowned. “And I’d prefer you stay inside. I never should have let you walk with me yesterday near the woods. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
“Well, did you know the truth about Mitch yesterday?”
“No, but I know the truth now.”
Fair enough.But I pressed my hands together in prayer position anyway. “Eden’s probably in the kitchen. The office is booked for mission stuff. Just sixty seconds on the deck for fresh air? No venturing into the woods, I promise.”
“You’re asking me to not think clearly again, is that it?” He braced a hand against the wall, staring down at the hardwood.
“Just asking for air.” And why’d I get the feeling this man would give me almost anything I asked for?
He slowly met my eyes as he retrieved a Glock he had hidden at his back. “Peligroso,” he warned under his breath.
“But . . . ?” I lifted my brows.
“But you win.” He shook his head. “Now, get your jacket.”
I patted his chest twice in thanks, grateful he’d listened, also feeling a little guilty about the power I seemed to have over him, which he clearly didn’t like.
We bundled up and went out to the back deck before he could come to his senses.
The mountain air was crisp and clean, and I pulled it deep into my lungs like it might wash away everything.
“I think I’m still out of character. I may not feel like myself until this whole mess is over, not just because of the knock to my head.” I shifted around to face him.
“So am I, because you shouldn’t be out here.” He quietly studied me.
“Can I ask you something?” I found myself whispering.
He scanned the yard. “Down to thirty seconds out here, but yeah.”
