Ten minutes later, I’ve done nothing more than push the eggs around on my plate and force down two slices of bacon. Well, nothing more than planning the verbal assault I’m going to unleash on him for dismissing me like that.
“We leave in ten minutes,” he says when he emerges.
I point to the desk chair I’ve pulled to the other side of the breakfast cart. “No. Sit your butt down.”
“Excuse me?”
“Sit. Down.” A knot of anxiety starts to tighten in my chest, but I force myself to look him in the eye. “Someone’s after me. I don’t know why. I don’t know how they found me. But they’re afterme. I’m so out of my element, I don’t know which way is up. But I do know you were really sweet last night. And now…you’re being a jerk.”
His ruddy cheeks darken slightly as he swipes a piece of toast from a stack thicker than my laptop. “Sorry.”
“You can do better than that.” I try to arch a brow, but my swollen cheek and eye don’t like that motion, and I stifle a wince. “You saved my life. You slept in front of the door in case anyone tried to break in. You’re like…Rambo or something.”
He snorts and rubs a meaty palm over the back of his head. “I’m not Rambo, sweetheart. Sylvester Stallone’s seventy years old.”
“And you are?” To keep him talking, I shove a forkful of eggs into my mouth. He was so concerned about my dietary habits, maybe he’ll stay put as long as I’m eating.
“Thirty-five.”
I pick up another slice of bacon. “What’s the tattoo on your back?” When he stares at me, almost unblinking, I add, “It’s beautiful.”
“I’m not interested in ‘chatting,’ Wren. I was distracted at your apartment last night and you paid the price. Take your time eating. I’m going to scout from here to the lobby. You don’t open the door for anyone. Got it?”
I nod, but as he rises, his hands find his hips and he pins me with a hard stare until I sigh. “I got it.”
* * *
“How quickly canyou get her papers?” Ryker asks as he paces Second Sight’s conference room.
“Two days.” Clive—our relocation specialist—scribbles on a legal pad.
“Not fast enough.”
Clive drops his pen. “Listen, dude. I don’t know who the fuck you are, but it takes time to build a profile that won’t crumble under scrutiny.”
“Dude? You better watch yourself, punk.”
“Enough!” Dax slams his fist down on the table and everyone falls silent. “Ry, I swear to God, if you don’t pull that stick out of your ass soon, I’m going to do it for you. Then beat you bloody with it. Clive, take it down a notch and work faster. We don’t need this to be ironclad. Just enough to get her into the country and hold up to the basic searches the Russian police might run if things go FUBAR.”
Ryker mutters something under his breath, and Dax swivels his head around. It’s spooky how accurate he is. Even though he can’t see Ryker at all, he’s staring right at him. “This ismycompany. Not yours. You want to run things, go back to Seattle.”
Clive slinks from the room while I hack into the traffic cameras around my apartment building. The ride to Second Sight in Ryker’s rental car was utterly silent. He wrapped his arm around me when we exited his hotel room and kept me tucked to his side the entire time we were outside. I miss his warmth, the gentle way he eased my messenger bag from my shoulder outside the car, his strong hand helping me to my feet after we parked downstairs.
So now, I ignore him—and everyone else in the room. I need to pack a bag for Russia. Check on Pixel. And I need a few minutes alone.
“Wren?” Ryker sinks down next to me. “Did you hear me?” His dark brows furrow when I shake my head, and I swear he looks worried. “Please stay here.”
“No. We had this discussion last night. You need me.” I leave the rest of the sentence unspoken. I need him too. This man exudes danger, and I know, without a doubt, he’ll do just about anything to keep me safe. While I trust the men and women I work with, I’d pick Ryker in a fight every time.
“I need to be able to move around without worrying about you,” he snaps.
“I won’t leave the hotel.” At his frown, I roll my eyes. “Or wherever you want us to hole up. I need a hardline or a strong Wi-Fi signal, power, and to be left alone. You get me that, I’ll find Elena and her brother.”
Dax clears his throat. “You don’t know her like I do, Ry. Accept it. She’s going with you.”
When Ryker curses under his breath and flops against the back of his chair, I can’t hide my smile. “So…when do we leave?”
10
