“Let me get you a tip.” He released the grip on his gun and headed for his wallet sitting next to the computer. Harper had found one of his strategically placed articles. That would ease her worry some.
Ryker saw the woman’s reflection on the screen as she moved silently behind him. A knife clutched in her hand and raised ready to strike. He spun just in time to miss her deadly blow. Grabbing her wrist, he wrestled to get the knife away, squeezing her wrist until he heard the crunch of bones and the squeal of agony from her lips. The knife dropped to the floor, and the woman scurried out of his reach and back toward the food cart.
“Who sent you? Who knows I’m here?”
Her lips twisted into a smile as she grabbed another knife.
Ryker’s jaw twitched and his nostrils flared as he slipped the gun out of his waistband and squeezed off a shot into her kneecap. The silencer muffled the sound. She screamed and fell to the floor as blood oozed from the wound and onto the floor. He could shoot her in the head. Ryker tilted his head, studying the woman.
“I don’t make a habit of fighting women. Tell me who sent you and I’ll kill you quickly. Trust me, you don’t want me to go slow.”
“If I don’t kill you, he will. He’s made it his mission to destroy every one of you.” She used her left hand to throw another knife at him, and Ryker ducked at her feeble attempt. She inched backward toward the door, and he advanced on her, slamming his boot down into the gunshot wound in her leg. Her cry filled the room, and the fight in her diminished as she crumpled.
The alert on his computer dinged. He jerked his head around. A copy ofhisdeath certificate filled the screen. “Shit.”
Ryker whipped his gaze back to the woman who might have just cost him a date. “Now look what you’ve done.”
Ryker tooka swig of the ice-cold beer. The sound of the waves breaking on thebeach behind the deck was his only companion while he stared down at the phone screen. To any onlookers, he looked bored. Which was the opposite of the truth. Harper was still sitting in her car talking to herself. How did he know? He’d breached the bar’s security. Not only for himself, but to watch out for her. There might be cops in the bar, but men were men, and when it came to Harper, he refused to take chances. He sadistically enjoyed her struggle to capture her composure and regain her iron will. No way would she drive away. Not his Harper.
She opened the door and then shut it again, twice. She held both phones in her hands before tossing one into her little clutch. Probably the same place she carried the mace. She opened the door once again, and Ryker took another sip. His mouth twitched with amusement around the bottle. This time, she’d gotten out.
“Baby steps, princess.”
His pulse quickened as he rubbed the stubble on his jaw. She was dressed exactly as he’d expected; jeans and a T-shirt stretched across her chest, and she’d changed into a pair of tennis shoes for a quick escape. Ryker followed her progression until she was safely inside the bar. The deck was nearly empty. A couple sat in the corner, making out as if nothingin the world mattered. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been comfortable enough to drop his guard.
He hit a few buttons on his phone to hide the surveillance program and took another sip of his beer while silently watching the men in the bar. They’d turned to look at her as she entered. She’d grabbed more than one man’s attention, and a few women sneered. Wait until they figure out that Harper was the reason he’d ignored a half dozen women that tried to flirt with him for the last hour. She wasn’t making friends tonight.
Her gaze swept across the room, never really stopping on any one person as she made her way to the bar. Ex-FBI Agent Cooper Cruz greeted his sister-in-law with a friendly smile. Ryker had made it a priority to dig into everyone she interacted with, including her family.
Harper ordered a drink and whispered something to Cruz. Her words made him scowl. While she waited for her beer, she closed her eyes. If it was anyone but her, he’d have warned her about leaving herself vulnerable. Within seconds her eyes shot open and landed smack-dab on Ryker’s gaze.
I bet she kicked ass at hide and seek.
Harper suckedher bottom lip between her teeth and picked up her beer. Butterflies danced in her belly as her mind warred about the brainless move she was about to make. She’d closed her eyes and felt his energy caressing her, as if she could feel his actual touch. She’d known exactly where he was sitting. She pegged him with her gaze as she stepped out onto the deck and sauntered right to his table. The smile in his eyes ignited a sensuous flame, heating her cheeks. Ryker Cage would be the porn star of her wet dreams tonight. Muscles coiled and bunched beneath his black T-shirt. A tattoo peeked out on his arm from beneath his shirt sleeve. Inked and sexy, shit, shit, shit. So much for getting him out of her system. Harper moistened her lips.
“Was I everything you imagined, princess?”
His deep, sensual voice sent a ripple of excitement through her body. Damn.
“Would you mind standing?” she asked as she put her purse on the tall wooden tabletop.
“Sure.” He slid off the stool. His long legs were like sturdy trunks. The jeans hung loosely at his tapered waist. His black boots were huge. Double damn, if foot size suggested the length behind his zipper, she’d be walking funny for days, if she ever gave in. He was easily six feet tall,a big-shoe-wearing, pin-her-to-the-wall-ravish-her-body kind of man.
Harper slowly walked around him and clutched her hands into fists, digging her nails into her skin to help keep her grounded. She wasn’t ready to scream ‘take me’ to a damn stranger until she was positive he wasn’t armed. Her mom would be mortified, but Aunty Betty would be proud.
She lifted his arms out to his sides. She’d planned to pat him down, mimicking the way they do in the cop shows. It probably didn’t matter. He looked like he could snap her like a twig. “I’ll make this fast.”
“I’d rather you go slow.” He turned to face her and took her hands in his warm hold and placed them on his chest.
“When looking for a weapon or accounting ledgers, you need to be thorough.”
Muscles bunched beneath her palms as he moved them around his chest and down to his waist. The intensity in his blue eyes made heat pool between her thighs. Her heart jolted and her pulse quickened as she fought the pull of his masculinity. The sight of his shirt stretched tight across his broad chest, and the scent of masculine cologne, was nearly her undoing.
“Always check the waistband.” He pulled her body flush against his hard chest, and he moved both of their hands around his body to the back.
“I’d planned to do that without your help.” Her voice sounded wanton and not at all strong, as she’d intended. Damn him.
“My apologies.” Ryker released his hold and raised his hands to his sides. “I just thought you might enjoy a tour.”
