KELSEY
Ryder’s been gone for three hours. I roll onto my side and see the early morning sun peaking out of the closed blackout curtains. I stretch and yawn, then slide out of bed. Making my way to the bathroom, I empty my full bladder, then brush my teeth, surprised when I don’t get sick.
A knock comes on the bedroom door and startles me. Ryder never knocks, and Hayden’s in the hospital. I frown at that thought. It’s not right without Hayden, and my heart aches.
“Who is it?” I shout from the bathroom.
“Me, bitch!”
I sling the door open, “Since when do you knock?” Jessie’s hair is in a big messy bun on top of her head, and she’s still dressed in her Victoria’s Secret pajamas.
“It was locked,” She says before shoving her way into the room. I close the door behind us.
“Something wrong?”
“I couldn’t sleep. My mind kept me up all night worrying about Hayden.”
I sigh, sitting down beside her on the bed. “Me either, and Ryder left three hours ago.”
Her brows crease, “What do you mean?”
I shrug, “He didn’t say where he was going, just told me to go back to sleep.”
She licks her lips before biting the bottom one. “Weird. Can I sleep in here…with you?” She raises a perfectly sculpted brow.
“I was getting up?—”
“Please?” She pushes out her bottom lip in a pout and gives me big puppy dog eyes.
I sigh, “Alright, but you take that side.”
“Deal!”
It’s not long before Jessie’s asleep, and I sneak out of bed to go downstairs. I’m careful not to wake her up, although I think she’s going to sleep like a rock from pure exhaustion.
The front door eases open just as I reach the last step on the staircase. I freeze, still traumatized from when I was abducted. Ryder slides in and quietly shuts the door, pressing his back to it. His cheeks puff out as he exhales.
“Rough night?”
His bloodshot eyes snap open, darting to mine. “How long have you been standing there?”
“The whole time,” I answer, but it sounds more like a question. He looks exhausted. From the disheveled hair tothe bags under his eyes, I can tell he’s due for a shower and rest. Knowing Ryder, though, he won’t rest until his body gives out.
He pushes off the door and steps over to me, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing me. I part my lips, allowing him access. His tongue brushes mine, and I can taste the residual weed.
I smack his chest playfully, “You smoked? Without me?” He doesn’t smoke often. Hayden is my smoking buddy. Jessie’s choice of poison is liquor.
“I needed it for who I had to deal with.”
My head tilts, and I frown, “Who?”
“Lilith.”
My head jerks back, “What? Tonight? Is she here?”
“Slow down. Yes and no. She’s in the cellar at the bank.” I move past him and head into the kitchen, pulling a water from the fridge. “I’m going to see what information we can torture out of her.”
I gulp down the water, giving myself a brain freeze. My eyes squeeze shut, and I stick my thumb to the roof of my mouth. That trick never fails.
