“What’s up?” Ryker asked.
Ian proceeded to fill Ryker in on Becca’s issues and nightmare. He was the one person who could fly under the radar and help him get things done, kind of like how he’d monitored Harper to keep her safe. Ian needed the same setup for Becca.
“I’ll take care of it in the morning,” Ryker replied.
“What about the door? Can you get me an address for any green doors on Briar Street?”
“Yeah, I’ll hack the surveillance systems for everything on that street. I should have you an address before sunrise. I’ll send it to your phone.”
“Thanks, Ryker,” Ian said and was about to hang up before he stopped. “Oh, one more thing. Can you hack the police department and get everything they have on a woman that was killed the night of the wedding, including the stuff that hasn’t been released to the press.”
“Do you have a name?”
“I think it was Lucy, but Becca’s friend, Danny, came by asking questions. You could start with his computer.”
“That might take a little bit. I’ll see what I can find.”
“Thanks.” Ian clicked the phone off and turned to head back into the bedroom. He found Becca standing in the doorway.
“Who was that?”she asked, not letting on she knew exactly who Ian had called. She’d overheard the whole damn conversation. Ian was going to add security cameras to her house. Her freakin’ house. She kept calm and inhaled a long, deep breath. She’d let Harper deal with Ryker. The entire family knew how well the whole hidden security had gone over with Harper when Ryker had installed shit in her house without permission.
“Ryker.”
His honest answer confused her.
“This is my house, Ian. You’re a guest, and I’m not your girlfriend.”
Ian turned toward the window over the sink, giving her his back. “You donae hae to be my wife or my girlfriend to care about, lass. I’m out of my element here.” He turned back to meet her gaze. “If this was the castle, I could protect you there.”
Let me take you away from this.
She shook her head. “I’m the only one who can track him. I’m the only one who can help make him stop.”
“Why you? Why no’ some other psychic or cop? Why does it hae to be you?”
Becca crossed the room and laid her palm on his arm. “Because it’s the right thing to do.”
He nodded in understanding. His face even softened, contradicting his words. “I called Ryker because it’s the right thing to do. Tomorrow we’ll have an address for the green door, and then we can either check it out or you can call it into your friend at the police department. Although I’m not sure I’d do that just yet since there hasn’t been a crime. If there happened to be one, that would make you the prime suspect.”
“How…”
“You told me in your sleep.”
She shook her head. “I’ve never talked in my sleep. My sisters have tried when I was having nightmares and failed.”
Ian’s lips twitched into a smile. “I’m no’ surprised that you respond to my voice. I cannae wait to see how you respond to my touch. Care to find out?”
“You aren’t touching me.”
Ian glanced down to her warm hand pressed against his arm. She yanked it away and held it against her chest.
“You’re bad,” she hissed. “So very bad.”
“I can be good, Becca. So verra good.” He winked.
The heat in his eyes made her heart race with uncertainty on how much longer she could hold out without giving in. For an entire year, they’d done this song and dance; she’d easily dodged him before, but that was before he was under her roof, within the same room. She had to figure out how to get him to leave before she made the ultimate mistake and gave in. It didn’t matter why she’d been avoiding him all this time. It didn’t matter that he was slowly breaking down the brick wall she’d built around her heart to keep the playboy out. In her gut, she knew that the second she gave in, Ian McDougall would be in danger. Her life would bleed into his. Her nightmares would consume him.
He never dropped his gaze, as if he was the one trying to read her thoughts. She didn’t dare listen into his thoughts for fear of hearing the fantasies playing out in his head.
