“Same,” she said.
What would it look like for them to all be hanging out together, playing a game?
She shook the thought away. She needed to stop being an idiot. There was nothing good that could come of getting involved with them. Billy wasn’t nearly as dangerous, but that hadn’t stopped his fucked up behavior.
Maybe she was doomed to repeat the same mistakes.
The evening went on with a mixture of tame and spicy questions they would hurl at each other. Ryker had once pissed in someone’s gas tank for revenge, and Ezra hated kimchi.
“How can you hate it?” she asked, her words beginning to slur a little. She was done drinking. If she didn’t want to answer something, she would take a fake sip.
“Right!” Ryker exclaimed before chugging water in hopes of staving off a hangover.
Ezra had migrated to the couch, his eyes drooping as sleep tried to pull him under. He shuffled onto his side. “Oh, fuck off.” He lazily swatted at the air. “You eat your cabbage, and I’ll keep eating Willow’s moans.”
Oh no.
What the fuck!
Her eyes found Ryker, who was giving her a strange look. Almost predatory. Her heart rate spiked, thumping so loudly that she couldn’t hear anything except the blood rushing in her ears.
He approached and leaned over the table, palms flat against the wood. “What’s he mean by that, pretty girl?”
Chapter 20
Willow
She swallowed hard. The surge of adrenaline in her system had sobered her a little, but she was definitely feeling a buzz. “Nothing. He was joking.”
“Is that right, Ez?” he called out, still keeping her fixed in place with those intense blue eyes. His hair was a little disheveled and only added to his almost feral appearance.
Their drunk companion didn’t reply. Instead, the only sounds to be heard were the crackling fire in the woodstove and Ezra’s deepening snores.
Shit. He passed out. Though she wasn’t sure what he would do. If Ryker lashed out at her for fooling around with him, then he would blab, and then they would both know.
What did you think would happen, you idiot?
Old memories stirred that she tried to push back into the corner of her mind where they belonged. He looked angry, but not the way Billy would look at her.
Ryker side-stepped around the table. She tensed, gripping the edge and ready to bolt.
“Looks like Ez isn’t able to take back what he said,” he purred, inching closer.
Willow subtly scooted to the edge of the chair. “Well, you can find out in the morning.”
“No.” He shook his head. “I’m going to find out right now.”
He lunged, and she shot out of the chair, aiming for the front door. With a couple strides, he was on her, arms wrapped around her waist as she kicked and flailed.
“Put me down! Ezra, wake up!” Ice cold fear flooded her veins. She was wrong. She shouldn’t have trusted him.
Ezra lay motionless on the couch, one arm draped over his face and his mouth slightly open. She kicked and punched at Ryker, but it did nothing to slow him as he dragged her toward the bedroom.
“What are you doing!”
“I told you, pretty girl. I want answers.” They reached the threshold of the door. She attempted to grab the frame, but her hands slipped. He kicked the door shut. The room was dark with only a bit of moonlight streaming through the window.
He tossed her onto the mattress before pinning her down. “What have you been up to, Willow?”
