With that, he leaves, the door closing behind him with a finality that rings in my ears.
“This is a trap,” Broadway growls, a caged animal pacing near the door, his knuckles flexing white at his sides.
He can’t look away from Violet on the monitors, and I know exactly what he’s thinking. She’s his entire world: her and their baby. Every moment that passes without a clear plan to deal with Jax, Noretto, and Grey feels like a step closer to losing them.
And as if those two meddling fuckers going head-to-head isn’t enough, Vaughn’s on the loose.
“Maybe,” Koby says quietly, his voice distant, like he’s not in the room anymore. Like he’s making plans no one else is privy to while his gaze remains fixed on Leilani. The way he’s staring at her, you’d think the girl reached into his chest and ripped out his heart. “Or maybe it’s not...”
“I guess this means Bianca’s staying in Columbus?” I ask.
Carter shakes his head. “No, take her back as planned. We should assume Grey’s watching. If we upend our routines, he’ll sense trouble.”
I nod, part relieved I won’t have to argue with Bianca about her living arrangements, part dreading my week away from here.
Away from plans being discussed.
30
Ryder
The first thing I notice when I wake up is the weight of Bianca in my arms. She’s pressed against me, her head tucked under my chin, her breath warm against my chest. My arm is draped over her waist, holding her close.
The second thing I notice is the light creeping through the blinds. Morning. Too soon.
I don’t move. Not because I’m still tired—though I am—but because this is the first time in hours I’ve been able to fill my lungs with ease. Keeping her here, in my bed, was the only way I could make it through the night without driving myself crazy.
I don’t know when things changed so drastically. Whether it happened the moment she first appeared outsideScarlett, the time she woke up from that nightmare, the night we first fucked, or when I saw her tears. Whenever it happened, it hit fast. Hard. Bianca hasn’t been in my life long, but it doesn’t mean shit. She’s in my head. My heart. My fucking soul.
Broadway was right. It does feel like my bones are caving in on themselves when she’s out of reach.
The knot in my chest hasn’t loosened since Jax left, the tension clawing at me like barbed wire under my skin.
Bianca’s safety is my top priority. It has been since the moment Carter ordered me to find her.
I rub my face and squeeze the bridge of my nose.
Wrong move.
Bianca stirs, her hand brushing against my chest. She murmurs in her sleep, the words too soft to make out.
I spent most of the night staring at the ceiling, my mind replaying every word Jax said, every look he sent Carter’s way. I’ve been dissecting it all bit by bit, looking for foul play, but I keep coming up empty.
The threat against the girls isn’t all that’s haunting me. The thought of someone getting their hands on Bianca and using her as leverage tears me wide open.
I tighten my hold on her, my fingers curling against the softness of her night dress. She’s here. She’s safe.
Her breathing changes, a little hitch, and I know she’s awake. I feel her shift, tilting her head back to look at me. Her hair’s a mess, strands sticking up in every direction, but her eyes are soft, sleepy, and warm.
“Morning.”
“Morning, baby.”
We stare at each other, the silence comfortable but heavy. She doesn’t push, doesn’t ask why my mind’s lost in a raging storm. But then she sits up, breaking the spell, and the loss of her warmth makes my chest ache.
She pulls her knees up, resting her chin on them. “What time are we leaving for Cleveland?”
I lean back against the headboard, my teeth gnashing behind my lips.Thisis what’s kept me up most of the night. Goingback to Cleveland when the shit’s less than an inch from the fan doesn’t strike me as a good idea, but Carter’s word is sacred.
