Page 121 of Power of Shadow

I get up and move my ass to the same couch she’s sitting on. Now I can see her determination up close, but not fear.

My hands cup her face, and my thumbs stroke her cheeks. They’re so soft. “I can’t lose you too,” I whisper. “I’ll never forgive myself if—”

With a twinkle in her eye, she interrupts me. “Nothing will happen to me, my love. I promise you. That’s why you gave my father a week to hide.”

“Truthfully, my plan was to turn him over to the client. I didn’t want to take any chances, but when you were talking in the warehouse, I realized I couldn’t do it. The thought of taking him away from you again is unbearable.” Jesus. I’m crazy about this woman, though she doesn’t know how much yet. “I’ll protect you, baby, or I’ll die trying. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“We’ll find a way out, Ryker.”

Looking at this woman’s face, this stunning woman, I wonder how the hell I could be so lucky. I don’t deserve her, but that won’t stop me from making her mine. “You need to know, Ash, that I’m done for. From the moment I first saw you, I was completely smitten. Now I’m totally and irrevocably in love with you.”

A small smile appears on her face. “That’s good.” Her sparkling eyes stare into mine.

“Why?”

“Because it just so happens that I’ve fallen in love with you too.”

Isn’t this when a man kisses a woman? The moment she curls her toes?

I’ve never considered myself romantic, but I recognize that this is the perfect moment to show this side of me.

My lips find hers in a second. It’s like I can’t live without it. And that’s the truth. I can’t imagine a day without this woman by my side.

“I’ve been thinking a lot lately, and—” Theo breaks the silence. “I have to take care of something first. It’s about my stepmother. And I’d like to talk to you about it, Ryker, but not here and not without a drink in my hand.”

We’re at Feather. A week after meeting Charles Baker.

We have privacy in my office, but Theo still doesn’t feel comfortable.

“Is everything okay with Amanda?”

He shifts again in the chair. It’s clear to me it’s not the chair that’s uncomfortable, but the subject.

“Yes, everything’s going well. Listen, Ryker, the thing is—”

Bang!

My office door slams against the wall.

I look up in rage. What a fucking day!

“Would you kindly stop slamming that door every time you walk into my office? Soon I’ll have to call someone to fix the hole in the wall. What’s wrong with you?”

Eli walks in with his trademark smile. He looks at the door as if he’s seeing it for the first time in his life, then grabs the handle and slams it shut behind him.

I roll my eyes. The guy is beyond redemption.

“We’ve got that son of a bitch!” he yells and throws his fist in the air.

I lean back in my chair. It’s official. He’s lost what little sanity he had left. “We’ve got who?”

“James Elliot, also known as your biological father.” In two steps, he’s next to us and takes the chair to Theo’s left. His gaze jumps from me to Theo and back again. “Am I interrupting something, ladies?”

“Fuck off,” Theo snaps.

“Nice to see you, by the way, my friend,” Eli adds.

“Focus,” I snap. “What do you mean, we have James?”