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I glare at him. “Honesty would have been appreciated.”

Presley takes a step forward, hazel eyes so similar to my own blazing with anger. “I may not have been up front, but I never lied. I do want to keep you both safe, and given that I know the types they’ll send—seems I’m the best backup you could ask for.”

I know he’s telling the truth. I can see it. But there’s that sliver of doubt when it comes to Dahlia. If it were my life or hers on the line…who would he choose to save?

“I’ll die for her,” I tell him so there is absolutely zero confusion where she’s concerned. “And if something happens to me⁠—”

“I will protect her, Ryker.” Presley’s expression is serious, his tone sharp. “I understand the priority here, and I give you my word as your brother and as a soldier that I will do whatever I can to protect her. Even if it means laying my own life down to do so.”

“Why?”

“Because she means something to you, Big Brother. And believe it or not? Whatever distance is between us, I want you to be happy.”

Chapter 28

Dahlia

“So there he was, standing in the middle of the living room, absolutely terrified because he had no clue it was me and a strategically placed walkie-talkie,” Presley says with a grin on his face.

Ryker shakes his head, his own smile unburdened for the first time since we got here two days ago. “That was the last April Fool’s I ever fell for.”

“Oh, but it was a good one.” Presley takes a bite of his burger.

Seeing the two of them actually conversing is enough to lighten the heaviness on my heart. I had a nightmare last night, one involving that memory that surfaced yesterday. And after the rest of the night was spent staring up at the ceiling, trying to fall back asleep, I’d given up and gone to the pool for a swim.

It felt nice, but my mood has been off all day. Even though when Ryker turns his full attention to me, it momentarily makes me forget every problem that I have.

Though we haven’t had any other quiet moments together, there have definitely been times I’ve caught him watching me whenever he thought I wasn’t looking.

“You okay?” Ryker asks.

“Huh? Yeah. Sorry, just tired.”

Presley’s phone rings, so he wipes his mouth on a cloth napkin and stands. “Excuse me. I need to take this.”

After he leaves the room, Ryker turns fully to me. “What’s going on?”

“I just had a nightmare last night. It’s no big deal.”

A line forms between his brows. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“There wasn’t anything new to tell. It was the same memory as before, and I was trying not to give it any more attention than it already stole from me.”

“I’m sorry,” he says softly, then reaches beneath the table and covers my hand with his.

“Thanks. But it’s okay.” I take a deep breath and meet his gaze. “I looked up my grandfather today. Phillip, I mean. Presley let me use his tablet, so I did some searching.”

“What did you find out?”

“He was known to be an extremely sharp businessman, but also volunteered at local soup kitchens at least once a quarter. But he wouldn’t tell anyone he was going. It was only after that the occasional picture was released. He didn’t want anyone interfering with what he was doing.”

“That’s kind.”

“Yeah. I thought so. He also ran two different charities, including one that paid off hospital bills at children's hospitals all around the country. He’d have his assistant choose someone at random, then pay it off. The higher the better.”

“He sounds like he was a kind man.”

“Yeah. I thought so. There are some darker things, too, though. Some articles depicting him as someone who was cutthroat at times. I’m not sure what to believe.”