The Ritual

This was his goal. To make Ryat see me as repulsive. Matt wants Ryat to throw me away. It’s no longer that Matt wants me. No. He couldn’t beat Ryat, so now he’s going to turn him against me. It’s the only angle he has left to play.

Ryat enters the bathroom, and I drop my head, unable to meet his eyes in the mirror.

“Hey.” Feeling the tips of his fingers on my neck, he pulls my hair off my face with one hand while the other pulls me from the counter to face him. “Blake, look at me.”

Feeling defeated, I lift my head.

“Are you hurting?” he asks, concerned the moment he sees me fighting back the tears.

“No,” I whisper.

He gives me an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry about your dad.”

I look away from him, staring at the white ceiling and refusing to let those tears fall. They’re so close to the edge.

“Blake,” he demands my attention. “Talk to me.”

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I give up fighting him. “He wants you to throw me away,” I whisper.

“What do you mean throw you away?” His face scrunches at the question. “Who are you talking about?”

“Matt. He wants to make me ugly, so you’ll leave me.”

“Blake …” He sighs heavily. “Is that what you think?”

“It’s what I know.”

Stepping into me, he slides both hands into my hair and holds my head steady. “I love you,” he says, making me sniff. “You are the only woman I’ve ever told that to. And it’ll stay that way until the day I die. Your face will heal, your scars will fade, but my love for you isn’t going to change. So, whatever he said to you, or made you feel, don’t let it get to you. That’s what he wants. Understand?”

His words do what I tried to avoid, and the tears spill over my bottom lashes, just for a different reason. That night is still pretty foggy. I know it was Matt, but I don’t really remember any conversation we had if we even did. I just know that this has to be his plan. He wants me away from Ryat, and he knows I’d never leave him.

Leaning down, he presses a soft kiss to my lips, knowing he can taste my tears. When he pulls away, I grip his shirt, not letting him get too far. “Will you take a bath with me?”

“Of course.”

_______________

“DO YOU HAVE any questions for me?” he asks, sitting across from me in the massive Jacuzzi tub. I overfilled it with a ton of bubbles. He picks up my foot and starts rubbing it as he places it on his thigh under the water.

“About what?”

“About the night Matt and I had our assignment.”

“You said you wouldn’t rat him out.” I’m not sure I want to know. I didn’t even know LeAnne existed, and now I’m supposed to just listen to how my ex killed her? Even that’s a little too fucked up for me.

“I’ll tell you anything,” Ryat answers.

“Anything?” I arch a brow at that, and he chuckles, a playful smile on his lips.

“That was probably the wrong answer.” His laughter grows.

“You said it.”

He nods. “Okay. Anything.”

“Tell me about when you went to jail.” Ever since he made that remark, I can’t get the image of him in handcuffs out of my head. I’m sure he’ll look as hot as I imagine it.

“You caught that, huh?” He lets go of my foot for a second and reaches up, running his hand through his hair, getting it wet and making it stand straight up. “Remember when I drugged your water and put you to bed at your apartment before I disappeared?” His hand sinks into the water and goes back to rubbing my foot.

“Yeah …” What’s that have to do with anything? “Wait … you were arrested? That’s where you were?” Prickett told me he was on an assignment and not to call or text him because he wouldn’t answer.

“Well, not technically arrested. It was an assignment that Matt volunteered me for.”

I frown. “Why would he do that?” Another one of his crazy plans?

“Exactly,” he says, confusing me even more. “Remember when we were here before we went back to your place, and I had the TV on? There was a shooting?” I nod. “That was a judge’s house. He’s a Lord. There was a hit out on him. Someone broke in, but he wasn’t home at the time. Instead, they killed his six-year-old son.”

I gasp, placing my hand over my mouth. “That’s why you were so mean to me?” I ask remembering what he said to me at the house of Lords after his meeting.

“I said I’m not doing this right now. And I meant that. So, unless you want to really see me pissed, I suggest you back the fuck off.” His voice is low, his words controlled, but his hand around my throat is shaking, giving away his true feelings at the moment.