Stryker

Millie rested her elbows on the table with her chin in her hands, deep in thought. “He really did affect you? I’ll admit to being distracted most of the time with Carter, but, I’m worried about you.”

When I started to protest, Millie held her hand out to keep me silent. “I’m worried because that fighter looked like he was ready to eat you alive, and you’re, well, too innocent for the likes of him.”

Surprised, I laughed. “Too innocent? Millie, I’m not a virgin.”

When I heard a throat being cleared behind me, I turned and met the amused gaze of the man sitting at another table who was obviously eavesdropping on our conversation. He looked to be in his sixties with salt and pepper hair, and while he couldn’t hide the laughter in his eyes, his dinner company looked sour, as though my words caused her to grimace.

I smiled, which he returned, and I very nearly laughed out loud at the surprise on the woman’s face. “Have a nice day.”

Turning back to Millie, I grabbed my purse and indicated that we should leave. I left money on the table to cover our bill before I followed Millie outside as she chuckled to herself.

“Evie strikes again.” She nudged into me before pulling me into her arms for a hug. “Be careful, Evie…and please use the keycard to my apartment whenever you need an escape. I have a nice desk and chair set up in the window now so you can work there.”

I needed to get away from her before she discovered just how upset I was with the whole mess I’d found myself in. I needed to learn to say ‘no’.

I swallowed a few times, and finally said, “I promise, and the location of the desk sounds tempting. Very tempting.”

She grinned. “Thought it might.” She turned away to walk to her apartment a few blocks away. “I’ll see you tomorrow unless you call around later.”

“I need an early night, so it will be tomorrow at the gym.”

Millie ran back and kissed me on the cheek before she hurried down the sidewalk.

The early night was the truth, but I wanted to spend time on my laptop and make notes about the gym first—the set up, the men that trained, and most of all, I wanted to do more research on Stryker. He intrigued me more than he should, but he’d made an impression on me that I had a feeling wouldn’t be so easy to get rid of.

Chapter 4 ~ Stryker

FASTENING UP MY RUNNING shoes, I pulled my hoodie on and stepped outside onto the balcony where I breathed in the fresh air. My hands tightened around the railing as I took in the view of central park in front of the building. The high rise buildings across the park were far enough away to give me a sense of seclusion but close enough where I could still feel the city. Looking down, the early morning workers dashed past the building. I often wondered how it would feel to be kissed goodbye in the morning as I left for a normal day job, and to return in the evening to that same person—my redheaded beauty.

A pipe dream, I knew that, but I had a feeling my distraction with her would cause trouble. Not just for me, but for her as well.

Entering my line of sight below, a white horse drawn carriage trotted along the road gaining beeps from impatient drivers before it turned into the park. The couple in the carriage were well wrapped, and snuggled together under a blanket.

My mind drifted to Evie again. What would it be like to be that couple in the back of the carriage? Heaven came to mind. As usual though, I didn’t have the luxury of doing something for enjoyment, especially with a woman. Even though I’d disappear and visit Julio, I didn’t consider it enjoyment, I just considered it peace, and somewhere that I could go without a shadow hovering over me.

Inhaling once more, I exhaled slowly and pushed away, backing into my apartment, knowing my day of training was about to start. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to enjoying the training aspect of my life. It kept me going on the days that I’d thought about ending it all.

That would be the easiest way out, but I’d become a fighter and fighters didn’t quit. I wasn’t a quitter and now that I was older, I intended to figure out how to be free without causing consequences for anyone else. My main problem was to figure out a way to find the ‘Irishman’ and actual evidence to what they’d done to me, and maybe others. I was sure that more illegal stuff went on behind my back as well. I knew that the only way I’d be able to walk away was to sell the fuckers out by giving everything to law enforcement. I just hadn’t worked out how I was going to do that, or how I was even going to make contact with them.

It would be dangerous, but it could work.

“You running first?” Jamie asked, which made me realize I’d been standing in the living room gazing into space. He’d been part of my security team for three years and was one of the more lenient guards. We had a kind of understanding. At least, the best we could under the circumstances. He’d turn a blind eye to me sneaking out alone, and I’d return within two hours of leaving. It amazed me that he trusted me to return, but he probably knew I had nowhere to go. No friends. No family. No means to support myself. They had everything. His trust in me had gradually grown, and now I had three hours to myself on occasion.

“How’s Julie doing?” His wife was pregnant and had a bad case of morning sickness, which sometimes would have him looking a bit green when he’d arrive in the mornings.

Jamie smiled. “She’s doing great and, even better, no sickness for four days, and counting.” He chuckled. “She thinks she looks huge.”

I raised a brow in question and hoped I hid my amusement. “Really?”

“No… She looks sexy as fuck.” He grinned. “I keep having to show her.” He coughed as a slight blush coated his neck.

“I guess you’ll need to continue to show her, huh?” Turning my back so he wouldn’t see my smirk, I headed through the apartment before I strode out the door and into the elevator.

“Do you ever miss that?”

“Miss what?” I asked, knowing what he meant but taken off guard by the question.

“Having a woman to keep you warm at night?”