Stryker

Patrick!

Stryker’s hands flexed on my hips and my forehead dropped to rest against his back. I’m a coward for hiding behind him because Patrick would see me. There wasn’t anyway that he wouldn’t, especially when I watched around Stryker’s arm.

“Carter, you need to leave,” Patrick’s voice hardened while he glared at Stryker, but the fighter refused to budge.

A tick started at the side of Patrick’s mouth, which told me he was about to lose his patience. The two other men with him were large, and strangers. I had no idea what Patrick had become, but I knew it was someone I hated.

“Little Evie, you might as well come out of hiding and face the music.”

Stryker’s grip went hard, but I managed to slip out and stand between him and Carter.

“I’m actually curious, Evie, as to why you asked your parents’ to cancel the wedding without telling me first.” He raised a brow and my temper rose.

“You’ve avoided me and made sure there was always someone else around. I had no chance to tell you.”

“Hmm.”

Stryker wrapped his arm around my shoulders and tugged me against him. Patrick’s eyes followed the movement, his jaw clamped tightly together.

“How touching,” Patrick sneered. “My fiancée.”

I felt fear the night he’d attacked me, but nothing like what I felt now when I knew he could cause harm to Stryker and Carter.

“Why?” I asked, my voice letting me down with how weak I sounded.

“Why what?” His eyes narrowed.

He knew what I asked and had decided to be a bigger prick than he already was.

“Why are you marrying me when there isn’t any love between us?”

If I hadn’t been watching him closely, I’d have probably missed the flick of something in his eyes. He wasn’t as immune as he wanted me to think.

“What I want doesn’t come in to it.” He clenched his fists, and looked away before he narrowed his eyes on me. “We are getting married on the weekend regardless of what your parents think. Your mother has been instructed to continue to get everything ready.” He looked at Stryker. “And you, are going to get to fight on the evening of my wedding. Lethal Black will be there, and so will you.”

Stryker tensed seconds before he passed me to Carter, who put me behind him. “I’m with you, but there’s no way to get Evie out of here if we fight,” he hissed.

I wished Carter hadn’t been so logical because his words brought Stryker’s eyes to mine before he seemed to have a private conversation with Carter.

“We need to talk Patrick, but I want Evie and Carter to leave.”

“What? No way. I’m staying with you,” I begged.

Stryker grabbed my chin and brought my face so close to his. “I can’t do what I have to do while I’m worrying about you. I need you safe.” He kissed my cheek and whispered, “I love you, Evangeline. My Evie.”

I started to cry at hearing his whispered confession, and didn’t put up any kind of fight when Carter led me out of the locker rooms to the front of the gym.

The cold air hit me as soon as we exited. I turned to Carter. He silenced me with just one look.

“I need you to go to the café close to Millie’s apartment. It’s her favorite.”

I nodded.

“Wait there for me. I’m going to try and bring Stryker there as well, but that might be more difficult.”

“Where are you going now?”

“To help my friend...”