“I think you’re in love, Julianna Dutch. With a badass biker. The fucking enforcer.” She starts laughing and takes a quick sip. “Jesus. Julianna, you’re in love with the enforcer.”
Smiling and nodding with her, I take a sip, “I am. Oh my God, I’m in love with the enforcer.” We look at each other, then burst out laughing.
“And can we just talk about that bitch Cindy again?”
“I told you what to do. Stay clear of her. Obviously, she has problems.” Gia takes a bite of salad as if it’s that easy.
“See. This is what’s making me crazy. Everyone thinks she’s sweet, sad Cindy. That’s how she gets her attention. She’s way more calculating than anyone realizes. I saw her manipulate Ryder—it was disgusting.” I point at her as I give up on my food, pouring more wine.
Gia sighs. “I don’t know her that well, but the few times I’ve seen her she looks—”
“That’s what sucks.” I interrupt her. “The fact that everyone loves her, and they look at me like I’m some whore.”
“Stop it. Doug and Dolly love you.” Gia pushes my plate in front of me.
“Do they? I mean, sure, they did my hair, but I was paying them. Eve can’t stand me, and Charlie hates me. I saw it. So—”
“They will all learn to love you, trust me. And Eve doesn’t hate you. She’s being… Eve. As for Charlie, I don’t know her that well, but I love David, so she has to be wonderful.”
I bring the wineglass to my lips. “I mean, the way she played Ryder… I swear to God—”
A loud ringing makes us both jump. “Just relax. You’re getting all fired up. Ryder wants you.” She grabs her phone and frowns but answers.
“Hello?” Her eyes get big, and a smile appears on her perfect face.
“She’s right here.” She points at the phone and hands it to me.
My heart flips. No, my heart dives to the pit of my stomach, then back up. I stand and put the phone to my ear.
“Hello?” Sounding breathless, I clear my throat and walk to the balcony leading to the incredible view of their backyard and the ocean.
“You being a good girl?” His voice is so gravelly and delicious.
Instantly my core becomes wet and slick. My eyes fill with tears.
“Ryder,” I choke out.
“Are you?” he demands.
“Yes,” I whisper.
“Good. I have things I need to take care of. I’ll come get you when it’s done.” And then nothing. He’s gone. Glancing down at the screen, I notice a photo of Gia kissing a smiling Granger. I look out at the sunset, which is starting its magical descent, and my body slightly trembles.
Not from the chill of the ocean. I’m trembling that he’s coming for me, and nothing, absolutely, nothing else matters.
RYDER
Present
Disciples’ clubhouse
Burbank, CA
“Good. I have things I need to take care of. I’ll come get you when it’s done,” I tell her, then hang up, pocketing the phone. I shouldn’t have called her, but I needed her voice to give me luck.
I’m superstitious, and what I’m about to do is something that goes against my code.
No women.
No kids.
No animals.
I grab my small duffel bag. It’s been almost fifteen years since Blade, Axel, and I left the military behind. But we’ve never left the brotherhood of the SEALs. I don’t think you ever could really. We were trained to be the best, to survive when others can’t, to do what a normal man doesn’t have the knowledge or stomach for.
We need to strike fast and deadly. In and out in under five minutes.
I take the stairs two at a time. Blade and the others are already waiting for me.
“Ready?” I look at them and smile because as fucked up as shit is right now, there’s a reason I was the best: the SEALs gave me discipline. I needed that—it fine-tuned me as a man and a killer.
“Just like old times.” Blade grins back. “Frosty, you ready?”
Frosty, who’s dressed in all black like the rest of us, carries his silver laptop and a black duffel bag. “Yeah, I’m ready. I can knock those sensors out for as long as we need and scramble the connections, but only if you guys make sure the Feds can’t send an emergency alert.”
We walk outside. The screen door slams with a force that somehow signifies finality.
This is it. Our mission. Ox is already in our large black van, which looks like a mom van rather than a van-van.
“Christ, my dick is hard, and I just had Patty blow me.” Ox grins as we enter.
Frosty sits up front with Ox, who’s pulling all his shit out.
“Okay. They have two agents tonight. Vance Rodrigo is thirty-three and very enthusiastic. He sleeps first, so more than likely he’ll be on the couch when you enter. Ben Asher is the second—he’s forty-two and a piece of shit.” Shaking his head, Frosty pushes his glasses up and looks back at us.