“Enough!” I boom.
Ryker’s back goes ramrod straight and even Wren has stopped, turning her attention to me. Her eyes narrow and her lips curl back enough to show me her teeth, and just to spite me no doubt, she raises her knee, hard, and hits my second in command in the dick. When he’s hunched over, she jumps onto his back and pulls the chain securing her cuffs to his throat.
Seriously.
This chick is batshit crazy.
Ryker huffs impatiently but she tugs back, cutting off his air supply. He looks to me for approval and a slight nod of my chin gives him everything he needs to finish this off.
With his bulky frame, he throws himself back and slams her into the wall. It startles her enough for the grip on his throat to loosen, and as she tries to readjust Ryker uses the distraction to bend at the waist with enough momentum to throw her over his shoulders and head and onto the hard wood flooring.
She lands flat on her back in the middle of the hall, hair splayed around her head.
Winded, she stays there, sucking in a breath as I start towards her, leg twinging with pain from where she stabbed me.
I peer down at her, “I believe we’re due a chat, little bird.”
“You don’t say,” she wheezes. “You know people are going to miss me, the cops are probably already on it.”
“I know they are,” I nod, “but I’ve dealt with that, no one’s coming to look for you.”
Her eyes widen but she doesn’t fight, it’s almost like she’s just realized she’s got no hope here.
I reach down and haul her up. She’s weak right now, dazed and injured which makes this a whole lot easier. I pick her up, cradling her to my chest. It would almost be intimate if we were anywhere else and I wasanyoneelse. I ignore the pain in my arm and leg as I carry her, letting it fuel this need.
“I’m tired,” she complains.
“It’s not nap time, little bird.”
“Stop calling me that,” her words are slurred and I dare a glance down, her face is pale, lids hooded. She’s slipping into unconsciousness. The hit to the end when she went down must have been harder than I thought.
Her head rolls back as her eyes slip closed.
I know Ryker will be tending to Ainsley so realizing I have no eyes on me, I detour and take her to a guest room on the top floor.
Why? I have no fucking idea.
When I lay her down on the bed I just stand and stare. Taking in her delicate features, the bow of her top lip, the plush bottom one and how her lashes cast long shadows over the apples of her cheeks. Her copper hair has since fallen out of the hold she had it in and it falls around her head like a halo. Long toned legs, skin milky and smooth. My eyes follow the lines of the tattoo on her thigh and then the one on her arm, intricately etched into her skin, delicate and feminine, a complete contrast to their owner.
There’s something about her that interests me. Piques my curiosity and flames a well of heat inside my body that’s completely inappropriate given the circumstances.
I hook my fingers beneath her chin and tilt her head, inspecting the bruise that has bloomed on her temple and the gash from where I hit her with the gun and then following the deep purple bruises around her throat.
Fuck.
I almost killed her.
Almost.
That wouldn’t have been good, not when I needed her to see this through.
Still out cold, I shackle her to the bed so she can’t get any ideas for when she does wake up and then I leave her there, heading back down.
Ryker is tending to Ainsley who is now awake and sat on the couch, leaning forward with her elbows resting on her knees.
“You underestimated her,” I accuse.
“She’s so small!” Ainsley grumbles and Ry laughs.