“Where are you going?” I slam a fist down, “We can protect you.”
“No, you can’t. Don’t underestimate them, Lex, they are bigger than any of us could have expected. They haveeverything. Valentine is a pawn to them. Nothing more. They don’t like getting their hands dirty but trust me, if they have to, they will.”
“What did you get?”
“Everything Lex, all of it. I can’t, not on the phone, when I can, I’ll be back.”
“And Ryker?”
“Tell him for me?”
“Do I look like your errand boy?”
She laughs, “You’re an asshole. Please, tell him.”
I sigh.
Ainsley wasn’t supposed to be a part of this crew. She didn’t fit. But I took her in anyway, thanks to whatever obsession Ryker has with her, and since then she’s become as important as Ryker. A sister in arms.
“Sure. Stay safe, get me that information,”
“Yes, boss.”
She hangs up. I try the line again a few minutes later and all I get is a disconnection message. Good girl.
If she’s right and the syndicate are big enough to scare her off when she knows she has an army at her back then clearly I am underestimating their power. I dial Ryker and relay her message before hanging up to Ryker cussing up a storm.
Ainsley is smart. She’s a fighter. She can hold her own until I figure this shit out.
I’m still waiting on my father to give me what he knows but he’s been ignoring my calls which tells me there’s shit he’s sitting on and keeping me in the dark.
And that pisses me off.
With no more to it, I head back up to Wren, finding her still in the same position I left her in. I have no hope of sleeping but I can hold her at least.
She’s an antidote to calm the beast inside me. She pushes me, tests me, infuriates me but I always have a leash. One she has wrapped around her hand, holding me tight. With her, I don’t worry about losing my shit, I don’t worry about going too far. In a world where everyone bends to me it’s nice to have someone to disobey me and test my boundaries.
With her warmth enveloping me like a blanket, I push further into the bed.
All this shit isn’t going anywhere, it’ll be here tomorrow so I take tonight. I take the peace and the warm body next to me, and I’ll keep taking until it’s ripped from bloody and broken body.
“You called him!?” Wren seethes.
Ryker sighs heavily.
It’s been four days since Ainsley ran and Ryker contacted Griffin.
“Yes, Wren, I called him,” Ryker confirms.
She purses her lips and glares at him, “Why didn’t you let me do it? I doubt he was all that happy hearing from you.”
“Because you’re naïve!” Ryker snaps.
I shoot him a look to tell him to rein it in and whilst he doesn’t like it, he nods subtly. “Look, Wren, we’ve been doing this a lot longer than you have, there are ways to deal with this shit.”
Ryker turns back to me, sighing heavily, rubbing his temples. “Tonight. Eleven PM at the club.”
“I’m coming!” Wren declares.