Pulling over a tray, she murmured, “Try to eat a little something. You need to keep your strength up.” Fidgeting with the front of her shirt, she asked anxiously, “Are you going to be at Mercy if I come and visit you tonight?”
Sighing, he waved her over. “Look, doll, you stay away from wherever I’m supposed to be, ‘cause you know it ain’t safe.”
Nodding, she whispered, “Take care of yourself. I left my number on a little piece of paper in your shoe. Call me if you need anything.”
Cupping her chin, he tilted up her face to look into her eyes. “I don’t know what’s going on between us, but I want more of it. What do you say I give you a jingle when it’s safe, and we’ll see where this goes?”
She nodded to him. “I like you, unlike your little friend with the stringy hair. He’s kind of an asshat. Do you have any idea why he’s gunning for you?”
“I killed his brother,” Ryder choked out in a hoarse whisper.
Her gaze held tight to his, searching his face for some clue as to why he would do that. The poor woman honestly looked shocked shitless by his abrupt admission.
Cursing under his breath, he stated flatly, “Hey, babe, I never said I was a saint.”
She began to scoot back. “I don’t know how I feel about that.”
“You’re too trusting, Tiff. You warmed right up to me, even though I look like leashed carnage.”
“I’m not mentally deficient.”
“I’m all too aware of that fact. You should be commended for not assuming the worst of me, but I’m not like most people.”
“It was your eyes,” she blurted.
“My what?”
“You can tell a lot about a person by looking into their eyes.”
Ryder swallowed thickly. “What about my eyes caught your notice?”
Moving a little closer, she spoke softly. “Your eyes are very honest and a little haunted. I don’t know if you realize it or not, but you’re very direct. I’m thinking you don’t bother lying very much because you could don’t care what people think of you.”
Her insight shook him up a little. He wasn’t used to being read so clearly by another person. Trying to get back to the point, he insisted, “I’m just pointing out that most people aren’t very nice, doll. You need to be aware most people you are going to meet are pretty selfish and self-absorbed.”
The look on her face told him she wasn’t buying his attempt to redirect the conversation.
“Why’d you do it, Ryder? You’re a decent person. If you killed someone, there must have been a reason.”
“It was self-defense, but I’ve done other bad things. I’m not technically what you’d call decent.”
“I refuse to believe that you’re a bad person.”
For some reason, her insistence that he was a decent person provoked his anger. “Well, you better get your head around the fact that I am damn sure not a hero. You know, not all of us had parents at home checking our homework and teachin’ us to be God-fearing little girls and boys. Some of us came from truly shitty circumstances. We had to do things nobody wants to in order to survive from one day to the next.”
“I can’t see you hurting me.”
“There is a world of difference between being capable of and willing to hurt a woman than being a decent human being.” Running his hand through his short, spikey hair, he spat out gruffly, “Shit, girl, I’m trying to give you a piece of advice in case I don’t make it. There’s no goddamn nice way to say that. Just do me a personal favor and don’t be so trusting.”
The empathy on her face nearly took his breath away. “I promise to be more cautious in the future. Does that make you happy?”
“Sure, babe. It thrills the fuck outta me.”
“You’re going to be fine. You’re hard to kill, remember?”
Her gentle teasing took the edge off, causing him to smile.
“Look, I’ve got to go give a report. Stay put and be safe.” She pushed away from the bed and started for the door.