Ryder wakes up, his head pounding. The night before slowly comes back to him as he remembers Parker in the bar, and the look on her face when Vanessa strolled up to them. And then he remembers the gut wrenching feeling he had when he saw that huge diamond on her finger, and all his guilt melts away. Even though he has to admit his curiosity is peaked on what she felt she needed to talk to him about last night.

BANG BANG BANG

“Fuck! Hold your horses!” Ryder shouts as he fumbles to put on his boxers as he walks to the front door. Looking at the couch, he sees Vanessa lying there half naked. No matter how much she lets him screw her, he won’t let her sleep in the bed with him. That’s not her place.

He swings the door open to find his best friend standing there in his designer jeans, designer blue t-shirt and perfectly coifed hair. Looking behind Ryder, Mason gives him a knowing look and says, “Dude.”

“What?” Ryder sighs. This isn’t new.

“I know the answer to my question on what the fuck you’ve been doing. I’ve been trying to get ahold of you all night and morning, man.”

“I’m hung over as shit, dude. I do not want to talk about this right now.”

“You know crazy chicks like her is what found me here hiding in a small town. Why are you messing with the makings of a crazy ex-girlfriend?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“She’s just like my ex, Serenity, man. You know she set my car on fire. I think I can spot the makings of one of these crazies a mile away.”

“What are you doing here, Mase?” Ryder asks annoyed as he rubs his face. He hasn’t shaved in a few days, and his beard is coming in pretty good. He’s almost to hobo-level.

I’ve been calling you since last night, man. Your Ma called me.”

“Why?”

“Grace was murdered last night.” Grace was Ryder’s first serious girlfriend back home before she cheated on him with her cousin. Third cousin twice removed, but still her cousin.

“What?” Ryder has a sinking feeling in his stomach. Was that why Parker was there last night?

“It’s Kane, dude.”

“V!” Ryder yells turning to the couch. “You gotta go.”

“Why?”

“Get up. You gotta get out of here.” He turns to Mason. “I gotta shower quick. I’ll head with you to the station.”

“Are you seriously kicking me out?” Vanessa asks as he walks into the bathroom and shuts the door. She pulls her dress up and seems completely un-phases by the fact that her breasts were out on display for Mason.

“Bye, Felicia,” Mason says, giving her look a disgust. If anyone needed a shower, it was that one.

Vanessa storms away after she situates herself, and Mason waves at her back as she pushes past him and out the front door. He pulls out his phone.

“Mason? What’s wrong?” Parker answers.

“I’m at Ryder’s.”

“Is he okay?”

“Yeah, he’s fine. A little worse for wear, but he’s fine. We’re heading to the station when he hops out of the shower. Grace was murdered last night.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah, I gotta run. Be careful, okay?”

“I will. You too. You’re on the list of those close to Ryder.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ve survived a couple of crazy ass ex-girlfriends, remember? I think I can handle a crazy brother.” Mason hangs up the phone as Ryder walks out of the bathroom.

“Who was that?”

“The love of your life.”

“Why’d you call Parker?”

“Funny you assuming she’s the one I’m referencing even though you maintain you’ve completely forgotten about her. She’s out of her head or some shit?”

“Shut up. You gotta drive.”

“You don’t want me to hop on the back of your Harley and ride nuts to butts with you?”

“As appealing as that sounds, my bike is at the bar. V was my ride home.”

The two climb into Mason’s blue Ford Focus and reach the station within minutes. They walk in to see Sam, his former co-workers, Parker, and Paige.

“I figured I’d see you eventually,” Sam says and hands him a copy of the report. “You look like shit.”

“Do you think he sent the letter with no time to try and figure out who the first victim would be?” Parker asks Sam, purposely not looking at Ryder. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail, and she was dressed in leggings and a light blue sweatshirt that brought out her eyes. He guessed she had just finished her morning run. This girl was still as predictable as ever.

“What letter?” Ryder asks, but Parker won’t even glance in his direction. He definitely feels guilty now.

“I’ll tell you later,” Mason says under his breath.

“What can we do here, Chief?” Mack asks.

“Right now, it’s out of our jurisdiction. There’s nothing we can do. But unless someone can get on top of him, I expect it to move here sooner rather than later. Park, you’re kind of the Kane expert. Are you ready to help try and decode any more letters?”

“Of course. The first one has me a bit baffled. What familiar yet foreign faces was he referring to? It has to mean something.”

“Hey, Park, can I talk to you for a second? Outside?” Ryder runs a hand through his damp hair.

“No.”

“Please?”

“I think you said everything you needed to last night, don’t you? Besides, you now know what I wanted to talk to you about. I think we’re good.”

“I need to apologize.”

“Parker!” a voice calls from behind.

Ryder sees the shocked look on Parker’s face and turns around to see a man with sandy blonde hair striding towards them. He envelops Parker into a big hug, her shock leaving her stiff.

“Jacob, what are you doing here?”

“I had a couple of meeting I could reschedule. I took the week off to visit my girl’s hometown.”

Mason leans against the back wall and eyes Jacob.

“The fiancé?” Sam asks.

“Yes, sir.” Jacob extends his hand out.

Sam takes his hand and shakes it. “Sam.”

“Did you know he was coming?” Paige whispers to Parker and Ryder overhears.

Parker shakes her head, and if Ryder isn’t mistaken, she looks irritated by his presence. It makes him a little happy.

“This is Travis, Scott, and Mack. They’re deputies, too. Mason’s on the back wall eyeing the shit out of you, and this pretty lady is my best friend, Paige. And that’s Ryder.” Parker points everyone out, but avoids making eye contact with Ryder.

“Ryder,” Jacob says as he extends his hand.

Looking back at Mason, Ryder takes the extended hand. Mack and Travis take a step closer to the two men.

“Thank you,” Jacob says.

“You’re welcome?” Ryder looks to Parker who looks at him for the first time and shrugs.

“You saved my girl. She wouldn’t be here without you. I will be eternally grateful. Plus, you know you kind of pushed her my way.”

“Jacob!” Parker snaps.

Ryder pulls his hand back like a snake just bit him. “It was everyone, really,” he says through gritted teeth.

“We all love Parker,” Sam says trying to defuse the situation.

“I really need to get going,” Ryder says. “This hangover is going to kick my ass if I don’t get some greasy food in my system. Keep me in the loop, Chief?”

“Absolutely.”

“Goodbye,” Ryder says as he looks right at Parker.