I stared down at Ryder’s contact info until the letters and numbers blurred together. It was almost three in the morning, but I couldn’t sleep. I was shocked, if not mildly traumatized, by all the events of the previous evening and all the new information I learned both about my father and my ex. The only one who knew what I was going through was Ryder. Ryder wanted me to need him. He needed my help to get to my dad, and he would’ve done anything to lure me back into his trap. I had no reason to believe that Anthony was part of the Russian mafia. Especially since the man who told me this information was also my enemy. Of sorts anyway.

I had no idea what to make of my relationship with Ryder. It wasn’t a relationship at all. He needed something from me, and I wasn’t about to help him unless he could offer me something in return. By the looks of him last night, he was willing to help me solve my stalker problem in exchange for me helping him with his problem. It wasn’t exactly an equal trade. What he was asking of me was unheard of. Ridiculous. If I had never seen that photo, I would’ve labeled him a psycho and sent him packing.

The crux of it all was the goddamn photo. What had Dad done to Orielle, if anything? What had he been involved in? I wanted to find out just as much as Ryder did. My curiosity ran too deep to be curbed now. It’d been years and years since I last saw Ori, but I knew I hadn’t been crazy when I saw her face. We’d been childhood friends. But that had been a long time ago. Why did I still care? And now Dad had his guard up and he wouldn’t trust me anymore, especially since he learned that I helped Ryder.

Maybe I did need Ryder’s protection. At least knowing that I had him around made me feel a bit safer. His broad, muscular shoulders and toned physique, along with his impressive stature, could intimidate almost anyone. Ryder was probably the last person in the world I should’ve sought protection from. Yet, somehow, knowing I had something he wanted from me made me certain he’d protect me against Anthony. I had no idea how dangerous Anthony was, but I definitely wouldn’t be the first person to get murdered by a jealous ex turned stalker. So many facets came into play, each an overwhelming hurdle that could play out in a million different ways.

My thumb hovered over the call button, then slid down the side of the phone. I’d call him later. After I had a good night’s rest. Maybe with a clear head, I’d change my mind.

Try as I might, sleep wouldn’t come, and I ended up getting out of bed at 4:45 a.m. and going for a quick jog. It was foolish, almost insane, to go jogging after everything that had happened the night before, but I was sick of feeling like a caged animal in my penthouse. Northbridge was still asleep when I left; only a few cars zipped down the street, and most of the buildings were still bathed in darkness. The sun would rise in the next hour, bringing with it the chaos of a city waking up for a new workday. I didn’t feel like going to work, but if I didn’t show up, Dad would get notified, and I didn’t want to speak to him. His men were probably still out looking for Ryder, and I didn’t know whether that was a good or bad thing. I’d helped Ryder with the sutures, but that didn’t mean I had to continue helping him.

He was an unpredictable cyclone, and if I let him into my life again, there was no telling how much destruction he would cause.

* * *

As soon as I walked through the doors of Bar None, Felicity greeted me with a bouquet of pink and yellow roses. “These came for you, first thing.”

“Morning, Fi. You’re early today.”

“I’m making an effort.” She smiled and smoothed out her skirt. Felicity Buchanan clearly wanted a promotion, and she deserved it. I just had trouble relinquishing control.

“Who delivered these?” I nodded to the roses.

“Some florist. I wasn’t paying attention.”

I took the bouquet from her and searched for a card. After a few seconds, I found a square slip of paper nestled among the stems. Waiting for your call. :)

Had Ryder sent these? He didn’t seem like the type to send flowers, but maybe he really wanted to win me over. I wanted to laugh at how preposterous the entire thing was. He was asking me to betray my dad and sent me roses to convince me? I’d been planning to call him anyway and decided that since he went the extra mile and got me flowers, I’d call him now, as opposed to after work.

The line rang twice before he picked up. “Thanks for the roses. They smell great.”

“I’d say you’re welcome, but I didn’t send you any roses.”

Dread sank like a lead weight inside me. “Shit, that means—”

“If I were you, I’d file a report and hire a bodyguard. ASAP. He’s a wanted man, Cally,” Ryder said. “Or I could—”

“I don’t want to go see the police now, especially after last night. What if I bump into Nathan? Or one of my dad’s other friends?”

“Paul’s tight with the local cops, then?” Ryder asked.

“Everyone’s ‘tight’ with him, Ryder. He’s Paul Rayner,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“That’ll make things harder for us, then.”

“How exactly do you plan to scratch my back if I scratch yours?” I demanded.

“Huh?”

“What’s in it for me?” I said, kneading the knot in my neck. Sleep deprivation was quickly taking its toll. I needed my problems to go away, the most pressing one being Anthony’s persistent harassment. I’d do anything to get that psycho off my back.

“Want me to track down Anthony and rough him up a bit?” Ryder said.

“If the cops can’t even find him, how do you plan to?”

“I have connections the NBPD don’t. A network of spies around the city,” Ryder bragged.

“This isn’t a Bond movie.”

“I was just trying to—”

“If you can track Anthony down and make him stop harassing me, I’ll help you.”

“How do I know you’ll uphold your end of the bargain?”

I drummed my fingers across my desk. “You don’t.” But what choice did he have?

“Fine.”

“How long do you think it’ll take for you to track down Tony?”

“About a week.”

“Seriously?”

“I’ve got a few good guesses as to where he might be hiding,” Ryder said. “In the meantime, act normal. Go to work, hang out with your friends, and keep things cool with your dad.”

“I already know that.”

“If he asks about me—”

“Haven’t seen you since the party.”

“Right. I’ll let you know when I’ve taken care of your problem.”

“Jeez, Ryder, you make it sound like you’re going to kill him.”

“I’m not a killer, Cally.”

After I hung up, I leaned back in my office chair and released the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. Why did I feel as if I’d just made a deal with the devil? Would this backfire on me down the road?

“We’re opening in five minutes, Ms. Rayner. Chef Blentham wants to speak to you,” Felicity said.

“Be there in a couple seconds.” I stood up, smoothed out my skirt, and forced a smile on my face. Ryder’s words echoed in my mind: In the meantime, act normal. I could do normal. I definitely needed some normal in my life right now.