Sadie
LATER THAT EVENING, I was curled up on the sofa upstairs attempting to read, but distracted by the view of the city lights. Scottie and Molly were downstairs watching a movie and Ryder was catching up on some work on his laptop. Reese had left an hour ago (I’d come to an internal truce with him, however, I still believed his life’s goal was to push my buttons), and Ollie would be around shortly with frozen yogurt. I had an inkling Scottie might not be the only one with a crush, especially since Ollie had a similar lovesick look on his face around her, but kept my opinion to myself.
“Babe?”
I glanced up from my Kindle. “Hmm?”
“I’ve said your name three times.” He smiled. “Must be a good book.”
“The sentence I’ve reread four times is riveting.”
He chuckled. “You okay?”
“Yep.” I lowered my e-reader. “Sorry. Just distracted by the view. You can see all of Portland from here.”
“Way better than the abbey, huh?”
“Yes, honey, it’s way better.” I shook my head. “How’d I end up in your bed last night, by the way?”
He walked over and leaned down to kiss me. “I didn’t want you to wake up in the middle of the night... you know, if you had a nightmare or something... and be scared.”
I reached up and stroked his cheeks. “So it was in case I woke up?”
He nodded.
“You’re so giving, honey.”
Ryder grinned. “I live to serve you, baby.”
Still stroking his face, I cocked my head. “You know that’s the first thing I noticed about you.”
“Oh, yeah?” He kissed me again. “That I live to serve you?”
“Well, no, because here I sit and I don’t have a Guiness in front of me.”
He frowned. “That’s awful. I should rectify that immediately.”
I giggled. “Yes, you should. Once you do, you may have your “Sadie’s servant” card back.”
He clasped his hands at his chest. “Truly?”
“Yes, but there’s a time limit, honey.”
“Right.” He bowed. “I apologize, Your Majesty.”
I clapped my hands. “Chop chop, jester.”
He laughed as he headed to the kitchen. Boy, he was pretty. I liked to watch him coming and going.
As he pulled open the fridge, his phone rang and he put it to his ear. “Ryder. Hey, man. Yeah.” He stepped to the alarm panel and studied the screen. “I see you. Yep. I’ll buzz you in.” He pressed a button and then headed back to the kitchen. “See you in a sec.” He slid his phone in his pocket. “Ollie’s on his way up.”
“I hope my beer goes with the yogurt.” I waved my hand dismissively. “Aw, who am I kidding? I don’t care.” Ryder laughed and brought me a full glass of deliciousness and the can with the excess. “Thank you.”
The doorbell rang and Ryder slid his gun from his holster, checked the camera feed again, and unbolted the door. Despite the fact his home was a fortress, my heart still raced a little as he opened the door.
I relaxed when Ollie arrived, paper bags filled with goodness in his hands. “I come bearing gifts.”
Ryder locked up behind him and yelled down the basement stairs, “Scottie, Molly, Ollie’s here.”
“Crutches, honey,” I reminded him, and reached for the bags.
“Hold up, Scottie,” Ryder called again.
“I’ll get her,” Ollie offered. He handed me the yogurt and jogged downstairs, returning a few minutes later carrying a besotted (and giggling) Scottie. Molly followed, perfectly oblivious to what was going on.
That small observation gave me hope. As traumatic as being kidnapped and held in a horrible place was, Molly seemed to have been sheltered from the more horrific sides of it. Scottie had protected her from much of it. It proved to me (once again) how strong she was, and I had hope that she’d beat back her demons. If anyone could, Scottie could.
Ryder’s hand slid to my neck and he gave it a gentle squeeze. “You okay?”
I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him quickly. “I’m good, honey.”
“You sure?”
“Yep... and I’ll be better when I get this chocolaty goodness in my belly.”
He chuckled and kissed me again, then we all sat around the island and enjoyed our dessert.
* * *
Ryder
Ryder called Reese to check in and was reassured that everything at the bar was going well. He finally felt as though he could relax just a bit. At least until he heard Sadie scream. He hung up with Reese and made a run for the guest room, pushing the door open. “Sadie?” She screamed again and he stepped to the bed and turned on the lamp. “Sadie? Honey, wake up.”
She gasped and opened her eyes, staring up at him in confusion.
“Hey.”
Sadie shook her head, reaching for him as she burst into tears. Ryder pulled her into his arms and held her as he stood beside the bed. “Bad dream, huh?”
“I’m okay,” she whispered. “What time is it?”
“Just after midnight.” He kissed her temple. “Wanna tell me about it?”
“Not yet.” She was kneeling on the bed, her arms around his shoulders, and she buried her face into his neck.
“I’ve got you, baby.” He slid his hand into her hair and forced himself not to focus on the short-shorts and tank top she wore. Damn, she was sexy.
“Hatch was in my room,” she whispered.
Ryder stiffened.
“Not literally,” she rushed to say, stroking his hair. “In my dream.”
He relaxed and shifted so he was sitting on the bed and she was on his lap.
She gasped. “How did you do that?”
“Mad skills.”
“Oh, right,” she said with a giggle.
“That’s better,” he whispered, and stroked her cheek. “You have the best laugh.”
“I do?”
“Yeah, baby, you do.” He kissed her gently. “Do you want to tell me the rest of the dream?”
“There wasn’t much else to it.” She slid off his lap. “Just a rehashing of what happened on Friday, only it was here.”
“Babe—”
“Nope, I’m over it,” she said. “I don’t want to talk it about it.”
Ryder frowned.
“I’m good, Ryder.”
“You gonna go back to sleep?”
She shook her head.
“Then you’re not good, Sadie,” he said.
With a shrug, she crossed her arms. “I’ll warm up some milk.”
Ryder cocked his head. “Yeah? Does that work for you?”
“I don’t know.” Sadie sighed. “I’ve never tried it.”
“How about you come hang with me while I go through the video footage from the club.”
“Are you sure?” Sadie bit her lip. “I won’t be in the way?”
“Honey, you’re never in the way.” He stood and smiled. “But you need to put more clothes on or I won’t be able to concentrate.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll meet you in the family room.”
Sadie nodded and Ryder kissed her before leaving the room.
After grabbing his laptop from his office, he pulled blankets from the chest in front of the sofa and then retrieved a couple of beers from the kitchen. Sadie walked into the room just as he set the drinks on the coffee table. Her clothing wasn’t much better... yoga pants and fitted T-shirt... although, it covered more, she couldn’t hide the sexy.
“What?” she asked, glancing down. “Do I have something on me?”
He chuckled. “Just sex appeal.”
She snorted. “You’re insane.”
Ryder held his arm out and she slid into his embrace. “You’re beautiful, Sadie.”
“Thanks, honey.” She gave him a squeeze. “You’re pretty hot yourself.”
“You okay?”
“Better now.”
“You want a beer?”
“Actually, I kind of want tea,” she said. “Do you have any?”
“Yeah.” He smiled. “I grabbed some of that licorice shit you like.”
“You mean the best tea on earth?”
“The most disgusting tea on earth?” he countered.
She giggled. “You really bought some?”
He nodded.
She grinned up at him. “I love you.”
“Back atya. I’ll make you some tea.”
“I can do it.” She headed toward the kitchen. “Do you want anything?”
“I’m good, baby.” He sat on the sofa and pulled up the first feed from the club video surveillance.
Sadie returned, steaming cup in hand, and sat down beside him. “Anything?”
He shook his head. “It could take a while.”
She pulled the blanket over her. “How do you deal with all those people?”
“I don’t most of the time.”
“You realize you own a meat market right?” she said, then sipped her tea.
“You know what a meat market is?”
“Television junkie, remember?”
Ryder chuckled. “Not by design, but yeah. The club’s certainly turned into one.”
“Who’s that?” she asked, pointing to the screen.
“Bennie.”
“No, behind him.”
Ryder leaned closer to the screen. “I don’t recognize him.”
“Well, Bennie knows him.”
“How do you figure?”
“Rewind a bit,” Sadie said. “They’re having a heated discussion.”
He did as she suggested and he realized he’d missed that tidbit of information. “Yeah, they are having a heated discussion.”
“But you don’t know the other guy?”
Ryder shook his head. At least, he didn’t think he did. He pulled out his phone. “Hey.”
“You got somethin’?” Reese asked.
“Check Friday’s footage.” Ryder checked the time stamp. “Sixteen twelve.”
“What am I looking for?”
“Do you know the guy talkin’ to Bennie?”
Ryder heard Reese click keys on the keyboard in the background. “Give me a few.”
“Call me back,” Ryder said.
“Okay, man.”
Reese hung up and Ryder went back to the footage.
Sadie gasped. “There he is again.”
“Yeah, I see that.”
“Something’s hinky,” Sadie said.
Ryder glanced at her. “Ya think?”
She shoved his thigh with her foot, smiling over her mug. “Smarty pants.”
His phone rang again and he answered. “What do you see?”
“That guy Bennie’s talkin’ to is a Spider,” Reese said.
“What the fu—?” Sadie stiffened beside him and he laid a hand on her leg. “Do you know him?”
“I know of him,” Reese said. “Flick, I think. He’s a soldier... low on the totem pole.”
Ryder didn’t know Flick, but then again, he’d been out of the club longer than Reese. If a soldier was hanging around the Frog, Ryder had bigger issues. “Damn it.”
“Yeah,” Reese agreed. “I’ve sent what I know off to Cam.”
“Okay, thanks. Watch for him tonight.”
“Yeah, man. On it. Watchin’ Bennie too.”
“Good,” Ryder breathed out.
“Any word on the girls?”
“No.”
“Okay, I’m gonna get on this,” Reese said.
“Thanks, brother.” Ryder hung up, sat back, and let out a breath.
“Does Reese know him?” Sadie asked.
“Not really.” Ryder rolled his head to look at her. “All he knows is that he’s a soldier in the club.”
Sadie shuddered. “Everything seems to end back with your dad, huh?”
He reached over and squeezed her knee. “I got you, baby.”
“But who’s got you?”
“What do you mean?”
She set her cup aside and sat up on her knees, moving his computer so she could straddle his lap. “I got you, baby,” she parroted.
He smiled, laying his hands on her hips. “Yeah?”
Sadie nodded. “I can kick really hard.”
Ryder laughed. “Really?”
She nodded again. “Yep. ’Course, the person has to be directly in front of me and someone has to be holding their arms behind them, because I’m useless at defending myself... as evidenced—”
“Shhh.”
“I’m not saying that for sympathy, honey. I’m simply saying...” She sat back, defeated. “Dang it! I don’t know what I’m trying to say. I was trying to be funny. I think you’re wrong. I think I suck at it.”
“Try again,” he encouraged.
She bit her lip and he couldn’t stop himself from tugging it from between her teeth and kissing her. He slid her to the sofa, stretching out beside her, then pulling her on top of him, continuing to kiss her. She tasted like licorice and it surprised the hell out of him that although he may have hated it in the past, on her it was an aphrodisiac. He needed to taste her... every part. Her quiet mews drove him insane, but it was when her hands slipped under his shirt and investigated his abs, he realized they needed to stop or he never would.
He dropped his forehead to hers and took several deep breaths. “Damn.”
“Wow,” she breathed out.
“You are so damn beautiful, Sadie.”
She dropped her head to his chest and sighed. “So are you.”
Ryder kissed her again and then held her close as they continued to catch their breath. Sadie’s hair had come loose from her hair tie, and Ryder slid it away from her face and down her back. “Promise me something.”
“What?”
He wove his fingers in her hair. “Never cut your hair.”
“Never?” She craned her neck to look at him. “You want me to Crystal Gayle it?”
Ryder smiled. “Just not short. Your hair’s incredible, Sadie.”
“Okay, honey, I promise I’ll never cut it short.”
“Appreciate it.” His phone rang, and he held Sadie steady while he swiped it off the coffee table. “Ryder.”
“Hey, it’s Cam.”
“Hey.” Ryder frowned. “Problem with the girls?”
Sadie settled her chin on his chest, her body locked and alert.
“No, man. They’re good,” Cameron said.
Ryder gave Sadie an encouraging squeeze and she relaxed. “What’s up?”
“How well do you know Bennie Pacciana?”
“Shit,” he said. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“It all depends on how well you know him.”
“He works for me, but he’s not a brother.”
“So I’m not gonna find anything?” Cameron asked.
Ryder shifted Sadie and sat up. “What the hell’s goin’ on, Cam?”
“He’s dirty, Ryder, just gotta prove it.”
“Damn it. Do you think he’s got somethin’ to do with the missing girls?”
“Yeah, man, I do.”
Ryder scrubbed a hand over his forehead. “Okay. What do you need?”
“I have the surveillance Reese sent over, so for now, I need you to act natural. Act like nothing’s out of the normal. I’ve got someone watching the girls and Sadie’s aunt. They’re safe, so just focus on business as usual,” Cameron directed. “We’ve got a few things we have to do, but we’re building a pretty strong case.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll let you know when I have more.”
“Thanks, brother.”
Ryder hung up and dragged his hands through his hair.
“It’s bad, huh?” Sadie asked.
“Yeah, baby.”
“The girls?”
“They’re safe. So’s your aunt.”
“And Hayley?”
“Got a couple guys on her, so she’s good too.”
She settled her hand on his back. “What can I do?”
“Take next week off?” he asked, hopefully.
Sadie sighed. “I can’t, Ryder.”
“Reese or I’ll drive you and pick you up. Someone will be there all day.”
She nodded. “Okay, honey. But they have to be inconspicuous. I don’t want to bring unnecessary drama to the school. And I don’t want the kids there in any kind of danger.”
“Then call in sick,” he demanded.
She took a deep, steadying breath. “I get that all of this is coming from a place of concern, but I also have a career that I don’t want to jeopardize. So how about I make that call on Tuesday morning?”
He nodded. “As long as it’s that you’ll stay home, that’d be good.”
She yawned. “Sorry.”
“You should get to bed.”
“Probably.” She squeezed his arm. “What about you?”
He shook his head. “I’m gonna get a few things done.”
“I’ll wait up with you.”
Ryder frowned. “You scared?”
“A little.”
“I’ll come lay down with you for a bit,” he offered.
She relaxed. “You don’t mind?”
“Stretch out beside my beautiful woman and hold her until she sleeps?” He rose to his feet and held his hand out to her. “No, baby, I don’t mind.”
Sadie smiled and took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet, then he led her down the hall to the guest bedroom and climbed into bed with her.
After she fell asleep, he didn’t leave her. He couldn’t. She felt too good in his arms. He stayed and let sleep take him as well.