The sun felt good beating down against my skin. I hadn’t seen Ryder all day and it felt freeing. Not that I didn’t enjoy his presence, but knowing he was lingering kept me stifled. I laid back in one of the lounge chairs around Ryder’s hot tub and spread my legs out. I didn’t have a swimsuit, but I did have one matching set of bra and panties. Nothing spectacular. A pale pink set that was on sale while I was shopping for underwear. It was basic. Made of a good material. And that was practically what a bathing suit was, anyway.

Hell, some swimsuits were even more revealing.

I drew in a deep breath and let the sun caress my skin. It had been months since I’d felt comfortable lying out in it. I spread my arms out and turned them upwards, allowing them to drink their fill of Vitamin D while my body relaxed. I could feel the heat of the hot tub beating against my skin and it called to me.

Maybe I would take a little dip after reading one of my books.

“Thirsty?”

I jerked up at Ryder’s voice and saw him standing at the stairs. His eyes were dancing along my body. Drinking in the curve of my legs and lingering on the swell of my breasts. A bit of sweat was dripping down the side of my face and I grabbed a towel, wiping myself off before covering up my body.

The look in his eye sparked electricity in my toes that was quickly working its way between my legs.

“I didn’t realize you were here,” I said.

“If I’m here, you’re here,” he said. “Would you like a drink?”

“Um, yeah. Sure. What do you have?”

“Same as always. Though I think I’ve got some orange juice now.”

“That sounds great. Thanks.”

“Be back in a sec,” he said.

Ryder’s eyes connected with mine before he turned around and headed into the house. I shivered at the look in his eyes. The darkened stare that mesmerized me the first night I was at his house. I closed my eyes and could feel the ghost of his lips against my skin. The phantom feeling of his hands pressed into the small of my back. I inched the towel off my body and gave myself back over to the sun, hoping maybe Ryder would linger a little while after dropping off my drink.

Maybe I could even get him to sit down with me.

I closed my eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep. The sun was so comforting and the bubbling hot tub was soothing to my ears. I couldn’t remember the last time I had felt this relaxed, and memories of better times ran through my head. Becca and I giggling at parties and pulling late-night study sessions where we cramped in papers at the last minute. I saw images of high school. Of Ryder stalking across the parking lot and wrapping me up in his arms. I remembered the first time he kissed me. After our first fight. I wanted to go see a movie and he wanted to walk around and it was the most pathetic fight of my life. But at the time, it felt like the entire world was seated on my shoulders, and Ryder’s kiss took my breath away.

Relieved my shoulders of their heavy burden for a sixteen-year old with a crush.

My eyes fluttered open before a loud crash hit my ears. It jerked me awake and I threw my legs over the lounge chair. My heart was thundering in my chest and my blood was rushing loudly through my ears, and when I looked over at the table at my side I saw my orange juice sitting there.

Sweating with the heat of the sun like I had been.

Something that sounded like murmuring came rushing from the house and I stood to my feet. I grabbed the towel and wrapped it around me before I reached for my phone. I dialed Ryder’s number to see if he was there.

But instead of picking up, it rang until it shot me to his voicemail.

The backyard was eerily silent. The sun was beating down against my shoulders and I was beginning to feel the first stages of sunburn. Holding my phone tightly in my hand, I walked up the concrete steps. One at a time as my eyes darted around the house. There wasn’t a sound. Not a peep of anything to be heard.

I convinced myself I was just hearing things. That it had been part of my dream.

Until I walked down the hallway and saw the front door wide open.

My eyes widened when I saw a car sitting in the driveway. I recognized that car. It was the car Langley had purchased for me just before he went on that business trip. Before I decided to pack up my things.

Before I left him.

Holy fuck. Langley was at the house.

“Ryder?” I asked. “Are you here?”

The silence wasn’t so comforting any longer and my hands were beginning to tremble. I heard something crash in the kitchen and I blasted up the steps. Taking them two-by-two as I dialed Ryder’s number again. It shot me to his voicemail as I ran down the hallway, opening doors as I went down to try and disorient whoever the hell was in the house.

But I knew who it was.

Even if I didn’t want to admit it.

I slammed into the room at the back of the house and lock the door behind me. I raced to the closet as I dialed Ryder’s number again, silently begging for him to pick up. Tears were welling in my eyes as footsteps came up the stairs.

Slow.

Steady.

Mindful.

“Come on, Ryder. Please. Pick up,” I whispered.

“Come out, come out. Wherever you are.”

Langley’s voice made me whimper as tears flooded my cheeks. I slapped my hand over my mouth and tried to stifle my crying. I could hear him banging his fist on the walls coming down the hallway as he approached the room I was in.

I dialed Ryder again, but this time it shot me straight to voicemail.

So I dialed 9-1-1 and tossed my phone into the corner.

My body trembled and my lip quivered. I searched around for something in the closet to defend myself, but all that was there were some shoes and wooden hangers. I reached up and grabbed one, hoping it was sturdy enough in case I decided to beat the shit out of that fucker.

But the closer his footsteps got the more paralyzed with fear I became.

I didn’t know where Ryder was and I didn’t know if he was okay. I had no way of alerting his team and I wasn’t sure if emergency responders would get here in time. Where was Ryder? What had happened to him? Was he okay? Had Langley done something to him?

The door to the room burst open and I began to shriek. I clamored to the side of the closet, hoping it would stall Langley in being able to reach me. But instead of hearing his footsteps along the carpeted floor, all I could hear was silence.

Until his voice called out.

“Alicia!”

Then, heavy footfalls coming up the steps.

“Alicia! Answer me!”

Ryder.

Oh my gosh, Ryder was okay.

I smiled and crawled on my knees to look through the slats on the closet door. Tears of horror turned to tears of joy as I watched Ryder stumble up the steps. He looked disoriented. Like he was going to be sick.

“Alicia? Where are you!?”

I was seconds away from ripping the closet door open. From running down the hallway and into his arms where I knew I would feel safe and protected. I stood to my feet and watched him dart his head around, on the lookout for a trap as he made his way back into the room.

But my smile sank when a looming shadow appeared at his side.

“Ryder! Look out!”