“What the hell is going on here?” Roman directed the question at Val before turning to Ryan. “Ry, are you fucking bothering my sister?” He held up a gloved fist.
“Roman, please.” Val stepped between the two men.
“No, we’re just working a few things out.” Ryan put his hands in his pockets.
Roman ignored him and kissed his sister’s forehead. “Sorry we’re late.”
“Roman refused to wear what I picked out,” Madison explained.
“I don’t do cowboy attire,” he mumbled. The man was decked out in his usual designer suit.
“Well, you’re here, that’s all that matters.” His wife wrapped her arm around his waist.
Valentina rolled her eyes and glanced back at Ryan, who stood there studying her. He opened his mouth as if to speak but then his phone rang.
“You’re still here?” Roman tossed out as he led Madison past him.
“Fuck you, Caponelli,” Ryan replied.
“As long as it’s not my sister.” Only the fact that the two had a long history allowed them to speak to one another that way. They’d probably said worse when they were on the football field together. It also hit home the fact that there was no use thinking about a future with the one she pined for such a long time. Their families and lives were too different and nothing would ever change that. It was time to stop any involvement before it started. Roman stopped and glanced at her. “Coming?”
“Uh, yes.” She risked a quick look in Ryan’s direction but he had answered the call and was deep in conversation. Obviously, something important had come up. He spoke in a hushed and serious tone, not focused on anything else. The evening had not turned out anything like she expected but it was too late now. There were still some things she wanted to say to Ryan but Roman and Madison expected her to join them. Family came first.
“Roman?” Ryan called out, and her brother turned.
“Keep an eye on her. I had to get rid of one jerk bugging her tonight. I don’t want to worry about any others.”
“Don’t worry.” Roman walked while he talked but stopped briefly to turn around and add, “Thanks.” They both nodded and went their separate ways. The relationship her brother had with Ryan was just as complicated as the one she had with him.
Before going back in the bar, she noticed Ryan getting in a vehicle and driving off. The tires spun and dirt flew. Something must have happened. He was off duty, but was he ever off the job?
“Val, are you are all right?” Madison ushered her through the door.
“Yes, I’m fine.” Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the dim lighting but it was nice to be in where it was warm.
“You don’t look fine. Let’s find a table and chat before Roman gets back.” Her sister-in-law, already very much the mobster’s wife, chose a spot in a dim corner and left the chair with the back to the wall for her husband. He’d be able to see everyone who came in and out.
“It was just a misunderstanding. I went to thank Officer Ryan for helping me and then he ended up kissing me.” Val crossed her legs and swung her foot. “It was no big deal.”
“The thanking part or the kiss?” Madison teased.
“The man infuriates me.”
“Oh no. You’ve got it bad, girl.”
“I do not.” Valentina shook her head.
Madison spied her husband headed their way with a waitress trailing behind with a tray of drinks. “Tomorrow, you and me, I want all the details.” They hushed up as soon as Roman came near.
“What’d I miss? Did lover boy finally leave?” He took the empty chair and the server left their drinks.
“Oh, Romeo.” Valentina called him by the nickname he hated and only she was allowed to use.
“Don’t Romeo me. I just don’t want you to get hurt, and Caponellis and lawmen don’t mix.” He tapped his fingers on the table.
“How can you say that when I’m a lawyer? I’m part of the legal system.”
“The only reason father ever paid for school and allowed you to become an attorney was to protect us from the law.” He pointed a finger at her. “And don’t ever forget it.”
Valentina pouted and folded her arms across her chest.
“Okay, you two,” Madison interrupted. “I’ve been looking forward to this all day. Let’s change the subject and enjoy ourselves.” Her companions both grumbled.
Valentina took a long sip of her drink. Paid and allowed. How dare he. When would she ever be able to live her own life? She sat up a little straighter. Her first step to independence was leaving Chicago. The second was opening her own office. The next would be to date who she wanted to date, not who she was allowed to, and tomorrow she would make that happen. There had to be someone who could take her mind off the drop dead sexy Ryan Donavan.
Ryan
The night turned even colder and Ryan grabbed a coat before rushing into the emergency room. Danny rose from a chair in the waiting room and was heading his way when he spied her. She’d phoned to say Tyler was in the hospital.
“What happened?”
“He’s pretty scraped up but the doctors say he’ll be fine.”
“That’s good, but what happened?” People needed to get to the point and not beat around the bush.
“Kid was riding home on his bike and got hit by a car. His room is down here.” She led the way. “A woman spotted him lying by the side of the road and called it in. He refuses to talk to anyone. Doc said he’ll probably be released in the morning. They’re keeping him overnight for observation since he took a bad hit to the head.”
“Do you think it might be gang related or anything like that?” Ryan kept a close eye on that and refused to let anything even linked to a gang into his town. The one good thing about a branch of the Caponelli crime family living in Genoa was that they didn’t want gangs there either. Everyone knew Roman wouldn’t tolerate illegal drugs of any kind in this town. Never thought I would agree with the man on anything but I do on this. Even the local motorcycle clubs kept illegal activities outside the county line.
“Could be.” She frowned. “What would a kid be doing riding a bike this late? It’s a school night. Where are his parents?”
Ryan sighed. “His father died a few years ago and his mom’s working two jobs, maybe three.”
She nodded. “Well, she sure doesn’t need this added stress or more bills.” Danny stopped outside Tyler’s door.
“Let me talk to him and see what I can find out.”
“Will do. I better get back to the station and finish my report.” She didn’t wait for a reply before heading back down the hallway.
He knocked lightly on the hospital room door.
“Yeah.” The voice was weak but definitely Tyler’s.
Ryan entered and pulled a chair close to the bed. The sight of Tyler battered and bruised hit him in the heart and the gut at the same time. It wasn’t the kid’s fault he grew up in the poor part of town without a father in the house. His mother did the best she could, but working long hours to keep a roof over their head left little time for proper supervision.
“So tell me what happened.” Pain was written all over his black and blue face.
Tyler eyed him from head to toe. “What are you, a Texas Ranger now or something?”
“I got dragged away from a western party, and a very beautiful woman, I might add, so I’m in no mood for messing around.”
“If you’re not working, then why are you here?” He pulled his blanket higher and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Because I happen to care about the people in this town, and that includes you. I don’t have time for any bullshit so tell me what happened.”
Tyler turned his head away, his mouth set.
“Okay, I asked nicely, but now it’s going to get tougher. Do I need to get social services involved?”
That caused the kid’s pale face to go even whiter. “I was just trying to help.” Tyler’s voice cracked.
“Help do what?” Ryan inched his chair closer.
“I know how hard my mom works so I got a job at the gas station on the edge of town after hours.” The young man fought back tears. “I was just trying to make some money to help out. I got run off the road, crashed my bike, and then didn’t show up for my first night. I know I’ve screwed up in the past but now no one will hire me.”
“Did you see who hit you? Did you get a license plate number?” A hit and run was serious.
“No.” He shook his head and then winced. “What am I going to do? Now we will have more bills.” The tough kid was near tears. “I was just trying to help. She needs money.”
Ryan rested his elbows on his knees and rubbed his chin. He couldn’t blame the kid for trying to help his mom, but sneaking out to work on a school night was definitely not the right way. He took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair.
“What if you’d been killed? Your mother would have been devastated. It’s not safe being out after dark on a bike, especially this time of year.”
“It was stupid, I know, but after I got caught shoplifting a few years ago I can’t get a job to save my life.”
“It’s tough losing a parent.” Ryan knew. He’d lost both on the same day and he’d been younger than Tyler at the time. The bouts of shoplifting and skipping school had probably been a product of the grief. It could have been so much worse. At least Tyler had stayed away from drugs and the gangs that had been here before the Caponellis took residence. “Here’s what we’re going to do. Let me see if we can get you into some kind of work program. Maybe there’s something you can do at the station.”
“Yes. I’ll do anything. Sweep floors, take out the trash,” Tyler offered.
“I can’t promise anything, but I want you to promise me something.” Ryan stared him straight in the eye.
Tyler nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“No more sneaking out at night. Your mom has enough on her mind.”
“I promise.”
The chair legs squeaked as he stood up and slid it back toward the wall. Ryan placed a hand on the guardrail of the bed. “Rest up. If you need a ride home in the morning, give me a call.” He pulled a card out of his pocket and set it on the table next to the bed.
“Thanks, I appreciate it, but my mom said she’d be back here in the morning. She had to go back to work.”
“Where’s she at now?”
Tyler told him about the late-night diner she waitressed at.
“I’ll stop by and let her know I’ll bring you home. We don’t want her falling asleep and getting into an accident herself. Call me before they let you out.”
Ryan tapped the card on the night stand and started for the door. “Get some sleep and I’ll see what kind of work I can find for you.”
“I’ll do anything and I’ll work hard.” Tyler sat up in the bed too quickly and put his hand to his head again.
“We’ll talk about that when you are better. Now, get some rest.”
“I will.”
Ryan turned off the light and left the room. He covered his yawn with his hand as he wandered down the empty hospital hall. A night nurse smiled as he walked by. The evening sure hadn’t turned out as planned. That was for damn sure.
Cold, brisk air gave him a burst of energy as he exited the hospital. The automatic sliding doors closed fast as if fighting to keep the heat in place. Days like this made him feel old. Just a little over thirty years old and he was still going home alone.
Ryan hoped he could keep his promise to Tyler. It would be like pulling teeth to get employers to take a chance on a youngster with a checkered past. He could have turned out the same way. His mother and father had died tragically. There was no one there when Ryan returned home after school. Hours passed and it was dark by the time his uncle knocked on the door to tell him neither parent would be coming home again. Ever. He felt like a zombie as he packed up his things and followed Uncle Patrick out the door. It was then that he’d transferred schools and ended up in the private academy with Roman and Valentina. It was crazy how a few minutes, sometimes seconds, could change your entire life.
The truck’s heater kicked in instantly. Ryan took the long way home, stopping in at the diner to assure Tyler’s mom that he was resting fine and that he would bring him home in the morning. She protested at first but the woman was clearly exhausted and finally agreed. He then detoured past the bar he’d been at earlier. Remembering the kiss he’d shared with Valentina had him adjusting the temperature in the cab to cool. She was the one bright spot in his day, until her brother showed up and dimmed things. The prick. Not that he blamed him. If he had a sister, he’d be as watchful as Roman.
He’d not been making much headway with Valentina but he planned to make it up to her sometime soon. Ryan slowed and took a turn around the parking lot. Her truck was nowhere in sight. A chuckle escaped his lips thinking of her in that huge truck. He’d dropped off a squad car for an oil change just as she was driving out and the mechanic mentioned that the long-legged brunette just bought it. It wasn’t any bigger than his but it surprised the hell out of him. She surprised the hell out of him. Pausing before turning into the street, he cursed and headed for the place he’d heard she’d moved to, or was moving to. It was a small town so he knew she’d been staying with her brother and Madison. It felt a bit stalkerish but he wanted to make sure the woman got home safe. He wanted all the residents of Lake Genoa to get home safe.
In mere minutes he cruised down her street and spotted her truck parked in the driveway of an old Victorian home. The lights were on and he spied her slim figure walk by the window. It took all he had not to stop and scold her for keeping her shades open at night and to double check that she’d locked her doors, but he’d probably come across as a peeping Tom. Knowing her brother, the place probably already had a kick-ass security system and was being monitored twenty-four seven.
He’d always thought of Valentina as being sheltered, a rich princess in a tower. Ryan had taken an oath to protect and serve, but at this moment in time, the only one he most wanted to save from harm was the one out of reach.