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“Yeah, Girl Scout… you are.” Then he gave a pointed look to his friend before walking away and downing his drink as he did. However, when Ryker made a move to get up and go after him, I stopped him by putting my hand on his arm.
“Don’t.”
“He shouldn’t have said that,” he said with a hard tick in his jawline.
“Maybe not, or maybe it was his right to do so, seeing as it came from a good place,” I told him, making him sigh.
“I have known him a long time,” he offered like a confession.
“He cares about you,” I said, stating the obvious and making him say,
“We have been through a lot together.”
“Including hunting me,” I added, knowing the reason for Van’s not-so-subtle warning. Because he had seen what my running had done to his friend. As well, Ryker wasn’t exactly holding back when it came to his feelings for me. Which meant his friend must have witnessed first-hand what my actions had caused. Of course, in my defense, I knew I had my reasons. But those reasons would mean nothing to someone like Van, whose only loyalty was to the man sitting next to me.
“Vander has never seen me like this,” he replied, confirming my suspicions. At the same time, he took my hand in his and kissed the back of my palm while entwining our fingers.
“You’re lucky to have such a good friend,” I told him honestly.
“And what about you, do you have such a friend?” he asked, making me hold myself still for a moment as I thought on that question. Because despite it being an innocent one asked, it came with a whole host of others that would follow. Questions I wasn’t ready to answer.
“So how long is the flight?” I asked instead, looking out the window and still trying to get used to the sight of being above the clouds.
“Alright, Little Dove, I will take the hint but be warned…” He paused as he stretched an arm across me so he could hook a finger under my chin. And once more using it to turn my head back to face him.
Which was when he warned…
“I will soon know you.”
11
SINS AND THE WORLD
RYKER
Icouldn’t help but clench my fist by my side the moment I felt her pulling away from me. I may not have been able to read her mind, but I wasn’t foolish enough to miss the way she struggled with her feelings for me. It was as if she battled against what she wanted and what she feared. And right now that fear was based on me centered at its core.
I also knew there was more to her past than she was willing to admit to, which was why the seemingly innocent question about friendship had been met with a wall of insecurity. She had been so used to running, and not only in the physical sense. I knew this was more like a natural response kicking in for her.
She didn’t yet trust me.
But she would.
I just needed to have patience. Something I would admit to being a failing of mine. A fact that was unsurprising seeing as I was a man that was used to being obeyed and getting his own way. But Evelyn wasn’t just some object that could be bought, nor was she someone I could order to do as I wished. She was a heart I wanted to win, so I could feel the gift of such a treasure being given freely to me.
I just couldn’t make demands of her when it came to her feelings, ones I wanted her to trust me with. But I knew in order to gain such, then the only weapon in my arsenal was that of time. Time spent trying to gain her trust freely, so when I was finally gifted her heart, she would do so with the unbreakable knowledge that I would keep it safe. That I would keep it cherished for the rest of eternity. That I would spend the rest of my many lifetimes being worthy of the beauty that was her… inside and out.
So as much as it went against the grain, I allowed her the veil of secrets and untold stories, issuing her only a hint of the future to come. I would soon know her, something she seemed to worry about for the rest of the flight. The problem was, I didn’t know why. What was so bad about her past that she feared me discovering?
The problem with this was that I had no way of finding out. I didn’t even have the name she had been born with. I even questioned the name Evelyn as being her own. Not that it mattered to me what she had called herself, despite Vander’s snipe earlier. One I knew came from a place of concern for me and not from malicious intent. For he worried for me, and it was unsurprising. Especially seeing as he had borne the brunt of my foul and murderous mood these past weeks. But as for Evie, his warning had been loud and clear. She had been the only one in my life to hold such power over me. A fact that worried Vander.
I was worried also.
My Demon was already addicted, just as I was. However, the more time we spent around her, the deeper that spiral of addiction sucked us under. Which meant that battling my Demon was not a fight I was certain I would win again, should she try to run once more. The power of the other unearthly side would be too great.
And speaking of power, a few hours later and the moment we started to descend, she reached out and suddenly grabbed my hand, doing so as if acting on impulse.
“We are going down.”
