When I come to, Ryker is pacing the perimeter ofthe room, his movements calculated as his eyes sweep over me.
Without windows, I can’t gauge how long I was out for.
I try to keep my breathing steady, but the painful sting on my cheek only makes me more panicked. My mind scrambles for an escape plan, anything to get me out of this nightmare. The more I move, the more the ropes around my wrists bite deeper.
He’s talking, mumbling so low I can barely understand him. I’m only catching pieces of his words because my ears are ringing with panic.
“…tried to be subtle,” he says, leaning against the wall with acasualness that makes my stomach churn. “But you were always so focused on him. It was frustrating, really. I gave you every chance to see me. To notice me.”
The Ryker I’m familiar with, the one I’ve known most of my life, is gone. The man before me is unrecognizable. He’s twitching and speaking in circles and moving his hands frantically. My mind is struggling to make sense of how we got here.
“Just let me go,” I plead. “I won’t tell anyone. We can pretend it never happened.”
He shakes his head erratically. “It’s too late for that.”
I need to get him to calm down—I need to pull him out of whatever this is.
“You’re getting divorced, right?”
He stills, his head turning to me slowly. “I already told you that. You never listen to me.”
“We can be together.” I try to smile, but I can’t. It’s as if my body is refusing to allow it. “Me and you. We can be happy.” My voice is shaking uncontrollably, and I’m praying to anyone listening that all he hears are my words and not the fear making them spill out.
I’ll say anything I need to—anything he needs to hear to survive this.
“You mean that?” He asks in a hushed whisper, so hopeful it makes me want to shudder.
“Yes! You’re right, I’ve been so blind.”
He bends down in front of me, a chilling smile splitting his face. “I’ve been watching you for so long.” His voice is distant, like he’s recalling a memory. “I used to watch you when you’d come home from work. You always looked so sad, and I just wanted to be there for you—to hold you. I shouldn’t have married Claire. It was a mistake—she was a mistake. Please tell me you forgive me.”
“If I forgive you, will you untie me?”
My heart pounds, waiting for his response.
“How do I know I can trust you?”
I rack my brain trying to come up with a response I think will satisfy him. I need to get loose. It’s one step closer.
“Because you know me. You know me better than anyone. You trust me, don’t you?”
The back of his hand travels over my injured cheek, and I flinch from the pain. His pupils are huge as he stares, without truly looking at me. “You’re right.” His voice is faint. “I do know you.”
He moves behind me and it takes everything I possess to stop shaking. I need him to think I’m not scared.
When I start to feel the rope unravel, an entirely different type of panic overcomes me. Once I’m loose, I’m not sure what comes next.
As he’s untying me, the faintest sound reaches my ears—a muffled thud, almost like a door being opened somewhere outside. My heart jumps, hope flaring in my chest.
Ryker doesn’t notice at first.
“I can’t wait to touch you,” I tell him, hoping it encourages him to continue.
He frees one wrist, but then he pauses.
Moving, he stalks toward the lone door, tilting his head slightly, his hand drifting toward his waistband where his service weapon is holstered.
“Looks like we have company,” Ryker murmurs with a smile. “If it’s who I think it is, I’ll get rid of him, and you’ll never have to worry about him again.”
