The pain of a man double my size kneeling on my back fails to register when I spot a pair of ocean blue eyes across the room. Ryan is standing next to a man with a hard-lined face and blond hair. He is wearing the same riot gear as the officers surrounding me, but he is missing the face mask and FBI credentials on his chest.
Just as my arresting officer arches my legs to bind my ankles and wrists together, Ryan spots me. His face whitens as his eyes widen. With a roar, he charges for me. I watch him dart between a dozen officers in slow motion, the pain on his face matching the strain on mine.
“Get off her!” he roars before ramming the officer with his shoulder.
They land on the floor with a thud. Their brutal collision gains them the attention of every officer in the room, but no one offers assistance. They just stare, as shocked as me.
When Ryan’s fists lift from the officer’s ribs to his face, the man he was standing next to drags them apart. Ryan’s anger is so white-hot, it takes several agents to hold him back. I’m confident the tears streaming down my cheeks are amplifying his aggression, but with my hands bound, I can’t clear them.
“Get off me, Alex,” Ryan demands, his eyes locked on the blond at his side.
Alex does as instructed, but places himself between Ryan and the man he just attacked, who is sitting on the floor, cradling his bleeding nose with his hand.
“Outside,” Alex demands, pointing to the door.
When Ryan remains standing proud with his nostrils flaring and fists clenched, Alex yells, “Outside now! Or I’ll not only arrest her, I’ll arrest you for assaulting a federal officer.” He hooks his thumb to me during the middle of his threat.
“Don’t test me, Carter,” Alex warns when he spots Ryan’s determination. “I am not a man you want to fuck with.”
“Take her restraints off first,” Ryan demands, jerking his chin to my hands. “She’s not a. . . “ He licks his cracked lips, unable to articulate a word I don’t want to hear him say. “She’s not one ofthem,” he settles on, his voice not as confident as I would have liked.
Alex glances into Ryan’s massively dilated eyes for several seconds before he commands for one of his men to cut the zip ties digging into my wrists. I know the look Alex is giving Ryan all too well; it is the same one Ryan gave me when he thought I was deceiving him. Alex doesn’t believe him. He thinks I’m a prostitute.
After the zip ties are cut from my wrists, I warily rise to a half-seated position, cautious of the numerous pair of eyes gawking at me. When my movements are conducted without protest, I stand to my feet.
My hesitant steps to Ryan stop when he locks his furious eyes with mine before curtly shaking his head. I don’t know if he is requesting for me to stay away, or doubting the guarantee he just issued Alex, but whatever it is, it hurts.
“You two outside,” Alex says with his stern eyes bouncing between Ryan and the unknown officer. “Everyone else get back to work.”
The agents continue staring, their love of drama not contained even while on the clock.
The dead silent space morphs into a bustling hive of activity when Alex snarls, “If I am made to repeat myself one more time tonight, I’ll have youallon desk duty by 9 AM tomorrow.”
Agents dart in all directions, taking witness statements and issuing Miranda rights. Happy his minions are following his command to the stringent detail, Alex’s squinted gaze drifts to me. “If you care about his career at all, I suggest you follow me.”
Not giving me a chance to reply, much less request why Ryan’s career is in jeopardy, he shifts on his feet and exits the thrumming environment.
I’m nipping at his heels two seconds later.
* * *
Whoever invented the quote “ignorance is bliss” is a moron. My watering eyes haven’t left Ryan’s side since Alex placed me in the back of an unmarked SUV nearly twenty minutes ago. I think I am under arrest, but I’m not one hundred percent certain. If I could settle my panic for just a second, I’d look into the circumstances of my detainment with more diligence. But until I know Ryan is okay, I must wait.
It feels like the moon circles the planet fifty times before Alex and Ryan head in my direction. With Ryan’s strides not as confident as Alex’s, he soon trails behind him. With a nudge of his head, the locks on the SUV pop up. When Alex opens the back passenger door, I hesitantly climb out.
“You’re free to go,” Alex advises, his tone low and brimming with anger.
“Me?” I ask, touching my chest. There isn’t any one within a hundred feet of us, but I’m still certain I heard him wrong.
Not appreciative of my ditziness, air whizzes out of Alex’s nostrils before his eyes drift to Ryan. “Good luck withthatone.”
The anger lining Ryan’s face deepens when Alex nudges his head at me during the “that” part of his comment.
“One time only deal, Carter. This willneverhappen again,” Alex advises as he returns to the injured man glowering at me.
When they enter Maison’s, I shift my eyes to Ryan. “I wasn’t—”
“Just don’t, Savannah. Just fucking don’t,” he replies, his words as dangerous as quicksand.
