Page 75 of Power of Shadow

Ryker leads me toward the metal stairs. Step by step, we find ourselves on the first floor. At the second door on the right, he takes a key out of his pocket.

A moment later, we’re both inside. My eyes wander over the greenish wallpapered walls, the basic furniture that was fashionable twenty years ago, and the shabby gray carpet. Of course, there’s a double bed in the middle of the room. I cringe when I see it because if the bedding is in the same condition as the rest of the room, I’ll probably have to spend the night sleeping standing up.

A dull thud catches my attention, and I look at Ryker. He throws a sports bag I hadn’t noticed before onto the floor.

“Everything okay? I’m concerned about your unusually quiet demeanor,” he says, staring.

“Everything’s fine.”

”I have a question. How did you find out that he... raped children? Eli spent a lot of time checking him out and still didn’t find this detail. How did you know?”

I shrug, not wanting to lie but unwilling to tell him the truth.

He comes up to me, standing one step away. “You have someone as good as Eli, right? Maybe even better,” he guesses, giving me a small smile.

Ryker looks impressed. That alone makes me smile too, but a second later, his smile fades and his expression hardens.

“Is it Alex? Is he responsible?”

“It’s not Alex,” I growl. I want to walk past him, but he grabs my arm and pulls me back.

“What’s going on between you two, Ash? I won’t be sharing you.”

“We’re not together,” I hiss.

“Do you need a label to make sure you’re mine? Know, my Little Killer, that this is all foreplay between us. I won’t hide that it’s the most passionate, the most incredible I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. But I think you know that perfectly well. You know where this is going, but you’re not ready yet to hear the full spectrum of feelings you stir in me. But I won’t share you. I’ll repeat the question, Ash. What really goes on between you and Alex?”

His words leave me stunned. It takes a few seconds for my brain cells to start working again. His possessiveness excites me as much as our bloody game earlier. The tingling in my lower abdomen returns.

“We don’t share any romantic feelings. We never have and never will,” I reply in a quiet voice.

“I saw his messages on his phone. Not because he didn’t want it.”

“No. Because I won’t let it. It wasn’t Alex who gave me the info about our victim, but don’t even bother trying to solve that riddle.”

Ryker nods, then leans in and presses his lips against mine.

His hand finds my waist and pulls me closer to him. I rest my hands on his chest, and they wander over hard muscles. It annoys me that clothes separate us; I want to finally touch his skin.

My lips part and our tongues meet; the kiss quickens. I feel his hunger mirroring my own. My skin suddenly becomes hot, sensitive, and impatient for his touch.

Ryker slides his tongue inside my mouth. He licks me, sucks me, and fucks me with his tongue. When a moan escapes from the depths of my throat, he pulls his head away.

A smug smile on his face.

Pretending to be angry, I hit his shoulder with my hand and turn toward the bathroom. The sound of his cheerful laughter follows my footsteps.

What a cocky asshole.

Unlike the rest of the room, the bathroom is spotless.

Thank God.

I stand in front of the mirror, and the first thing I see is my bloodstained T-shirt. There are also small traces of blood on my face.

Turning on the tap I wash my hands. Pink water flows down the white sink into the drain. They contrast nicely with each other.

When I’m done with my hands, I wash my face and neck. Rinsing everything off with water, I raise my face. In the mirror’s reflection, there's not only my face but also Ryker’s.