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He looks down and seems hesitant. Then he looks at me directly and says, “Ryder.”
I shrug. “That figures. That man knows everything. No doubt some poor sucker owes him and he’s calling in the favor.”
Sam just nods and carries on. “When he calls, you’re to agree to meet him at his place of choice. It’s unlikely he’ll trust you enough to lower his guard immediately, but if he does, you should be prepared.”
He pushes a small case toward me and I look at it with interest.
He says in a low voice.
“This equipment is all you need. They are magnetic cameras that can be fixed to any surface and record sound and visual. They sit in the palm of your hand and I’d advise keeping them in your pocket and position them carefully without the target seeing you. This will be your evidence and also allow the third party to monitor the situation. If things get out of hand, the back-up will arrive to get you out of there.”
He looks worried. “You do trust me, don’t you, Katherine?”
I look at him across from me and my heart tightens. He looks worried, unsure and kind of lost, and just for a moment I want to reassure him. So, I just nod and smile. “Oh, I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me. I can handle anything.”
He shakes his head. “You think you can, but I’m not so sure. You’re not on your own though, remember that.”
I nod and carry on eating. He does the same, and then I have to ask the question that’s been eating me ever since I met him.
“What’s Ryder got on you, Sam? I mean, why are you doing this?”
He thinks for a moment and I can tell my words have taken him to a dark place. I wait for his response and almost think he won’t tell me. Then he sighs and pushes his plate away.
“Ryder saved my life. It was when we were on a mission as SEALs. We had to storm a rebel compound and rescue a professor and his daughter. It was nothing we hadn’t done countless times before, but it all went wrong. The bastards had word we were coming. We went in hard as we always do, and when the dust settled, we saw them. Two bodies executed in the most brutal of ways. They never stood a chance, and we were too late. Before we could even think, a bomb went off, and we fell. The rubble rained down on us and hit me the hardest. I was knocked unconscious and don’t remember anything else. The next thing I knew, I woke up in the hospital. Ryder had pulled me out and carried me to safety, firing on the enemy while keeping me alive. Snake went ahead to clear the way and a couple of others carried the ones not so lucky. We lost three men that day as well as the professor and his daughter. As missions went, it was a failure. I never went back. I recovered and left. I couldn’t go back to that life anymore and so I threw myself into my work.”
He looks at me through tortured eyes and I feel the tears filling mine. He says in a ragged voice.
“I throw myself into my company to drive the pain away. I care for nobody because I recognize that love is a fleeting moment in your life. I loved my brothers, but three of them died that day. That pain was harder to bear than the physical one. So, as you see, Katherine, I made myself a robot out of choice. If I have no one to love, then I can’t be hurt. I make no promises and expect none in return. You deserve more than I can ever give, you need to know that.”
I shake my head and move across to join him. I sit next to him and take his hand in mine.
“You think I don’t know what it’s like to love and lose something. Well, newsflash, I did love Ryder with all my heart. I always wanted love, every girl does. When I was a little girl I used to play by a pretty white house. I used to dream I lived there with loving parents who made me safe and secure. I watched as the man used to chop up logs and stack them in his garden. He did this every day, and I wondered why. When the pile grew too big, he built a shelter. He filled that shelter with logs and then built another. I used to laugh at that man. He must be surely mad to do that every day when he had no need. Then, one day, I went and noticed the black cars of death taking his coffin from the house. His wife was crying bitterly and my heart broke for her. I never gave it a second thought, but a couple of years later I walked past that place again. The log pile was gone and one shelter empty. It turns out the man had cancer and knew he wouldn’t make it. He did everything he could to ensure his family had heat for as long as possible. He was preparing to care for them in life when he couldn’t in death. One thing that taught me was you can never fully prepare for everything. Things change and circumstances dictate our destinies. The only one you can truly care for in life is yourself because you’re the only one with you to the end. So, do what makes you happy, Sam, and take every chance you get because you owe it to yourself to live the best life you can regardless of other people. All this wealth you’ve amassed is that man’s logs. You just need to find love in your heart to make it count for something.”
He just stares for a moment and then reaches up and tucks the hair away that’s fallen to my eyes. He runs his thumb across my lips and I feel the heat flooding through me.
I inch a little closer as his hand runs around the back of my head and pulls me toward him. His lips are centimeters from mine when my phone rings beside me.
I pull away and look at Sam in surprise. He looks at the screen and sighs,“It begins.”
Chapter 8
Sam
Saved by the bell. Then why do I want to take it and grind it to dust under my shoe? That bastard couldn’t even wait for her to call. He’s found her number and started things early. Now I’m in trouble because Katherine’s backup is me. I will have to monitor her conversations and watch while she brings those men down in the only way she knows how. I will want to charge in there and rip those men from the woman who I know I’ve been waiting for all my life.
Life sucks and yet we both owe Ryder this one last favor. When we pay him back, we’ll be free.
I hear her talking on the phone and try to contain the rage I’m feeling at the thought of what’s coming. She hangs up and turns to face me, looking shaken and vulnerable. I watch as she battles with herself, trying to pull the professional from the frightened girl inside. She needs me to be strong enough for the both of us, so I look at her with a hard expression.
“Where and when?”
She pulls a face. “Two hours, his house.”
I nod. “Then you need to prepare yourself, and I need to rearrange a few things at the office.”
She looks at me with shock. “You’re my backup?”
I grin wickedly. “Who else did you think it would be? I’m with you all the way on this, Katherine, and I won’t let you down.”
