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“I moved my way up the ranks and discovered who the man behind it was. Cruz Ayers and two of his cronies were put away. When I checked this morning, they were still in prison. I’m not sure when Dex revitalized MKG. That’s something I’m curious about as well.”
He took another bite of his food, and I took the opportunity to do so too. Chewing over his words, I tried to sort them in my head and what I wanted to know next. It felt like this was the one chance I would have to ask him whatever I wanted, and I didn’t want to waste it.
“How did you become the leader here?” I asked, realizing that was what I wanted to know most. The past was important, but it didn’t feel as vital for some reason. This was odd for me since the past led me here, but now that I was, it felt like I’d been able to move beyond it for once and look ahead to the future. A future that was still uncertain.
Ryker sat his fork down, and I realized he was finished. He sat back, his arms relaxing on the arms of the chair. My brain struggled with putting together the guy from the bar, the man in front of me, and the boy I’d talked to online for a year. He seemed like a million different versions of himself, and I wasn’t sure which one was true. I wanted to believe I knew the real him, but with espionage being his job, it felt naive to do that.
“It wasn’t something I sought out to take on. The Order operates differently than most organizations. Our prime objective is to make sure no one becomes too powerful. ‘We restore the balance.’ But every organization needs a leader, or there will be chaos and it will collapse from within. So The Order created a shifting leadership position and kept it anonymous. It works to even the playing field amongst our agents, keeping allies and rivals out of our personal lives. I was approached two years ago to be the next leader. Each head of The Order serves two years unless in a crisis, then the board may elect to keep them on until things have calmed.”
“So, your time is almost up? What happens then?”
He smiled, liking my question, and I couldn’t understand why. “The board is a rotating selection of previous leaders. So, once I’ve served my two years, I’ll make my recommendation for my replacement and then take my place on the board to serve as a mentor for the next leader.”
“Does it work? Keeping corruption and power grabs from tainting The Order?” Milo asked. I turned, knowing he would be the best to understand the hierarchy of a secret organization being connected to the Council.
“It’s the best I’ve seen try. There are other measures in place that I’m not at liberty to discuss, but over the years, The Order has kept their purpose of serving others and keeping the balance.”
“How old are you?” I asked, instantly curious. “You never would tell me when we talked.”
“That’s because I felt like a huge perv falling for a seventeen-year-old girl.” He sighed, shifting a little. I didn’t focus on how his shirt tightened around his chest muscles. Nope. Not me.
“I’m 26, the same as Cohen.”
I turned to Milo, instantly curious how old he was. He smirked at me, apparently knowing what I was about to ask.
“I’ll be 26 in a few months.”
“Hmm, I guess Asa and I are the babies at 22.” I barely refrained from saying I apparently had a type for older guys. Strike that from your brain, Fin! I did not need to encourage Ryker. Three guys were enough to handle.
I looked up after scolding myself to find the table all observing me. I wiped my mouth, afraid I’d somehow smeared something when they all started to laugh. My cheeks heated when I realized they were just watching me. I wasn’t used to this much male attention directed at me. It was weird.
“I know we still have a few things to discuss. How about we move to somewhere more comfortable? I think I’ll need some drinks for the next part.” Ryker looked around, and I realized everyone else had finished eating. I quickly shoved the last few bites of food into my mouth, my cheeks pouching like a chipmunk as I nodded.
Cohen laughed, his shoulders shaking as he got up and walked over to me. “Sweetheart, you could’ve taken your time.”
Shrugging my shoulders, I took his hand, wanting to ask how he was doing as we followed Ryker. Once I had the food swallowed, I bumped him, getting him to look down at me. I pointed to Ryker, lifting my eyes. He smiled, one corner of his mouth lifting with the gesture before he shrugged. I watched his face for a few seconds before nodding that I understood. It was complicated, but he was okay for the time being.
Same, dude, same.
When we stepped into a smaller space, I was instantly hit with Ryker’s smell making me realize this had to be his space. It was so concentrated it made my skin break out in goosebumps, and I wanted to do a full-body shudder at the intoxicating scent. Cohen’s nostrils flared next to me, and in some weird way, it made me feel better that I wasn’t being tortured alone.
Ryker directed us to a seating area, and I took a seat, Cohen on my left and Milo on my right. Asa took one of the chairs positioned where he could see the door. He might not be trained as a spy, but I could see some of his time with his dad was paying off. He was a natural.
Ryker pointed to a drink cart as he began to fix himself something. Cohen stood and walked over, making some drinks for the rest of us. I watched them as they stood close to one another, trying to figure out their relationship. Ryker’s hand brushed against Cohen’s as he handed him the tongs for the ice, his eyes immediately jumping to the man in question. When Ryker didn’t do anything, Cohen took them and finished his drinks. I had no clue what he’d made, but I took it, thanking him. He looked somewhat frazzled, and I wondered ifheeven knew what he’d made.
Ryker sat in the other spinning chair across from Asa, shifting to look at the three of us on the couch. “So, I’ve told you about The Order and how it works. What’s next?”
“You didn’t know Dex was behind it?” Milo asked, bringing up the question from earlier.
“No, we talk every now and then, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen him in person. He kind of went underground after MKG shut down. Once I graduated college, there wasn’t anything that connected us. I realize now that might have been callous of me, but at the time, I was focused on The Order, and Dex wasn’t part of it. We were friends of convenience, and outside that one time together, we didn’t cross the line. That makes me a shitty friend, I suppose.”
“I can understand things from your point of view,” I said, twirling the glass around in my hand, too nervous to drink it. The condensation felt nice against my skin, helping to cool me. “But, it doesn’t change the events that occurred. There are things we must own up to if we move forward.”
“You blame yourself for Mongoose,” Ryker said. I held his eyes, nodding. Tears began to fill in mine, but I didn’t shy away from this. I had to own it. He deserved that much respect. “Mongoose wasn’t your fault, Fin.”
I wiped a tear, shaking my head. “He asked for help, and I left him on his own. I didn’t tell him to go into that building, but I didn’t tell him not to.”
“Wait, is this about the Magnolia safe house?” Cohen asked, drawing my attention.
