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She wondered if Montgomery was trying to convince Ryder not to call in the police. She wasn’t sure how that was even possible, given the dead body. The thought made her shiver.
She watched Ryder’s grim profile, his jaw clenching and twitching. As the cosy, warm environment of the car soaked into her body, she remembered the apology she needed to make. She might not have a quiet moment with Ryder for a while, so this seemed like a good time to do it.
Just as she opened her mouth to change the subject, he spoke.
“Jackal found Lawrence’s wristband,” he muttered, squeezing her hand as he pulled onto the main road. “On the body in the grave.”
35
Ryder braced himself for a thousand questions, which didn’t come. Instead, her hand tightened on his. He looked at her and saw a cascade of different emotions cross her face and her eyes welled with tears.
“You okay?” he asked, squeezing her hand back.
“Fuck, this night is just one big avalanche of shit, isn’t it? I’m… in shock, I guess,” she replied. And as if to back up her answer, her hand started trembling in his.
He gripped her icy fingers even harder and gunned the car around the bend until they were up the gravel road. Seconds later he slid the car into park outside the security facility, using his left hand so he didn’t have to let her go with his right.
“Hey, you’re okay,” he murmured, turning in his seat to face her.
“It’s just… it’s a lot. It’s a fucking lot,” she said, her voice quivering.
He pulled her trembling body close, but the console was in the way. Rubbing her back, he said, “Hang on,” and got out of the car and jogged to her side.
He pulled open the door, ready to reach for her, but she was already tumbling out, arms up towards him.
Lifting her up in his arms, he carried her to the door, swiping to get inside. It was only a few strides to the waiting elevator.
As the doors closed, enclosing them in a cocoon of silence, his heart pounded against his chest. The realization hit him like a thunderbolt, electrifying his senses.
He was in love with Nita.
This wasn’t just a fleeting attraction or a lingering lust; it ran deeper, weaving its way through his very being.
“What’s the matter?” she whispered, startling him out of his thoughts.
“Nothing. Why?”
“You’re cutting off my breathing,” she said with a gasping chuckle.
He realized he had her body in a death grip against him and loosened his hold.
“Sorry, just… thinking about tonight,” he grunted as he got through the second door and onto the second elevator.
“Shit,” she groaned against his chest. “There’s still Mags’s engagement going on.”
“Fuck the engagement,” he growled, striding out of the elevator door even before it was fully open.
The weight of this newfound emotion settled on his shoulders. He’d always prided himself on his self-control, his ability to keep emotions out of any situation. But now, holding Nita, he felt exposed.
He carried her through the apartment and into the bedroom. He didn’t set her down until they reached the bathroom, where he gently lowered her onto her feet on the threshold of the walk-in shower.
“‘Fuck the engagement,’ he says,” she repeated. Although she had a slight smile, her eyes had dark circles under them and she looked very pale.
“That’s right,” he agreed. He reached past her to crank the shower on full blast.
“What if it goes off the rails and you don’t get paid?”
“Fuck the money,” he grunted, adjusting the temperature of the water. Then he leaned back to look at her, his hands going to the buttons at her neck.
