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Oakley leaned into Ryker, drawing comfort from his solid presence. She breathed in his scent, felt the steady beat of his heart against her cheek. Here, in his embrace, she felt safe. Protected. Loved.
“What are we going to do about Audra?” she asked. “She’s still out there, and she won’t stop. She’ll keep coming after me to further her cause.”
Ryker’s jaw tightened. “We won’t let her get near you again. Jac’s group is working with the police to track Audra and her followers. We’ll find them, and we’ll put a stop to this once and for all.”
“Be careful,” Oakley said. “Audra is unhinged, and her followers are fanatics. I remember hearing them getting almost uncontrollable when she would talk to them. It sounded like a radical cult or something. They won’t go down without a fight. They don’t seem to be worried about being the sacrifice. There is just so much wrong here. And...”
“What’s wrong? Did you remember something?”
Oakley shook her head hesitantly. “I have something that I need to remember. Something important, but I can’t seem to track it down in my brain. Oh! It’s just so frustrating.”
Ryker pulled her close, and she laid her head on his chest. “It will be okay. I promise it will work out. Don’t force it, or you will lose it. Slow and easy.”
“Don’t worry about us, or rather Jac’s crew.” Ryker cupped her face in his hands, gazing at her intently. “Your safety is my top priority. Audra made a mistake by threatening you. Now she’ll face the full force of my friend’s capabilities.”
“Promise me you won’t go back into that battlefield.”
“No, I can’t promise, but it isn’t my intention. I’m staying in as part of the group, planning and strategizing, but I’m not going to confront anyone because, unlike Jac and his people, my best playground is the courtroom.”
“There’s no need to dwell on Audra right now,” he said. “You’re safe here with me. We have this moment together, and that’s what matters.”
Oakley smiled, leaning in to steal another kiss. “You’re right. Being with you is all I need.”
***
THE NEXT AFTERNOON, Ryker and Oakley sat in his living room; cups of tea cradled in their hands. Though Oakley didn’t show much in the way of outward physical harm, it had devastated her mental and physical health, and that shook her to the core. She was hypervigilant, and her sleep had been snatches of dozing rather than a full restful sleep. Ryker refused to leave her alone, insisting she stay with him until she felt safe again.
“What if that is never?” Oakley whispered.
“It’s too early to ask that question, baby. You are staying here until we are both comfortable with you being alone, and, to be honest, I don’t think I’ll ever be okay with that. Couldn’t you just move in?”
“I could, for the short term, and then later we can discuss it again. Okay?”
“I’ll take it. I’ll get some guys to grab what you need from your place later in the week.”
She smiled her relief. “Thank you for understanding. I don’t know if I will go back for a while, but for right now, I’m not going to leave this apartment for the foreseeable future.”
“That’s fine by me. I’ve gotten great at working from home, and unless I’m headed to the courtroom, I’m able to see clients virtually. Something you could do in the future.” She gave him a distressed look. “Or not.”
“My lease is up in two months. I need to give notice. I don’t think I’ll be able to return that soon.”
Ryker could see it was causing her immense distress to consider returning to seeing patients or the business side of things. He was a fixer, and helping her get things settled for now was in his wheelhouse.
“I’ll get that typed up for you.” He grinned. “Rather, I’ll get Mara to do that.”
“Thank you. Oh! Shandra. What about her? She must be crazy by now. Did she get a new job?”
Ryker hesitated before taking in a big breath and letting it out slowly. “Well, this is what I did to put a bandage on that issue.” He explained his rescue plan and then patted her hand. “You are welcome to take her back to do your business side of things, but I don’t think I’d recommend it.”
“No, she was mediocre on her good days. But do you need another employee?”
Ryker grimaced. “No, Mara, my office manager, runs a tight ship, and, as a personal assistant, I have to admit, Shandra is rather lazy. She didn’t even know how to use Excel very well, nor did she bill properly. I took your last six months’ information over to my biller, and she is going back to bill those not sent to insurance. We might want to look at your accounts further back later. You made a lot more than you were realizing.”
Oakley frowned. “I had wondered but chalked it up to slow insurance payments. What are we going to do?”
“I’ll let her go, saying it didn’t work out and you are not reopening your office anytime soon. I’ll give her two weeks paid so she can use that time to find another job without losing pay.”
“You are so kind.”
