veracity.
Don’t be judgy , I chastised myself. At least wait and hear the whole story, then be judgy.
“Where is he now?” Ryker asked.
Natalie’s brow furrowed and she chewed her lip. “Dead,” she said. “Killed in a drug deal gone bad.”
Ryker just looked at her. “So you…what? Faked your suicide? Why?”
“I hoped he’d believe I was dead,” Natalie said, tears welling in her eyes. “I’m sorry that I had to let you and Parker believe it, too. I was afraid if I told you the truth, you wouldn’t believe me. Or worse, try to confront him and get hurt.”
“So your solution was to break his heart by making him think you’d committed suicide?” I asked. “And that it was his and Parker’s fault?” I couldn’t hide the derision in my tone and her eyes flashed when she looked at me.
“I was young and confused, and I didn’t know what to do,” she said. “You have no idea what my husband was capable of. For all I knew, he’d go after my friends. I couldn’t risk it.”
Damn. I couldn’t argue with that and I felt a twinge of doubt about how I’d thought of her as conniving and manipulative. What if she was telling the truth?
She looked back at Ryker. “Just like now. I hope you can forgive me, Dean, because I need your help.”
“What could you possibly need my help for?” he asked.
Um, yeah. I wanted to hear that, too.
“It’s my sister,” Natalie said.
“Jessie?”
“Yes. She’s disappeared.”
“What do you mean?” Ryker’s brow creased in a frown. “What happened?”
“A few weeks ago. She never came home from work. I filed a missing person’s report, but the cops have done nothing.”
“How long has she been gone?”
“Nearly two weeks.” Her eyes welled with tears again. “I’m so scared, Dean.” She moved forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest.
I waited to see if Ryker would push her away—in a nice way—but he didn’t. Instead, he hugged her back, holding her.
Hmmm.
I waited a beat—this was so awkward—then cleared my throat, which seemed to make Ryker realize I was still there. His gaze flew to mine over her head and I raised an eyebrow.
“So I’m going to get going,” I said, because really, what else was I supposed to do?
“Yeah, I said I’d take you home,” Ryker said, finally extricating himself from her clutches. Nice of him to remember that little bit. He’d been the one to send the taxi away, after all.
I was trying to be sympathetic—the woman said her sister was missing—but the whole thing was leaving a bad taste in my mouth. I tried to convince myself I wasn’t jealous. I shouldn’t be jealous—Ryker and I were done—but the hypocritical little green monster poked his head over my shoulder anyway.
“Will you help me?” Natalie interrupted, turning pleading eyes on Dean. I mean, Ryker.
“Where are you staying?” he asked. “I’ll come by after I drop off Sage.”
Oh really?
Natalie rattled off the name of a hotel that wasn’t cheap, which made me wonder what she did for a living to be able to afford a place like that.
“Room 815.”
Ryker didn’t write it down, but I didn’t think he probably needed to. The way he was looking at Natalie, as though he was seeing a ghost he’d desperately longed for, had me questioning the wisdom of letting him go alone.
She gave me the briefest of nods on her way out and I watched her get into a Toyota sedan and drive away. I could feel Ryker’s presence behind me, also staring after her.
“That was…interesting,” I said at last, turning around. “What do you think?”
He looked down at me and his eyes grew shuttered. “I think I should get you home.” He grabbed his keys from the table by the door.
“You’re kidding, right?” I asked, grabbing his elbow as he passed by me. “Natalie, your presumably dead-by-suicide ex-girlfriend shows up, and that’s all you’re going to say?”
“I’m a little in shock at
Don’t be judgy , I chastised myself. At least wait and hear the whole story, then be judgy.
“Where is he now?” Ryker asked.
Natalie’s brow furrowed and she chewed her lip. “Dead,” she said. “Killed in a drug deal gone bad.”
Ryker just looked at her. “So you…what? Faked your suicide? Why?”
“I hoped he’d believe I was dead,” Natalie said, tears welling in her eyes. “I’m sorry that I had to let you and Parker believe it, too. I was afraid if I told you the truth, you wouldn’t believe me. Or worse, try to confront him and get hurt.”
“So your solution was to break his heart by making him think you’d committed suicide?” I asked. “And that it was his and Parker’s fault?” I couldn’t hide the derision in my tone and her eyes flashed when she looked at me.
“I was young and confused, and I didn’t know what to do,” she said. “You have no idea what my husband was capable of. For all I knew, he’d go after my friends. I couldn’t risk it.”
Damn. I couldn’t argue with that and I felt a twinge of doubt about how I’d thought of her as conniving and manipulative. What if she was telling the truth?
She looked back at Ryker. “Just like now. I hope you can forgive me, Dean, because I need your help.”
“What could you possibly need my help for?” he asked.
Um, yeah. I wanted to hear that, too.
“It’s my sister,” Natalie said.
“Jessie?”
“Yes. She’s disappeared.”
“What do you mean?” Ryker’s brow creased in a frown. “What happened?”
“A few weeks ago. She never came home from work. I filed a missing person’s report, but the cops have done nothing.”
“How long has she been gone?”
“Nearly two weeks.” Her eyes welled with tears again. “I’m so scared, Dean.” She moved forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest.
I waited to see if Ryker would push her away—in a nice way—but he didn’t. Instead, he hugged her back, holding her.
Hmmm.
I waited a beat—this was so awkward—then cleared my throat, which seemed to make Ryker realize I was still there. His gaze flew to mine over her head and I raised an eyebrow.
“So I’m going to get going,” I said, because really, what else was I supposed to do?
“Yeah, I said I’d take you home,” Ryker said, finally extricating himself from her clutches. Nice of him to remember that little bit. He’d been the one to send the taxi away, after all.
I was trying to be sympathetic—the woman said her sister was missing—but the whole thing was leaving a bad taste in my mouth. I tried to convince myself I wasn’t jealous. I shouldn’t be jealous—Ryker and I were done—but the hypocritical little green monster poked his head over my shoulder anyway.
“Will you help me?” Natalie interrupted, turning pleading eyes on Dean. I mean, Ryker.
“Where are you staying?” he asked. “I’ll come by after I drop off Sage.”
Oh really?
Natalie rattled off the name of a hotel that wasn’t cheap, which made me wonder what she did for a living to be able to afford a place like that.
“Room 815.”
Ryker didn’t write it down, but I didn’t think he probably needed to. The way he was looking at Natalie, as though he was seeing a ghost he’d desperately longed for, had me questioning the wisdom of letting him go alone.
She gave me the briefest of nods on her way out and I watched her get into a Toyota sedan and drive away. I could feel Ryker’s presence behind me, also staring after her.
“That was…interesting,” I said at last, turning around. “What do you think?”
He looked down at me and his eyes grew shuttered. “I think I should get you home.” He grabbed his keys from the table by the door.
“You’re kidding, right?” I asked, grabbing his elbow as he passed by me. “Natalie, your presumably dead-by-suicide ex-girlfriend shows up, and that’s all you’re going to say?”
“I’m a little in shock at
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