Page 33 of Ryder

Eric nodded as I spoke. “That about sums up what I’ve learned. This here,” he kicked David, “is Leonardo’s brother. He’s been holding a grudge against you. He feels it’s your fault his brother is dead, and he was innocent, blah, blah. Anyway, the piece of shit has slowly been building his empire so he can get his revenge on you.” Eric leaned down and slapped the guy’s face. “Wake up, fuckface.” He slapped him again. “The little fucker stuffed up though when he took my baby girl. No one messes with my kids.” He shook David and I watched as he opened his one non-black eye.

“You sure did have some fun with him.” David was a mess. He was black and blue and the wicked knives in his feet and hands were disturbing.

Eric shrugged, like what he’d done to David was not a big deal. I’d been trying to find X for months, and so had a team of us now, but we’d had no success. Then Eric goes out and three weeks later has the job done. I hate to say it but I felt like my man card had disappeared. “The fucker wasn’t a talker, so I had to make him.”

I crouched down and stared at David. “So you’re X?”

“Fuck you, Silverman. This is all your fault,” David snarled.

Raising my brow, I made a show of looking him up and down. “How do you see that? I haven’t done anything to you. Yet.” I glanced at Eric and didn’t miss the smirk on his face. “I believe my future father-in-law is the reason you are in the state you are now.”

Eric came around from behind David and the look of terror that flashed in his eyes as he scooted back made it very clear how he felt about Eric, before he even voiced it. “You’re a cop. You have to help keep him the fuck away from me. He’s crazy.”

Standing, I frowned down at him. “I’m not here on official business.” I cracked my knuckles. “I’m here for myself. You see you took my woman. Yo—”

“You need to pay for what you did to me and my family!” David yelled.

“I did my job. It was your brother who brought it all on himself. I hear your brother had a quick death. His throat was slit. You, though, will not be so lucky. First, I intend to give you every injury my woman had thanks to you. I promise by the time I’m finished you sure as shit will wish you never met me, or anyone I know.”

Yanking the knife out of his hands I held back my flinch at the scream of pain. I wanted him to hurt and knew that pulling the knife would kill like a motherfucker and do more damage coming out then it did going in. Eric’s idea of Richard’s soundproof nightclub was perfect for this because David was crying and screaming loudly. I knew I would be hearing worse in the next couple of hours. In the very back of my mind I knew that David should be handed over to the authorities, but for what he had done to my woman, he was going to disappear.

My legs were free and I had just a splint on my right fingers. I only had a couple more weeks on my left wrist with the cast, but overall, I was happy.

Leaving the house had been scary. Until I was sitting in the car, and the house behind me, I didn’t realize how terrified I was to leave the safety of the house. I was glad Ryder didn’t come with me because by the time we arrived at the doctor’s office, I was drenched in sweat and gripping the seats until everything that was almost healed started hurting again. I was being a wuss and was glad Ryder hadn’t seen me like that.

When I finally got out of the car with coaxing from Chad and Leo, I only got worse. I was shaking like a leaf and looking for any threat. It wasn’t until I was in the doctor’s office that I came to my senses, but it started back up again when I left.

I was determined though, as much as I wanted to go home after the doctor’s office to my safety, I wanted to find out what had gone on with my dad. Ryder said I could meet up with him and I was going to do it, no matter how bad I shook or sweated. When we pulled up at Richard’s night club in the city, I was surprised that Ryder was still there. We took the back exit and I was met by my father.

“Hi, kiddo. You’re looking much better.” He leaned down and brushed his lips over my cheek. “Ryder and I both think you need to see this, for peace of mind. I’m to warn you if you don’t want to see something pretty gross, then stay here, but I brought X to Ryder. You are safe now.”

As soon as he said X my whole body stiffened and I gazed up at my dad. He didn’t look any different than he had three weeks ago. Actually, now I looked, he seemed quite relaxed, like he was in his element. I think I knew in the back of my mind what my dad was doing the last couple of weeks. I mean, he did help rescue me.

X. Did I want to see him? Could I see him? Did I care? I stood there for a moment and just let myself wonder if I could leave, and I knew deep down I couldn’t. I needed to see him and I needed to know he was caught. I needed closure.

Straightening myself, I walked into the club. I don’t know what I expected to see, but it wasn’t the sight that greeted me. Richard, Tyson, and a bunch of bodyguards were spread out in a loose circle watching Ryder, who was in the clothes I left him in, but they were covered in blood. The body sprawled on the floor looked dead. It was basically one big black and blue bruise. Ryder was leaning over talking to the body. I couldn’t hear so I moved closer.

“Answer any question if she asks you any. Remember we are here watching and listening.”

I rested my hand on Ryder’s back. It had the least amount of blood. I stared down at the body and knew even with his puffed up, bruised, and battered face that this was X. It was the eyes. I would never forget those glacier blues. A weight that had hovered on me since I was kidnapped lifted and I felt like I could breathe again. The guy didn’t look as big as I remembered and right now he didn’t look powerful at all. For weeks in my nightmares, I had pictured this man and he’d always been a lot bigger, more intimidating. The man I dreamed about, that had haunted me, looked nothing like the pitiful creature before me.

“I did warn you,” I muttered. I stared at the bloody and beaten being before me and didn’t feel any guilt. Relief and a sense of calm washed over me. I knew I stared at a dead man. There was no way he could be handed to the authorities in the shape he was in now, especially since my father had gotten him. I should’ve probably felt worried that as I looked around no one seemed concerned, or looked like they cared either. They didn’t look at all bothered by what they knew would be done when I was gone.

There was something I wanted to know though. “Do you regret taking me?”

“Ha,” the laugh was hollow and sounded painful. “Yes. I could tell just by looking at you that you were trouble. I didn’t believe my men. I had to see you for myself. When I found out it took two men to take you down and you almost had them, I knew you couldn’t live once I gazed into your eyes. That’s why I told them to kill you. You have the same look in them as that fucking crazy father of yours.”

I nodded and I genuinely felt better. “You were right to be scared of me.” I smirked down at X and right in that moment I knew it would all be okay. I was safe and I didn’t have to worry about leaving the house anymore. I wanted him to know how crazy like my father I was. “Because I killed that man you sent to kill me and I would have done more if I hadn’t been rescued like I told you I would be. I’m glad they got you though, because now I don’t have to come after you myself, and I can sleep like a baby knowing your filth will be erased from this earth.”

With that, I turned my back on X, reached up and pulled Ryder down and kissed him. My kiss was a thank you. Thank you for being patient with me the last couple of weeks. Thank you for supporting my dad and doing this, which I was sure went against his instincts as a cop. Thank you for just being Ryder. Easing away I smiled up at him. “I’ll see you at home. I’ll book dinner at a restaurant for tonight?”

Ryder beamed down at me and I didn’t even notice the splatters of blood. All I saw was the love that shone in his eyes and the look of pride. “You amaze me. You’re perfect. Book whatever you want, vixen.’

Giving him a hug, I squeezed tight before I went over to my dad and wrapped my arms around him. “Thanks.”

I didn’t need to say more. My dad knew how much this meant me. I could tell by the way he squeezed me back and whispered, “Anything for you, kiddo. Love you.” My dad wasn’t one for mushy stuff as he called it, but this melted my heart.

“Love you too.” I let him go and walk to the doors and out into the sunshine and didn’t shake or break a sweat.

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