Page 69 of Fated Love with You
Before I can consider any other options, I carry my suitcase downstairs to the garage.
“May I help you, Miss Jane?” The security guard arches a brow.
“Yes,” I say. “I’ll be back within twenty minutes, and I’ll need you to step the hell out of my way so I can take my car to the airport.”
“Your car isn’t available right now.”
“Then it better be by the time I get back or we’re going to have a problem.” I turn away from him and head down the main corridor in search of Ryder.
His deep voice echoes off the walls as I near his office doors, and I take deep breaths.
“This is nonnegotiable,” he’s speaking. “I need everything to be as tight as possible, and if there’s any deviation—I need to?—”
“I need to talk to you.” I interrupt him as I step through the doorway, unable to wait another minute. “Please.”
He narrows his eyes at me, but he gestures for his men to move.
“Excuse me and Miss Jane for a few moments, please.” He looks at his watch. “We should be done in about twenty minutes.”
It’ll be way less than that…
As usual, there’s never a rebuttal or a reply. They simply obey him without question, without a single thought or worry about whether his next command might put their lives on the line.
He waits until the last man has left before walking to the door and locking it.
“Good to see you’re feeling better, Autumn,” he says. “I won’t need you to do anything this week, given what happened. But next week?—”
“Given what happened?” I scoff. “Are you being serious?”
He blinks.
“I almost got killed, Ryder.” I still can’t believe it. “And this wasn’t the first or second time.”
“It’s the sixth, if you’ve been seriously keeping up,” he says. “But you’re fine. I’ll always make sure nothing happens to you.”
“This isn’t normal.”
“You don’t know what ‘normal’ is.” He waves a hand. “You’ve never had it, last time I checked.”
“I know normal isn’t constant living near death or on the edge, looking over my shoulder for someone who might be watching, or waiting in fear that the next stranger I see on the street might be an FBI agent who has just enough to put me in handcuffs for a few months.”
“I think you need to get some more rest.”
“I’m done.”
“With what?”
“This job, this life, you.” Tears prick my eyes. “You’re different in a lot of ways, but when it comes down to it, you’re honestly just like my ex-husband.”
“I amnothinglike your fucking ex-husband.” He hisses. “Nothing like him…”
“You’re not the slightest bit apologetic or understanding about how I feel, and I know you’ll just try to fuck me to get me to stay in line, but save it. I don’t want to feel you inside me ever again, I don’t want to see you ever again.”
He stares at me, his expression a mix of simmering rage and calmness. A look that only he can convey.
“This is the part when you tell me goodbye, Ryder,” I say. “You could throw in an apology for nearly getting me killed if you want to be generous.”
“I’m not sorry for shit.” He abruptly stomps on my request, placing his hands on the door panels above me, caging me in as he looks into my eyes. “I told you exactly what this was from day one.”
