Page 71 of Ryder
“Looks like you have the ingredients for pancakes. Will you at least let me cook?”
I backed away; hands held up. “You go right ahead, darlin’. I can’t cook for shit anyway.”
She smirked, and set to work, making the batter, and heating a pan.
“Is there still a poor prospect standing outside the door?” She asked, as she started cooking, and I shrugged.
“Probably.”
“Why don’t you check if he’s hungry. I made way too much batter.”
I rolled my eyes, but I checked with the prospect, Rob, who grinned like an idiot, so when she’d prepared a plate, I passed them out to him, liberally doused in syrup.
I returned to sit with Tori, and we ate our pancakes in silence. It wasn’t awkward, just quiet, almost comfortable, and surely that’s the most fucked up thing it could be.
“Alicia get you patched up okay?” I finally asked, breaking the silence. Tori’s eyes met mine for a moment, then returned to her plate.
“Yes, thank you for bringing her up here. I didn’t know she was even still alive.”
I smirked. “Don’t tell anyone I said this, but I think my Pres has a major boner for her.”
“She said he’s keeping her in his room,” Tori said quietly, confirming my suspicions.
“Sneaky bastard. I knew it.”
She glared at me. “She’s still a fucking prisoner.”
I wondered what they’d been talking about when we gave them privacy.
“Is he hurting her?” I was pretty sure he wouldn’t be, not just because I knew him and knew that wasn’t his thing, but also because he seemed at least half in love with her.
“It’s not like that. I got her into all this mess, and now I feel responsible, because she’s stuck here.”
I pushed my plate aside, and grabbed my coffee.
“She didn’t seem bothered. She seemed unharmed, well-fed and clean, and comfortable around Reacher. Around all of us actually. She’s halfway to being his old lady, trust me, she’s well looked after.”
Tori still didn’t seem convinced.
“What if that’s not what she wants?”
This woman, she just wouldn’t believe a damn word I said. Was it that hard to just fucking trust me?
“We’re not about forcing anything on anyone around here, darlin’.You might want to learn from our example.”
She pushed back from the table, a harsh glare on her face.
“This is exactly what I was saying earlier. You can’t forgive me for what I did, andyou shouldn’t. So you need to let me leave, and let me look after myself, so you can get on with your life.”
I stood up too, ready to block the door if she ran for it. It was irrational, but there was no way I was letting her leave. For some reason, I just had to fucking keep her now.
“Yeah, I guess I am still pissed about it, but that doesn’t mean I want you to go, just the opposite. For some reason, I want you here with me, and you need me right now.”
“I can manage on my own,” she practically snarled, moving away from the table like she was going to bolt.
“You don’t want me touching you. Just bear that in mind, if you try to run, because Iwillstop you,” I warned, making her stop in her tracks.
“You said I was safe with you.”
