Chapter 12
CHAPTER TWELVE
Ry was shocked when she’d woken up in Tiny’s arms that morning. Knowing what his ex had done, and the fact he hadn’t shared sleeping quarters with a woman since, she’d thought he would’ve woken her up and made her go to her room.
Instead, he’d stayed on the couch and held her all night long. And it felt incredible. Better than anything she could’ve imagined. Since she’d never slept with a man—or woman, for that matter—she’d expected it to be uncomfortable. But she hadn’t woken up once during the night, like she usually did.
And when he’d finally opened his eyes, she’d expected him to be upset that they’d slept in each other’s arms, but he’d simply kissed her forehead, mumbled something about his awful morning breath, and shifted out from under her, heading to his room.
She’d done the same, and when they’d met in the kitchen after showering, things had been better than normal between them. Ry wasn’t sure what happened last night, but Tiny seemed even more different than he’d been lately—and that was saying something. All morning, he was way more affectionate. Touched her frequently…running a hand along her arm, touching her back, sitting closer at the table as they ate breakfast. And she couldn’t say she hated it.
Tiny was going up to the lodge for his weekly owners meeting, and she was going to do her usual scan of the dark web, looking for more of her father’s shenanigans. They planned to meet later for lunch up at the lodge.
They’d put their breakfast dishes away, and Ry was just about to sit at the table again and get to work when Tiny stopped her. He pulled her into his arms, and she looked up at him in surprise. Her hands rested on his chest, and she had to force herself not to caress him. The more she was around this man, the more curious she got about sex. It was a surprising feeling, because she’d never been concerned about it before. Hadn’t really allowed herself to think about it. But now that Tiny wasn’t glaring at her suspiciously anymore, and after that amazing kiss they’d shared, she couldn’t seem to think about anything else.
“Is it okay if I talk to the guys about your father? About what happened yesterday, with the money you pilfered from his account and him reaching out?”
She nodded immediately. “Yes.”
“You don’t feel weird about taking his money?”
“Well, yeah. It’s stealing, even if he took it from someone else in the first place. I don’t want anyone to think I’d ever do anything like that to them. Take their money, that is.”
“They don’t think that,” he told her.
Ry wasn’t so sure, but Tiny knew the others better than she did. Besides, hadn’t she decided she was done hiding who she was? She’d done what she’d thought was necessary because her dad was ignoring her messages—and because he’d messed with Cora and Pipe. Screwing with Tonka’s insurance was bad enough. Yesterday, he’d made things much more personal than they already were. And after learning about Jasna’s grades, she felt even less guilty about taking the money.
“Okay,” she said belatedly.
“He’s escalating,” Tiny said.
It wasn’t anything Ry hadn’t already thought. “Yeah.”
“We need to step things up. See if we can track him down. Turn him in. Can I talk to Tex?”
“I already have,” Ry admitted with a slight wince.
“You have?”
“Yeah. He’s really good, and I thought maybe he might’ve thought of some way to find him that I haven’t.”
“And has he?” he asked.
“No.”
For some reason, Tiny chuckled.
“What? Is that funny?”
“Kind of.”
“Why?” she demanded.
“Because you thought Tex might know something you don’t. Honey, you’re way out of his league. He even said as much.”
“That’s not true,” Ry said, feeling her cheeks heat.
“I have a feeling he’d love to sit down and pick your brain for, oh, about four days. And even that still wouldn’t be enough. If you want a job, I’m sure Tex would hire you. Hell, anyone would. You’d be gold for an organization trying to lock down their security so hackers couldn’t get in.”
Ry blinked at him in surprise.
“You’ve never thought about that, have you? Using what you know to keep people like you out .”
“No.”
“You think you could do it? Lock down a system securely enough so hackers couldn’t get in? Like credit card companies or government websites?”
“Probably. I mean, I could at least lock down how I would get in.”
Tiny chuckled again. “Which means keeping out ninety-nine-point-nine percent of other hackers. We can talk about it later.”
“Don’t I need a degree for that?”
“No clue. But I’m guessing once some CEO realizes what you can do, he or she isn’t going to care about a piece of paper. Thank you for letting me talk to the guys. We’re going to figure this out. One way or another, I’m not going to let your father continue to harass you. Will you promise me something?”
“Depends on what it is,” Ry told him.
“Smart woman, not to agree without knowing what it is. Don’t run.”
Ry frowned in confusion.
“We both know things are going to get intense. Your father isn’t going to back off. But I don’t want you to leave, thinking that will help the situation. It won’t. I want you to promise me that you won’t sneak off in the middle of the night. I’d never find you…but I’d spend the rest of my life looking.”
“Tiny,” Ry whispered .
“I slept with you in my arms last night, and I didn’t feel a moment of hesitation. Of doubt. Of worry. I want more nights like that. I want it all with you. And if you leave…” His voice trailed off.
“I won’t leave,” Ry said, feeling overwhelmed. “Not now. I mean, if I wasn’t going to leave before my dad started doing all the stuff he has, there’s no way I’d leave now.”
“Thank you. I didn’t think so, but I wanted to be sure. I’d like to kiss you again. May I?”
Ry nodded.
His head lowered, and his kiss was soft and sweet. A brushing of his lips against hers. It felt…nice. He lifted his head, looked at her for a moment as if wanting to make sure she was okay. Then he kissed her again. Harder and deeper.
By the time he lifted his head a second time, they were both panting. Ry’s fingers were digging into his chest, and one of her legs had actually come off the floor and was rubbing against the outside of his thigh.
Was this her ? She wasn’t like this. Wasn’t this…horny. Ever.
Tiny grinned. “You liked that.”
“Duh.”
“Me too. If you want…and there’s no pressure…maybe we can try sleeping in a bed tonight. I mean, the couch was okay but a little lumpy. I think we’d be more comfortable in my bed. But again, it’s up to you. And when I say sleeping, I mean sleeping . Nothing more. Not yet.”
“Not even if I want it?”
Ry wasn’t sure where the words came from. Or who the hell she was anymore .
“I refuse to go too fast with you, Ryleigh. This is all new to you, and frankly, it’s new to me too. I’d like some time to get used to this. Us. Baby steps.”
When he put it like that, how could she refuse? Truth was, she couldn’t. “Okay.”
“Okay.” Tiny kissed her forehead and stepped back, reluctantly. “If I don’t go now, I’ll be late and the guys will give me all sorts of shit,” he said with a grin.
“They haven’t ever been late to a meeting?” she asked.
“You have a point. When Brick moved Alaska in with him, he was late regularly. And come to think of it, all the guys have been late at one time or another.” He stepped back to her, wrapped an arm around her back, and bent her into a dramatic dip as he lowered his head.
Ry was laughing when she flew backward, but soon she was lost in his kiss. The only thing keeping her from falling to the floor was his strong arm, and yet she felt no fear. This was Tiny. He’d never hurt her.
All too soon, he stood her up and grinned again. “Now I really have to go.”
“Okay,” Ry said dreamily.
“I like this look on you. Lips puffy from my kiss, dazed look in your eyes, cheeks flushed.”
“Whatever,” she murmured.
His grin widened. He tapped a finger to her nose. “See you at lunch. If your dad tries to communicate with you again, don’t. Shut your laptop and come find me. Doesn’t matter if we’re still in the meeting. Okay?”
Ry sighed. She didn’t know exactly what her dad had said the night before, though she could imagine. It was sweet that Tiny wanted to protect her from him. But she’d heard plenty of his threats in the past. She was sure he hadn’t said anything much different than he’d already spewed at her. “Okay,” she agreed.
“There are some apples in the fridge if you want a snack before lunch. Don’t eat the Christmas Tree Cake that’s in the freezer though. It’s mine. I’m saving it.”
Ry rolled her eyes. “It’s safe.”
It looked as if he wanted to say something else, but after a moment, he turned and headed for the door. “Lock this behind me,” he ordered.
Ry wanted to roll her eyes again at how protective he was being, but since she secretly didn’t mind it, she nodded.
“We’re going to get through this,” he said firmly, as if saying it would make it so. Then he was gone.
Ry immediately walked to the door and threw the dead bolt. Then she took a deep breath and went back to the table. She opened her laptop and got to work searching for more of her father’s electronic signatures.
Tiny listened in frustration as Tonka explained how a woman in town had decided not to buy goat’s milk from The Refuge after all. No one had any doubts it was somehow because of Harold Lodge. The man hadn’t let up on his campaign to destroy The Refuge, and the strain was beginning to show with everyone.
On a lighter note, Pipe told them that he and Cora had received a call from social services that morning about fostering a family of four kids who had no relatives willing to take them in. Tiny knew all about it from Ryleigh, and he was happy for his friends that no time was being wasted in setting up meetings and getting the paperwork done.
But it didn’t mitigate the threat they could all feel hanging over them.
“He’s not going to stop, so what are we going to do to make him stop?” Brick asked.
It was the ten-thousand-dollar question. Or maybe the ten-million-dollar one.
“Ryleigh finally got a message from him last night,” Tiny told the group.
“Could she trace it?”
“Unfortunately, no, but taking the money from his account definitely got his attention.” He’d already told his friends about the ten grand she’d transferred to a charity to lure him out of hiding.
“So, what now?” Tonka asked.
“How can we leverage the fact that he reached out to her?” Owl added.
“What’d he say?” Stone asked, which was probably the better question.
“Lots of shit. Said he should’ve sold Ryleigh to the sex slaver when he had the chance.”
“Bloody hell,” Pipe swore.
In any other situation, Tiny probably would’ve laughed. Bloody hell wasn’t exactly what he would’ve said; wasn’t what he thought, for sure, when he’d seen the words on the screen the night before. But he wasn’t in the mood to find anything about this amusing.
“He also said something about being a real man, after I taunted him with it, and that he’d do something we could understand. And something about sparks flying.”
“Fuck, do you think he’d actually do something physical? Something other than hide behind his keyboard?” Spike asked.
“No clue. But I don’t think we can ignore that possibility,” Tiny said grimly.
“I’ll contact the security company we contract with and tell them to be extra vigilant. We’ve already got a ton of cameras around the property, so I’m not sure adding more would do anything other than make it more difficult to monitor them all,” Owl mused.
“There’s more. He did say that if Ryleigh gave his money back—and I’m assuming he meant the original amount, not the ten k she took last night—that he’d stop.”
“Do we believe him?” Stone asked.
“No way in hell. He’s enjoying this. He’s been stewing for years as he searched for Ry, and now that he’s found her, he won’t give up, even if she does give the money back,” Tonka said.
Tiny agreed with him.
“What if we provoke him?” Brick asked.
“What are you thinking?” Pipe asked.
“Well, up until now, we’ve been on the defensive. Plugging holes as he makes them. Yesterday was the first time Ry fought back, by taking that money. And he responded. What if she does more? Takes all his money? Hits him where it hurts the most?”
“He could act even more batshit crazy than he is right now,” Stone said with an unamused snort.
“If he gets too riled up, he could make a mistake. Open the door for Ry to find him. For the FBI to nab him,” Brick suggested.
“Or he could come out of hiding with an AK and try to blow his daughter away,” Tiny argued .
“Exactly. He could come out of hiding ,” Brick said. “Look at us. We’re badass special forces. We’ve got two SEALs, a Coast Guard DSF, a Delta, an SAS, and two Night Stalkers. The day we can’t take down a fucking hacker who’s spent his entire life sitting behind a computer, making people’s lives miserable, is the day I give up my Budweiser pin. We need to piss this guy off enough that he can’t help but want to confront Ry in person.”
“No. Absolutely not. No way in hell,” Tiny growled. “We are not using Ryleigh as bait for this fucker.”
“Then how do you suggest we get him?” Brick argued, voice equally hard.
Tiny leaned forward in his seat, pissed way the hell off now. “Would you be suggesting this if it was Alaska he wanted?”
“I wouldn’t like it. I’d be scared as fuck. But yes , I would.”
“Bullshit!” Tiny barked.
“If you have any other ideas, I’m listening. But this guy isn’t fighting fair, Tiny, and we can’t take down a ghost. We need him to show his face, and the only way I know how to do that is by sending him so far over the deep end that he tries to come after Ry personally.”
Tiny and Brick were locked in a battle of wills. Never had Tiny felt more animosity toward a fellow SEAL, a friend , than he did right now. And what sucked was that Brick was right. Tiny knew it, but he didn’t want Ryleigh to ever see her shithead father again. He’d done nothing but cause her pain, and Tiny didn’t want him to cause one iota more.
“Maybe instead of grabbing all his money at once, she could take a little at a time. Let his anger really build. When he’s ready to explode, she can tell him she’ll give it all back, but he has to come get it in person,” Stone suggested.
“He’s not going to be stupid enough to fall for that,” Pipe insisted.
Tiny didn’t take his gaze from Brick’s. The other man stared back just as intently as the others talked around them.
“She could promise there won’t be any cops, since she’s also broken the law, stolen his money,” Spike said.
“That excuse could work,” Tonka said slowly. “We could have the meet here. Where it would be filmed by the cameras, so our own asses are covered if we have to take deadly action.”
“No fucking way!” Brick said. “We’ve put our blood, sweat, and tears into this place. There’s no way I want that psychopath anywhere near The Refuge. I don’t care if we send all our women and kids away and shut down the place so there aren’t any guests. It’s still a horrible idea to invite him here.”
“Tiny? Stop glaring at Brick. What are you thinking?” Owl asked.
Tiny glanced at his friend. “That I hate this.”
“But?” Owl pressed.
“But…it could work. Not bringing him here, but having Ryleigh meet with her father in person. Harold Lodge is cocky as fuck. He thinks he’s got this situation—and his daughter—under control. If Ryleigh continues to steal his money, little by little, it’ll drive him insane. He won’t be able to figure out how she’s getting into his accounts because she’s way better than him. ”
“You think she’ll be able to do it? Because by now, surely he’s locked them down,” Pipe said.
“She can do it,” Tiny said without a doubt in his mind.
“Will she want to do it?” Spike asked.
He sighed. “Unfortunately, yes. She’ll do anything to make him stop. No matter how many times I tell her that this isn’t her fault, she still feels that it is. If using herself as bait will ultimately lead to his arrest, she won’t hesitate. But this is about more than the money. Yes, he wants his millions back, but at this point, it’s a matter of pride for him. He can’t let his daughter win. Not only that…I think he sees her as his only legitimate threat. I got the feeling from his messages last night that he wants her gone . That he’s cocky enough to think he can kill her, tying up the few loose ends of his life in the process.”
“If we set this up, we’re going to be there the entire time. She won’t ever be alone with him, no matter what,” Brick said.
Tiny glared at his friend. “Nothing is ever that easy.” He sighed. “And I’m scared.” It wasn’t something a SEAL would normally admit, but this wasn’t a normal situation.
“I know. I am too,” Brick responded. “But if we don’t do anything, this place is going to go under. Maybe not tomorrow or the next day, but eventually that asshole will find a way to destroy us just like Ry said—a little at a time. No matter how good she is, the blows to our reputation will eventually wither away the confidence our guests have in us. They come here to feel safe, and if this kind of shit keeps happening, their trust will go away and our business will dry up. I’m not willing to let that happen.
“The Refuge is my safe place. It’s where I found the love of my life, where I healed myself, and where my best friends have healed as well. We’re starting a new generation here with Tonka and Spike’s children, and I’ll do whatever it takes to protect it. Them . Everyone here. Including Ry. She’s one of us now, and I’m not going to let anyone hurt her, Tiny.”
Some of Tiny’s trepidation eased. Brick was right. This was their home. And he wasn’t going to let anyone threaten that. Or the woman he loved.
He wasn’t even surprised at his thoughts about Ryleigh. He loved her. It had taken him months to realize it, but it was the truth.
“Okay. You’ll talk to Ry, let her know?” Brick said.
Tiny snorted. Just because he’d agreed to this plan didn’t mean he had to like it. “That she’s going to have to act as bait? Yeah, I’ll tell her.”
“Again, he won’t touch her. I give you my word,” Brick vowed.
Tiny nodded. He knew Brick had the best of intentions, but he also knew, just as all the men around this table did, that even the best-laid plans had a way of getting FUBAR’d in seconds.