Chapter 20 Ryker
RYKER
“You were kissing her?”
I didn’t even look at Jace. He’d ushered me outside, to the corner of the small yard, where we could talk without interruption.
“Axel couldn’t wait five whole seconds before running his mouth. Said you looked like you’d been attacked by a Sephora employee.” Jace leaned against the fence, arms crossed. “His words, not mine.”
“That absolute child.” I scrubbed a hand over my face, probably smearing whatever evidence remained, but truth be told, I could tell Axel’s sarcasm had eased Faith’s tension. And I appreciated him for that. “Who else did he tell?”
“Just me.”
“Great. So, you’re here to give me shit too?” I rolled my shoulder, trying to work out the knot that had taken up permanent residence there. “Because Axel already covered that ground pretty thoroughly.”
Jace studied me with that CEO look, the one that dissected quarterly reports and found every weakness.
“I suspected you had feelings for her. Hell, Axel called you out at poker night when she showed up, covered in blood. But kissing her? Present tense?” He shook his head.
“That’s not suspicion anymore. That’s confirmation. ”
I stayed quiet. No point denying what he’d already figured out. Craning my neck, I caught a glimpse of her. Faith had rejoined our friends by the fire, settling into one of the chairs across from the flames. The orange glow washed over her skin, turning it almost golden.
That smile. Christ. That smile could bring a man to his knees. I wanted to bottle it up, tuck it away for the dark moments when the world felt like it was crashing down around me.
After holding her in the kitchen, my arms felt empty without her.
The rational part of my brain knew we had work to do once everyone left. Her defense wouldn’t build itself. But the selfish part? The part still tasting her on my lips? That part wanted to set fire to every case file and spend the rest of the night learning what made her laugh.
Very professional, Counselor.
“Earth to Ryker.” Jace snapped his fingers. “You’re staring.”
I was. Like a lovesick teenager who’d just discovered his favorite song.
“Blake’s noticed.”
I shifted my gaze. Sure enough, Blake’s eyes were locked on me from across the fire, his expression somewhere between homicidal and already picking out my casket.
Axel, standing near him, caught Blake’s death glare and smirked over his glass. He raised it in a mock toast that clearly said, You’re a dead man walking.
“You know, when Blake looks at her, all he sees is that little girl he tried to protect.” Jace took a pull from his drink. “The kid he got separated from.”
“Well, she’s not a child anymore.” Obviously. Very, very obviously.
“He feels responsible. The foster care system split them up—”
“Is this what you cornered me for?” I cut him off. “A lecture on Blake’s big-brother complex? Because I’m aware. Deeply, painfully aware.”
Jace’s jaw worked for a moment. He glanced toward Faith, still sitting by the fire, then back to me. “Have you figured out what happened that night?”
“I can’t discuss the case with you.” My voice came out flat.
“Let me rephrase.” Jace shifted his footing. “Do you have all the information about what happened the night of the crime?”
“Why are you asking me this?” The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Jace was a CEO. He didn’t waste time on idle curiosity. Every question had a purpose, every conversation an agenda.
He sighed, the kind of exhale that carried weight. “Because I watched you after that poker night. The way you looked at her when she was covered in blood. Most people would have been horrified. You? You looked worried. For her.”
“Jace—”
“And now you’re kissing her.” His voice stayed level, businesslike. “Which means this isn’t just a passing attraction. You’re invested. And if that’s the case …”
I waited. Jace always had a point. Better to let him get there on his own.
“Look, out of all of us, you’ve always had the strongest moral compass.
It’s annoying actually, how good you are,” he said.
“And the truth is, none of us really know Faith.” He held up a hand before I could interrupt.
“Not even Blake. They were separated for most of their childhood. Years of her life we know nothing about. Experiences that shaped her. Changed her.” His eyes locked on to mine.
“We don’t know what she’s been through, Ryker.
More importantly, we don’t know what she’s capable of. ”
The whiskey turned sour in my stomach.
“Your point?”
Jace leaned forward, his voice dropping low. “If you find out that what happened that night was cold-blooded, premeditated murder—not self-defense, not an accident, but murder—do you think you’ll still be able to have feelings for her?”
The yard went silent except for the crackle of the bonfire.
“You’re asking if I could love a killer.” The words tasted like betrayal to Faith. To Blake.
“I’m asking if you know the answer.” Jace straightened, his CEO mask sliding back into place. “Because if you don’t, you need to figure it out. Fast. Before you get in too deep to swim back to shore.”
And in that moment, with Jace’s question hanging in the air like smoke, I realized I didn’t know the answer.
What the hell had Faith done that night?