Chapter 61 Ryker
RYKER
Blake’s glare could have warmed an iceberg.
I immediately set Faith down, her feet touching the ground with a soft thud, but I kept my arm around her waist. I raised my chin, meeting his eyes with zero apology.
“You gonna put another forearm to my throat every time I kiss her? That’ll make for really awkward Christmases.”
Blake scrubbed a hand over his face, the sound of his palm against day-old stubble filling the silence. His shoulders dropped a fraction. The fight bled out of him like air from a punctured tire.
“You guys are really dating then?” The words came out resigned, like he was finally accepting gravity existed.
“What tipped you off?” I couldn’t resist the sarcasm. “The kissing? The declarations of love? Or the fact that she’s wearing my shirt?”
Faith pinched my side, but I caught her trying not to smile.
Blake’s jaw worked like he was chewing nails. “You’re serious about her?”
“Serious as a heart attack.”
“You know that’s the line doctors like the least.”
I smiled, slow and deliberate. “I know. That’s why I said it.”
Blake glared at me, but there was something different in it now. Less murder, more resignation.
Meanwhile, Axel had materialized beside us like a chaos demon, his phone already recording. Ready to defuse tension with this sarcasm. “Awww, this is so cute! Brother-in-law bonding time. Go ahead, boys. Kiss and make up. Really lean into it.”
Faith bit back a grin.
“Axel, shut the hell up,” Blake snarled.
“I think you should hug it out,” Axel continued, undeterred. “Make sure you really commit. Maybe cry a little. This is premium content for the group chat.”
Blake shoved him hard enough that Axel stumbled back three steps, but the bastard just laughed, still filming.
Blake walked toward me, and every muscle in my body tensed. Old habits. I’d been on the receiving end of his protective-brother routine enough times to expect another wall slam or creative threat involving my anatomy and a cheese grater.
But instead, he stopped a foot away and sighed like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He shoved his hands in his pockets. The universal sign for I’m not going to punch you.
Progress.
“You’d better treat my sister right.” The words came out gruff, forced through gritted teeth, like admitting defeat.
“Oh, he does.” Faith moved to my side, pressing her palm against my chest. The warmth of her hand seeped through my shirt. “Very, very well.” She looked up at me with a smile that was pure sin. “Last night, he—”
“I will throw myself into traffic before I hear the end of that sentence.” Blake held up a hand like he could physically stop the words.
“I was just going to say, he made me dinner,” Faith said innocently. Too innocently. “What did you think I was going to say?”
“I hate you both,” Blake said flatly.
“Awww, baby brother, don’t be like that,” Faith teased. God, it was good to see her back to her old self.
“I’m older than you.”
“Chronologically? Sure. Emotionally? Debatable.”
Blake’s eye twitched.
“Awwww!” Axel was recording again, practically vibrating with glee. “Look at you two! So in love! Tell me, did you guys bond over your mutual desire to bang each other’s sisters? Was it like a pact? You take mine, I’ll take yours?”
“Shut up, Axel.” Dakota smirked, appearing beside him with the kind of timing that suggested she’d been waiting for maximum impact. “If you don’t, I’m going to tell everyone about the movie theater incident.”
Axel’s phone dropped an inch. His face drained of color, like someone had pulled a plug. “That’s not funny.”
“Oh, I think it’s hilarious.” Dakota’s smile was pure evil, wrapped in sunshine. “Especially the part with the—”
“Okay! Okay!” Axel shoved his phone in his pocket so fast, he nearly dropped it. “Video deleted. Never happened. We were never here.”
Dakota walked away with a smile that could have won wars, her heels clicking against the floor with satisfied precision.
“You were joking though, right?” Axel called after her, actual panic creeping into his voice. “You would never actually tell people about that, right? Dakota? Right?”
She didn’t answer, just waggled her fingers over her shoulder in a little wave.
Blake watched Axel trail after her like a kicked puppy, then turned back to us. “Owned by a tiny woman. Never thought I’d see the day.”
“Glass houses,” I said, nodding toward where Dakota was leading Axel around by his metaphorical balls.
Blake actually snorted. Almost like a laugh.
He looked between Faith and me, something shifting in his expression. Acceptance maybe. Or just exhaustion from fighting the inevitable.
“Fine,” he said finally, like the word physically hurt him. “But if you hurt her—”
“You’ll remove my spine through my nose. Got it.” I pulled Faith closer. “Same goes for Tessa, by the way. You hurt her, and I’ll get creative with a law degree.”
Blake’s lips twitched. “Fair.”
Faith looked between us, shaking her head. “Are you two actually bonding over threatening each other?”
“It’s how we communicate,” I said.
“It’s a love language,” Blake added dryly.
We stood there for a moment, the three of us, finding a new equilibrium.
“One condition,” Blake said suddenly.
I tensed. “What?”
“No PDA in front of me.”
Faith laughed, the sound bright and free. “No promises.”
Blake groaned, but there was no real heat in it. “I’m going to need so much therapy.”
“I know a guy,” I offered.
“Of course you do.” He turned to leave, then paused, looking back over his shoulder. “Ryker?”
“Yeah?”
“Welcome to the family.” The words sounded like they were being extracted via dental surgery, but they were there. “I guess.”
He walked away before I could respond, probably to preserve what was left of his tough-guy reputation.
Faith turned in my arms, her eyes bright with amusement and something softer. “That went better than expected. You’re not even bleeding.”
“Night’s still young,” I said, but I was smiling.
She rose up on her toes, pressing a kiss to my jaw. “Come on, Counselor. Let’s go scandalize them with some PDA.”
“You’re going to get me killed.”
“Maybe.” She grinned, wicked and perfect. “But what a way to go.”
As she pulled me toward the others, I caught Blake watching us from across the room. He raised his drink in a tiny salute. Still grudging. Still protective. But accepting.
I nodded back. Then, just because I could, I dipped Faith into a dramatic kiss that would have made a romance novel cover jealous.
Blake’s groan was audible from across the room.
“Oh, this is GOLD!” Axel was suddenly right there, phone out, narrating like a nature documentary host. Apparently, he couldn’t push pause on his goading for long.
“Come on, guys. Really commit to it! Blake’s watching—make it count!
Make Blake regret every life choice!” He pivoted to Blake, zooming in.
“Blake, how are you feeling? Can you describe your emotional state for the camera? Are you experiencing rage? Nausea? The sudden urge to commit murder?”
“I will END you,” Blake growled.
I pulled back from Faith, both of us laughing. She was flushed, breathless, and absolutely perfect.
We were going to be okay. All of us.
One awkward Christmas at a time.
“So …” Tessa shifted. “We have something to tell you …”