Chapter 32 Ryker
Ryker
PRESENT
Rage.
I thought I was well acquainted with it. I thought that staring into my best friend’s eyes as he drew his last breath was the epitome of the feeling.
I was wrong.
The fire that wraps around my spine is attached to a type of fury I have never known. Never have I felt rage bloom so thick within me that it scalds my veins. Every cell in my body is screaming at me to catch, torture and end Erik.
A thought snakes into my brain that this whole thing is happening because of me.
Because I chose to let Erik go. I chose to be selfish and be with Gianna again.
She wouldn’t be a hostage in the back of his car right now if I’d just stayed focused and killed the bastard.
But I tamp the thought down, because Gianna needs me and the only thing that matters now is getting her back in my arms.
I won’t leave her.
As soon as Erik saw us, he sped out of the parking lot, through the town centre and past the old speedway, hurtling down the bridge toward Empire City. The back of my head hits the headrest as I charge across the bridge after Erik, with Renny and Tyler following me in their vehicles.
I’m locked on the tail-lights of Erik’s Civic as I follow him through Empire City. I don’t care what it takes or how long I need to follow him for. That fucker is going to die tonight.
Reaching for my phone, I dial Renny and Tyler on speaker. They answer on the first ring.
‘We need to box him in and get Gianna out,’ I snap.
‘Why don’t we ram his ass?’ Tyler asks.
‘No. We can’t risk it with Gianna in the car.’
Swerving through traffic, we follow Erik as he charges through red lights. We pass houses, businesses and crowded streets as we blow past in the middle of the night. I don’t care if any of them are calling the cops, or hell, if they are the cops. I’m not stopping until my girl is safe.
We whizz past the ECU campus, and Erik takes a winding road behind it that follows the coast and slowly slopes upward. I punch the gas and charge up the hill. I can see the distant cliff to the left, looming above the drop to relentless waves.
Signs for Black Point appear and I press my foot on the accelerator, Renny and Tyler still in tow. In front of me, Erik increases his speed, going straight up the road toward the point.
‘Where’s this puta going?’ Renny bellows. ‘Black Point is the only thing up here.’
Tyler cuts in, ‘It’s a single road. We can circle around and cut him off at the other end.’
Tyler’s right, but then the Civic pulls sharply to the left before regaining control.
I frown, wondering what the hell Erik’s planning.
Then I realise why he keeps veering left.
On the same side, illuminated in my headlights, the back left tyre is sagging as it rotates against the ground, losing pressure because … it’s missing its air caps.
Nice work, Little Suspect.
The Civic slows down, only slightly, but enough to give me an idea.
I take a hard left turn. Black Point is up this winding road, but I know of a shortcut – a beaten track with crater-like potholes, something only the truck can handle. ‘Keep on Erik’s ass. He’s losing tyre pressure and can’t go fast or far. I’ll beat him up there and stop him at the peak.’
The track winds in sharp bends. The tyres skid beneath me but I don’t let up. I use the gravel for traction as I move further up the hill. At the top of Black Point, I’m met with darkness.
I beat him.
My tyres bump over the rocks beneath before I come to a skidding halt. Through the silence of the night, I can hear his engine approaching.
Come on.
Headlights shine through the trees. This is it.
The Civic comes into view. Renny and Tyler are a second behind him.
Erik careens around the corner and I hit the gas, emerging from the sidelines. Erik almost hits my truck, but swerves left at the last moment just as I planned. The flat tyre on the rear of the vehicle gives out, sending him into a spin.
Gianna. No.
Dust clouds form as the Honda groans to a stop dangerously close to the cliff’s edge. I fly out of my vehicle and rush to the Civic’s door, opening it to see Gianna in the passenger seat. Fire rips through my flesh. She’s tied up, with red marks on her temple and bruises on her arms.
Pulling my switchblade from my back pocket, I flick it open and cut the ties around her wrists.
Giana’s eyes meet mine, blinking before going wide.
‘Ryker!’ she screams.
I’m tackled to the ground. The knife leaves my hands as Erik straddles me, landing a solid blow to the side of my face before he springs up and runs off down the hill.
Where the fuck does he think he’s going?
The only illumination on Black Point comes from our headlights. You can’t even see the cliff’s edge. I growl, flip over and run after him so hard, my muscles burn. He skids to a halt when Tyler’s Nissan Z screeches into his path, halting him. He diverts left, but crashes into Renny’s chest.
‘Not so fast, idiota.’ Renny smiles widely, pushing him back.
Erik stumbles a few steps and whips around, sizing up his options and taking in the three of us. He’s trapped. And I take the chance.
I ball my fist and send it smashing across his face.
‘You made a mistake, cutting the brakes on my bike four years ago.’ My knuckles smash his nose. ‘And you made an even bigger mistake coming back here now.’ His cheek bones crack. ‘And now you just made the biggest mistake by hurting my girl.’ He spits out a tooth covered in bloody saliva.
I’m sure he begs, but I don’t hear it. Every grunt, every tooth that cracks, every gurgle of a choked breath – it’s fucking fuel. I think of all the pain he’s caused. I think of him hurting her. I think of Gianna, and everything I’d do for her, and I keep hitting.
In the haze of my bloodlust, I hear sirens getting louder before the skid of tyres has my attention.
It’s only a split second, but long enough for Erik to land his own fist across my chin and slip from my grasp.
He rushes to the scrub, but a second police car stops him, forcing him to come back and face us.
Deputy Dellenty gets out with his weapon drawn and pointed right at me. I rise to my feet with my hands in the air.
‘Edwards,’ he says. ‘Not surprised to see you.’
Tyler and Renny raise their hands as the accompanying officer draws their gun. They’re athletic in build. A fedora covering brown hair. Trench coat … with a chunk torn from the hem.
I stare at her. ‘You …’
‘Detective Rourke. You owe me a new trench, Edwards.’ Hayley flashes her badge then takes aim at Erik. Erik chuckles with resignation and raises his hands too, but I notice the twinkle of metal stashed in his waistband. He’s armed.
‘Hayles, as bewildering and nice of a reunion this is …’ Tyler suddenly pipes up from behind me. ‘There’s no way that badge is real. You’ve never cared about anything other than yourself.’
‘That’s not true, Ty.’ Hayley doesn’t break her focus from Erik. ‘I was dumb and made mistakes, but I cared about Jace. And you know what, I’m putting my plunging skills to good use now. Just like you said.’
I look back at Tyler, wondering why the fuck he wants to have a heart to heart with Hayley right now, and he subtly jerks his chin toward Gianna, who’s still sitting wide-eyed in Erik’s Civic.
Gianna starts to move, reaching for my switchblade on the ground by the open door.
She locks eyes with me and I give a stern shake of my head.
Don’t even touch it. Even if you cut yourself free from the harness, there’s nothing you can do.
‘Double D,’ I keep the distraction going, trying to keep his attention on me and away from Gianna. He hasn’t noticed her yet. ‘If you could just give us five—’
‘Zip it, Edwards,’ Dellenty snaps. ‘Now, everyone’s going to stay nice and calm. Slowly, kneel on the ground with your hands behind your back.’
Tyler and Renny sink to their knees. Then Erik suddenly moves, lunging at Hayley Rourke beside him with a swift elbow to the face. She falls, knocked unconscious, as Erik draws his gun, turning the weapon straight on me.
Good. Keep it here, away from Gianna and on me.
‘Drop it!’ Dellenty screams, taking aim at Erik.
With a snicker, Erik aims the gun right back at Dellenty and snakes closer toward us. ‘Why didn’t you take the money like your buddies, Deputy?’ Erik spits. ‘I could shoot you right now.’
‘I’m a police officer. You kill me, your life is over,’ Dellenty warns.
Erik tuts. ‘Well, you’re wrong, actually.
See, if I pull this trigger, your life’s over.
And the real killer is that your colleagues will cover it all up.
Again.’ Erik beams and cocks the gun, but he’s using his injured hand.
He falters on the trigger. I take the chance and, in a whip of a movement, I lunge and push him with everything I have.
A shot echoes through the air as we tumble to the ground, a few feet from the cliff.
I hear a shout of pain from Dellenty behind me.
I keep going. Straddling Erik, I land blow after blow to his face. His ribs. Anything I can collide with.
He fights back with everything he has, smacking his elbow at my face. Copper pools in my mouth. My vision blurs and I see Erik’s fist flying back at my face.
My nose cracks. My head grows fuzzy and I fall to the side as Erik scrambles on top of me, my chest and face now in the dirt. His entire weight holds me down. In the corner of my eye, I see Dellenty on the ground, nursing a gunshot wound.
Then cold metal presses against my temple.
Shit.
Renny and Tyler start toward us, and Erik waves the gun in their direction.
‘Don’t fucking test me,’ he threatens.
Renny and Tyler stop and he points the gun back at my face.
He presses my face further into the dirt, but I turn my head to the side to watch him. His lips press into a tight line. He inhales, his eyes sharp as if he’s been tossing up a decision that’s now been made.