Chapter 36
Ryker
The lake glistens under the late afternoon sun, the calm water reflecting the thick trees surrounding the shoreline. The waterfront properties lining the lake are quite picturesque, classic New England-style homes with shingled roofs and white picket fences.
It’s a place that looks like a perfect getaway, but I feel anything but peaceful right now. And I can sense the tension radiating off of Grace on the passenger seat next to me. She hasn’t said a word since we got into the car, and her shoulders rise to her ears when I slow down the car.
We pull up to one of the buildings where Jack and Tyler are waiting for us. Both of them look tense, which doesn’t help with my own nerves. I step out of the car with Grace, and her presence at my side seems to set them even more on edge.
“Everything alright?” I ask as we approach the door, glancing at Grace to see how she greets her brothers. The moment she notices me watching her, she forces a smile on her face, but neither of her brothers returns it. Their eyes are fixated on me, not her.
“Sure, everything’s fine,” Jack says, but there’s no confidence behind his words. It feels rehearsed, like he’s trying too hard to brush something off. My eyes shift to Tyler, who’s avoiding looking directly at me. Not a good sign.
“Why did you bring her?” Tyler asks, nodding toward Grace. “She doesn’t need to be here.”
I tilt my head, studying both of them. “Aren’t you glad to see your sister?”
Grace shifts beside me, clearly uncomfortable. I thought she’d feel safe next to them, but if anything, she looks more nervous than before.
“Of course, we are glad to see her,” Tyler mumbles, casting a side-eye to his brother Jack, who forces a nod.
“We’re glad to see she’s doing fine,” Jack adds, his tone flat. “But why would you bring her to this meeting? We never said you should.”
“I want to keep an eye on her,” I say, not breaking my gaze from either of them. “She’s been getting herself into trouble at my house. I need to make sure she doesn’t get into more.”
The brothers exchange a quick look, and it’s not the kind of glance I expected—there’s confusion rather than worry.
“What kind of trouble?” Jack asks then, now finally looking at his younger sister.
Grace inhales audibly and takes a step back, as if she was afraid of him.
“Nothing to worry about,” I jump in. I don’t want the Reids to know too much about what’s been going on inside my house, and I definitely don’t want them to know that I suspect a mole among my people—a mole that might work for them. The less they know about what I know, the better.
“It’s nothing,” Grace says to Jack. “You don’t have to worry about me.”
She looks tense and unsure when talking to her brother, which only deepens my suspicion. If she’s supposed to be relaxed around her own family, why is she acting like a cornered animal?
“Where’s Mr. Stern?” I ask, cutting through the tension.
“He’s waiting for us inside,” Jack says, nodding toward the house we’re standing in front of. “Shall we?”
He gestures for us to go in, but I don’t move.
“After you,” I say, locking eyes with him. I’m not about to turn my back on any of them. Something doesn’t feel right, and I’m not about to walk blindly into whatever trap this might be. I can barely stop myself from reaching for the gun that’s lodged on my belt at my back, hidden beneath my jacket.
Jack’s jaw tightens, but he doesn’t argue. Grace and I follow behind them as they lead the way into the house. The moment we step into the entrance hall, I can feel my gut clenching. The place is eerily quiet and the hall we step into is bare—no furniture, no sign of Mr. Stern.
We walk through an archway to the right and into what looks like an empty office. There’s no desk, no chairs—just four men standing in the middle of the room. They don’t look like business associates. Torn jeans, greasy hair, and the stench of trouble radiating from them. One of them reveals a row of ugly gold-crowned teeth, when his thin lips spread into a wide grin.
Fuck.
I stop dead in my tracks, tension tightening every muscle. Everything inside me instantly screams that this is, in fact, a trap. The four men in front of me aren’t business associates—they’re trouble.
“Who are you?” I ask, my voice cold, while my hand moves to my back on instinct.
His grin widens. “Matteo Cortesi, nice to meet you.”
Cortesi? What are they doing here? I thought they were the Reids’ enemies? I glance at Jack and Tyler, who are now blocking the door. Every instinct tells me to reach for the gun tucked in my waistband. My fingers brush the grip as I pull it closer, my body tensing for the worst.
“What is going on here?” I demand, my eyes flitting back and forth between Jack, Tyler, and the stranger in front of me.
Matteo smirks as he takes a step forward.
“You’ve been played, Ryker Morris,” he says smoothly. “These gentlemen were kind enough to deliver you right into my arms, thinking it might save them from paying what they owe.”
“What?” I bark out, disbelief rushing through me.
I stare at Jack and Tyler. They both have guilt written all over their faces, and Tyler can barely meet my eyes, while Jack stands frozen like a pillar of salt.
My mind races. I knew something felt off, but this—this was a setup from the start. And I walked right into it, dragging Grace along with me.
I glance at her and realize that she’s just as shocked as I am. It looks like she wasn’t in on this either. Her eyes are wide and her face pale, as if she’d seen a ghost. She clearly didn’t see this coming. Fuck.
Without thinking, I shove her behind me, my arm instinctively shielding her from whatever will happen next.
“Aw, look at that,” Matteo chuckles. “Trying to protect your little pawn, are you? Well, don’t try too hard, because she’s the reason we’re here.”
A murmur ripples through the room, and I notice Jack and Tyler exchanging confused glances. It’s obvious that this comes as a surprise to them as well, which means that this situation just turned even more sour than it was before.
Tyler is the first to speak, his voice tense. “What are you saying?”
“That’s not what we agreed upon,” Jack chimes in, his expression twisted.
Matteo laughs, and it’s a sound that chills the room.
“Damn straight. I don’t think anyone’s getting what they hoped for today,” he says, still laughing darkly. “Except for us.”
He sends a quick nod toward his associates, and chaos erupts. Guns are drawn in a flash, and I barely have time to process the shift before bullets start flying around us. I push Grace to the floor, shielding her from the sudden onslaught. My heart is pounding in my chest as the sound of gunfire fills the room. I get off a shot and bring one of Matteo’s men to the floor before I dive to the ground next to Grace.
“Stay down!” I shout at her, my voice fortified by the adrenaline pumping through me. The heat from the barrel sears my hands, but I can’t let go of my gun. My eyes dart to her, huddled on the floor, and all I care about is making sure she stays safe. I tighten my grip on her wrist, feeling the cold metal of her bracelet.
The world slows for a second as our eyes lock. The chaos around us fades, but only for a heartbeat. There’s so much I don’t understand about her—so much I haven’t figured out—but right now, all that matters is keeping her safe.
Gunfire cracks through the air again, and I spin to see the Reid brothers. Jack hit another of Matteo’s men, his expression grim, teeth bared as he reloads. Tyler’s crouched behind a corner, exchanging fire with one of Matteo’s henchmen, his eyes wide with fear. Unlike Jack, he doesn’t look like he has a lot of experience with these types of situations.
Another bullet whizzes past my head, too close for comfort. I turn, gun raised, ready to take out the next threat, but I’m too slow. Something heavy slams against the back of my skull as I turn around, and the force knocks me forward, my knees hitting the ground hard. Pain radiates through my head, sharp and blinding. My vision tilts, the room spinning violently as I try to regain my bearings. I hear Grace call my name,but her voice is muffled and sounds like it’s coming from miles away.
I try to stand, try to grab my gun, but my hand slips, and my body feels like dead weight. I can’t protect her like this. The thought stings more than the pain in my head.
Darkness creeps in, pulling me under, and no matter how hard I fight it, I can’t stop the world from turning black around me.