22. Ryker
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
RYKER
NOW
Another fucking Lombardi.
Perfect.
As if the last week hasn’t been bad enough with Ronan, now I have to save Damon’s ass?
I’m not even convinced Chloe likes this one. Every interaction I’ve seen between the two of them has been hostile at best.
But as much as I would love to have one fewer asshole to compete with for Chloe’s heart, I can’t risk her resenting me for letting him die.
When it comes to Chloe, I take no risks.
Ronan’s phone buzzes when we’re an hour from landing at the same airfield we used before, and he just about drops the thing in his haste to answer it.
I’ve heard stories about Ronan Lombardi. He’s ruthless. Unfeeling. Unhinged when the mood strikes. But so far I’ve seen none of those things.
At first I thought it was because those were just stories I heard, probably spread by his father to make the family seem more formidable. But then I realized what it was and why I couldn’t understand him.
The people he cares about make him reckless, something that has never been a problem for me.
At least not until Chloe walked into my life.
Objectively I care about my mom and sisters, and I’ve distanced myself from them over the years in order to keep them safe.
But Ronan would do anything to protect those close to him.
“Hello?” he rushes out, tapping the speaker button so I can hear the conversation from both sides.
“We might have a problem,” Damon says.
“We know. We’re on our way to Miami to get you now.”
There’s a pause. “How the hell do you know?”
“Kingston has a rat in the compound. Says some of the old-timers have been gathering evidence against you to present to Dad.”
“Fuck.”
“Do you still have a go bag in your car?”
“I can’t leave, Ronan.”
“You have to! If Dad finds out you helped me escape with Chloe, he’ll kill you.”
“He can try.”
Ronan runs a frustrated hand through his hair. “You’re not listening! They have evidence. It’s only a matter of time before they find a smoking gun. Don’t forget your first kill was our gardener for doing his fucking job. You think he won’t hesitate to kill you just because you’re his son?”
He’s quiet for a beat, but he’s stubborn. If our limited interactions have taught me anything, it’s that he doesn’t like to be proven wrong or to be beaten, and leaving now would be admitting defeat, something I doubt Damon Lombardi has ever done.
There’s a loud knock and he curses. “Don’t bother coming here.”
He ends the call, and Ronan’s phone flies past my head, landing heavily against the side of the jet beside me. “He’s going to get himself killed.”
“That’s his prerogative. We’ll hang around Miami for a day or two while I plan our next move, and if he insists on staying, that’s his choice.”
He looks like he wants to argue, but instead he stalks toward the back of the plane where the bedroom is.
Finally, some peace and quiet.
The sooner we find Chloe, the sooner I’m free of all these damn Lombardis.