59. Ryker
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
RYKER
NOW
Islip from between the sheets, checking I haven’t woken Chloe before tugging on the first clothes I find and quietly leaving the room.
Ronan’s with her, which gives me a weird amount of peace because up until recently, there was no one on this earth I trusted with her safety more than me, but the net is widening.
Kingston steps out of his room at the same time, and neither of us says a word as we head out the front door into the freezing cold night.
The silent alarm at the perimeter was tripped, and although it’s most likely to have been an animal, we’re not taking any chances.
Bark crunches beneath our feet the further we move away from the cabin, and my hand clutches around my knife.
It’s been far too long since I’ve made someone bleed, and part of me hopes it wasn’t an animal that set off the alarm just so I can get my fix.
Kingston motions for me to head to the right while he goes left, and I follow the silent command.
I may have made a name for myself as one of the best trackers in the country, but I learned most of what I know from him, and whenever we’re in the field together, which is rare these days, I’m happy for him to take the lead.
The cabin disappears behind trees, leaving my path to be guided by the moon alone. Thankfully it’s a clear night, and I don’t have any trouble stepping over branches as I move farther into the dense forest.
A deer catches my attention in the distance, and I sigh.
And here I was hoping to get to kill someone.
I keep moving regardless, in the off chance that there is someone out here.
It’s better to be safe than sorry, and the alarms are designed to only be tripped by humans, even if they’re not foolproof.
“Ryker!” Kingston shouts, startling the deer and sending us both sprinting. The animal, away from potential threats, and me straight toward one.
The uneven ground slows me down, and by the time I reach him, I’m a little winded. I need to get back into the gym.
“What is it?”
He nods at a set of footprints in the dirt as he types something out on his phone. “We need to get out of here.”
“It might have been a hunter.”
“At three in the morning?”
I shrug, but he’s right. It’s not worth the risk, not when it’s Chloe’s life in jeopardy.
“Corbin’s checking the cameras, but I doubt he’s going to find anything.”
“It’s not like you to be so defeated, boss.” I chuckle, earning me an irritated glare.
“Head back to the house and start packing up. We’ll wait to wake Chloe until we’re ready to go. She needs the rest.”
“You sure you’re okay out here by yourself?”
He glares at me over the top of his phone, and I don’t bother arguing, instead tracing my own steps back toward the cabin.
By the time I step into the warm living room, a bleary-eyed Damon is pacing the length of the space with a gun in his hand, which is promptly pointed at me.
It takes him a second to realize I’m not a threat, and he drops it to his side. “What’s going on? I heard you two head outside.”
I try to hide the smirk that tugs at my lips, but it appears of its own accord. “For someone that claims to hate Chloe as much as you do, you’re awfully protective of her.”
“Shut the fuck up,” he snaps.
I shake my head and shuck my jacket. “Someone tripped the perimeter alarm. There’s a set of footprints a hundred yards from the cabin.”
He curses. “Where’s Kingston?”
“Making some calls. We’re leaving as soon as we can pack up all our shit.”
He frowns as he glances out the front window, but I decide against pointing out his concern for someone else he claims to hate.
Damon is the definition of a work in progress.
“Where are we going to go?”
“No clue.” I shrug. “King has houses across the country, but he might decide that going abroad is safer in the meantime. It’ll be harder for them to track us across oceans and might help us narrow down who it is that’s hunting us.”
Something crosses his eyes, but it’s gone before I have a chance to analyze it.
“I’ll stand guard while you pack your shit, and then we can swap while I do King’s room and wake Ronan and Chloe.”
He nods, tucking his gun into the back of his sweatpants and moving into his room without pausing.
As badly as I want to trust him, there’s something Damon isn’t telling us, and until he comes clean, he’s going to remain at the top of my suspect list.