18. 18 - Ryder
M averick is lurking in his study when I pop my head around the door, his usual position. The screen of his laptop lights up his face in the dark room, and I bend down to flick on a lamp.
“That will never not be creepy,” I tell him when he looks up, his face ghostly against the bright light. “Do you have to sit in the dark like that?”
Maverick sighs. “What do you want, Ryder?”
Shrugging, I move over to stare at the wall. Notes, photographs, maps are scattered everywhere. A face looks out at me, bright curls surrounding a laughing face. The baby in the woman’s arms waves chubby fists. The photo is old now, curling around the edges, but he’s never taken it down.
To Maverick, it’s evidence of his failure. Every case we have, he pushes harder.
Turning away from the image, I survey him. For once, he won’t meet my eye, staring stubbornly at his screen with his jaw set.
“Mav,” I ask him outright. “What was that?”
I don’t know what I expected from dinner, but it sure as fuck wasn’t Maverick going full-blown caveman on us. Enzo, I would have expected. But our esteemed leader-slash father figure - even though he hates it - is very clearly enamored with our new guest.
He ignores me, but I push his screen down with a click, and he mutters a curse. “Leave it alone, Ry.”
“Nope.” I pop the ‘p’. “Don’t think I will. You like her.”
He rolls his eyes. “We’re not in school, Ryder. I’m not about to pull her pigtails on the fucking playground. Besides, it’s none of your business.”
I settle down into the chair opposite his desk, pushing my feet against the ground so it swirls from side to side. “Just curious, is all. Enzo likes her too.”
He frowns. “We need to watch him with her.”
Folding my arms, I glance at him coyly. “I’m not worried about him hurting her.”
Well. Only a tiny bit.
A dull flush colors his cheekbones. “Then what exactly are you worried about?” he asks irritably. “Why are you here?”
I frown. I’m not entirely sure.
Except the idea of Maverick or Enzo laying some sort of claim to the girl upstairs… I’m not sure I like it.
“She’s innocent,” I force out around the sudden dryness in my throat. “That’s all. We can’t overwhelm her.”
Maverick scowls. “I’m aware of that. It’s not me who needs the warning, Ryder. I’ll speak to Enzo.”
“Are you?” I challenge, holding up my fingers and pressing them together. “Because you were this close to dragging her onto your lap earlier. And as much as I appreciate your masterful ways, I’m not sure she’s ready for it.”
Maverick’s patience snaps. Getting up, he moves to the door and holds it open. “We’re done here.”
Standing, I pause in front of him, suddenly uncertain. Maverick’s been a constant in my life for ten years. I don’t want us to fall out over this.
Swallowing, I try to articulate the weird feelings inside my chest. “Look… if you want her, Maverick, and she wants you, then go for it. Same with Enzo. Just take it easy, that’s all I’m saying.”
He looks confused. Hell, so am I. “And you?”
Shaking my head, I slide past him.
“I’m not for her.” My words are abrupt as I head down the hall.
But that little truth doesn’t stop thoughts of her from invading my brain as I move outside and into the trees, breathing in the familiar scents.
The small forest on our grounds is perfect for testing my movements.
Forests are noisy places. Insects, birds, branches, twigs - endless opportunities to reveal your presence.
If you can move silently through a forest, blend in with the natural sounds, then anywhere else becomes ridiculously simple.
The perfect exercise for a thief. And a good way to empty thoughts from your mind until your sole focus is the world around you.
Losing myself in the forest, I push away any thoughts of the girl we stole from a warehouse.
As I lift my foot to cross over a broken branch, a noise filters through that doesn’t fit. Pausing, I lift my head and listen.
I hear her well before I see her. Excited, almost harsh feminine breathing, the snap of twigs under her feet, the scattering of rocks and bending of branches. Her feet smack into the ground as if she’s running.
The forest silences, aware of the intruder in its midst.
My head turns in her direction.
She’s running.
From us?
Absolutely fucking not.
I might not be able to have her, but I’m not about to let her go, either. Besides, she made a promise to Maverick to stay safely inside, and our little princess has clearly forgotten. I’m more than happy to remind her.
It’s easy enough to make my way through the forest and wait as Zella crashes towards me.
She’s completely unaware of my presence as she pelts past where I’m standing, but the view throws me off balance, my mouth drying.
Swiping a hand over my face, I lean out to watch as she darts ahead.
Her skin shimmers, moonlight crossed with gold.
And that fucking hair trails behind her like she’s some sort of damn forest nymph.
Groaning, I dig my palms into my eyes, swallowing down the sudden rush of arousal that’s shot straight to my dick.
Why the ever living fuck is she running through the forest naked?
I think it’s safe to assume that she’s probably not running away unless she’s got the urge to join a nudist colony, so I follow her from a distance, doing my best to keep my eyes up even as my chest tightens with every step she takes.
What the hell is she doing out here?
A shockingly husky laugh rings out as she reaches a clearing and throws herself down, rubbing her hands into the dirt.
Swallowing, I watch as she rolls over and then over again, her hair wrapping around her as she comes to a slow halt, throwing her arms out wide.
A delighted grin spread across those plush lips as she wriggles, sighing contentedly.
My fingers curl with need.
The urge to stride in, to push her legs open, see the shocked surprise in those pretty green eyes change to arousal when my fingers push through the pale thatch of curls I can see hinted at between her creamy thighs, to drag my tongue over her clit and roll it until it’s nice and swollen for me, the better to graze my teeth over until she’s shaking and begging against me.
Zella shuddering, crying out into the forest as I steal her pleasure from her and make it mine.
Make her mine.
Fuck, it would be so easy. She closes her eyes, stretching her arms over her head and breathing deeply. Completely relaxed.
Completely innocent.
I force the thoughts back, locking them down.
But there’s one thing I can teach her, if only for her to think twice the next time she decides to run at night with not a fucking stitch on.
My strides are slow and lazy as I walk up to her. She’s completely clueless, a soft smile on her face as I lean over her.
Her hands curl into the ground, her fingers toying with the dirt.
Her skin fucking gleams, almost angelic in the faint strands of moonlight filtering through the trees.
I ease down silently, my elbows on either side of her face. Her eyes fly open as she registers the danger a little too late, but my body is already pressed against hers, my hand over her mouth as I grip her wrist and hold it up.
She wriggles, green eyes wide and panicked noises coming from her throat as I hold her.
Leaning down, I turn her face to the side and run my nose along her neck, up to her ear.
“You,” I murmur, “have been a very bad princess .”
If her sense of self-preservation wasn’t already fucked, she relaxes as she recognises my voice. Zella’s body softens as I sink against her, jean-clad hips pressing into her bare skin. My cock hardens, and I wonder if she can feel it. If she even knows what it means.
She grumbles something into my hand, and I take just one more second to breathe in the faint, flowery scent of her skin, the mix of fresh earth and warmth. Wishing I could take more.
But angels like her aren’t for the darkness of devils like me.
So I free her lips instead of catching them with mine, watching the way the plump lines turn up. She smiles at me, even as her breathing shakes. “Ryder,” she whispers. “What are you doing?”
Her hands are still gripped in mine, and I lean down to rub my nose against hers. She laughs .
Zero self-fucking preservation.
“Stalking you through the forest,” I raise an eyebrow. “Why are you not wearing any clothes, princess?”
At the reminder, her cheeks flush a deep color, the red spreading up and over her chest. I don’t look down. I won’t have any self-control if I do.
I need a fucking award for this shit. And a cold shower.
She wriggles underneath me, and I squeeze her wrists in light warning. “Did you not promise Maverick you wouldn’t leave the house without one of us?”
Her mouth opens, then closes again. “You’re right here, though?”
Her hopeful tone draws a small laugh from my chest. Sneaky. I can get on board with that, and my own lips lift in response.
“Looks like you’ve got yourself an out,” I say. She wriggles, her face flushing as my hips shift against hers.
“We should go back,” she says, and the first hint of trepidation enters her eyes when I don’t move. “R-Ryder?”
Leaning down, I brush her mouth with mine, just once, inhaling the shaky sound that comes from her lips. “And if I don’t want to let you go? What would you do then, princess?”
I watch the realization hit, the way her breathing changes as she pushes against me. I don’t move.
“The world is a bad place, Zella,” I say quietly. “Moore got that right, at least. And while you’re safe on our land, I wouldn’t recommend running at night anywhere else. You understand?”
She nods, her eyes flickering between my face and the forest behind me. Her face softens, the fear sliding away.
“I’ve never been outside,” she whispers shakily. “It’s so beautiful out here, Ryder.”
I swallow as I shift back. At this point, I wouldn’t have a clue if it was all burning to the ground around us.
The only thing I see is her.
Clambering up, I hold a hand out, her small hand swallowed inside mine as I lift her up. She winces as she stands, and I glance down to her bare feet.
“Have you cut yourself?” I demand. My words come out more harshly than I meant, and she shifts uncomfortably. “I don’t care. It was worth it. I– ak!”
She flails in my grasp as I turn and stride for the house. She’s all soft curves and warm female in my arms, my arm reaching under her thighs and hand gripping the curve of her bare hip.
She tries to protest, and I growl. “Enough, Zella.”
“But—”
“ No, ” I snap irritably. Turns out I do actually have a line, and it’s Zella hurting herself. For fucks’ sake. She looks up at me, and that fucking lower lip of hers is trembling.
“I’ll take you back out tomorrow,” I grit out. Anything to make her stop looking like someone drowned her puppy. “ After we’ve found you some fucking shoes.”
The smile she gifts me with in return lights up my entire chest.
Ignoring her protests, I carry her through the main doors, taking the stairs two at a time until we reach my room. Zella looks around curiously as I carry her through into my bathroom. “This isn’t my bedroom.”
“No, it’s not.” Lifting her to sit on the vanity, I yank open drawers until I find a first aid kit. She watches me silently as I run a clean cloth under the water until it warms and drop to my knees.
Taking her ankle in my hand and making a valiant effort to not look at the fucking heaven tempting me mere inches away, I wipe away the dirt as gently as I can, pausing every time she winces. My fingers rub her ankle, reassuring her.
“A few scratches. Not too serious,” I note, smoothing some cream over her foot that makes her hiss. Her skin is ridiculously soft.
“I didn’t think about that,” she admits ruefully. “I just wanted to run.”
Her hair trails next to us, and a glance tells me it’s full of mud and sticks from the forest floor. That’s a problem for tomorrow. Getting to my feet, I hold up my hand and motion her to wait, ducking back into the bedroom.
When I walk back in, Zella glances up at me shyly. Her arms are crossed over her chest, and that delicious flush is fucking everywhere.
She looks edible.
Swallowing, I step closer. “Arms up, princess.”
When she raises them, I slide her arms into the soft material, tugging it down until she’s covered. Gently, I thread her hair through the top until the full length is out, as she watches me.
She jumps when I wrap my hands around her, hitching her legs around my waist and carrying her back into the bedroom, hair dragging behind us like a rope. “What are we doing?”
“Sleeping,” I say drily. Tugging back the cover on my bed, I place her on the side closest to the window, pulling the covers back over her and dragging her hair up so it’s not pulling on the floor. “God knows what trouble you’ll get into on your own.”
“In my sleep?” she grumbles lightly. But her breathing softens as I move around the room, collecting what I need to get changed in the bathroom.
Before I head in, I move over to the window. It’s cool but the lingering summer air is still around and I unlatch it, pulling it out so she can sleep with it open.
“Ryder,” she murmurs as I walk past. “Thank you.”
Breath hitching, I swallow. “You’re welcome, princess.”
Watching her eyes slide closed, I wait until her breathing evens out before diving into the bathroom.
Ice cold fucking shower.