Chapter 17
Ryder
Typical Hen. This was the third time he’d arrested me as a joke. And he says my sense of humour is childish.
He’d always been a prick with a holier-than-thou attitude ever since we were kids.
It was no surprise he went in the opposite direction to me in the career department, even if he was dodgy as fuck.
Guess the apple didn’t fall far from the tree, considering his bio parents were some criminal masterminds. Allegedly.
“Are we done with this shit?” I asked him, rotating my wrist at an angle that hurt like a bitch. Twisting the pin, the handcuff released with a click.
I handed them back, his eyes narrowing as they clinked in his palm.
That’s right, I picked your fancy new handcuffs. Point to me.
Violet stood, staring at us both. She was a little flustered, her breathing laboured from where she’d worked herself up. Poor little thing hadn’t realised I’d had everything under control.
“She the reason for the encryption?” Hendrix asked, his chin gesturing in her direction.
“Maybe.”
“Stop talking about me like I’m not here,” Violet snapped, fists clenched at her sides.
Luckily for her, the music swallowed her little tantrum. Chains had zero tolerance for unconsented violence. It was one of the few underground kink clubs where rules actually meant something, a novelty for the kind of people who drifted through their doors.
Hendrix glared at Violet, and I stifled the urge to laugh. Even with a face his wife called, ‘Prince Charming,’ Hen looked like a scary motherfucker with his heavy-set build and intense tattoos. He was as tall as I was, but spent much of his time at the gym compared to my natural god-like physique.
Honestly, it was amusing watching him melt in the presence of his tiny wife when so many people feared him. Except me, because it was hard to fear someone who you once witnessed puke their guts up because they ate too much cake.
You lose all respect for someone who couldn’t handle their baked goods.
But right now, he was all business, his scowl locked in place, destined to stay there until he had no witnesses to what I’d asked him to do. He glanced at Violet, then back at me.
“Blondie, why don’t you go get a drink while my brother and I chat?”
Violet’s gaze lifted to mine, edged with distrust and worry. Seriously, she could face Hendrix without a drop of fear, yet the idea of stepping aside for a moment had her all nervous.
After a moment, she seemed to get herself together and tilt her chin, straightening her shoulders. “I don’t think so.”
I could’ve sworn Hendrix’s upper lip twitched.
“He won’t help if you’re here,” I said. When her brows knitted in confusion, I added, “He doesn’t like people witnessing his… extracurricular activities. I’ll find you after, I promise.”
She glanced back at Hendrix, who was doing a really good impression of a grumpy guard dog. She hesitated, then finally nodded. “You need me just as much as I need you,” she reminded me.
“Yes, yes.” I waved her away, waiting until she’d left the little corner before I turned to Hendrix and punched him in the shoulder. “What the fuck was that about?” I growled.
Hendrix didn’t react, instead watching the space where Violet had disappeared. “She going to be okay?”
I took one of the seats, leaning myself on the back two legs. “You’re the one who didn’t want her here.”
Hendrix glared at me, and I rolled my eyes.
“She’s a big girl, and I don’t expect this to take long.” I also knew she wouldn’t go far, because like she’d said, she needed me just as much as I needed her right now.
After a pause, Hendrix returned to his seat opposite me, carefully brushing the shards of glass off the table so he could place down his laptop.
“If you’ve brought everything anyway, what was the point in arresting me?” I grumbled.
Hendrix looked up over the screen, a slow smile spreading across his face.
Fucker. “You have a twisted sense of humour.”
“What are you doing with her? This isn’t your usual M.O,” he asked as I placed Cedric’s phone on the table between us.
“You know I’ve got a thing for blondes,” I said with a grin, just to wind him up.
Truth was, I didn’t have a preference. I appreciated all women. Big, small. Skinny, curvy. But his wife was blonde, and anything that even hinted at Elena was enough to get under Hendrix’s skin.
But he didn’t rise to the bait but for a little eye narrowing, which was disappointing.
“You know exactly what I mean.”
“Enlighten me.”
Reaching for the phone, Hendrix plugged it into his laptop. “You don’t work well with others. You get bored,” he pointed out.
My smile began to tighten. “She’s gotten herself into a bit of a pickle, and I’m just being a gentleman by helping her.”
“You don’t do anything unless it serves you. Which means you’re either doing this to get between her thighs, or you’ve fucked up. So, which is it, Ry?”
The front two legs of my chair hit the floor with a thump. “What is this, an interrogation?”
Hendrix pursed his lips, the glow from his laptop painting his face harshly. “What are you hoping to find on this phone?”
“Everything that will tell me who’s after—”
“You?” Hendrix interrupted with a raised brow.
I rolled my eyes. “Her, arsehole. Or at least her mum. I need to know all communications, the contact, payment details, everything.”
Hendrix tapped a few keys. “You’ve never put in an ounce of effort to get a girl before.”
“That’s because unlike your ugly mug, all I have to do is smile and they beg to suck my cock. Now, what did you find?”
He shrugged. “There’s a hit out on you.”
I leaned forward, trying to peer at the screen. Shit, so Cedric was telling the truth. Honestly thought he was just being a cunt. Seriously, you double cross a guy once and he develops a lifelong vendetta. It wasn’t my fault he was too stupid to get caught.
“A decent fee, too.” Unplugging the phone, Hendrix tossed it to me. “There’s not much on there, but you’re one of two targets.”
I immediately began to scroll through the phone, the texts starting from around six weeks ago. Which meant Cedric had been hired first.
UNKNOWN NUMBER:
Target: Geraldine Hoffman. 50k. Alive.
Cedric:
What about dead?
UNKNOWN NUMBER:
She is to remain alive.
All other measures permitted.
There was no communication again until a few days ago.
UNKNOWN NUMBER:
>Link<
Ryder Finn. 10k. Dead.
See details above.
Cedric:
With pleasure.
“Fuck!”
Hen laughed. “Understatement of the year.”
“I’m totally worth more than this!” I muttered, offended. “A lousy 10k? For me?” I clicked my tongue. “The link’s expired. Do you think you can see where it went to?”
Hendrix’s fingers blurred over the keys. “I’ll have to work on it and let you know.”
“Thanks, bro,” I said, standing.
“Not your bro.”
I didn’t look up from the phone. “Tell Elena I’ll be over for dinner soon.”
He scoffed, “You’re not welcome.”
“Love you, too.” Placing the phone in my pocket, I gave Hendrix a salute that was in no way sarcastic before stepping out.
I immediately scanned the tables, searching for a golden blonde dressed in fucking pink. She wasn’t there, and descending the stairs I searched the edges, expecting her to be by the bar.
“Hey mate, have you seen a short blonde wearing a pink—”
“She’s over there,” the bartender cut me off, gesturing over my shoulder.
I glanced over, finding Violet smiling and laughing with two men and a woman. They were stroking over her exposed shoulders and playing with the edges of her dress.
Great.
“Seriously, I can’t take you anywhere,” I muttered to her when I moved closer, her pupils so dilated they hid almost all the green.
“Ryder,” she purred, rubbing herself against me.
I immediately stiffened, my chest tightening and my muscles locking before I forced myself to relax.
“She’s mine,” I said to the three people standing way too close. “And I don’t share, sorry.”
“Hey, she came on to us,” one of the men said, backing away when I turned my gaze to him. When they’d given us space, I returned my attention to Violet.
“What have you taken?” I asked, gripping her arm to try and stop her from wriggling and moaning quietly. Jesus Christ. “Violet, did someone give you a drink?”
She shoved at me weakly. “Of course not. I’m not an idiot,” she said, pouting at me. “I bought one myself at the bar.”
I began to chuckle, especially since she was starting to rub herself against my side again. Only this time my brain didn’t short-circuit because clearly out of the two of us, I was in control. “Just one? Did you even ask what was in it?”
She shook her head, the movement causing her hair to fall gracefully from her shoulders. “I’m so hot.” She reached for the hem of her dress, lifting it up to expose her pretty thong.
I caught her hand, letting the fabric drop back down. “What drink was it, Violet?”
“Ryder…” she moaned, her cheeks and the tops of her breasts flushed.
Jesus-fucking-Christ with this girl.
“Violet, what drink—”
“The pink one,” she finally answered, her voice all breathy.
“Ah, yeah, I think it’s time to get you out of here.”