Chapter Eight - Rachel
CHAPTER EIGHT
Rachel
“Are you ready?” Ryder calls from the living room.
The answer is a resounding no, but I realize I need to do this sooner rather than later.
I quickly look in the gold-framed, floor-length mirror and deem my tan pants and loose, white shirt suitable.
I’m still getting used to seeing myself in the same reflection as the newly renovated bedroom that’s more fitting for royalty than me.
The king-sized bed is outlined by a golden frame similar to the mirror, and I’m starting to suspect it’s made out of actual gold leaf.
From the bed sheets and walk-in closet to the delicate vanity and dark oak desk, this room is the definition of stupid rich.
I’ve never lived in luxury by any stretch of the imagination, so making this place feel like home will be more challenging than I originally anticipated. The family pictures and minimalistic decor I brought from home aren’t as effective as I’d hoped.
It’s been two weeks since Ryder demanded that I move to Los Angeles, and getting everything in order was embarrassingly easy.
My parents—who were scared to death by my emergency room visit—were far more comfortable with the idea of me moving with Ryder than I thought they’d be. I expected them to refuse on the grounds that he’s a complete stranger, but, in reality, they saw him as a saving grace.
In their eyes, he’s a knight in shining armor who can protect and provide for their daughter and grandchild.
“Rachel?” Ryder calls again, and after placing a loving hand over my eighteen-week bump, I slip on sandals and meet him in our shared living space.
“Yeah,” I tell him. “I’m ready.”
Ryder is wearing black jeans and a forest green shirt that hugs his muscular build. His eyes roam my outfit, giving me a single, approving nod as he makes his way toward the door.
“We’re not driving?” I ask as we reach a gravel path outside our door that leads through the trees surrounding the cabin we’re calling home.
“It’s a nice day, and it isn’t a far walk.”
He’s not wrong. The Los Angeles weather is beautiful, with a cool breeze sifting through the trees of our shaded walk and beams of sunlight sneaking their way through the leaves to warm my skin.
Birds chirp as they glide through the air from one tree to the next, and I look back to appreciate our small home in the beauty of the woods.
It doesn’t look like a home, but like an extra garage—exactly what it had been a week ago.
It still has the same industrial look from the outside, but the inside is as cozy as a cabin and decorated like one.
Ryder had the building completely renovated to meet luxurious living standards within a matter of days.
A quarter mile in the opposite direction that we walk now is the entrance security checkpoint to what Ryder has referred to as the base.
Our cabin is between the entrance gate and the base's main building, which Ryder is taking us to now so I can see it for the first time.
Ryder has a bedroom in the base that he normally stays in, but he’s moved out to the cabin to stay with me. When I asked him why we don’t both just stay in the base, he told me it’s to keep me away from his work.
Ah, yes, his work as a mafia underboss.
Never mind that I didn’t know what an underboss was until a week ago—the right hand of the family’s boss, as I’ve learned—now, it’s the job title for the father of my child.
I feel like I should get some sort of award for how calm I’ve remained since hearing this news, considering that the normal—and perhaps encouraged—reaction would be to run for my life.
I don’t know how I’ve kept my cool throughout the last few weeks.
Shock? Probably. But I suspect it’s more than that.
I suspect that the several reasons he gave for why I should come with him, paired with my need for the calm he brings to my mind, mean I would’ve come with him no matter what his job was.
And since I can’t think of any job crazier than this one, I know I mean that.
“So, who exactly am I meeting?” I ask, breaking the silence I would’ve preferred to keep intact but can’t. Now that we’re having a kid and living together, I figure we don’t have much of a choice but to talk now.
“The family boss and capos,” he says as if it’s that simple.
“The who now?”
“Mr. Moreno is the family boss, I’m his second in command, and everyone else you’ll meet is a capo—which essentially ranks them as a captain. Everyone has a job that ensures the base and family runs smoothly. You’ve technically met the capos, but a formal introduction is in order.”
“I have?”
He nods. “The night at the club. The men I was with that night were all the other capos.”
The rest of our walk is quiet. I keep hoping Ryder will be the one to break the silence—to initiate any conversation to get to know me better—but he doesn’t.
And then, the building comes into view.
Building isn’t even the right word. Mansion, maybe, or even castle seems more appropriate to describe it. The white stucco walls practically shine in the sunlight, and the deep red of the roof and accents give off an almost romantic feel to the architecture.
Though I’m well aware that there’s nothing romantic about what lies inside.
“Wow,” I say through a breath when we reach the entrance, and though he doesn’t say anything, I can feel Ryder’s eyes on me.
We make our way inside, and I’m surprised by how normal it all looks.
I’m not sure what I was expecting, maybe grimy walls and men walking around with military-grade weapons, but that isn’t the case.
The halls we walk down are relatively empty.
The men we do pass never fail to bow their heads respectfully to Ryder, either before or after sending me a confused gaze.
We arrive at a set of dark, wooden doors before Ryder stops to face me.
His face is blank, but I can somehow feel the urgency in his words.
“I am introducing you to the capos because these are the highest-ranking men within the Moreno family, and they should at least have an introduction to the mother of my child, but you need to be careful. None of them would ever lay a hand on you, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t dangerous. Do you understand?”
I was already apprehensive about this meeting, but Ryder’s warning has my hand tingling with the need to pop my knuckles, and I realize it’s the first time I’ve felt that way when I’m with him.
I shove my hands into my pockets to dampen the need, and when Ryder’s eyes follow the movement, I know the gesture wasn’t lost on him.
I don’t trust my words enough to answer him, so I nod, and he opens the door.
Four men stand to the sides of the table, but my attention is drawn to the fifth man, who stands at the head.
He’s built as large as Ryder, and his stony expression is hard enough to send a physical ache to my chest. Everything about him, from his lightly tanned skin, brown hair, and piercing eyes, to his black jeans and matching tee, screams darkness and dominance.
Sure enough, Ryder gestures to that man first.
“Rachel, this is Joshua Moreno. He’s the boss of our family.”
I clear my throat and push my shoulders back so I’m standing at my full height.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Moreno. I’m Rachel Lance.”
His eyes scan me in a way that makes me feel like I’m taking a lie detector test, and I must pass because, eventually, he nods.
“I know. I assume I don’t have to remind you to stay out of our business during your stay here.”
A ball in the pit of my stomach drops at the comment like I’m a child who was caught snooping where I shouldn’t. I have no idea if he notices my discomfort, but Ryder takes a small step toward me, so his front covers my back.
I wonder if he knows that simple gesture returns my heart to its normal pace.
“Of course not,” I answer, proud of my unwavering voice.
Moreno nods again, and Ryder waves an arm to the other men that, now that I’m really looking at them, I do recognize.
“I’m sure you remember Donovan, Kade, Tripp, and Nicholas from the club?”
Donovan smiles, his long dark hair pulled into a man bun, the same as it was the night we met.
Kade nods, his buzz cut trimmed even shorter than the last time I saw him.
Tripp wears a disgusted expression that looks permanently glued to his face and doesn’t show any sign of caring about my existence at all.
Then there’s Nicholas, who is by far the oldest man in the room, with his slicked-back hair and fitted suit. His smile is wide and kind, but for some reason, it feels… off. His eyes seem to gleam with a calculative glint that steals any warmth his smile might’ve offered.
Whether Ryder can sense my apprehension or just acts on instinct, I’m not sure, but his firm hand settles on my hip, and the action is far more soothing than it should be.
“Donovan runs security, Kade runs cybersecurity, Tripp trains recruits, and Nicholas manages the day-to-day base operations,” Ryder explains.
“And Ride-her is a glorified PA,” Donovan says, throwing a taunting smile at Ryder.
“Don,” Moreno snaps, and I’m not sure if it was at Ryder’s tasteful new nickname or the general outburst. Either way, both Don and Kade suppress grins.
“Thank you for your hospitality,” I say, mostly to Mr. Moreno. My hand covers my stomach protectively. “I appreciate what you’re doing for my family.”
For the first time since I walked into the room, Moreno shows a hint of a smile, but it’s more to Ryder than me. I feel a shift in Ryder’s posture, which is only possible because of our current closeness, and I wonder what kind of message just passed between them.
“As you all know,” Ryder starts, “Rachel will be staying here during the pregnancy. We’ll be staying in the cabin up the road, and I expect everyone to be on their best behavior where she’s concerned.”
There’s a collective “yes, sir” before we all pause at the knock on the door.
“Right on time,” Ryder says as the door swings open and a young man enters the room.
And I mean, young.
There’s no way he’s out of his teens, and I can’t help but wonder what he’s doing here.
He has messy dark hair and charming green eyes that crinkle with his excited smile.
He’s muscular, especially for his age, and he shows off those muscles with a black cut-off t-shirt and dark, ripped jeans.
He looks more like a punk than a mafia soldier.
“Rachel, this is Alec. He’ll be your personal protection during your time here,” Ryder tells me.
I look at Ryder, then the boy, then Ryder again.
He’s serious.
Not only am I going to be stuck with security, but he expects me to believe that, in a base full of gangsters, a teenager is the most qualified person to protect me.
It’s not that I think I’m in danger—despite being surrounded by the West Coast’s most notorious criminals—but still, I’d expected a bit more than this.
Alec holds out a hand, his face splitting into a wide, boyish grin that automatically makes me like him despite my wariness.
“It’s great to meet you, Rachel.”
I’m about to return the greeting when Donovan comes up behind Alec, slapping his hands on either of his shoulders.
“Finally getting a shot with the big boys, huh, kiddo?”
Alec shoves his hands away but smiles nonetheless.
“Screw off, Don.”
“No, I’m serious. It’s about time you stop playing around and actually pick up some of the slack around here.”
Alec tilts his head with an expression that’s equally playful and daring.
“I wonder if you’ll be saying that when Moreno gives me your job.”
Ryder steps between the boys just as Don steps forward to snap back, and I catch the shared smiles among all the men in the room. The moment brings a sense of peace I didn’t expect, and I wonder if I’ll actually enjoy my time here after all.