Chapter One #2
“I’m a pain in the ass? You’re the one trying to micromanage my life.
You do realize I can throw up without you, get drunk without you, talk to strangers without you.
” I grin and push past his giant frame to splash cold water onto my face.
“Besides, now I know for sure I can’t shoot whiskey.
It wasn’t a fluke. How would I have known if I didn’t try again? ”
He huffs low under his breath. “Strangers? What strangers are you talking to?”
Oh, dear God. I’ve made a mistake. How dare I talk about strangers?
“No strangers. I’m just talking.” I rub my temples dramatically and stare up at him, not noticing the green in his eyes or the way his biceps inadvertently flex. Nope, not noticing them at all.
“You’re trouble.” He sets his jaw and stalks out of the bathroom, assuming I’ll follow, which I do, because I’m headed that way anyway.
“You call me trouble so much it’s losing its meaning. Maybe try something else.”
He exhales through his nose, slow and controlled, as though I annoy the hell out of him. “Benny asked me to look out for you while I’m here.”
“Ugh! Then how do you explain all the years you micromanaged me before he left town?”
He rests his heavy hand on the bar as he slides behind the counter for a ginger ale and a bowl of crunchy pretzel twists. “I’ve got work to do. Sober up right here until your stomach feels better.”
“Yes sir, Mr. Bartender, sir. I’m just but a wee girl who can’t function in this world without the help of a big, strong man.” I talk like I’m annoyed, but the truth is, I’m still feeling thankful for him. My stomach is killing me, and it’s kind of nice to be sat down and told to rest.
“That guy is fine as hell.” The lady in western gear sitting next to me leans in, her breath like the blackberry whiskey I was just throwing up. “I think he likes you.”
“No,” I laugh, backing up a little to avoid more nausea. “Everyone says that, but he’s actually really annoyed by me.”
She shakes her head and takes another sip of whiskey, dripping some on her shirt. “Well, if a man like that was annoyed by me, I’d take advantage of it.”
I nod slowly, unsure of what to say. I’ve always been really bad at small talk, and even worse at small talk about how handsome my brother’s best friend is.
Sure, I’ve had my own private, late-night fantasies about what his big, rough hands would feel like on my skin, or how it would feel to be picked up and wrecked by his giant frame, but the dude watched me graduate high school.
He’s twenty years older than me. It’s sick that I’m thinking of him like that.
“Good to know,” I finally say to the woman who won’t look away from Ryker.
Looking for something to do with my hands, I dip into the pretzel bowl and munch a few as Ryker makes his way back toward the bar with the same ‘what are you looking at’ scowl he’s had as long as I’ve known him.
The woman bumps me on the shoulder and leans in, her gaze still stuck on my brother’s best friend as though she’s tracking the purposeful way he moves. “See, he’s looking at you.”
“He’s looking at me to make sure I’m doing what he told me to do. He has a control fantasy,” I laugh, “and I’m the easiest subject around.”
“Don’t blame you!” she snorts. “I’d be his willing subject too! Those shoulders, the biceps, all those tattoos… my God! I’d let him do all kinds of controlling.”
Okay… I take another sip of ginger ale and a handful of pretzels. “It was so nice to meet you,” I say, standing from the stool. “I’ve gotta run, but… I hope you have a good night.”
I’m not sure why I feel like I have to be polite to people even when they’re weird, but I do. It’s ingrained in my psyche. Hell, I’m pretty sure I’d thank my kidnappers for helping me into their windowless van.
I’m nearly to the front door when I hear my guardian angel’s deep, burly voice. “Where are you going? I told you to sit and sober up.”
“I’m not drunk. I was a little tipsy at best, but the pretzels solved everything.” I cross my arms across my chest like a defiant kid who’s tired of answering questions. “I need to head home. I have a thousand things to do before tonight.”
“What’s tonight?”
A woman passes, and her gaze not so subtly slips in Ryker’s direction.
Wow, lady. Relax. He’s a big, handsome, rugged giant. I get it.
“I don’t know,” I clear my throat and side-eye the lady who won’t quit staring. “I’m going out.”
“With who?”
“None of your business!” I turn toward the door and push it open, stepping out into the street, my eyes squinting in the bright light of the afternoon sun.
He clears his throat and crosses his big arms in front of his chest, looking like some kind of warrior god who’s come to save the day. “Look, I know you’re an independent woman, but I need to know who you’re going out with tonight.”
“No,” I narrow my brows, “you don’t need to know at all. In fact, this has got to stop, Ryker. I know Benny wants you to look after me, but I’m twenty-two years old. I’m not a baby. I can drink a few drinks, walk home, go on a date, and survive. If I don’t… that’s on me.”
“A date? Who the hell are you going out on a date with?” He bites the inside of his cheek like he’s thoroughly annoyed by my push to be left alone.
“A guy.”
“What guy?” he says gruffly, his shoulders tight. “Do I know him?”
“No,” I snap. “You don’t know him, and you don’t need to know him.”
“Okay, well, if no one knows where you are tonight and something happens, then what?”
“What’s going to happen?” I say, rolling my eyes.
“I go out all the time. It’s no big deal.
If I get murdered tonight, I’ll make sure to come back as a ghost to let Benny know you did your best. Okay?
” I land my hand on his hard shoulder, and a weird buzz of energy rushes through me, catching me off guard.
Clearly, that drink has me off balance. “I have to get going.” I turn and walk down the street, half expecting him to pull me back into the bar, sit me down, and chain me to a table until he can properly walk me home.
Instead, when I turn back, he’s gone.
I’m not sure which is scarier. At least I knew where he was when he was following me. Now, he could be anywhere. I wouldn’t put it past him to be sneaky. Last week, he followed me all the way to the Springs. It wasn’t until I got to the DMV that I noticed he was tracking me.
What’s the danger at the DMV, aside from hidden fees and cranky, underpaid employees?
Actually, that does sound pretty scary.
That said, I really need to talk to Benny and have him call off his henchman. I need some space to live my life, some space to make mistakes, some space to be an adult, instead of some kid with a massive Viking shadow.
Tugging my phone out of my back pocket, I dial my brother’s number as I walk down Main. The line rings, and I make note of all the flowers starting to spring up in the window boxes outside of the shops. I love this time of year, when everything gets a fresh start.
“Hey, baby sis. What’s up?” He sounds distracted, and I regret calling immediately. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, well… kind of. I just… first, how are you?”
“I’m good. I’ve got a case strategy session with a client in five but what’s up? Something wrong?”
“No, nothing is wrong, really. I just…” I sigh and wonder if maybe this conversation could’ve waited for later. I know Benny has been under a ton of stress since he moved his law office to the city. “Sorry to bother you. It’s just… it’s Ryker.”
“Ryker? What’s wrong with Ryker? Everything okay at the bar?”
“Yeah, yeah. The bar is doing great. I just… I need you to call him off. He’s on me about everything. I can’t even look sideways without him questioning it. It’s driving me crazy.”
“Call him off?”
“Yeah, tell him he doesn’t need to watch me anymore. I know you want me safe, but I can’t take it. He followed me into the bathroom today when I was throwing up.”
“You were throwing up?”
“I had too much whiskey,” I sigh. “Benny, you’re missing the point. I know you told Ryker to look out for me, but I really need you to tell him to stop. I’m fine.”
“Ivy, I didn’t tell Ryker to look out for you. I figured you’d lose your shit if I did that.”
“Oh,” I pause as a loud truck passes, “he said you asked him to keep an eye on me.”
“He’s always been protective of you. You know that.” I hear the shrug in my brother’s voice. “I’ll talk to him.”
“Sounds good. Sorry to bug you.”
“No worries. Love you. I’ll talk to you later.” He disconnects the line and I pull open the street level door for my apartment, checking over my shoulder for my shadow before climbing the stairs.
Why would Ryker tell me Benny asked him to watch over me?
My mind reels with possibilities, then gets stuck on the one everyone sees but me.
Maybe it’s true. Maybe my brother’s best friend does have a thing for me.