30. Chapter 30
Chapter thirty
Pony
Today, the team is visiting Ricochet at Remi’s. With our crazy schedule, we haven’t been able to come by to check on him.
Ricochet graduated from crutches to a walking brace, making him more mobile. He still has restrictions. He can’t drive and has to limit the time he spends on his feet. Nevertheless, we’re celebrating the milestone.
When Warlock asks where Remi is, Ricochet informs us she’s out running errands.
I’m not sure if I’m relieved or disappointed. I was looking forward to seeing her, but maybe it’s for the best that she isn’t here.
When it pings, Ricochet pulls his phone out of his pocket, smiling when he looks at it. “It’s a text from RJ. She finally replaced her phone.”
RJ: Whoo-hoo, check it out, I’m connected again! I’m at Costco, you want anything?
If she replaced her phone does that mean she saw my messages?
Nitro and I are on the couch sitting on either side of him, unabashedly reading her texts.
Welcome back to the 21st century! The team’s gonna be here for dinner if that’s okay?
RJ: So fire up the BBQ? Burgers and fixin’s?
Sounds perfect. Oh, and beer
RJ: Duh
Ricochet huffs out a small laugh. It’s good to see him laughing and smiling.
“I’m surprised she didn’t object to us invading her house,” Nitro comments dryly.
“She’s not like that,” Ricochet responds. “She’s easygoing and laidback.”
RJ: Couple of pies for dessert? They’ve got apple or cherry
Both
RJ: I should’ve seen that coming
He chuckles, then his brows tug together.
Can you manage everything? I can send one of the guys to meet you and help
RJ: Nah, I’m good. I’m keeping the monsters at bay today
What the fuck does that mean?
RJ: See you soon
“You’ve been living with her for what, a month? How’s it going?” Doc inquires as Ricochet pockets his phone.
“It’s great. She’s fucking awesome. We’re having fun even though we’re both incapacitated. We’ve both had days where we wallow in what we can’t do. When that happens, she pulls out ice cream and we binge watch something,” he says through a grin. “But she can also be a hard ass.”
“What do you mean by hard ass?” Hawk wants to know.
“I’m sure you guys can guess how difficult it is for me to sit around doing nothing.
RJ makes sure I follow the doctors’ orders and don’t do anything I’m not supposed to.
Even when I’m a jackass about it. If she hadn’t, I might not be this far along.
” His brows furrow and his expression changes to one of concern. “But…”
“But what?” I probe.
“She’s been having nightmares pretty regularly.”
“After what she went through, that’s understandable,” Doc says in a sympathetic tone.
“True,” Ricochet agrees. “But she’s also hypervigilant, jumpy, and paranoid. She’s isolating herself. Today’s the first day she’s been out alone in two weeks.”
“Still battling PTS,” Nitro states.
Ricochet nods in agreement. “That would be my guess.”
I can’t help but ask, “Is that what she meant about keeping the monsters at bay?”
Ricochet nods again. “Yeah.”
“We saw her debrief with the FBI,” Warlock tells Ricochet. “She lied to them. Any idea why?”
Ricochet shakes his head. “No. But she was anxious as soon as she found out about the interview. Whatever’s going on with her, I don’t think it’s just about what they did to her. There’s something bigger she’s hiding.
“She’s traveled to some scary places. If you look at her pictures and listen to her stories, RJ doesn’t rattle easily. So, whatever it is, it’s big, and it’s scaring the shit out of her.”
What could it be? What other horrors did she endure at the hands of her captors?
“But so far, she hasn’t trusted me enough to tell me,” Ricochet continues. “The only thing she’s shared is that one of them tried to choke her to death. It’s killing me. I want to help her, but unless she opens up, I don’t know how.”
We set the topic of Remi aside and spend the next forty minutes shooting the shit, entertaining Ricochet with everything he’s missed, but I can’t stop thinking about what really happened to her in Venezuela.
“Honey, I’m home!” Remi’s voice calls out from the kitchen near the door to the attached garage.
My teammates smile and there’s a few soft chuckles. But at the sound of her voice, my chest constricts so tight, it feels like I can’t breathe.
When she rounds the corner from the kitchen, she’s carrying a big bag with her good arm and pauses to set it on the kitchen table.
I drink in the sight of her. Her face is healing. All the swelling’s gone, and the black, blue, and purple bruises have faded to lighter shades of green and yellow. Fresh, pink scars have replaced the cuts on her face.
Still, she’s perfect and beautiful. Like every other time I’ve seen her, my breath catches in my lungs.
But there are dark circles under her puffy, red-rimmed eyes. Her eyelashes are tear soaked, and she has a fake smile on her face. She’s pretending nothing’s wrong, but I’d have to be blind to miss she’s been crying.
We all notice. After years working together, we don’t need words to communicate. With just glances from my teammates, I know none of us are buying this happy act.
Her eyes catch mine and dart away, but not before I see the sadness etched in them. “Hey, guys.”
Doc points at her arm. “Congrats on shedding the sling and getting a new, smaller cast.”
She waves her casted arm and wiggles her fingers. “I’m halfway free. You have no idea how good it feels to be able to bend my elbow again.” She smiles her first real smile.
Nitro gets to his feet and gives Doc a chin lift. “We’ll unload your car.”
Once everything’s brought in, Nitro stays in the kitchen with Remi, and silently, the two of them put everything away. When they’re finished, Remi picks up the big bag from the table.
“What’s in the bag?” Ricochet asks.
She glances down at it, sadness creeping over her face. “Oh, um, a new camera to replace the one I lost.”
Except she didn’t lose it. This replacement is yet another reminder of everything she’s been through and what was taken from her.
“Hey, RJ,” Hawk calls, getting her attention. “We’re all going to McQueen’s tomorrow night to celebrate Ricochet getting his walking brace. You have to come with us. It wouldn’t be the same without you.”
The fake smile gets wider. Her gaze flicks to mine, then darts back to Hawk. “I’ll think about it. I’m not sure I can make it though.”
I hate how uncomfortable things are between us now. I hope she’s not making excuses to bow out because of me.
“I’ll leave you guys to it.” There’s that fake smile again. “I don’t want to interrupt your guy time.”
Warlock’s brows pinch together. “We’re invading your house, you’re not interrupting.”
“I’m kind of tired. I think I’m gonna take a nap. But I expect you guys to wake me up for dinner,” she says with a grin. Then she disappears down the hall with her new camera, and I hear the door click closed behind her.
Something is very wrong.
When Ricochet’s eyes catch mine, the concerned look he gives me confirms he sees it too.
Even though every instinct tells me to go after her, I don’t have the right. I can’t follow her, ask what’s troubling her, or offer her help and comfort.
Hawk catches me staring after her. “You’re so gone for her. Have been since you met her. Now that she’s back and you know she didn’t ghost you, when are you going to break it off with Sherry?”
“Sherry isn’t right for you, and you know it,” Doc accuses.
“You’re just saying that because you don’t like her.”
“None of us like her,” Warlock confirms with blunt honesty only a brother can deliver.
Nitro grunts his agreement. “I don’t like her.”
“But hear this, brother,” Warlock continues, ignoring Nitro. “We’d suck it up and learn to like Sherry if you were serious about her. But we all know you’re more interested in a certain photographer.”
“You guys don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say absently, still staring after Remi. I’m not sure why I’m afraid to admit the truth out loud.
“Uh huh,” Ricochet scoffs. “We know if you don’t pull your head out of your ass, you could lose the best thing that ever happened to you.”
I find myself worrying he might be right.