Chapter 44 Ryder
Ryder
“Fuck. Shit. I’m sorry.”
I look up at that voice and watch Ghost pale. He just barged into the cabin, where we’re still very naked in the living room.
“Unless you want me to dig your eyeballs out with a rusty spoon, I suggest you turn the fuck around,” I threaten.
I don’t give a fuck about us, but Les is sprawled on her stomach on top of me, her ass facing right at the door.
I tuck her against Zane’s chest and jump to my feet.
Jamming my legs into my boxers, I shove him out of the door, slamming it behind me.
“Damn it, Ryder,” Ghost says, raking his hand through his hair. “I’m fucking sorry.”
“You’re lucky I like you,” I growl. “Or you would be a dead motherfucker.” I roll my shoulders. “What did you need?”
“There was movement at the Abandoned Hills house.”
Ghosts’ crew has been silently watching that house. I had a feeling down deep in my gut that Jay would slink back there when he thought we weren’t watching. “When?”
“I just got the call. That’s why I was coming to get you.”
“Knock next time,” I grind out. I’m pissed as hell that he saw Les naked, and I know the other guys will feel the same way. “Give us ten, and we’ll be ready,” I slam my way back into the cabin, and Les is laughing so hard she’s crying. “What’s so funny?”
Les sucks in a breath. “Ghost looked like he saw…a ghost.” She chokes out and starts laughing again.
“It’s not fucking funny. He saw your ass,” I grit out.
She laughs harder. “It’s just my ass, Ryder.”
“Our ass, Beautiful. He saw our ass,” Zane adds.
“We need to look alive,” I say, kicking Gage to wake him up. “There was movement at the Abandon Hills house.”
Zane and Les go completely still. “What do you mean?” Les asks.
“Ghost still has people watching it,” I explain. “I’m going to get dressed and see what else Ghost found out.”
As I get dressed, I can’t help but feel excited at the prospect that this might be Jay.
I knew eventually he would go back to that house, as only a sick fuck like him would.
I switched out the guards in favor of Ghost’s guys because they didn’t stand out as badly.
Ghost put them in a house down the street discreetly, and they have been watching it ever since.
It might have just paid off.
Once I’m dressed, I meet Ghost outside while the others are getting ready. “What do you know?”
“They don’t know if it’s Jay or not. Someone slipped past the first motion detector at the front door.” Ghost grins. “They didn’t know about the others spread out through the house. You want them to go check?”
I shake my head. “Nah. If it’s him, he’ll just run like the fucking coward he is.”
“You think this is him?” Ghost asks, leaning back against the hood of his Challenger.
“I don’t know. But it feels like it is.” I can’t explain it. It’s like the feeling I had when Holden found the house the first time; I just knew Les was there.
“How are we playing this?” Ghost asks, waving at some of the crew that helped him sit on guard duty last night. “We’re ready, and I have more.”
I rake my hand down my face. “I need to talk to Les. No way she’s going to sit this out.”
No matter what kind of progress we made last night with her taking better care of herself, this is Jay. She isn’t going to sit with her thumb up her ass while we take care of it, no matter how much we beg. And even if I don’t want her to go, she deserves her revenge, and so does Zane.
The front door opens, and Les steps out dressed in a black tank top, black cargo pants, and combat boots. “Les, I’m really sorry…” Ghost starts.
She holds up a hand. “Save it. It’s okay. Maybe knock next time because Zane is kind of trigger-happy.” I snort at that. Zane is more than a little trigger-happy. “What do we know?”
“Not much,” I answer. “Just that there was motion at the house.”
“You feel it too, don’t you?” Les asks, walking to stand beside me. “That this might truly be over soon?”
“I feel it,” I agree. I sling my arm over her shoulders. “We need a plan.”
She nods. “Get your guys and come inside,” she says to Ghost.
I lead her back into the house with her still tucked into my side.
The guys must have put everything back where it belonged and pulled the coffee table back to its spot.
We all pile into the living room, sitting wherever there’s a seat.
Holden and I tuck Les between us on the couch.
“If we go in hard, he’s going to run,” Les says.
“But if we don’t go in, we might miss our chance. ”
Zane sits down on the arm of the couch beside me. “The tree line can provide cover. Some of us can go in that way for the element of surprise, and the rest can rush it once we give a signal.”
“Such a cop thing to say,” Gage mutters, earning a glare from Zane.
“Do you have any other ideas, Crazy boy?” Zane asks.
“Oh. For sure.” Gage sits up. “We blow that motherfucker up.”
“So, you want to draw more attention when we’re trying to go in quiet?” I ask, raising a brow.
“We don’t have to go in if he’s dead,” Gage argues.
“What if it’s not him?” Les asks. “We just tipped him off that we’re still there.”
“Fine,” Gage grumbles, flopping back in his chair.
“We go with Zane’s idea. We know those woods.” Les swallows, gathering herself. “I’ll call Alexey, Dmitri, and Mateo to see if they want in.”
“Not Evander?” Leo asks.
Les snorts a laugh. “He has Micah babysitting duty.”
“What about the other Italians?” Dex asks. She used the other Italians when she knew Viktor would come after her like she did him. Watching how fast Viktor’s guys backed down when they came spilling out was gold.
“I sent them back home after Viktor,” she answers. “Between us, Ghost and his crew, and Caden’s crew, that should be enough.” She looks at Ghost. “How is Caden?”
“The letters on his chest were pretty fucking bad, and he had some broken ribs.” Ghost shrugs. “He said he’ll be fine.” He levels her with a look. “And he told me to tell you it wasn’t your fault.”
I know she’s blaming herself too, but Caden never will. He’s always felt like he owes her for saving his life.
“I can’t thank you guys enough,” Les says softly. “You’ve had my back, no questions.”
“The way I look at it, you could have wiped the Vipers off the map because of Xander. You didn’t. I backed you; I’m not changing my mind now. Caden won’t either.”
“Either way, thank you,” she says, then turns to me. “You have point with Zane and Dex.”
“Are you sure, Il mio sole?” I ask.
She nods. “I am. Come up with a plan, and I’ll follow your lead.”
After we have a plan, we all meet back at Ghost’s pool hall.
Les, me, and the guys are going to walk up, and everyone else is going to drive, parking at the house Ghost stashed his men.
I’m a ball of fucking nerves. Les is staring off into space, and Zane hasn’t said a word for the ten minutes we’ve been here.
Neither one has stepped back in Ghost’s place since they ran to him that night.
“Are they going to be okay?” Holden asks, coming to sit beside me.
“I think so,” I answer honestly. Zane and Les went through hell together and came out even stronger because of it.
They came out with each other too. Ghost gives me a nod, signaling the rest of his guys are in place.
“Alright,” I say and stand up. “Let’s go over this one more time.
Les, Dex, Gage, Leo, Zane, and Holden, you’re with me going for the element of surprise.
Once we’re close, Gage will give the signal.
Ghost, Alexey, and Dmitri, you go in with team one through the front; stealth is gone at this point, so fuck shit up.
Mateo and team two, you have the perimeter.
” I look around at everyone, more than ready for this fucker to die.
“He doesn’t leave that property alive. Do you understand?
” Everyone nods. “Good. Give me the room with my family.”
Once everyone else is gone, we meet in the middle of the room in a circle, arms locked around each other.
“This is it.” I can feel it a hundred times more now that we’re closer.
We have no idea what we’re walking into, and I can’t shake the feeling that something is going to go very wrong.
“I love you guys,” I say simply. We aren’t the praying type; higher power stopped listening to us long ago.
We each kiss Les, savoring the moment, hoping it won’t be our last. They start walking away, and Zane grabs my arm before I can follow.
He lets them get through the door. “I’m proud of you, Love.
” I don’t even need to ask what for; I already know.
He grabs my face. “I never thought we would get to this point, but I’m glad that you’re in my life.
” I can feel my eyes widen, my heart beating erratically.
Something in his eyes has me on edge. “I wouldn’t change anything, not even the bad shit, because I don’t think we would have the relationship we have now if it didn’t happen. ”
“Is that what we have? A relationship?” It’s been implied but never said out loud until now.
“I said you were mine, Ryder. I meant that. You’ve grown so much over such a small amount of time.
Becoming the man I knew you could be, even all those years ago.
” He takes a deep breath. “I love you, Ryder.” My heart sinks to my feet, my hands getting sweaty.
“And I’m not just saying that because we’re walking into fuck knows what.
You, those guys out there, Les, are my family, my life now. ” He pecks my lips. “I love you.”
I feel strengthened by his words, ready to take on the fucking world. I have the love of amazing people, people who will do anything for each other. “I love you too, Sir.”
Zane slants his mouth over mine in a quick, hot kiss. “Let’s end this. Then we can take our girl home and show her how much we love her.” He kisses me again. “Then I’m going to show you how much I love you,” he smiles, “and Holden.”
I smile at that too. “Have you told Holden?”