Chapter 42
LOUISE
Thirty (completely intentional) minutes later, I made my way out of the master bedroom.
I’d taken my time for two reasons.
One, Ryder needed to understand that although he controlled every aspect of his own life, he couldn’t control mine.
Two, after a man who looked like Ryder saw you naked, you put your best effort into your appearance for the next meeting.
I’d spun my hair into a sexy, bed-head-tousled knot at the top of my head, and combed my bangs until they were sleek and straight. I applied makeup, pulled on a pair of Damsel in a Dress skinny jeans and another cashmere sweater, which was quickly becoming my favorite fabric.
I looked good. Big butt and all.
As I stepped inside, he turned—and his gaze swept over me like a slow burn.
Not casual. Not polite. It was the kind of look that made your skin tingle and your stomach tighten.
His eyes lingered on my legs, then trailed up—hesitating at my hips, my chest—until they met mine. The air thickened, and a flush bloomed across my cheeks.
He handed me a mug, his fingers brushing mine. “You’re twenty minutes late.”
“And the world is still spinning, isn’t it?” I murmured, taking the mug, grateful for the excuse to look away. “Thank you, gracious and thoughtful host.”
I expected a smirk. A sarcastic jab. But Ryder didn’t speak. He just kept looking at me, like he was trying to figure out how fast he could get me out of my clothes without tearing them.
I shifted my weight, suddenly very aware of every inch of my body. “Well… are you ready?”
His jaw flexed as he dragged his gaze from my mouth to the coffee in his hand. “Where’s your coat?” he asked, voice rougher than before.
“In the bathroom.”
“How’s it going to keep you warm in there?”
I raised an eyebrow. “Are we going on a hike?”
“It’s thirty-eight degrees outside. You should always be prepared.”
“It’s got to be exhausting being you.”
“Not too bad.”
“Don’t you ever want to be spontaneous?”
“If spontaneous is walking through the middle of the woods during an ice storm while drunk on wine, no thanks.”
“Brought me here, didn’t it?”
He blinked.
Yeah, I wasn’t quite sure what I meant by that either.
“Meaning,” I said quickly, following up, “because of my stupid decision to drive to Berry Springs in the middle of an ice storm with not much more than a box of wine, we might have found a link between your past and Kara’s murder that could help find her killer.
That’s something.” I sipped the coffee, eyeing him over the rim.
“See, Ryder, sometimes unexpected blessings can happen in chaos. Sometimes throwing caution to the wind can lead you to things you never knew you wanted.”
His head slowly tilted to the side. “What do you want, Louise?”
Butterflies flapped in my stomach as I tried to decide how to answer a question that I was sure had hidden meanings.
“I meant… it can lead you to things you wouldn’t have seen before. You know, like the link in these cases.”
Ryder released a throaty hmph then nodded. “On that note, let’s get going.”
· · ·
Thirty minutes later, we turned onto a barely-there dirt road that I wouldn’t have noticed driving by.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
“Will I? Because all I see right now is millions of trees and not much else.”
“Exactly.”
About that time, the woods opened up to a clearing, where three trucks were parked under the trees.
“Hey, I recognize these trucks. They were parked outside of Astor Stone’s PI firm the other day.”
Ryder rolled to a stop and parked.
“These are your former coworkers, right?” I asked.
“Yep.”
Ryder shut off the engine. “Grab that coat you said you didn’t need.”
I slipped on my new leather coat and got out. Shouts and loud banging echoed in the distance, followed by a few gunshots.
“Where are we?”
“Training facility.”
“You’re joking.”
“Nope.”
He led me down a path flattened by boot prints and not much else.
“Why is it all the way out here?”
“Privacy.”
The woods opened up, and my eyes rounded. A massive field had been cleared of snow. Where once was thousands of trees was now a massive military-style obstacle course, a shooting range, and a long black building that resembled the office I’d visited days earlier.
“Wow. This is very James Bond.”
Ryder laughed at this, the sound settling warmly in my stomach.
“That building looks like the office I went to. What’s with the prison compound look?”
“The buildings are built for security. Think of them like bunkers. They’re soundproof, bombproof, fireproof, and totally off the grid.”
“What do you mean, off the grid?”
“Meaning, all communication inside that building is basically hack-proof. If you didn’t notice, your cell phone stopped working the moment you walked onto the property.
All signals are blocked. No one outside any one of Astor’s buildings can track or see any communication or signals inside.
If a drone flew over, it wouldn’t pick up any technology, not even heat signatures of the people inside.
The place runs solely on a secure satellite connection and generates its own power. ”
“Are these his only two offices?”
“No. Astor’s main office is in New York.
He chooses Berry Springs solely for the location.
It’s in a landlocked state in the middle of the country—less likely to be a target of terrorists—and in a small, unassuming town in the middle of the mountains.
He’s got offices on both coasts, London, Paris, Tokyo, and I think he recently opened in Dubai, although I’m ninety percent sure that’s just because he likes vacationing there. ”
“Does the government pay for all this?”
“God, no. They send us target packets and pay a fee for each completed mission. A lot of money.”
“Failed or not?”
Ryder nodded.
“Why would they pay for a mission that failed?”
“Astor’s a hell of a businessman.”
“Still…”
“We’re—” He caught himself on the word. “They’re the best in the world. Astor trains his agents for years before they’re released into the field.”
“Do you miss it?”
Shrugging, he glanced down.
“Do you think you’ll ever work again?”
“My ranch is my work.”
“I get that. But, Ryder, for the rest of your life, you’re just going to spend every day, all day, on that ranch by yourself?”
He opened his mouth to respond but was cut off when someone jumped out of the woods, startling a squeak out of me.
Ryder didn’t flinch.
“Well, holy fucking shit.” Mack spat out the toothpick that was hanging from his mouth. “Either I’ve had too much to drink or I’m staring at the man, the myth, the legend himself, right here at our training facility.”
“You shouldn’t be drinking at nine in the morning, Mack.”
“Louise Sloane.” Mack cocked his head. “I remember you. How do you know this asshole?”
“My car broke down and he helped out. Have you found out anything about Kara’s case yet?”
“Workin’ on it.”
Just then, another silent ninja emerged from the woods.
“Well, holy shit.”
“Seems to be the general consensus,” Ryder muttered as Justin stepped onto the path. The two men shook hands, and I could tell they were closer than Ryder and Mack.
“Knew you’d come to your senses.” Justin slapped him on the back. “Glad you’re back, bro.”
Mack laughed. “Astor’s gonna flip when I tell him you’re back.”
“I’m not back.”
Mack frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I’m here because I need a favor.”
“Stone won’t do a thing for you unless you sign on the dotted line. You know how he is.”
“Then I need a favor under the table.”
Justin’s brow furrowed as he looked back and forth between Ryder and me. Ryder shifted closer to me, angling his body between me and the two men.
“Well, come on then.” Justin eyed me, picking up on his former partner’s protective—possessive—body language. “Let’s head to the range.”
Ryder motioned me ahead of him as we fell into step behind Mack and Justin. I felt him close at my back as we walked along the obstacle course, and finally into the shiny black building.
The inside resembled the office I’d visited, with sleek black walls, no windows, and endless security and palm-print locks. Wires ran across the ceiling.
Once we passed through two doors of security, the building opened up to an enormous room.
To the left was an indoor shooting range with four lanes.
To the right, an expansive gym and two boxing rings.
In the back, a few chairs gathered around a wall of big-screen monitors that I assumed was for mission research and updates.
My body jerked as gunshots ripped through the air. From behind, a hand softly squeezed my waist—you’re safe.
Justin led us past the range, where the tattooed agent, Roman, lowered his gun, his gaze fixing on Ryder. There was no acknowledgment between them, unlike with Mack and Justin.
“Do you know him?” I whispered.
“No. He’s new. Former SEAL, discharged for fighting.”
“He’s kinda scary.”
“Then stay away from him.”
“You don’t trust him?”
“I don’t trust anyone I don’t know. He’s from Ireland and moved to the US when he was a teen. Lived in Missouri, I believe, before moving to the area not long ago.”
As we were led farther into the building, I glanced over my shoulder to see Roman still watching us. Ryder’s presence seemed to rattle everyone.
Justin pulled open a door hidden in the back wall. This led us down a short hall and finally into an impressive kitchen, considering how undomesticated the place was.
“The boys like to eat,” Ryder whispered in my ear.
“Well, that’s one thing we have in common,” I said with a wink.
He grinned, his hand finding my waist again as he gently guided me toward the table. I sat, but Ryder didn’t. Instead, he stood a few inches in front of me, again angling his body where I was shielded from the constant glances.
“Coffee?” Mack asked as he poured a cup for himself.
Ryder looked at me, and I shook my head.
“No,” he said.
Justin sank into the chair across from me while Mack leaned against the counter in front of Ryder. Both men eyed me, their curiosity palpable.
“Okay, talk.” Justin crossed his arms over his chest. “What do you need?”
“I need you to pull Maci’s files from BSPD. The crime scene photos, the official report, interview transcripts, autopsy report, forensic reports, everything. Everything the cops have.”
“Why?” Mack demanded.
“I think there might be a connection to the recent murder on Summit Mountain.”
Four eyes shifted to me.
“Ah,” Mack said. “So that’s where little Louise here comes into play.”
“It’s Miss Sloane,” Ryder corrected, ice-cold.
Mack’s brows slowly lifted. “Miss Sloane.” He glanced at Justin.
Justin jumped in. “Ryder, don’t you think you should stay out of—”
“I just want the files. To read over them. That’s it.”
“So you’ve come all the way here, asking us to hack into BSPD’s files and pull your girl’s file?”
“Maci’s,” Ryder said tersely, correcting him.
“Dude.” Justin spread his palms. “You’re trained, just like we are. You’re one of our best hackers. Why can’t you do it?”
“He’s still on parole,” I blurted. “He could get in trouble.”
Mack and Justin’s gazes narrowed, assessing.
“Why, man?” Justin asked. “Why now? It’s been twelve years. You got the guy. Why open it back up?”
“To close it.”
The room fell so silent, I swear I could hear my heart beating.
“I’ll do it.”
My head turned toward the doorway where Roman was standing. I didn’t even hear him come in.
“When do you need it?” Roman asked in a deep Irish lilt.
“Now.”
“I’ll have it by this time tomorrow.”
As Ryder dipped his chin in thanks, Justin shook his head.
Mack pushed up from the table. “That’s it?”
All eyes locked on Ryder.
“That’s it.”
When I stood, Ryder grabbed my hand—hard. Possessively. He took a moment to look at each man before leading me through the doors, clearly telegraphing she’s mine.
He led me down the corridor, his hand wrapped tightly around mine. “I thought you said earlier that you didn’t want anything else to do with this?” I whispered, breathless from both the pace and the heat rolling off him. “Why the change of heart?”
He didn’t look at me, but his jaw ticked. “Because I know you’re not going to drop this,” he said, voice low. “And I won’t let you do it alone.”
I squeezed his hand. “Thank you. For Kara, and for every woman whose life has been destroyed by the Strangler, thank you.”
Ryder nodded.
“Where to now?”
“The one place I promised myself I’d never go again.”