Ryder: #4 (Allen Securities) (14 page)

Irene leaned her chin on his chest and looked up at him.

“No, but shouldn’t we be getting things together?”

He glanced at the clock.

“It’s only eight.” He gave a wide smile. “I think we have some other business to take care of.”

Irene rolled her eyes and tried to scoot away, but his strong arms held her in place.

His hands moved down her body and stroked between her legs a few times.

Irene moaned.

“Do you think we should get up?” he asked.

Her nails bit into his arm, but she shook her head.

“Tell me what you want,” he said into her ear as he continued to stroke her.

“You,” she whispered. “Ryder, I want you.”

“God, I want you too, baby,” he whispered.

* * *

It wasn’t as drawn out as the night before, but when they had finished, Irene felt just as shaken as she had then. On shaky legs, she made her way to the bathroom and quickly got around. When she came back, she was happy to find that the clothes had all dried nicely, and Ryder was making breakfast. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his middle.

“A girl could get used to this.”

He turned in her arms and leaned down for a kiss.

“Maybe you should get used to this.” He smiled.

He handed her a plate with an omelet and went back to making his own. She took her plate and sat at the table. Watching him cook was going to be her new favorite thing to do. She’d never really seen many men do that, and she had to admit, it was sexy as hell.

Ryder sat the table. They spent a few minutes eating before he pulled out a list.

“So, it’s about an hour away,” he said. “But I think we need to leave with plenty of time. Who knows how clear things are, and with the snow this deep, it’s going to take us a bit longer. I think three hours should just about do it.”

“So two hours to get ready,” she said.

“When we finish, we’ll pack up some food.” He took a bite and then looked at her. “Never know what’s going to happen.”

She wondered if he was thinking of Wolf. After everything she had told him, it was hard not to think that Wolf might be out there. Still, she found it hard to believe that he’d just be able to brush off a major snowstorm without a cabin like the one they had.

“Think we’ll actually make it out of here?” she asked.

He looked up and grinned. “We could always come back here if things don’t work out.”

Irene shook her head and smiled. At least he was seeing the positive. She stood up and took her plate to the sink and started the water. Ryder placed his dish in and turned to the list.

“I’m going to see if there are any snow shoes out in that shed.” He pointed out the window to the shed behind the cabin. “You’ll want to do these things on this list and gather the rest of the items.”

Irene scanned the list. It all seemed fairly simple. Coat, hat, shoes, food.

She nodded.

He moved the hair off her neck and kissed her there.

“I love that your hair is down,” he whispered in her ear.

Lust rolled through her. She turned in his arms and kiss him deeply.

“Don’t get used to it,” she whispered. “I didn’t have a ponytail holder.”

Ryder grinned and shook his head.

“Who knew you were such a ballbuster.” He laughed.

Irene grinned. She’d certainly never thought of herself that way, but she was seeing a lot of things in a whole new light.

She watched him get ready to go outside. The leather jacket didn’t seem like it would be enough, but he didn’t want to wait for her to look around.

When he opened the door, the cool air filled the room instantly. She placed her hands in the hot water just to get warm again. Through the little kitchen window, she could see him trudging through the deep snow. It was easily going to come to her knees when she walked and would likely slow them down quite a bit.

Several times he came out of the shed with something and held it up for her to see, but she had no idea what snow equipment looked like or what it did. He seemed excited though and that was a good thing.

When she finished with the dishes, she set to work with the list. Food was easy. Crackers and meat. Something that could last and wouldn’t have to be heated. Luckily, Ryder had a can opener on him and several more protein bars. She filled several jugs of water as well.

Winter clothes were next. She went to the hall closet first. Inside was a coat that would likely fit her and a pair of gloves. The gloves would be great for him, but she would also need something for her own hands. Irene started thinking that maybe a pair of men’s socks would work. Surely, the friend of Charlie’s wouldn’t mind if she took a pair of his socks.

Irene went down the hall to his room and opened the door. Inside she was surprised to find the walls covered with children’s drawings. She smiled at cute pony and family pictures hanging from the wall. She went to the dresser and opened the top drawer. She pulled out a thick pair of socks and shut the drawer.

She turned to leave but stopped and went back to the dresser. Irene picked up a picture that was sitting on top and stared at it in shock. There staring back at her was Jess and Victoria with their grandmother when they were just kids. Her stomach churned as she tried to piece together why Charlie’s friend would have such an old picture of them.

Dazed, Irene walked through the house with the picture in hand and stepped out on the front porch, the cold air biting at her.

She glanced up and found Ryder not far away.

“Oh, good,” she said. “Why would there be a picture of Jess here?”

“Irene, go inside,” Ryder said, his voice deadly serious.

Her eyes shot up.

“Don’t you fucking move, or I’m gonna shoot your man,” Wolf said.

Wolf and Ryder had their guns drawn and ready to shoot. Irene moved to stand next to Ryder.

“Go in the goddamn house,” Ryder ground out to her.

She placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

“Not if it means risking you,” she said.

Wolf laughed. It grated on her ears, high pitched and hollow, like he had been laughing for hours and just wouldn’t stop.

“Where is she?” He giggled.

Irene shook her head. He had to be talking about Victoria. So, he hadn’t realized she’d escaped after all. It made his continued hunting of them make slightly more sense in retrospect. Slightly.

“Sitting in a hospital, nice and comfortable,” Ryder said. “She left with the chopper.”

Wolf closed his mouth and glared at them.

“Bullshit!” he screamed. “You’re fucking liars. Where is that fucking Tamm bitch?”

Irene shook her head.

“What did you hope to gain by this?” She stepped forward. “Did you think she was just carrying around her share with her?”

Wolf frowned. It was obvious that he hadn’t thought about it much other than that he was going to set things on fire and kill them, not much a plan if you were trying to gain money.

“Shut your bitch up.” He spit on the ground.

Ryder pointed a finger at him. “Don’t call her a bitch.”

“Oh,” Wolf said. “Don’t like that? What if I call her a whore instead?”

Irene placed a hand on Ryder. Getting angry wasn’t going to solve anything.

“Know what I don’t like? I don’t like some bitch making a fool out of me,” he grumbled. “The Tamm family owes me. I’m getting what I’m owed, one way or another.”

He shifted his aim to Irene. “If I can’t take out Tamm, maybe I’ll just take you out.”

“Over my dead body.” Ryder stepped in between.

Wolf smiled. “Fine. I saw your gun when you pulled it and your damn slide. You’re fucking out of bullets.”

“Bullshit,” Ryder said.

“Then shoot me, pussy.” Wolf grinned.

Irene swallowed hard. All their hard work just to have it tossed away.

“I thought so,” Wolf said. “Tell your boyfriend good-bye.”

Ryder turned and sheltered her with his own body.

“His gun might not be loaded,” said another voice, “but mine sure the fuck is.”

Chapter Fourteen

Irene peeked around Ryder.

“Ando?”

He stood just at the top of the hill, looking down at them, his gun pointed right at Wolf.

She stared at him and knew it had to be true. He was much thinner and older than the last time she’d seen him, or even a picture of him, but there was no question in her mind that Ando Tamm was standing there.

“You’re supposed to be dead,” Wolf said, pointing his gun at Ando.

“I am,” Ando said.

Wolf stared at him for a moment, likely trying to decide if was just seeing things.

“Yeah, well, maybe you should have stayed dead,” Wolf huffed.

Ando took a step forward. “And maybe you should have left my fucking kids alone…again.”

“You two-faced mother fucker,” Wolf screamed. “You said all that money got washed.”

“It did.” Ando stared at him calmly, like the chance of getting shot wasn’t even a thought.

Irene wondered how he managed to get out of prison. From what Jess had told her, Ando had died in an accident, an explosion, in prison, and even without that, he was terminally ill from cancer. The man before her was a dead man walking twice over.

Wolf waved his gun. “Bullshit! Why the fuck did your bitch daughters end up with the money then?”

Little flecks of spit came out as he spoke, and she wondered how much longer they could even keep this up.

“Watch it, Kert,” Ando said, narrowing his eyes. “The only reason I didn’t shoot you last time was because I was locked up. No thanks to your sorry ass. I’m more than happy to shoot you now.”

“And why don’t you?” Wolf glared at Ando with such hate that Irene wondered that herself.

“I owed your dad,” Ando said.

“Especially after you got him fucking killed!”

Ando shook his head. “I didn’t get him killed. I liked your dad, but he was a dumbass. Couldn’t keep his fucking mouth shut.” He shrugged. “It’s what did him in.”

Wolf ran the hand with the gun through his hair, and Irene wondered if he didn’t maybe take after his father. He may have demonstrated a bit of vicious cunning, but actual intelligence, not as much.

Wolf took a step toward Ando. “You’re a liar. He kept the club going. He was the heart of that club,” Wolf nearly sobbed.

Ando shook his head. “He might have been the heart, but he certainly wasn’t the brains. Go home, Kert. Go and have a family. Have the things he couldn’t. It’s not too late. Don’t be a fucking idiot like your dad, or shit, like me.”

Wolf fell to the snow and buried his head in his hands. There was so much hate balled up into one person. Ando walked down from his spot from the hill until he had reached where they were on the porch. He held out his hand for the picture she held. Irene handed it over.

He stared lovingly at the family he once had. Her heart ached for him.

“My father was everything,” Wolf said from the snow. “You fucking killed him and ruined my life.”

“Look out!” Ryder yelled

Gunfire cracked through the air.

Ryder threw himself on her as a second pop filled her ears.

“Are you hit?” Ryder asked, his face frantic.

Irene breathed in deeply, her heart still racing.

“I don’t think so,” she said, feeling around.

“She’s not hit, but you have been,” Ando said over them. “You can get up. It’s over now.”

Irene glanced to the snow. A river of red flowed around Wolf. Despite the horror of seeing yet another dead man, she had something concerning her more at the moment. She turned back to Ryder.

“Where were you hit?” she asked, looking along his chest and back.

Ando pointed to the red patch on the side of Ryder’s coat.

Irene pulled off the jacket. He hissed when she touched his blood-soaked sleeve.

“Arm hit.” Ando leaned in to have a look. “No bones, no arteries and no major muscle damage.” He clapped him on the other shoulder. “You’ll be fine.”

She looked between the two. The blood weeping out didn’t seem like nothing to her, but they would know over her she guessed. She bit her lip. “You’re shot.”

“I’m okay,” Ryder said, wincing. “It’s not going to be a fun hike, but as long as we do some first aid, I’ll live.”

“Ryder…” She held back some tears.

He smiled. “I’m fine.” He reached up and ran a finger along his scar. “I’ve been through worse than this, and that didn’t even involve protecting the woman I love.”

A few tears fell from her eyes, whether they were from love or fear, she wasn’t quite sure.

“Well, let’s get you in and cleaned up before you catch your flight,” Ando said. He glanced down at the man born Kert who changed into Wolf. “What a fucking waste.”

* * *

Ryder watched as Irene went back to cleaning and packing for their trek in the snow. He sat at the table while Ando had a look at his arm.

“Bullet is still in there,” he said. “Make sure you go right to the hospital.”

Ryder would have laughed if Ando wasn’t being totally serious. He knew he wasn’t going to die any time soon, but he also knew getting shot wasn’t a joke, but, at the same time, he didn’t want to scare Irene.

“A lousy shot, just like his father,” Ando said. “How he could miss me when I’m right in fucking front of him…”

He trailed off and shook his head.

“Bear down,” Ando said. “This is going to hurt like hell.”

He poured the alcohol over the open wound. Ryder gritted his teeth and gripped the table with his other hand at its burning touch.

“Fuck,” he said quietly, as any louder than that and Irene would start to worry.

“Good man,” he said and glanced to Irene. “She’s a good woman. Always been good to my kids. You take good care of her.”

Ryder nodded.

Never in his life did he think he’d be getting relationship advice from Ando Tamm, especially since he was supposed to be dead, but here he was, and truth be told, it was good advice. There was a part of him that was more than just a little grateful to the man for saving them. Wolf had been right. Ryder was out of bullets and out of ideas, and he was in pain, but at least he wasn’t dead.