pillows, a thread of fear sewing through her. From the look on his face, it seemed reality had returned, and with a vengeance. She didn’t want this—one night wasn’t even close to enough. Being with him had stirred emotions she’d thought long dead. She’d come to believe love was an illusion, too fickle and fragile to survive something as tenacious as time. But the world had proved her wrong yet again. All that time apart only to learn that she’d never stopped loving him.
“Ryker, what’s wrong?”
Clearing his throat, he unclenched his fist before cupping the back of his neck, his head dropping forward with a heavy sigh. “Nothing,” he mumbled, his bold-faced lie all too obvious.
Canting her head, Jenna lifted her brows in silent challenge. He’d never been a good liar. In fact, it was something his entire family failed miserably at.
“Ryker...” She inched closer, her fingers falling lightly on the crook of his knee. Emotion swelled within her, an unrelenting need to reassure him, to soothe away whatever it was that tormented him.
He turned away from her, the morning sunlight banding along the strong edge of his jaw. Something softened in her chest, her lips curving as she took him in. The night she’d spent with him was a dream come true, there was no denying that. She’d forgotten how loving and devoted he could be, how strong and passionate. That he’d come to kill her meant nothing now. He could do it at the drop of a hat, but she knew he wouldn’t.
Trapped at a crossroads, there seemed only one possible outcome, one that filled her heart with hope.
“Let’s run away together,” she whispered, her fingers gripping his knee. “We can leave right now—”
Ryker’s throaty chuckle silenced her plea. Shaking his head, he rubbed his brow. “I would love nothing more than to do just that,” he admitted, turning back to her. “Believe me when I say that. The thought of just taking you away...” His voice trailed off, his eyes slipping shut as he drew in a troubled breath.
“Then let’s go,” she pushed.
For one hopeful moment, she believed he would say yes. In her mind, she was already preparing, making imaginary lists of everything they would need and planning where they would go. Happiness surged through her, her soul crying out for this. To spend every waking moment in his arms, to sate their urges with one another until they were spent. She couldn’t think of anything better.
But when his eyes opened, the bleak resignation within reminded her that fantasy was exactly that.
“No.” She slid closer. “We can do this, Ryker. If we want—”
“We can’t.
“Why?” Her hands rose to frame his face. “Why can’t we? Who’s going to stop us? No one can dictate our lives but us.”
Brushing her hands away, his chin dipped as he shook his head. A cold hand closed around her heart, reminding her that life was a double-edged sword.
“Your brothers won’t come after you,” she tried once more. “You’re family. They wouldn’t—”
“Jenna, my brothers aren’t the only ones hunting you,” he bit out, his gaze flicking to hers momentarily before he crossed the length of the room and threw on his clothes.
Stunned, Jenna sat frozen in the center of the bed, his words ringing in her ears. “What do you mean?”
Stealing a glance back over his shoulder, his mouth pressed into a hard line. “Exactly that. We don’t know who it is, but there’s someone out there...someone who has put out word that you are theirs for the taking.”
“For the taking,” she whispered. “You mean...”
“For the kill,” Ryker stated in a grim voice.
“And your brothers,” she murmured, attempting to piece everything together. “I take it they’re hunting me as well?”
A sharp exhale escaped Ryker’s lips, his tense fingers snatching up his weapons. That was all the answer she needed. Her mother had always told her that happiness was fleeting, that all a girl could count
“Ryker, what’s wrong?”
Clearing his throat, he unclenched his fist before cupping the back of his neck, his head dropping forward with a heavy sigh. “Nothing,” he mumbled, his bold-faced lie all too obvious.
Canting her head, Jenna lifted her brows in silent challenge. He’d never been a good liar. In fact, it was something his entire family failed miserably at.
“Ryker...” She inched closer, her fingers falling lightly on the crook of his knee. Emotion swelled within her, an unrelenting need to reassure him, to soothe away whatever it was that tormented him.
He turned away from her, the morning sunlight banding along the strong edge of his jaw. Something softened in her chest, her lips curving as she took him in. The night she’d spent with him was a dream come true, there was no denying that. She’d forgotten how loving and devoted he could be, how strong and passionate. That he’d come to kill her meant nothing now. He could do it at the drop of a hat, but she knew he wouldn’t.
Trapped at a crossroads, there seemed only one possible outcome, one that filled her heart with hope.
“Let’s run away together,” she whispered, her fingers gripping his knee. “We can leave right now—”
Ryker’s throaty chuckle silenced her plea. Shaking his head, he rubbed his brow. “I would love nothing more than to do just that,” he admitted, turning back to her. “Believe me when I say that. The thought of just taking you away...” His voice trailed off, his eyes slipping shut as he drew in a troubled breath.
“Then let’s go,” she pushed.
For one hopeful moment, she believed he would say yes. In her mind, she was already preparing, making imaginary lists of everything they would need and planning where they would go. Happiness surged through her, her soul crying out for this. To spend every waking moment in his arms, to sate their urges with one another until they were spent. She couldn’t think of anything better.
But when his eyes opened, the bleak resignation within reminded her that fantasy was exactly that.
“No.” She slid closer. “We can do this, Ryker. If we want—”
“We can’t.
“Why?” Her hands rose to frame his face. “Why can’t we? Who’s going to stop us? No one can dictate our lives but us.”
Brushing her hands away, his chin dipped as he shook his head. A cold hand closed around her heart, reminding her that life was a double-edged sword.
“Your brothers won’t come after you,” she tried once more. “You’re family. They wouldn’t—”
“Jenna, my brothers aren’t the only ones hunting you,” he bit out, his gaze flicking to hers momentarily before he crossed the length of the room and threw on his clothes.
Stunned, Jenna sat frozen in the center of the bed, his words ringing in her ears. “What do you mean?”
Stealing a glance back over his shoulder, his mouth pressed into a hard line. “Exactly that. We don’t know who it is, but there’s someone out there...someone who has put out word that you are theirs for the taking.”
“For the taking,” she whispered. “You mean...”
“For the kill,” Ryker stated in a grim voice.
“And your brothers,” she murmured, attempting to piece everything together. “I take it they’re hunting me as well?”
A sharp exhale escaped Ryker’s lips, his tense fingers snatching up his weapons. That was all the answer she needed. Her mother had always told her that happiness was fleeting, that all a girl could count
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