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Just as things start to pick up, Jace pulls back, breathing heavily. I’m so scared of his rejection that I don’t open my eyes. I don’t want to face him. I hate being lost in my mind for a moment of peace, only to lose it when I look into his eyes.

“Look at me, Sunshine,” Jace murmurs, brushing some hair out of my face. I freeze, feeling the wind against my skin. I hold my breath, blinking my eyes open.

“I think you’ve proved your point,” Jace whispers.

I smile, my anxiety slowly disappearing. Only to be reminded that Ryker was right there, watching both of us.

Can I have both?

22

Ryker continues to chop wood as if he hadn’t just watched Blake and I make out. And the crazy thing, I didn’t mind one bit. I wanted to keep going. I miss her taste; I miss the way she threw her head back when she came. I miss her.

Blake nudges me, pulling my attention down to the whiteboard,I’m going to go inside, I’m tired.Glancing up, I take notice of the bags under her eyes and she’s a little more pale than normal. “Want to take a nap together?” I ask.

Blake smiles at me, nodding.

“Okay, I’ll meet you in there. I want to talk to Ryker first.”

Blakes eyes snap to me before pressing her lips together and frowning over at Ryker.

“It’s nothing bad, I promise,” signing the word “promise,” I do my best to reassure her. Blake doesn’t look convinced, but still gets to her feet, looking back at Ryker and me before the front door closes behind her.

When I turn back around, Ryker is already facing me, his head tilted to the side. He knew we were going to have this discussion sooner rather than later. Ijust hadn’t expected to have it today, but with Blake kissing me right in front of him, I guess now was better than not.

“Just spit it out,” Ryker snaps.

“I’m not sure what to say.” I shrug.

“You have feelings for the job.”

I’m up and off the steps before I know better. “She’s not a fucking job,” I snap.

“Hmm, sounds like we have a touchy subject then, because last time I heard, she was. We were hired to protect her. She’s a client, and what was your thing?” Ryker taps his chin. “Oh, yeah. No fucking the clients. Isn’t that what you told me when Luna tried to fuck me?”

My hands fist at my side, hating that he was correct. While Luna was crushing on both of us and I wanted nothing to do with her, Ryker was a different story. He wanted to fuck and dump her. It was our first on our own client and so we made the deal that we wouldn’t touch whoever hired us.

“When did she not become a job to you?” Ryker asks, dropping the ax onto the ground.

“The moment I stepped into her room at her parents.” I sigh. I should’ve told them I couldn’t do it the moment I realized Blake was someone I wasn’t sure if I could stay away from. But the thought of someone hurting her enrages me.

“Not very smart of you, Jacey boy.”

“I told you to stop calling me that.”

“You’re not going to like it, but I don’t give a shit. As your friend, I’m going to tell you the truth. That girl in there is hiding something, you know it and I know it. I don’t trust her, and neither should you.”

“Ryker, you don’t even know her.”

“Neither do you.”

I hate that he has a point. I hate that I know I’m blinded by Blake, but I can’t stop. I want to protect her from everything, even herself. I want to wrap her in my arms and force away her nightmares. All those men that hurt her, the ones that are still alive, I want them dead.

“How are we supposed to protect her if we don’t even know who’s after her?” Ryker asks.

“Her father, Dimitri, said it was Antonio, the leader of the Italian Mafia, after her,” I half tell him the truth. Knowing Ryker, he would storm in there and force her to talk.

“And you think he’s just going to stop?”