Page 29

“You certainly acted like one,” Odie spits out.

I don’t even see Riley move this time. He rips his arm free from my grip and moves so fast, he’s across the room before I can even blink.

Something cracks, and Odie is thrown back into the wall.

Riley rushes forward again, moving like a wall of muscle with one mission: to destroy.

“Riley, stop!” I grab his arm, but he continues forward toward my brother, who—finally—looks absolutely terrified as he cowers on the floor, cradling his injured arm.

“Get in here! Help!” Odie screams.

The door behind us opens as Riley grips the front of Odie’s dress shirt.

A nurse and Odie’s security guard rush forward. I’m shoved aside as the security guard wraps his arm around Riley’s throat.

Riley jams his elbow into the gut of the security guard, and the man releases him long enough for Riley to whirl and slam his fist into the man’s face. The guard falls back, and I get a glimpse at Riley’s expression.

Dark. Furious.

“Riley, stop!” I’m terrified of what will happen to him if he doesn’t. Not because I don’t think he can handle himself but because I know that, if I don’t stop him, he’ll suffer serious legal consequences. Two hospital security guards rush in.

“Riley!” He pauses then leans in closer to Odie. “This isn’t over,” he snarls then drops Odie on the ground. One guard steps between him and my brother, and the other cuffs Riley’s hands behind his back.

“I’m pressing charges!” Odie yells. “Call the police!”

“Shut up, Odie!” It’s the first time I’ve ever spoken to him like that, and while his furious expression would have intimidated me before, now I couldn’t care less. Every shred of love I’d felt for him is gone.

Destroyed in a single conversation.

I sprint out of the room after the guards. “Where are you taking him?” I call out. “Stop! Wait!” Panic fuels me as I close the distance and try to push myself onto the elevator they’ve stepped onto.

“Ma’am, you’re not getting on this elevator,” one of the security guards says.

“Riley,” I manage, though emotion strangles me as I see his expression.

“Call Bradyn. He’ll know what to do. I’m sorry, Jules.”

The doors close, shutting me off from the one person I need right now.

Anger sings in my veins. I spin on my heel and march back into Odie’s room. He’s on his back, and a nurse is looking over his injuries. Including the one that landed him in here in the first place.

“You need to get out of here,” one of them tells me.

“Not before I get my things.” I retrieve the folder Odie tossed to the bed and make sure I have all the images. “I know you had something to do with his death, Odie. Even if it’s the last thing I do, I’ll figure out the truth. And there will be no saving you when I do.”

“Are you hungry?” Dylan asks as he carries in a fresh mug of coffee. He sets it down on the coffee table in front of me then takes a seat on the other side of the couch. I’ve been sitting here ever since Bradyn came and got me from the hospital four hours ago.

“No, thanks.” Romeo lies at my feet, staring at the door. He hasn’t been settled since I got back, and it makes me sad that he’s suffering too.

“You know, he’s going to be fine.”

I turn toward Dylan. This is basically the most he’s ever spoken to me, and while I appreciate the attempt at soothing me, I know there’s a lot more than just bailing Riley out of jail. Odie is planning to press charges.

And if he does that, the chances of Riley not getting saddled with jail time are low.

With my grandfather’s money behind him, Odie has deep pockets and a lot of people in his corner.

My thoughts immediately go to Glen Dodger.

What if he goes to him and tells him that Riley is trying to find proof of what happened?

What if they get to Riley before we can get him out of jail?

My heart begins to pound, and I take a few deep breaths to try and calm the panic. God, I know I don’t have any right to ask anything of You, but please let Riley be okay. Please let him be okay.

I clear my throat. “Thanks.”

He smiles softly. “You don’t believe me.”

“I know he’s going to be okay, physically anyway. But Odie lives to punish those he feels have wronged him.”

“Like you?” Dylan asks. It’s such a simple question, but it’s heavy as lead.

I don’t answer.

“Look, I just want you to know that we’ve dealt with cases where the stakes were a lot higher than they are now. And we’re all still standing.”

I reach forward and take the coffee he brought in for me. “I just don’t want him to suffer because of me.”

“You have a habit of blaming yourself for the actions of others, and that’s a dangerous road to be on.”

“It is my fault. Odie was taunting me?—”

“Riley’s the one who threw the punch. Frankly, I would’ve done the same. All of us would have, given the same set of circumstances.”

“Odie will press charges.”

“Then we’ll deal with it.”

“You guys don’t fear anything, do you?” I ask, half joking.

“There’s nothing in this world to fear once you’ve experienced hell on earth. Something I believe you know something about.”

Tears burn in the corners of my eyes, the emotion catching me out of nowhere. “I survived. A lot of people don’t.”

“They don’t,” he confirms. “And you’re right, you did. But that doesn’t negate what happened to you. Just like your past mistakes don’t cancel out the strength and resilience you’ve fought to achieve over the last ten years.”

I honestly don’t know what to say to him. Especially because I sense there’s a lot more to Dylan Hunt than meets the eye.

To all of them, really.

“They’re pulling in,” Bradyn announces as he peeks his head into the room.

I set the coffee aside and get to my feet, but before I leave the room, I turn to Dylan. “Thanks again, Dylan. Really.”

He nods but doesn’t respond.

Bradyn steps out onto the porch, and I follow just in time to see a black Lincoln Navigator park in the drive. Riley gets out of one side, and a gorgeous brunette with bright red lipstick and a gray pantsuit gets out of the other side.

I look Riley over for injuries. For any sign that he’s suffered in the past four hours. But aside from bloodied knuckles and black fingerprint ink on the tips of his fingers, he looks just as he did before.

“You know, if I have to keep getting you boys out of jail, I’m going to start charging a retainer,” the woman says with a grin as she makes her way up onto the porch.

“One we’d be happy to pay,” Bradyn replies with a laugh as he offers her a hug.

“Yeah, well, just wait until you see the bill.”

She follows Bradyn into the house, but Riley stops on the porch.

“Hey, boy.” He gently pets Romeo, whose tongue is hanging out as he spins in a circle, tail wagging wildly.

“I missed you too.” He straightens and faces me.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I lost my temper and put you at risk. It won’t happen again.

” His words are cold and collected, his tone reverted to the professional one he’d used when we first met.

“I’m sorry Odie put you in that position. And that you felt the need to defend me.”

Riley steps forward, moving in so quickly I don’t have time to react.

Not that I would have. Not with the thrilling race my heart is currently running in my chest. “I won’t let anyone talk to you like that,” he whispers, so close I can feel his breath on my cheek. “But I am sorry that I left you alone.”

“It’s okay,” I manage. Is he going to kiss me?

I search his gaze for any sign that he’s going to close the distance between us completely. He looks down at my lips, and my stomach flips. But before leaning in, he pulls back and heads into the house, Romeo behind him.

Every muscle in my body might as well be made of iron with how frozen in place I am.

He wanted to kiss me—right? Or am I imagining that?

And what’s more—did I want him to?