Page 103 of Wanna Play A Game?

There’s another second of silence. Miles gives me a look I can’t interpret.

Ryder snorts. “Control your toy, Miles.”

Sawyer’s voice comes from behind me. “She wants to play, too.” I whip around. He leans against the doorframe, almost filling it with his massive form. “Plus, I wanted to watch.”

There’s some kind of unspoken communication between Miles and Sawyer. I watch it in their eyes.

Miles shakes his head. “She doesn’t belong here. Get her out.”

Sawyer doesn’t move.

Ryder starts towards me.

“No!” I glare at him. “Don’t fucking touch me.”

Ryder’s dark eyes flare in challenge, and he’s on me in a flash. His giant hand is around my throat, and before I realize it, I’m against the wall.

“What was that?” he says mockingly.

“Ryder!” Sawyer struggles to get between us. “My mark. Get your hands off her.”

Ryder ignores him. He isn’t squeezing, but his grip is firm. He leans into my ear, and I can just see Miles behind him. I’m hit with the smell of cologne and mint. His deep voice rumbles in my ear. “You’re not the one who gives orders around here, little mystery. I’ll fucking touch you if I want to. And there’s nothing you or your little puppies can do about it.”

I shudder in a breath. Ryder’s voice is deep and swirls around me like intoxicating sin. God, why is this affecting me?

The fact he thinks he can bully me makes rage run through me. I lived with that long enough with Ben.

“Fine,” I grit my teeth. “Don’tlet me go then, motherfucker. In fact, why don’t you just kill me now instead of dancing around it?”

I hear someone suck in a breath. Miles moves toward us.

I raise my eyes to look into Ryder’s deep brown ones. They’re swirling with rage and something I can’t put a finger on. His fingers tighten to the point I can feel my pulse racing against them, and I start to feel lightheaded.

That’s it. It went too far, and I got a reaction. Victory runs through me. This big bad man wants to be in charge so much, but I’m the one controlling his actions right now.

I pull in a breath and smirk. “What, the big bad wolf wants to kill me, but he can’t because his men would never forgive him?”

It’s a gamble. I don’t know how Sawyer and Miles would feel about it. But I see Ryder’s eyes snap in anger, and he leans into me. Sounds start to mute, and there’s a roaring in my ears. I vaguely hear shouting, and then the pressure on my neck is gone.

I blink, heaving in breaths. The roaring goes away. I cough. I was right. They won’t let him kill me.

I laugh. I’m not sure why I’m laughing, but I can’t help it. I’ve never been more powerful while being powerless at the same time.

I straighten. Ryder is still right there, chest heaving. Sawyer is standing slightly in front of him. All three men look pissed.

I turn to Miles. “He hitme, not you. Tell me what you’re going to do to him.”

Chapter 50

Ryder

My vision clouds around the edges. I can barely focus on anything but the wild, curly blonde hair of the infuriating woman in front of me. My skin feels hot.

What the absolute fuck? Nothing gets to me. Nothing. I learned how to turn it off a long time ago. Dad would only beat me harder if he got a reaction. But this woman? She’s gotten to me worse than anything in a long time. And now, she has the audacity to openly try to get between us.

I want to trample her down until she’s helpless under me, helpless and completely at my mercy. My dick jerks at the idea.

Miles says, “I’m going to kill him, Cali.”