Page 117 of Wanna Play A Game?

Ryder moves until he’s almost touching me. He’s so tall my nose only reaches his chest. I crane my neck to look up at him. His dark features soak in the light in the room, sucking it into the void of his eyes. For a second, he looks sad.

Then I smell the alcohol on him.

Desire flares inside me. Fuck, it’s been a long time since I’ve had a drink. I need one desperately right now.

Ryder looks down at me. “If you’re not dating them, then you’ll have no problem telling them you don’t like them.”

I swallow. Feelings I don’t like swirl in my stomach at the thought.

“Right?” There’s a warning in Ryder’s voice. I get another hit of whiskey off him.

“Right,” I grit.

Ryder takes a small step back. I spot the alcohol on the desk now. He follows my gaze, then looks back at me, his eyes lingering on my face. “You want some?”

I grit my teeth. Can he read my mind? Fuck yes, I want some. Ryder watches me in that unnerving way of his. He reaches for the bottle slowly, then lifts it to his mouth, taking a long swig while watching me.

My nostrils flare. Asshole.

Ryder snaps his hand out to grip my throat under my chin. He yanks me roughly to him, and I stumble into his chest with a gasp. With his other hand, he grips my jaw and levers it open. I open my mouth in surprise, and Ryder presses his mouth to mine, spitting a mouthful of whiskey into it.

I startle. The alcohol burns instantly, warming my mouth in a pleasant pain. I swallow, my throat burning with the liquid.

Ryder is still right there, holding me to him, his lips almost touching mine. We trade breath. His dark eyes are slightly wild.We’re caught in each other’s gazes for a second, his glossy eyes possessive and mean and afraid.

Then he releases me, stumbling back a step. He straightens, smoothing down his button-down. “Why don’t you run?” he asks.

“What?” I catch my breath.

“Right now. I won’t stop you.”

“Because you’ll put a bullet in my back.”

Ryder pulls something out from the back of his pants and slams it on the desk with a loud bang. It’s a pistol.

Adrenaline burns under my skin.

“I won’t. Not right now,” he says.

“Right now?” I narrow my eyes at him. “Yeah, that’s comforting.”

Ryder moves towards the desk and stumbles a little. Damn. Is he fucked up? I look to see if I could grab his gun before he can.

“Try it,” Ryder says, his speech suddenly crystal clear. “Even drunk, I can still shoot you in a matter of seconds.”

I freeze. Ryder smirks.

I think through his desire for me to leave. He wants me to run so he can make me disappear without making his men mad at him.

I straighten. “You’re trying to cheat. You can’t play the game behind Sawyer’s back.”

“Isn’t that what you were trying to do?” Ryder motions at the computer.

I narrow my eyes. “I knew the consequences.”

“So do I.” He watches me.

“Oh yeah? For me, the consequences are my life. What are they for you?” Anger runs through me at how unfair this whole thing is. “A lover’s spat? A little jealousy? So you get to fuck it out and everything will be fine. I’ll bedead. Explain to me how in the fuck that’s fair!”