Page 64 of Wicked Games
“You didn’t knock me off the fence.”
“I’m thinking about knocking you out.”
I walked toward him with purposeful strides. Just as I reached him, he gripped my biceps and pulled me into the swimming pool with him. Ryder wrapped his arms around me and dragged me to the bottom of the pool, where we playfully grappled until the need for oxygen urged us toward the surface.
“You shit,” Ryder said, pulling me toward him.
“Drown him,” Percy said, urging Ryder on.
“You had it coming,” Dev told me.
“Come on,” Carmen said, “let’s give these guys some time alone. Dinner is at five, then we’ll head to the airport.”
Her sobering words reminded us we had limited time together. For once, sex took a back seat, and we spent the afternoon wrapped in each other’s arms talking about everything that came to mind—both of us trying to make up for the wasted years. We made lists of movies we wanted to see, the places we wanted to travel to, and concerts we wanted to attend. We planned for our future while staying connected in the moment with touches and kisses.
“This won’t be goodbye,” I said, brushing a lock of hair off Ryder’s forehead. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“It won’t be soon enough,” Ryder teased, rolling me to my back and making love to me.
SAYING GOODBYE TOLUCIEN WASone of the hardest and sweetest things I’d ever done. I was worried, and I would miss him like crazy, but I saw the determination in his eyes that said, “I will finish this, and I will come back to you.” Lucien’s resolve fueled mine to show him I believed in us.
Our goodbye at the front door wasn’t dramatic; we’d said everything we needed to say privately. A hug, a lingering kiss, and a softly exchanged “I love you.” That was it; then he was gone.
“Come on, mate,” Percy said, hooking his arm through mine and leading me away from the front door. It was probably a good thing too, or else I’d end up looking like the German shepherds, who still sat staring after their mistress. “Let’s go see what kind of mischief we can get into to take your mind off missing your guy.”
“How do you do it?” I asked Percy.
“We Brits are made of stern stuff,” Dev said, falling into step behind us on crutches.
“Don’t listen to him,” Percy said. “The difference between you and me is I’m used to it. Dev and I met under these circumstances and both of us went into our relationship with our eyes wide open. It’s been terribly difficult at times, and I miss him like crazy sometimes, but I’ve never been blindsided like you have. Hopefully, you won’t have to worry about getting used to this life once Carmen and Lucky complete their mission.”
“I don’t exactly see Lucky taking up permanent residence in a rocking chair anytime soon,” Dev teased. His words were like an arrow straight to the heart.
“Dev,” Percy admonished, tipping his head in my direction. Had I gasped out loud, or did he feel me tense because our arms were linked? “It’s not like those are Lucky’s only two options.”
“Of course not,” Dev agreed. “I didn’t mean to imply Lucky wasn’t willing to settle down and find a tamer job. There are many careers he could choose that would permit him to be home more often.”
I wanted to be petulant and demand he name one. I recalled the conversation I had with Lucien about men like him. They tended to take on clandestine jobs because their skillset made them overqualified for many careers. Was that code for too mundane to sustain him? Hell, he wasn’t even gone fifteen minutes, and I was already worried about not being enough to make him happy for the long haul. He had to survive before we could have a future.
“Great job,” Percy whispered angrily. “See what you did? Dial down the good ole British bluntness a notch or two.”
“What did I say?” Dev asked, sounding perturbed. “I didn’t tell him Lucky would be bored with him after five minutes or anything. I just implied he wasn’t ready for the rocking chair.”
I couldn’t imagine finding humor in anything while Lucien’s life was in danger, but Dev and Percy proved me wrong. My body shook with silent laughter, pulling Percy’s attention to me.
“Oh, God. I think he’s having a fit or something. Withdrawal from the cock has already set in.”
My laughter erupted from me then. “Fuck,” I said when I could finally breathe. “The two of you are bickering back and forth like two old women. I’m not sure if I’m entertained or annoyed.”
“Both,” Percy and Dev said at the same time.
“Ryder, the only thing I can say for sure is I don’t see a future for Lucky that doesn’t include you.”
“Thank you, Dev.”
“Baby, that’s so sweet,” Percy said. “I knew you had it in you.”
My cell phone rang, which meant someone outside this circle was calling me. Carmen had assured me it was okay to use my phone if my family, friends, or colleagues called me. We’d been waiting for breaking news about Daniel Perez’s arrest all day, but nothing had come across the wire. Carmen figured the FBI would take steps to validate the data and recover the vessel before they arrested the scumbag and held a news conference.