and got the same ones she did. When we went dark, everything got pulled.”
I gagged. “We’re going to need a professional cleaning crew.”
Nik chuckled. “You guys will. I don’t live on site and I don’t need the protection of living in Penn Tower. I’ll head to the gym and go home.”
“I expect you to call me when you do get home. I don’t care what time it is, either,” Ryker demanded.
“Sure, bossman.”
We bumped over the entrance to the apartments’ garage. Surprisingly there weren’t any reporters stalking the grounds. Ryker slid to a smooth stop at the elevator doors. “Get in, get your shit together, get out. I’ll send someone over tomorrow.”
Nico snorted. “Maybe for Will’s space. I’ll take care of our arrangements.”
Ryker nodded. “You do you. I want to be back in the car in no more than twenty minutes.”
As if the car were sinking like the Titanic, we bailed and rushed into the elevator. I was running through everything I wanted to pack. Had most of it already mentally in my suitcase when the elevator came to a gentle stop.
The door opened.
And a gun was pointed right at my face.
Chapter 5 – Ryker
Before I even knew what I was doing, I had Willow crammed into the side of the car, the gun knocked to the side, and the intruder up against the far wall. Nico helped me hold the person down as we shouted for Jessa and Willow to run to the apartment.
A blurry picture of black hair, beard scruff, dark eyes, and a snarling mouth were all I saw before I slammed my knee into the attacker’s balls. He curled down and over my knee as I caught the gun.
Wrenching it from his hands, I had it pointed at him before he stopped gagging. “Who the fuck are you?” I demanded as I laid the barrel of the gun against his temple.
Nico shook his head. Gestured for me to give him the gun.
I wasn’t going to get into a pissing match with the man. I handed him the gun. Watched as he backed up out of striking distance. “Answer the question or you die and absolutely no one notices or cares.”
Nico jerked his chin at me to back up.
I shuffled a few steps to the side.
Nico nodded. He looked back at our uninvited guest. “I won’t be asking again.”
“Cavendish sent me,” the man gasped as he stood upright again. One hand still clutched between his legs as he glared at me. “But this isn’t worth the ten grand.”
I laughed. “I’m almost insulted. Ten grand? That’s all a hit costs these days?” I shook my head. “Are you here alone or you got some backup?”
The man sneered at me. “I wasn’t splitting my ten g’s with no one.”
“Go check on the women, Penn,” Nico said. His voice was ice cold.
He slid towards me, his back coming off the wall just enough for me to slide through behind him. “Give me a signal if it’s all clear.”
I nodded. Hurried to the apartment door. I knocked on it. “Cupcake, it’s Ryker. I need to know if anyone else is in there with you?”
The door swung open immediately. Willow threw herself into my arms. “Don’t ever do that again, hero,” she snarled against my neck. Her body shook and trembled in my arms.
I looked over her shoulder at Jessa. The good doctor was frozen in place, her hands over her mouth. Her gaze was glued to something on the wall.
“We’re clear, Nico,” I called before I shuffled my girl back into her horrendously smelly apartment. I wouldn’t have thought two days would allow everything to spoil in a closed refrigerator. It seemed I was wrong.
Squinting against the stench, I spun so I could look at the wall. YOU’RE NEXT, BITCH was written in dark red paint. I gritted my teeth to keep from telling Nico to just kill the idiot. We had bigger fish to fry.
I nudged Jessa to the bathroom as I practically carried Willow. “Get your shit together, cupcake. We’re out of here. Get everything important. You’re not coming back here ever again. At least not to sleep.” I set her back from me. Lifting her chin, I gazed into her mossy green eyes. “I love you.” I leaned down, pressed my lips to hers. “But I will paddle your ass if you take a second longer than twenty minutes to get your shit together. If it doesn’t fit in your suitcase, I’ll replace it.” I slapped a hand against