shady with sex, I can only imagine he could have been bought. I don’t let dishonest people work for me.”
Nik stood there, her mouth hanging open slightly. She shook herself after a moment. “Dammit. Now I want to hug you.” She shuddered. “I won’t, because eww. But still.”
“Hey now. His hugs are not ‘eww.’ He isn’t allowed to hug you back anyway, you little turd. He only gets my girl cooties,” I said.
Nik laughed. “Thank goodness someone doesn’t mind getting his cooties in return.” She looked up at Ryker. Nodded. “Thank you, bossman. Sincerely.” She spun on her heel and strode off before Ryker could say anything else.
Ryker put a hand on my arm to keep from following after her. “Give her a moment.” He pulled me into his arms. “So I’m only allowed to have your girl cooties, huh?”
I slid my hands up his arms to his shoulder. Twisted the slightly long lengths of his hair between my fingers. “Oh yeah. I ever find other girl cooties on you, she will die a long, slow torturous death. And you will soon follow after her.”
He whistled low. “Damn. Not even going to keep me around for long and slow torture?”
I shook my head. “Nah. It will have broken my heart. So I’d kill you quickly, out of love.” I pushed up to my toes, pressed my lips to his. As I pulled back, I nipped his bottom lip. “So keep that in mind, mister.”
He growled low in his throat. “I don’t want any other girl’s cooties. Hazardous to my health, or so I’ve been told.” He kissed me again.
“Ahem,” someone said as they walked by. “This is an oncology ward, not a hotel. Please conduct yourselves appropriately.”
Ryker snarled as he set me back on my heels. I grabbed his arm before he could pummel whoever had interrupted us.
“He wasn’t wrong, hero. Throttle back. We need to find your si—”
“Willow?”
I froze in place at the sound of that voice behind me. Memories and nightmares tried to invade my mind. Tried to sweep me under in one fell swoop.
“Willow, darling. Is that you?” a woman called.
My heartbeat triple timed through my chest so hard it felt like my ribs were about to crack. I’d been stupid. Stupid to think I was safe here. So fucking stupid.
Ryker pulled me into his arms. Wrapped himself around me as my vision went white at the edges. “Who the fuck are you?” He bit out the question at the person behind me.
“My mother,” I answered in a whisper.
Chapter 13 – Ryker
My girl’s body was trembling in my arms as she spun in a slow circle to greet her mother. The woman who paid a monster ten million dollars to take her daughter off her hands. Searing rage and hate swamped through my mind.
Willow pulled my arms tighter around her. She huddled against me. “What do you want, Beverly?”
Beverly jerked as if the words were gunshots. “You know I hate it when you call me that. What are you doing here?” Her voice changed from soft inquisition to hard and impersonal in a matter of seconds.
“Why does it even matter to you?” Willow asked. “You paid Ethan ten million dollars to take me off your hands. I can’t imagine you’re overly concerned with my well-being.” I felt Willow lock her knees and stiffen against me.
Beverly stalked forward, her dark blonde hair a stiff helmet around her head. She shared her mossy green eyes with her daughter. “How dare you say something so vulgar to me!” She raised her hand as if she were about to slap her daughter across the face.
I grabbed Beverly’s wrist. Squeezed until I felt the bones rub together. “That’s your one warning. Even think about striking her again and I’ll destroy you and your disgusting husband. State your business or leave.” I didn’t bother to lower my voice. Didn’t flinch away from the scowl she shot in my direction.
The bitch was this close from being physically removed from the hospital on my orders. That or chucked down the stairs like the trash she really was.
Beverly pulled on her limb. Stuck her nose higher into the air. “I would never strike my own flesh and blood.” She glared at me until I dropped her wrist. “Who are you? Where’s Ethan?” she asked Willow before I could answer her.
I leaned forward. “Your pet monster is dead. I’m Ryker Penn. The man your daughter is going to marry. What are you doing here?” I asked again.
Beverly