and
that John was going to take us back to the penthouse. I decided to text him
back later as John pulled up in the SUV and we all piled into the back in a
much worse mood than we were in when we got here a few hours ago.
The
ride back to our apartment was quiet but once John’s cell phone rang it was
also tense. Judging by the way his face changed as I watched in the rearview
mirror my worry was quickly shifting from Danni’s broken heart to whoever he
could have been talking to that made him look worried. John never got worried
about anything; he was always so calm and collected. Something was seriously
wrong…I could feel it.
As
we stepped off the elevator I noticed John walking very close behind me. I
looked at Jessie, wondering if she might know something, but she just shrugged
her shoulders. As I got my key out and unlocked the front door, I asked, “Okay,
John, what is it with you? Why do you look so freaked?”
“We
should get inside and wait for Ryder, he will be here in about five minutes,”
John said.
“I
thought he was going to Beau’s place. Why is he coming back here already?” I
asked, my eyebrows drawing together. I was getting more nervous by the minute.
“I’m
not sure but don’t worry, he’s probably just wanting to check on Danni,”
replied Jessie.
The
way John was looking at me wasn’t sitting well. He was smiling and trying to
look comforting, but something was very wrong and he obviously was trying to
distract me until Ryder got home to give me bad news.
We
walked into the apartment and as soon as we were all inside John quickly locked
the door. Shaking my head, I led Danni into the living room. We sat on the
couch together after I handed her a tissue to wipe her tears. Thankfully a few
minutes later, I heard the front door open and Ryder called out, “Everleigh?”
“We’re
in the living room,” I replied, anxious to know what was going on. I was
wringing my hands together as Ryder walked into the living room. Instead of the
relief I usually felt when he was around, I felt my stomach flip as I saw his
expression. It was a mixture of anger and fear. “Ryder, what’s wrong?” I asked,
terrified.
John
stood and said, “I’m going to take Jessie home and then I will be back. Keep
the door locked until I return,” he said, and Ryder nodded at him. He hugged
Jessie goodbye and John’s eyes lingered on me for a moment before he turned and
left.
As
soon as they were gone, Ryder came and sat on the coffee table across from me.
“Danni, are you all right?” he asked her.
She
shrugged and said, “I’ll live. What I want to know is why the hell John was
acting so weird and why you just came in here looking like your dog died,” she
said. “We know something’s up, Ryder, and you need to just tell us what’s going
on.” I was so glad to have Danni there in that moment. Sometimes her bluntness
really was a good thing.
Ryder
blew out a hard breath through his lips. “Evie, I have something to tell you
and I need you to stay calm, okay? Can you do that for me?” he asked, talking
to me like I was a child again.
I
sat up straight and ran my sweaty palms on my thighs. “Ryder, I am starting to
get scared. Please tell me what’s going on.”
He
looked down at the floor for a moment before he looked back up at me and took
my hands in his. “Okay,” he said, taking a deep breath. “I got a call from Kip
after I left the bar. Scott broke into your house this morning Evie.”
My
heart dropped into my stomach and fear prickled down to the base of my spine.
Danni shouted out a few obscenities and I gasped and said, “How did he get in?
I thought you had security watching the house!”
“It
happened while Kip and Nathan were getting some rest. Apparently the other guy
they had keeping a lookout wasn’t doing his fucking job and Scott managed to
slip past,” he said angrily.
My
thoughts went to one person…Trish. I was terrified for her safety. “What
that John was going to take us back to the penthouse. I decided to text him
back later as John pulled up in the SUV and we all piled into the back in a
much worse mood than we were in when we got here a few hours ago.
The
ride back to our apartment was quiet but once John’s cell phone rang it was
also tense. Judging by the way his face changed as I watched in the rearview
mirror my worry was quickly shifting from Danni’s broken heart to whoever he
could have been talking to that made him look worried. John never got worried
about anything; he was always so calm and collected. Something was seriously
wrong…I could feel it.
As
we stepped off the elevator I noticed John walking very close behind me. I
looked at Jessie, wondering if she might know something, but she just shrugged
her shoulders. As I got my key out and unlocked the front door, I asked, “Okay,
John, what is it with you? Why do you look so freaked?”
“We
should get inside and wait for Ryder, he will be here in about five minutes,”
John said.
“I
thought he was going to Beau’s place. Why is he coming back here already?” I
asked, my eyebrows drawing together. I was getting more nervous by the minute.
“I’m
not sure but don’t worry, he’s probably just wanting to check on Danni,”
replied Jessie.
The
way John was looking at me wasn’t sitting well. He was smiling and trying to
look comforting, but something was very wrong and he obviously was trying to
distract me until Ryder got home to give me bad news.
We
walked into the apartment and as soon as we were all inside John quickly locked
the door. Shaking my head, I led Danni into the living room. We sat on the
couch together after I handed her a tissue to wipe her tears. Thankfully a few
minutes later, I heard the front door open and Ryder called out, “Everleigh?”
“We’re
in the living room,” I replied, anxious to know what was going on. I was
wringing my hands together as Ryder walked into the living room. Instead of the
relief I usually felt when he was around, I felt my stomach flip as I saw his
expression. It was a mixture of anger and fear. “Ryder, what’s wrong?” I asked,
terrified.
John
stood and said, “I’m going to take Jessie home and then I will be back. Keep
the door locked until I return,” he said, and Ryder nodded at him. He hugged
Jessie goodbye and John’s eyes lingered on me for a moment before he turned and
left.
As
soon as they were gone, Ryder came and sat on the coffee table across from me.
“Danni, are you all right?” he asked her.
She
shrugged and said, “I’ll live. What I want to know is why the hell John was
acting so weird and why you just came in here looking like your dog died,” she
said. “We know something’s up, Ryder, and you need to just tell us what’s going
on.” I was so glad to have Danni there in that moment. Sometimes her bluntness
really was a good thing.
Ryder
blew out a hard breath through his lips. “Evie, I have something to tell you
and I need you to stay calm, okay? Can you do that for me?” he asked, talking
to me like I was a child again.
I
sat up straight and ran my sweaty palms on my thighs. “Ryder, I am starting to
get scared. Please tell me what’s going on.”
He
looked down at the floor for a moment before he looked back up at me and took
my hands in his. “Okay,” he said, taking a deep breath. “I got a call from Kip
after I left the bar. Scott broke into your house this morning Evie.”
My
heart dropped into my stomach and fear prickled down to the base of my spine.
Danni shouted out a few obscenities and I gasped and said, “How did he get in?
I thought you had security watching the house!”
“It
happened while Kip and Nathan were getting some rest. Apparently the other guy
they had keeping a lookout wasn’t doing his fucking job and Scott managed to
slip past,” he said angrily.
My
thoughts went to one person…Trish. I was terrified for her safety. “What
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