I was ready to shut the door in his face, but his busted lip and bruised cheek stopped me. I felt a sudden worry and without thinking, I reached out and touched the bruised area.“What happened to your face?” I asked, concern creeping into my voice as I examined the injuries. His face seemed to brighten up and his hand covered mine and I froze as if I was burned. I realized what I had done and I quickly stepped back, pulling my hand to my chest. I saw a flicker of something in his eyes. “I’m sorry,” I stammered, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment.Why did I do that?“You’re worried about me?” he sounded happy, a small smile playing on his lips, but he silently hissed at the pain when the skin stretched. How could he look good on that damaged face?I hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to respond. “It’s not about being worried, Ryker,” I finally replied monotonously. “It’s about common decency. I wouldn’t want to see anyone hurt, even if it’s you.”His eyes darkened, and for a

Danny immediately withdrew his arm from my shoulder, his face turning slightly pale. “Ry...Ryker,”Ryker’s eyes, cold as ice, looked at me and I felt like I got caught red-handed, but why the heck would I feel that way? And why did I feel nervous about his apparent anger right now?“We meet again,” Ryker’s voice was dangerously calm. “What did I say about that?”Danny looked scared shit, and I was worried. This is not good. He nodded apprehensively, clearly afraid of something. “I know, Ryker. No harm done.” He then turned to me. “It was nice seeing you again, Harper. Enjoy your evening.” With that, he hastily walked away.What did he mean harm?I watched Danny walk out of the supermarket, leaving his items in his cart. I turned my attention back to Ryker, who was still wearing that stern expression. “You’re impossible,” I muttered and strode to the nearest cashier, paying for all the items.After paying for the items, I pushed the cart out of the supermarket with him following close

I felt like I couldn’t breathe in the middle of the night. Something heavy was leaning on me, and when I opened my eyes, I was surprised to see it was Ryker, hugging me like a koala, almost putting his weight on me. I couldn’t mistake his scent for anyone else either. It was a scent I became pretty fond of. He smelt clean and suave.One of his legs was nestled between mine, and my head rested on his shoulder. His breathing was even, and a slight snore coming out through his nose. I now doubted my own apartment’s security, seeing that he managed to get in without being noticed. He had indeed come back, and the implications of that left me feeling both unsettled and strangely comforted.“Sleep or I’ll fuck you to sleep,” his voice gave me a start. He was awake.My eyes immediately closed as I snuggled deep into his chest. I could feel him smile.“I’m sleeping.”He chuckled. “You’re lucky I’m tired, Kitten, or I’ll have you to tire me out.”I rolled my eyes, trying to deny the effects of

The scene was chaotic, with the onlookers shouting and laughing, their excitement building with each punch and kick exchanged between the fighters. The dimly lit alley gave the whole scene an eerie atmosphere, with the flickering light that focused on the fighters.Emily and I pushed through the crowd, trying to get a better view of the fight. Finding Mason proved to be a difficult task but finding him would lead me to Ryker’s involvement in this place, and possibly more about him. If he could not tell me the truth, I would surely find a way to dig for more information.We had already gained a few curious glances, and I could feel the hostility of the people around us. The smell of alcohol, cigarettes, and weed mixed through the air.Suddenly, a loud cheer erupted from the crowd as one of the fighters landed a powerful blow on his opponent, sending him sprawling to the ground. The man didn’t get up, and the referee, a burly figure with a grizzled beard, signaled the end of the fight.

“What on freaking earth was that?” Emily asked, her face flushed with anger. I was in the backseat, holding back the tears that threatened to come out of my tear ducts, struggling to keep my emotions in check. I wouldn’t want to admit it but his attitude hurt me. He walked past me with so much anger in his cold eyes, never even spared me a glance.“Don’t misunderstand, Ryker.” Mason’s tone was more firm. “He has a lot on his plate right now and your showing up only made things worse.”“We did nothing, Babe! We followed you because I was worried, and I know that you are hiding something from me. Your reaction and Ryker’s reaction only deepened my suspicions. He had no reason to act like that. And so what? Harper told them she was his girlfriend so that they would let us through. Should he be angry? What the hell!” She slammed her hand against the dashboard in frustration.“He’s not angry because of that!” Mason looked torn. “If you said that—” he looked at me through the rearview mirro