Page 45 of If You Fight

As my hand holding the phone began to shake, I nervously asked, “Is something wrong?”

“Just be in my office in an hour. I assume you’re with him since he’s not at work, so that shouldn’t be a problem.”

I barely got the word okay out before he ended the call, leaving me wondering if all my plans had been dashed already. Setting my phone on the coffee table in front of me, I leaned back and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly as I tried to calm myself.

“I don’t have to ask who that was. He’s the only person in the world who can make you look that way.”

Forcing a smile, I turned to face Ryder next to me on the couch. “What way?”

“Terrified.”

And in a single word he encapsulated my entire life with my father. But I wasn’t that teenage girl who worried every time he called me into his office anymore. I’d stood up to him before, and if I had to, I’d do it again in an hour.

“He wants to see us in his office. We’ve been summoned.”

Now worry settled into Ryder’s face, and he frowned. “Do you think he found out about you hiring someone to find your mother?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t care. He can be as angry as he wants. I just hope he doesn’t do something to make sure I can’t find her. That’s my only concern.”

Ryder nodded. “I wonder why he wants me there with you. That makes me think it’s about something else and not about you looking for your mother.”

What he said made sense. Heartened by the mere possibility that my secret hadn’t been revealed, I smiled and kissed him. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For always helping me see the bright side.”

Instead of smiling back at me, he knitted his eyebrows and I saw concern in his eyes. “Whatever he has to say to us, don’t worry because I’ll be right by your side. Nothing he does, no matter how bad it is, can hurt you with me there.”

Taking his hands in mine, I brought them to my lips in a kiss. “I know, and I can’t tell you how much I love you for that. I’m not afraid to go to see him with you there by my side.”

His expression lightened, and I finally got that smile in return. “Good. Maybe he’s going to tell us he’s decided to move in with his girlfriend and we can have the house all to ourselves.”

I laughed at his optimism, sure that wasn’t what my father wanted to see us about. But no matter what he wanted to say, we’d be fine because we had each other.

My father’s officeseemed darker than usual as we walked in and sat down in those red leather chairs in front of his desk. He stared at me for a long moment and then turned his attention to Ryder, flashing one of those smiles that never failed to make my stomach twist into knots.

“You look good, son. I guess all those bones healed.”

“I’ve taken worse beatings before. You should know that,” Ryder said flatly.

“That I do.” My father stopped for a moment and then said, “So I guess Serena knows about what you used to do for me.”

Ryder simply nodded, but I felt the need to answer. “I know all about it, and it doesn’t change how I feel about him, if that’s what you’re getting at.”

My father shot me a glance but returned his focus to Ryder. “All the better. I wasn’t looking forward to explaining that to her anyway. I should have guessed there’d be no secrets between you two.”

Neither of us said a word. I felt Ryder take hold of my hand and a sense of calm came over me. Nothing my father could do could hurt us.

He stood from behind his desk and walked over to the bar to make himself a drink. With his back turned to us, he said, “I’m glad we can be so open about everything now, and Serena, I think you knowing about my business with Ryder will make what I have to say go much smoother.”

“Oh? Why?” I asked, suddenly concerned about this announcement of his.

Turning around, he smiled at me and returned to his seat. Unlike usual when he spoke to me, it felt like he was hesitating, as if he wanted to take his time to find the right words for what he had to say.

With every second that passed, my anxiety ratcheted up another notch until my hands became drenched with sweat. I squeezed Ryder’s as if to remind myself that no matter what words came out of my father’s mouth, I wasn’t alone.

No matter what he did, Ryder would protect me.

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