Page 63 of Without Fail

“I’m not going to let you throw away our investigation because you’ve become infatuated,” Anthony snapped.

“Fuck you.”

“Hey, guys,” Donald hissed when their voices lifted.

Anthony took a deep calming breath. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“You do it or I walk and take Ryker with me.”

Marshal locked his eyes with Anthony’s. He meant fucking business and he saw the moment his former boss realized it.

“I’ll try.”

“You help criminals get off when it suits you, you can help someone who’s innocent. You can help me.” Marshal wasn’t backing down from this.

Anthony took a sip from his glass and slowly nodded. “I’ll make it happen…ifyou get me evidence and that flash drive.”

Marshal sighed and rubbed at his face. When shit went down and the Langstons crumbled, he would be there to help Ryker pick up the pieces.

And the bookkeeping information to take down Cramer was on that flash drive.

He had to get into that safe.

The first order of business was Ryker’s recovery. He’d do everything in his power to make up with Ryker and get them back to normal…not the old normal, this new one.

A place where life suddenly looked a lot brighter.

Ryker came awake slowly, aware of the throbbing through the numbness in his face.

His gaze flickered toward the window.

Darkness lay beyond, only broken by a street light in the distance. The monitor next to his bed gave off a constant beeping. His mouth felt like a fucking desert.

“Hi, honey,” his mother’s soothing voice came from near the bed and her cool hand pressed to his heated forehead.

“Ma…” he croaked.

She was there quickly putting an ice chip in his mouth and he gratefully sucked on and swallowed it. She’d taken care of him after the car accident and was familiar with his needs.

He had a million questions, but right then he wondered where Marshal was.

Had his father already sought revenge?

Was Marshal dead?

Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” his mother soothed, brushing her hand against his forehead. “Just sleep.”

He drifted.

Several hours later, he came awake and found Syn sleeping in a chair next to his bed. His best friend was holding his hand. Across the room on the small two-person lounge, Jennifer was curled up sleeping on her side.

Just having them there brought a lump to his throat. They’d been through numerous fucked up situations through the years, but he knew he took the prize for fuck ups lately.

Syn must have sensed him awake because the beautiful man’s blue eyes were suddenly locked with his. So much emotion filled Syn’s face—everything from worry to rage warred together.

“Call Marshal,” Ryker whispered, the words barely audible, but Syn heard them and pulled out his phone.

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