Page 57 of Ryder

“Oh, so now that I gave you my contact’s name, you’re gonna kill me?” When the man remained silent, it was clear that was exactly what was goin’ down. Koritz started bargaining for his life the split second he realized he was expendable. “I’ll give ya whatever you want. Half of my take. What do ya say?”

The shadowed man finally stepped forward.

It was Rabid.

The Savage Reaper’s VP himself.

“I’m gonna have to decline,” he said before putting a bullet through Koritz’s head. The agent was dead before his body hit the ground.

The last thing I saw before I blacked out was Rabid walking toward Tripp and Marek, muttering something as he raised his gun toward them.

Braylen

Astonishingly, I was lost to the deepest realms of sleep when a loud bang woke me. Then I heard shouting followed by a bright light. Kena stirred beside me.

“What the hell?” I grumbled, disoriented and annoyed that someone woke me up in such a way. Covering my face with my pillow, it took me several seconds to remember where I was, although I’d been in the same place for days. Hearing a distressed voice, I unshielded my eyes and saw Adelaide rushing toward me.

“Get up,” she yelled. “We have to go.” She was frantic as she glanced around the room, the wild look in her eyes frightening me. I had no idea what she was doing because she wasn’t looking at either of us, or Reece, who’d also shot up in her bed in a panic.

Then just as swiftly as Adelaide had arrived, she left.

“What’s going on?” I’d already hopped out of bed and run behind her out into the hallway when it dawned on me that maybe the club was under attack. Catching up to her before she entered the large common space, I grabbed her arm and spun her around. “What’s happening? Are we in danger?”

She shook her head before tears fell and painted her cheeks. “He’s dead,” she wailed, pulling her hair as she retreated, hitting the wall which finally kept her in place.

I had no idea who she was referring to, but it had to be one of our men.

Before I could get any answers, I joined in her anguish, crying right along with her. Kena hurried toward us, signing to me while terror stole her reserve.

What’s wrong?

“I don . . . don’t know,” I blubbered, wiping my face with the back of my hand. “Adelaide said ‘He’s dead,’ but I don’t know who she’s talking about.” My lungs worked feverishly, pulling in air faster than I could expel it.

Just when I thought I was going to hyperventilate, Salzar ran toward us.

“We gotta go,” he urged, moving quickly but seemingly calmer than the three of us. A flurry of bodies passed, men spouting out instructions while I stood there in the midst of the tornado. I saw Reece and Sully carrying Riley and Kaden, followed by Nash and a few others holding our suitcases.

Next thing I knew we were all loaded into two vehicles and speeding out of the clubhouse lot as if someone had been chasing us.

Apparently, time had been the culprit.

I kept hearing Adelaide saying “He’s dead,” but who was she talking about? Furthermore, who had given her the news? She never mentioned that someone had called her. Did one of the guys at the club we were staying at tell her something? If so, why had they chosen to keep the rest of us in the dark?

We’d been driving for three hours when my cell abruptly rang. I’d made sure it was charged, waiting for the moment when Ryder would call me.Prayinghe would call me.

Fumbling with the phone and almost dropping it, I managed to swipe the screen before the ringing ceased. “Hello,” I hurriedly answered. “Ryder?”

“No, it’s me.” Jagger’s voice sounded strained.

“Where’s Ryder?”

“He can’t. . . .” He trailed off, short spurts of air hitting my ear as I listened to him trying to control his breathing. “I don’t even know what to say. It’s so bad. So bad,” he repeated. I swore he was crying, but I couldn’t be sure. Either way, something terrible happened, and if I thought I was gonna lose my mind before, I was surely gonna go mental if Jagger didn’t start talking.

“You need to tell me what happened, Jagger. Please.” Kena whipped her head toward me, and the look on her face was priceless. Like she’d been given the best gift, and in a sense she had. At least she knew her man was alive, well enough to make a phone call.

I remained on the line, the seconds passing in silence until I heard the first syllable of his first word.

“They didn’t make it.”

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