Page 73 of Fate's Unseen Shadow

“You realize you lost your shirt, right?” Ella announced.

“I’ll take it back so you have to come to my place whenever you want it.” The offer to ask her to move her stuff to his place nearly fell off his tongue, but he caught himself. They needed to sort out the other half of her life before they went forward with theirs.

He took her hand and led her to his car. “I don’t know what Ryker has for us. If it gets to be too much, let me know.”

She squeezed his hand. “I’ll be okay with you there.”

After a kiss on her forehead, he walked to the other side of the car, not commenting. He’d learned his lesson not to tell her how she’d feel, but it was still a tricky thing not to do. But she was right. He’d support her however she needed.

“I didn’t expect Ryker to live in such a normal-looking neighborhood.” Ella waved to a few kids playing in their front yard. “Who’d ever guess that a computer hacker the FBI wantedon their team would live in a standard three-bedroom ranch with a neighborhood pool?

“The house is owned in a shell corporation name, keeping it from being traced back to him.” Damon wound through the streets and pulled into his driveway.

Xavier’s truck sat against the curb.

“Where’s Slater?” she asked.

“Behind us.”

Slater drove up in his blue muscle car a few seconds later.

“Glad I’m not late.” Slater met them in the driveway, giving Ella a side hug. “I don’t know why we’re here, but I’m confident our boy would’ve kept you locked up in his bedroom for the next six months otherwise.”

Damon didn’t deny the assumption. It’d been tempting.

Ella shook her hair away from her face. “I’m sure Lacy would’ve come and found me tomorrow when I didn’t show up. But I’ve had a wonderful time the last two days.”

Slater snickered. “I’m sure you have.”

She swatted his shoulder. “That’s not what I meant.”

Damon cleared his throat. “She’s been looking over the real estate business. I will use her brain while I have it all to myself. I wanted to ask you and the others if anyone minded her looking over the books at Cager.”

Slater held up his hands before opening the back door. “I have no objections. None of us went to school for business, so the fact we’re successful is an absolute accident.”

Once Ella was a few steps ahead, Damon whispered to Slater, “Any idea what Ryker found?”

“No clue.”

“Me neither. I wasn’t sure if his message was brief because I had Ella with me and he gave you more information.”

Slater shook his head. “Nothing.”

Xavier stood in the kitchen, passing Ella a bottle of water when they turned the corner. “You know,” Xavier began, looking at Damon, “if I’d had a beautiful woman locked up in my apartment for the past two days, I’m not sure there would’ve been time for her to send other men emails.”

“Just focus on answering the emails,” Ella said, patting Xavier’s chest. “Did you read them all?”

Xavier shook his head. “I stopped at number seven.”

She cracked open the top of her water bottle. “I wrote a contract to transfer four investment properties out of my personal name and into your and Damon’s business. You know, once I’m allowed to come out of hiding.”

“You did?” Xavier looked to Damon. “Why?”

He shrugged. “Said that she’d rather us manage it. We’re creating a separate business to manage our properties and possibly hiring a management company for the properties in Georgia.”

Xavier held up his hands. “Tell me where to sign and what to do. As long as you both realize my calling is to help right here in Charleston.” He walked away.

Ella bit on her lip, watching him leave. “I just heard how I must sound. I’m sorry if I did too much.”

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