Page 38 of Cold Carnage

Ryker’s eyes narrowed as he watched me carefully.

“That’s nice,” I said, injecting a note of nonchalance into my tone. “I have no interest in seeing him.”

Ryker took a step closer, his eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made my pulse quicken. “You can’t give him closure?”

I clenched my fists at my sides, fighting the urge to scream. “What makes you think I haven’t?” My voice came out sharper than I intended. “You make a lot of assumptions for someone who was never around.”

“I know Brendan better than you think.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “Really? Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you barely know him at all. You’ve been absent for most of his life.”

“That’s not fair,” he snapped, taking another step closer. “I had my reasons.”

“Yeah, well, so did I,” I shot back, refusing to back down. The space between us felt charged, like a storm about to break.

His eyes darkened. “What happened between us?—”

“Was a mistake,” I interrupted, my voice trembling despite my efforts to stay composed.

Ryker’s expression hardened, and he took another step forward until we were almost nose to nose. “Don’t lie to yourself, Adams.”

“Lie to myself?” I scoffed, the words spilling out before I could stop them. “You’re one to talk. You’ve been lying to yourself your whole life, pretending that being perfect is all that matters.”

“That’s not—” he started, but I cut him off again.

“And now you’re here trying to play the protective brother? Give me a break.” The anger bubbled over, years of suppressed emotions rising to the surface.

Ryker’s face contorted with frustration. “You don’t know anything about me or what I’ve been through.”

“Oh, please,” I retorted, rolling my eyes. “I know enough to see through your act. You think pushing everyone away makes you strong? It just makes you lonely.”

He recoiled as if I’d struck him, and for a moment, the silence between us was deafening.

“You don’t get it,” he finally muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

“No,” I said softly but firmly. “I think you’re the one who doesn’t get it.”

The air crackled with tension as we stood there in silence once more. Ryker's eyes bore into mine with an intensity that left me breathless. He opened his mouth as if to say something but then closed it again, shaking his head slightly.

"Fine," he muttered eventually.

"Ryker," I said, swallowing hard. "I will not see your brother. Do you understand?"

He gave me a long, searching look. The kind that made me feel like he could see every secret I’d ever kept.

"I know how you work," I continued, my voice trembling despite my effort to stay firm. "You might surprise me. You might schedule something under a false name. Don’t make me..." I let my voice trail off, hoping he’d catch the gravity of my plea.

He lifted a brow, a challenge in his eyes. "What?"

"Just don’t," I asked, my tone softening. Then, almost in a whisper, "Please."

His gaze flickered with something—maybe understanding—before he looked away and stepped back.

"You should leave," he said abruptly.

"Just let me finish?—"

"I mean now," he insisted, grabbing my wrist. "It's almost eleven."

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