Page 12 of The Scout

I sighed, pushing the memory aside as I finished checking in a couple celebrating their anniversary. They looked at each other with such unguarded affection that it made something ache in my chest. I wanted that someday. But the guys I dated were always the safe ones—the ones who didn’t make my heart race or my hands sweat. Guys I could walk away from without looking back.

Not men like Ryker.

“Hey, Izzy.” Sasha Benning, my coworker, leaned over the desk with a knowing smirk. “There’s a guy over there who can’t stop staring at you. Tall, dark, and broody.”

My stomach lurched before she could even point him out. “What?” I hissed, heat rushing to my cheeks.

She nodded toward the seating area across the lobby. “By the piano. Looks like he walked out of a men’s magazine or something.”

I didn’t have to look to know who she meant. The air around me shifted, charged with a crackling tension that had nothing to do with the hotel’s signature scent of jasmine and rose. Still, I forced myself to glance over, my breath catching when my eyes landed on not one, but two familiar faces.

Will was sitting in one of the plush chairs, looking annoyingly casual in a fitted T-shirt and jeans. Ryker stood beside him, his broad shoulders cutting an imposing figure against the backdrop of polished brass and gleaming chandeliers. He was dressed simply—dark jeans, a gray Henley, and a leather jacket slung over one arm—but he looked like he belonged anywhere he damn well pleased.

“Tell me that’s your brother,” Sasha whispered, her tone dripping with envy. “Because if it’s not, I’m claiming him.”

“It’s Will,” I said quickly, though my voice came out uneven. “And his friend.”

Sasha arched an eyebrow. “Friend, huh? The kind who flirts with you at a party and then shows up at your work the next day? That kind of friend?”

I shouldn’t have told her.

I didn’t dignify that with a response. Instead, I smoothed my skirt, tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear, and headed toward them.

Will’s face lit up when he saw me, but Ryker’s expression didn’t change. His eyes tracked my every movement, cool and unrelenting, as if he were cataloging every detail of my appearance. I felt it like a physical weight, the heat of his gaze brushing over me in a way that made my skin prickle.

“Izzy.” Will stood and pulled me into a quick hug. “Got a minute to talk?”

“Sure,” I said, glancing nervously at Ryker. He hadn’t moved, his hands resting casually in his pockets, but his presence was a tangible force, filling the space between us. “I can take my lunch break. Let’s go to the café. It’s quieter. I need something to eat, anyway.”

Will nodded, and the three of us walked past the bustling lobby toward the hotel’s café, where the scent of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the faint sweetness of pastries. We ordered food then found a corner table by the window. I sat between them, feeling the tension knotting in my stomach.

“I wanted to check in before things get crazy,” Will said, his tone unusually serious. He glanced at Ryker,who gave him a barely perceptible nod before leaning back in his chair.

“What’s going on?” I asked, already bracing myself for the answer.

Will hesitated, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve got an assignment. Overseas. Leaving right away. It’s going to be … a while.”

My heart sank. “How long?”

“A year, maybe more,” he admitted, his voice heavy with regret. “It’s a big contract, Izzy. I couldn’t say no.”

I swallowed hard, forcing a smile I didn’t feel. “You don’t have to explain. I get it.”

“Do you?” Will’s eyes searched mine, his expression softening. “Because I know it’s been hard since Dad …”

He didn’t finish, but he didn’t have to. Our dad’s sudden death last year had been a blow neither of us had fully recovered from. We’d already lost our mom when we were kids—a car accident that left Will and me clinging to each other like lifelines. Now, with Dad gone, it felt like the ground beneath us was constantly shifting.

“I’m fine,” I said, the lie tasting bitter on my tongue. “I’m used to being on my own.”

Will didn’t look convinced. “I know you’re strong, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it alone.”

“Who’s going to help me? Pia?” I laughed, the sound brittle. “She can barely keep her own life together. Sasha is much the same.”

Will leaned forward, his gaze steady. “You won’t be alone. Ryker’s here.”

My head snapped toward Ryker, who hadn’t said a word since we sat down. His expression was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes—something dark and unyielding—that made my pulse stutter.

“Ryker?” I echoed, incredulous. “Will, he’s …” I trailed off, unsure how to finish the sentence. Cold? Intimidating? Completely uninterested in babysitting your little sister?

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