Page 3 of The Scout

“Always.”

I swallowed hard. There was a conviction in his voice that made it hard to dismiss him. Whatever he saw, whatever he carried with him, it wasn’t hypothetical. It was real, and it weighed on him.

For the first time, I considered that maybe Will’s stories about Ryker weren’t exaggerations. This was a man who’d seen too much, done too much, and lived to bear the consequences.

I wanted to ask what he was thinking, but the words stayed lodged in my throat. Maybe it was better that way, because there was something in his eyes I wasn’t sure I wanted to understand.

Before I could summon the courage to respond, my phone buzzed in my clutch, a sharp vibration against my palm that startled me. I broke eye contact with Ryker to glance at the screen. Will’s name lit up the display.

“I need to take this,” I mumbled, though my voice felt smaller under Ryker’s steady gaze. He didn’t respond, just nodded once, stepping back slightly as I turned away.

“Hey, Will,” I answered, moving a few strands of long, dark hair and pressing the phone to my ear.

“Isabel, listen, something came up at work, and I had to duck out early,” Will’s voice was hurried, like he was already halfway out the door. Typical. “I didn’t want to interrupt you at the party, but can you drive home by yourself?”

Will’s office was at Dominion Hall, tucked into a corner of the sprawling estate like everything else about his job—important, but discreet. Lately, he’d been cryptic about an upcoming assignment, dropping hints about “being needed on-site” and “preparing for a long haul.” Knowing Will, it meant he was about to disappear for a year, leaving me with a vague explanation and a promise to call.

I froze, my pulse spiking. “You left? Will, I don’t even know these people.”

“You’ll be fine,” he assured me, completely oblivious—or maybe uncaring—about the tightening knot in my chest. “Ryker’s got you covered. Trust me, you couldn’t be in safer hands.”

Safer hands. The phrase didn’t sit right, not with the way Ryker was standing behind me, so still, so steady, like he already knew how this would play out.

“Will, I—” I started to protest, but the line clickeddead before I could finish. I pulled the phone away and stared at the screen, dumbfounded.

I let out an exasperated breath, gripping my phone like I could will it to reconnect. What exactly did Will think I was going to do? Have a wild orgy in one of Dominion Hall’s gilded rooms? Get tangled up in some illicit billionaire scandal? Please. The most reckless thing I’d done all night was accept a second drink and attempt to make small talk with men who looked like they walked straight out of a Wall Street power meeting.

I wasn’t that kind of girl—never had been. My dating history was pathetic at best, non-existent at worst, a series of forgettable safe choices and awkward goodnight hugs. And now, here I was, alone at a party full of men who probably had private islands while my overprotective big brother was bailing on me.

“Problem?” Ryker’s voice came from behind me, low and calm as ever.

I turned back toward him, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. “Will bailed.”

His brow lifted, the faintest flicker of amusement tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Sounds like Will.”

“He said you’d look out for me,” I added, my voice sharper this time, as if daring him to refuse. “It’s not like I need that. I have a personal alarm in my clutch.”

Ryker tilted his head, studying me like he could see right through the thin veil of composure I was clinging to. “You’re asking me to look out for you?”

“No,” I shot back instinctively, my cheeks flushing. “I mean—yes. I mean—” I cut myself off, biting my lip. He was enjoying this far too much. “I have to be at work early tomorrow morning for a staff meeting, then I’m pulling a double to cover for a coworker who’s out on herhoneymoon. I really need some sleep if I expect to make it through the day. I had better get going.”

“Relax,” he said, his voice smoother now, almost teasing. “I’ll walk you out. Whenever you’re ready.”

I hesitated, unsure if I should trust the calmness in his tone. “Fine,” I said finally, crossing my arms in a weak attempt at defiance. “Let’s go.”

He nodded once, stepping aside to gesture toward the path that led back to the house. “After you.”

I brushed past him, doing my best to ignore the heat of his presence as we walked. But the silence that stretched between us wasn’t the comfortable kind. It buzzed with tension.

Inside, the party was still going strong. The murmur of voices and clinking glasses spilled out from the dining room, but I kept my eyes forward, pretending I didn’t notice the few curious glances sent my way. Dominion Hall wasn’t my world, and I had no intention of lingering longer than necessary.

As we moved deeper into the house, my gaze caught on something in the far corner of the foyer. A massive glass enclosure, dimly lit from above, sat against the wall like a museum display. But what was inside wasn’t an artifact—it was alive.

A sleek, black viper coiled lazily around a sculpted tree branch, its scales catching the light like polished onyx. Its body moved in slow, deliberate waves, muscles rippling as it adjusted its position. Even from a distance, the sight of it sent a shiver up my spine.

“What the hell is that?” I whispered, stopping in my tracks.

Ryker barely glanced at it. “Obsidian.”

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