Page 7 of The Scout

She groaned, covering her face. “Oh my God. Kill me now.”

“You should be apologizing to me,” I muttered, grabbing my pillow and hugging it to my chest.

“I know, I know.” She sighed dramatically, then plopped onto the edge of my bed. “To be fair, I didn’t know you’d be home so early.”

I rolled my eyes. “That doesn’t make it better.”

She grinned. “No, but it makes it understandable.”

I groaned, flopping onto my back. “I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.” She nudged me. “So, tell me—how was Dominion Hall?”

I exhaled, staring at the ceiling. “Fancy. Intimidating. Full of men who probably have offshore accounts and kill people for sport.”

Her eyes widened. “Hot.”

I snorted. “Not the word I’d use.”

“Did you meet anyone interesting?”

I hesitated. One name flickered through my mind.

Ryker.

The way he’d watched me. The way he’d stood between me and the dark, like he was the only thing keeping it at bay.

My stomach twisted.Nope. Not thinking about that.

Pia narrowed her eyes. “What was that?”

“What was what?”

“That look. You just made a face.”

I shook my head, sitting up. “You’re imagining things.”

She grinned. “Izzy, did you meet a man?”

“No,” I said too fast.

Pia gasped. “Oh my God, you did. Who is he?”

“No one.”

“Liar.”

I groaned, rubbing my temples. “Fine. His name is Ryker Dane, and he’s?—”

I hesitated. What exactly was he?

Will’s friend. A former soldier. The kind of man who looked at me like he already knew what I tasted like.

“He’s … intense,” I finished.

Pia wiggled her eyebrows. “Intense how?”

“Intense like I don’t think he has normal human emotions,” I muttered. “Like he could break a man’s spine with one hand and not blink. Not to mention, he has a snake.”

---