Page 72 of The Scout

I laughed. “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.”

As Sasha chuckled, I hesitated, my fingers tracing idle patterns on my leg. “Hey, listen … Micah called me earlier.”

That got her attention. “Oh?”

I exhaled. “Yeah. He said if I don’t come back by Monday, he’s giving my job to someone else.”

Sasha groaned. “God, he’s such a hard-ass.”

“I mean, I get it,” I admitted. “The desk might be quiet at this particular moment, but that won’t last long. The hotel is slammed right now, and I’ve already missed too much time.” I rubbed my temple. “But I don’t know, Sasha. I don’t know if I can go back. If I even should.”

She was quiet for a second, then sighed. “Do you want to?”

I hesitated. That was the real question, wasn’t it?

“I don’t know,” I said truthfully. “I love it. Or I did.And I worked so hard to get where I am. But it just—it doesn’t feel important anymore.”

Sasha made a thoughtful noise. “I mean … if you still want to move up in the industry, you probably shouldn’t burn bridges.”

“I know.”

“But,” she added, “if this is just a safety net? If you’re only holding onto it because it’s familiar? Maybe it’s okay to let go.”

I swallowed, considering. “I need to decide soon.”

Sasha hummed. “Well, if you don’t come back, you better make sure Ryker is loaded. Ask him to buy The Palmetto Rose for you.”

I snorted. “Sasha.”

I didn’t tell her that Rykerisloaded. I mean, I don’t know the specifics, but he’s obviously a wealthy man. Anyone who steps onto the grounds of Dominion Hall or rides in his Bentley knows that. And if he wanted to buy The Palmetto Rose? He could. Without blinking. Hell, he could probably buy the whole damn historic district if the mood struck him.

“What?” she teased. “You need a plan, babe. If you’re gonna be a kept woman, at least do it right.”

I rolled my eyes, but a smile tugged at my lips. “You’re ridiculous.”

“I try,” she said breezily. Then, after a pause, her voice softened. “For real, though. If you want my advice? Take the weekend. Think it over. If you still want it, come back. If not?” She shrugged. “You’ll figure something else out.”

I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. “Yeah.”

There was a pause, then Sasha’s voice grew more serious. “Izzy … are you sure you’re okay?”

The shift in her tone made my chest tighten.

I swallowed. “I don’t know.”

Because Will was still gone. Because I was tangled up in something bigger than I had ever imagined. Because Ryker was taking over every inch of my body and mind, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to stop him.

And because I had no fucking clue what was coming next.

24

RYKER

Dominion Hall was alive with motion, humming with the kind of lethal energy that only came when men like us were preparing for war.

Every brother who wasn’t actively securing an operation was here. Every spare operator, every analyst, every contact we could trust to be in the room. The air was thick with tension, men speaking in hushed tones, throwing out theories, trying to make sense of what we were up against.

There were whispers.

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