Page 8 of The Scout

Pia looked positively delighted.

“Izzy.” She grabbed my hands. “Are you telling me you finally met a man who isn’t a safe, predictable, workaholic humanitarian?”

I glared. “I like humanitarian guys.”

“No, you tolerate humanitarian guys.” She waved a hand. “But this? This is interesting.”

I groaned, shoving a pillow over my face. Because the worst part? She wasn’t entirely wrong. Ryker Dane wasn’t a man I should be thinking about.

As I lay there, listening to Pia’s muffled giggles, I already knew it was too late. I was thinking about him. And I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stop.

My phone buzzed against the comforter.

I ignored it at first, too busy glaring at Pia, who was still grinning like she’d just uncovered my deepest, darkest secret. But then the second buzz came, insistent.

I sighed, reaching for it. My stomach did a strange little flip when I saw the name on the screen.

Unknown Number.

I hesitated. Probably spam. Or a wrong number. Or?—

I swiped to answer, putting it on speaker. “Hello?”

A pause. Then?—

“Did you make it home?”

My breath caught. Oh. Oh no.

I sat up, gripping the phone tighter. “Uh—who is this?”

Silence. Then, that voice again. Low, rough, effortlessly controlled.

“Ryker.”

Oh, God.

Pia shot up from my bed like a bloodhound catching a scent, eyes going wide as she mouthed, No fucking way.

I cleared my throat, forcing my voice to stay normal. “How did you get my number?”

“Will.”

Of course. I should’ve known. Overprotective big brother strikes again.

Ryker didn’t say anything else, just let the silence stretch, like he wasn’t in any rush to fill it. Like he was content letting me squirm.

I shifted under the weight of it, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear even though he couldn’t see me.

“Well,” I said, trying to sound casual, “I’m alive. No kidnappings, no assassins waiting outside my door. I think I’m good.”

Another pause.

Then—“I wouldn’t be so sure.”

A chill ran down my spine, but not from fear. No, this was something else.

I swallowed. “Excuse me?”

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