Page 72 of Royal Agenda

Ryker kicked both feet in the air and then dropped, pulling the man forward and down with his momentum. Using that motion, he grabbed the back of the guy’s shirt and pulled him forward, slamming him onto the pavement with a sick crunch. Ryker moved on instinct and sank his knee into the man’s throat. “I will crush you if you move.”

Inside the building, Mack’s bellow echoed.

The man stilled, knowing he’d been beaten. His breath was loud, wheezing through the small space Ryker allowed him. He tapped Ryker’s leg like a beaten MMA fighter. Ryker laughed. “You think I would let you out?”

“I think you’ll let him out,” said a silky female voice. “We only came for you and that 1.5 million dollars, mob scum.”

Ryker jerked his gaze up to where a woman pointed a taser at Grace. Grace hands both her hands up as if she could ward the thing off. She glared at the woman, ready to go to battle.

Ryker had no idea how much training either of them had, and he wasn’t about to put Grace into a fight with a bounty hunter.

He lifted both his hands and then rushed to his feet and backed away so the guy couldn’t sweep him. “Let her go.”

“So she can run off and tell the others where you are? I don’t think so.” She motioned for Grace to move closer to Ryker. Get up, she said in Italian to the man on the ground.

Grace’s head cocked to the side, and she looked at him. Did they really not know that he and Grace also spoke Italian?

“I’m trying, Lena!” barked the guy. He’d be barking for weeks to come with the damage to his windpipe. Ryker cocked a grin at him. He looked like he wanted to take Ryker’s head off in return as he doubled over and concentrated on breathing.

“Let’s go.” Lena kicked at Grace, who scuttled out of the way. All Ryker saw was red. He lunged at the woman. She screamed and pulled the trigger. A shock rocked his system, making him jolt and stumble.

Grace charged the woman, taking her to the ground like a linebacker. They rolled, grunting and cursing in several languages, as they each struggled to gain an advantage over the other.

Ryker’s brain cleared and he glanced down to see that only one of the taser barbs had caught his shoulder. The other lay on the pavement. He tugged it out and struggled to his feet to help Grace. Before he could get to her, the SEALs surrounded them.

Sean cuffed the man.

Mack pulled the women apart. Grace calmed immediately. Once she was on her feet, she ran for him. He opened his arms and held her close, knowing this would be the last time he would be able to do so. Diamond Cove was no longer a safe haven, and they would have to relocate. Wherever he was going, Grace would not be able to follow.

Twenty-Nine

Grace sat on Ryker’s lap in the office. They only had one couch cushion since Sean used the other to muffle and absorb the substance that came out of the gas canister. Therefore, they’d opted to share. His royal backside was being abused by the springs, but he refused to move.

Sean had retrieved a blanket from one of the boats and handed it to them. Grace wrapped them both up and laid her head on his shoulder, mentally and emotionally exhausted.

Ryker kissed her temple. “I cannot believe you fought for me.” He traced the red, angry welt on her cheek where Lena had scratched her.

“She fought dirty.” Grace breathed in his clean aftershave scent. He was so manly taking on that bounty hunter in hand-to-hand combat. “I didn’t know you could fight like that. It’s hot.”

“I am a man of many talents,” he murmured against her hair, sending all sorts of wonderful chills and thrills across her skin.

“Yes, you are,” she agreed.

Mack came in, looked at them, rolled his eyes, and then sat on the coffee table. “We need to leave–soon.”

Ryker hissed through his teeth. “Are there more of them?”

“We’re working on that.” He glanced at Grace. “She needs to go home.”

Grace tightened her grip on Ryker. “I want to stay.”

“You know the rules.” Mack surged to his feet. “Work it out,” he told Ryker.

Grace turned to him, hopeful. She put a finger over his mouth. He kissed it but didn’t make a move to remove it. “I’m in love with you.”

His stunning green eyes went a shade darker; if she had to give it a name, it would have been the color of passion.

She hurried on, “I don’t want you to leave. I don’t need to know why you’re here, why you faked your death. I just want you.” She moved her hand and pressed her lips to his, wanting him to know in every way that she meant what she said.

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