“I don’t have time for your brothers’ insecurities over your dating life. I have an entire criminal organization to destroy, a woman to woo, and my company to protect,” Ryker said, letting out a frustrated breath.
“A woman to marry, not woo. If you really love me as your friend, you will elope with Kenzie today. I’ll send you on a beautiful honeymoon, my gift.”
Ryker shook his head and smiled at his best friend. She didn’t think twice about taking down the mob, but facing her brothers made her tremble in fear.
“Ryker, you’ll need to sign off on a lot for me to get this done. Do you want me to come into the office in a couple of hours to work on this together?” Olivia asked, back in work mode.
“No, let’s meet at my place at eight. I don’t want to take a chance on being overheard here. To cover all my bases, I’m also sending you what I have on the Di Maios, but Porzio is my focus.”
“I’m in Shadows Landing now. That leaves me more time to work. See you soon. Oh, and Ryker, I’ve been told I have great taste in engagement rings. Want me to pick one out for you? I can have it at your house by eight, too.”
Ryker chuckled and liked the way being engaged sounded. “Maybe later. Let’s deal with the mob first. See you soon.”
Ryker hung up and gathered his things. He was just headed out the door to the parking lot when he saw Kenzie’s headlights. A smile instantly crossed his face as she pulled to a stop next to his car.
“Running from me?” Kenzie asked as she rolled down the window.
“More like toward you.” Ryker bent down and gave her a kiss. He never knew he could miss someone like this. “I know we usually go to your house, but can you follow me home? Olivia is coming over at eight for work. I thought we could have sex, then breakfast, and you could sleep while I work.”
“Mmm. That sounds nice, but shouldn’t you sleep, too?”
“I’m not going to give up sex for sleep so I’ll sleep tonight. It’s Friday and you’re off tonight and this weekend, right?” Ryker asked.
“Right.”
“Lots and lots of sex then. Do you want to stay at my house during the day today when I come back to work and then we can spend all weekend together?” Ryker asked.
“I’d love to. That couch on the dock has my name on it. I just got a new book, too. I’ll curl up there all day and relax. Let me run home and pack a quick bag. I’ll meet you at your house for sex and breakfast.” Kenzie winked at him and Ryker knew he was the luckiest man in the world.
Ryker bent his head to kiss her again and something slammed into the window of his luxury SUV behind him and shattered it.
“What the—” Kenzie began to say, but he already knew what it was as he shoved Kenzie’s head down. “Gunfire. Go, go, go!”
“That’ll leave you exposed,” Kenzie yelled back as bullets ripped into her car.
Ryker didn’t wait. If she didn’t go, he was going to get her out of there even if he had to drag her. Which he kind of did when he opened her door and yanked her from the car. Using her car as cover, he kept his body between her and the shooter as they ran around the front of his SUV.
Ryker opened the front door. “Get in,” he ordered as he tossed his keys inside so the car would start when Kenzie pressed the engine button. “Keep your head down and then I want you to drive as fast as you can toward the police station when I tell you.”
“Where are you going to be?” Kenzie asked, doing her best to stay calm.
“Hunting,” Ryker said before reaching between her legs and pulling the gun from under the seat. “I’m going to pretend to get in the back. You’ll hear me hit the car twice and that’s your sign to get the hell out of here. Got it?”
“Got it. Be careful.”
“You too. I love you.”
Ryker kissed her quickly, and then closed her door before opening the back door. He closed it a second later in hopes of the shooter thinking he got in the back. Then he crawled under the SUV and shimmied his way to the other side. He hit the door twice and Kenzie took off.
Ryker kept his back pressed against the rear tire of Kenzie’s car and waited. He heard the sound of an engine start up and made his move when he heard the motorcycle drive off. He opened Kenzie’s door, got in the still running car, and chased after the taillight he saw off in the distance.
Kenzie’s heart was pounding out of her chest as she floored the large SUV. She shot out of the parking lot and had just turned onto the main road when a motorcycle came up behind her.
“Don’t shoot, don’t shoot,” Kenzie kept chanting as she tried to outrun the motorcycle.
The bullet shattering the rear window had her cursing. “He shot. Dammit. Think, Kenzie, think.”
Kenzie looked into the rearview mirror and saw the motorcycle was right on her bumper and he was about to pass her but a car in the opposite lane stopped him. Kenzie knew what to do, though she didn’t want to do it. The bullet ripping into the headrest next to her made up her mind. “I hope you’re an organ donor,” she muttered and she tightened her grip on the wheel and slammed on the brakes.
Her head shot forward and then the seatbelt slung her back into the seat. The motorcyclist wasn’t so lucky. He rammed right into the back of the SUV.
Thump, thump, thump was the sound of him hitting the roof, the hood, and then the pavement.
Kenzie held her breath, not knowing what to do now. Did she run him over just to make sure he was dead? Because in horror movies the villain was never dead. You had to get him at least three times in horrific ways for him to finally die.
The decision was taken from her when her own car flew past her and slammed on the brakes. Ryker stormed from her car looking like the devil himself. The headlights illuminated him as he held a gun on the man motionless on the ground.
Ryker then looked over at her, his face changing from rage to concern. “Are you hurt?”
Kenzie shook her head, but then movement caught her eye. “Ryker!”
I should have run him over was the thought going through her mind as the man peeled himself from the ground and raised a gun. Ryker looked down at him and slammed his knee into the man’s face, sending him sprawling onto his back.
Kenzie bounded from the car and kicked the gun away from the motorcyclist writhing on the pavement. She didn’t know what to do with it, but she knew it was evidence and she wanted to preserve it for the police.
She was going to ask Ryker if he’d called the police, but right now didn’t seem like a good moment to interrupt him. Ryker was standing over the man, one foot on each side of his waist and bent over clutching the man’s shirt. Ryker yanked him partially up until their faces were only inches apart.
“Tell Porzio he can go to hell and he’ll take all of you with him. I’ll send each and every one of you there myself,” Ryker growled.
“Porzio?” the man questioned with a heavy accent.
Sirens sounded nearby and Kenzie breathed a sigh of relief.
“Don’t think you’ll be safe in jail. If Porzio doesn’t back off, I’ll come for you like the caged rat you’ll be. I’ll take out your brothers, your fathers, your uncles, your cousins, and even your sons. You try to take what’s mine and I’ll take everything you hold dear to you and destroy it before I kill you. Understand?”