Chapter Seven
Sky’s phone pinged.She diverted herattention from her laptop and grabbed her phone.Lately, she’d beenchecking her emails at the kitchen counter because the huge windowsprovided the best source of light during the day.
Sky hadn’t been idle since she moved backin.She’d been sending job applications, although Giovanni had morethan once hinted she work for him because he needed a goodaccountant.
She’d also been making arrangements for thewedding.Some of the women from the Familia, like Ada, Marco’swife, had been helping her.Even Giovanni texted her on a dailybasis, giving her suggestions as to where they could hold thewedding.
Ryker:I’ll be home a little late.Don’twait up.Love you.
Ryker had mentioned that he and Gino hadplans to meet a couple of new small business owners who just movedinto Severin territory, so she wasn’t that worried about him beingin any real danger.She typed him a quick response.
Sky:Be careful.Love you, too.
If her ex had sent her a message like that,Sky would’ve spend the entire night dreading, worrying, andwondering who Rodney was cheating on her with.Ryker would alwaysfind a way to make it up to her with a breakfast, and she’d alwayslook forward to Ryker sliding his big body next to her in theirbed.
Our bed.
Sky curved her lips to a smile as shereturned the chicken she’d planned on baking for dinner thatevening.She decided she’d make a sandwich for herself instead.Ithad been three days since Ryker proposed and she said yes.Hard tobelieve that plenty of things had happened since then.Giovanni wasthe first to congratulate her, then Gino and the others.Skycouldn’t remember being this happy.
Ryker asking her to be his wife hadn’t beenspur of the moment, and her giving him her answer withouthesitation hadn’t been reckless.It felt right.Perfect.Predestined even.Sky finished up writing the last of her resumesshe planned to send out the next morning and closed her laptop.
Sky made herself a sandwich, took a showerafter, and slid into Ryker’s and her bed.Without any distractions,it felt a little lonely, she realized.Sky lifted the comforterhigher above her body, wishing it was Ryker pressing her againsthis big body instead.They’d only been a few hours apart, and shealready missed him.
She held out her engagement ring to thelight.She told Ryker she didn’t want anything extravagant fortheir wedding, although he told her money wasn’t a problem.Instead, Sky preferred something simpler, with the Familia membersin attendance.
Two hours later, Sky turned the alarm clockon the table next to the bed and sighed.She never looked forwardto sleeping alone, still harboring the fears of her old nightmaresreturning.She never told Ryker either, because her man had otherthings to worry about while he ran dangerous operations for theFamilia.
If she brought the topic up to Ryker, howwould he react?Rodney had called her damaged because of her scars,but Ryker saw past all her imperfections.He didn’t need to knowabout her little insecurities.She grabbed Ryker’s pillow andhugged it close to her body, breathing in his scent.She imaginedit was him.
Most of the time, she’d wake up with Ryker’sbody curled next to hers, his possessive hand carelessly thrownover her thigh, and she’d feel safe.Protected, knowing nothing inthe world could harm or touch her.Ryker was her talisman againstthe demons in her past.
No, Sky could handle this little problem onher own.It took a while, but Sky finally managed to drift off tosleep.
****
Ryker returned home around two in themorning, impatient for a cold shower and to join his fiancée intheir bed.He’d been distracted all night, annoyed the meeting hadgone on for so long when he promised Sky he’d return home early.Afew hours away from her felt like a different kind of torment.
He wanted to tug her soft, tempting bodyagainst him and inhale the familiar smell of her soap and shampoo.Hell, even though they just had sex that morning, he wanted to sinkhis dick into her slick pussy and claim her all over again.Rykershowered quickly, frowning as he dried his body off.
The soft sound of Sky’s cries and moansparalyzed every muscle in his body.Sounds of pain.Ryker saw red.Panicked, he dumped the towel on the sink.Ryker grabbed the sparegun he kept in the medicine cabinet and ran out of thebathroom.
Why hadn’t the alarm gone off?Ryker madesure he invested in a topnotch security system.Had the intruderdisabled it somehow?
“Fuck.”Ryker rushed to the bedroom, prayingto God the intruder hadn’t harmed Sky seriously.There would behell to pay.When it came to Sky, Ryker wouldn’t show a singleshred of mercy.
Ryker instantly spotted Sky, curled up toone side, hugging his pillow, holding onto it so tightly.Henarrowed his eyes and scanned the room for further threats, beforefinally letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.
He studied Sky for a moment, not seeing anykind of injury.She let out another moan and clawed at the pillow.Seeing her like this raked at his insides.Ryker wanted to comforther.
He sat next to the bed and reached out tostroke her hair, which woke her up.
She squinted at him, widened her eyes.“Whydo you have a gun with you?Why are you naked?”
“I thought there was an intruder in theapartment.You were making pained noises.”Ryker put the gun awayin the drawer next to the bed and slipped in the sheets beside her.“Talk to me, sweetheart.”
She hesitated and looked at her hands,avoiding his gaze.Ryker didn’t like that, but he waited for her tocollect her thoughts.
“I’m so sorry for worrying you,” sheeventually said.“But I’m not hurt or anything like that.Besides,I think only a fool would break into our apartment.”
