Page 111 of Secrets in the Deep

The room silenced. Even Ward quieted.

It was Polly who asked, “What comes next?”

“Preston’s character dies.”

25

“Idon’t care if he doesn’t want us there. We’re watching his every damn move.”

Emily stopped at the entrance of the kitchen. Even though Ryan faced away from her, the tension in his bare shoulders was impossible to miss. His fingers were wrapped so tightly around the phone to his ear, the other around the counter, that his knuckles were white.

“You’re kidding me? He’s going to the fuckingbar?”

Really? Preston was that stupid? Because that had to be who Ryan was talking about.

Why would he do that? He was scared. She’d seen it in his eyes more than once. Was he in denial? Or did he think being in a roomful of people would protect him?

When Ryan’s head dropped, she didn’t hesitate. She crossed the space between them and wrapped her arms around his middle.

For a second, he tensed. He hadn’t heard her coming. Then he turned, his free arm slipping around her waist, his gaze going to the bruise on her temple, then the bandage around her neck.

The darkening of his eyes resembled steel.

“I don’t care that he already has a bodyguard,” Ryan growled. “You go to Trap and watch him. If this psychopath is going after Preston, they’ll probably be there.”

Finally, Ryan hung up.

She reached up and ran her finger down the line between his brows. “I’m sorry.”

“Why?”

“Because this movie brought trouble to your town.”

“Better my town, where my team can personally take the asshole down, than any other.” He studied her wounds again. “How are you feeling?”

“Good.” Well, good was a bit of an overstatement after what she’d been through that morning, but she was in Ryan’s house. She’d showered and rested and wore his big, oversized shirt. She was safe. “Hungry.”

“I’ll feed you.” He kissed her temple before lifting her and setting her on the kitchen island. “How’s mac and cheese sound?”

“Ryan Slade, you know the way to my heart.”

“I’m already in there though, right?”

The corners of her lips lifted. “Right.”

She watched as he moved around the kitchen, pulling out ingredients and pans. There was something so sexy about watching a man like Ryan, someone who knew a hundred ways to kill and protect, being so…domestic.

“I’m surprised he let Mom’s bodyguard, Darcy, watch him.”

Ryan glanced up from where he was filling a saucepan with water. “Who?”

“Preston. I thought he’d be in denial. He’s not good at…hard stuff like this. He probably intends to drink himself into oblivion and let his ego take over so he doesn’t have to think about the fact that someone might want him dead.”

“You sound like you know him well.”

“We’ve costarred in a few movies. You can’t help but know someone after working together so much.”

“But you never…”