“You can’t talk to my sister,” Ryker said sharply.
Brynleigh turned and blinked.
“You and I are…” He gestured between them, as if that made any sense, and groaned again. “But River is young. I don’t want you interacting with her.” Because Brynleigh was dangerous. “Promise me that you’ll stay away from her. I have to protect her.”
Protect her.
His words echoed through Brynleigh’s mind, and she flinched, unable to stop herself from reacting.
That was how he saw her—a threat.
Fucking ironic.
She wasn’t the only dangerous one here.
Not only was Ryker a force to be reckoned with, but he conveniently seemed to be forgetting that his sister had killed Brynleigh’s family.
Did he not realize that Brynleigh could’ve killed River the moment she learned the truth about Chavin? That she’d already been merciful and spared his sister even though she had admitted to murdering an entire village?
Brynleigh wished Ryker’s words didn’t hurt. She wished they could return to almost kissing. But she couldn’t turn back the hands of time any more than she could heal their relationship.
“I understand.” This time, her voice was ice. “After all, I’m just an asset, right?”
He sighed. “No, Brynleigh. It’s not that simple.”
Except it seemed it was. She was an asset, he didn’t trust her, and they were both hurting.
Gods damn it, where was her box of emotions when she needed it?
Pulling on strength she didn’t know she possessed, Brynleigh rebuilt those walls around her heart.
“Don’t worry, I get it. I’ll stay out of your way, and tomorrow night, I’ll update Jelisette. While I’m there, I’ll uphold my end of the deal and look for the information you need.”
Keeping Ryker out was easier than letting him in to hurt her again. She’d rather throw away the warmth she’d been feeling earlier than admit that him choosing his family over her was painful.
Ryker’s mouth pinched, and for a moment, it looked like he was going to argue, but he didn’t. Instead, he unlocked the door.
Brynleigh inched past, careful not to touch him again.
“Pack a bag and get in the car,” the captain instructed. “I don’t know how long we’ll be at Waterborn House.”
Brynleigh didn’t bother asking why they weren’t shadowing. She was an asset, and assets didn’t ask questions. They just did what they were told.
Nodding, she wordlessly made her way to the bedroom.
She did as he asked and packed her things, not that there were many to begin with. She washed up in the bathroom, making sure to ridherself of every spot of blood, and rebraided her hair before returning to the living room.
Ryker was waiting for her, a bag sitting at his feet as his thumbs flew over his phone. When he looked up, that haunted, worried look remained in his eyes.
“Let’s go.”
He grabbed their bags and left without another word.
Brynleigh trailed behind him. She was well aware that she’d betrayed Ryker. She knew she wasn’t deserving of his trust, not after the way she’d lied to him since the beginning of their relationship.
But a disconnect existed between her head and her heart. Her mind knew there was a divide between them, but her heart…
That organ still beat for Ryker. Every pulse belonged to him, and it didn’t understand that he wasn’t hers anymore.