28. I’ll Always be Here for You

CHAPTER 28

I'll Always be Here for You

B y the time Ryker and Marlowe returned to the apartment building, the rain had become a full-blown thunderstorm. They were both soaked to the bone and despite the water magic running through Ryker's veins, he was freezing.

A hot shower was definitely in his future.

Thank the gods; his phone was waterproof. He could dump it in the Emerald Sea, and it would come out unscathed. It was one of the many technologies the fae had brought during the Great Migration.

Although it was almost midnight, Karson Yellowcrest, one of the concierges, sat bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at his post behind the front desk. The human was in his late forties or early fifties with salt-and-pepper hair, russet skin, and a kind smile.

"Hello, Captain," Karson said. "Got caught in the rain, did you?"

Ryker ran a hand through his hair, grimacing as it came away soaked. "We certainly did."

Marlowe shook his coat, spraying water droplets everywhere and accentuating Ryker's point. Some people might've been upset by the dog's actions, but the concierge merely chuckled.

"Any mail for me, Karson?" Ryker asked .

"Let me check." A line furrowed the concierge's brow as he ducked beneath his desk. A hum filled the air before he popped up. "Yep! This was delivered for you earlier today."

Ryker crossed the lobby and took the envelope. Golden paper was crisp beneath his fingers, the Republic's emblem was stamped on the back, and it was addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Waterborn.

"Thank you." He smiled.

"Any time, sir." The concierge leaned over his desk and raised a brow. "By the way, when will I get to meet that lovely wife of yours? My husband and I watched the Choosing religiously, and we were cheering for you both the whole time."

Ryker bit his lip. He didn't want to make any assumptions about whether he and Brynleigh were ready for public appearances. It was like they were pottery that had been smashed and glued back together. They were in one piece—or at least, getting there—but a single wrong move could shatter them if they weren't careful.

In the end, he told the concierge he would confer with Brynleigh and get back to him.

"Of course, I understand. Thank you, Captain. Either way, we'll be watching the Reunion. We can't wait to see all the couples together once again."

"It will be an event to remember," Ryker promised.

Especially if they could stop the Black Night before they hurt anyone else.

A few minutes later, Ryker and Marlowe exited the elevator and entered the apartment. Ryker kicked off his wet shoes and placed the letter on the stand he kept in the entryway for that purpose.

"Brynleigh?" He unhooked Marlowe's leash, pushing open the door to the main apartment. "Are you here?"

No response. The apartment was too quiet. The silence pressed up against him, constricting his lungs.

Shouldn't she be back by now?

Worry nibbled at his mind, and he grabbed a towel from the laundry basket sitting by the door. Running it through his hair, he debated pulling up the tracking app. He wasn't usually anxious, but as was normal when it came to Brynleigh, she turned his world on its head.

Thank all the fucking gods, by the time he finished toweling his hair, shadows pooled on the ground.

Brynleigh materialized a few feet in front of him.

Ryker scanned her for injuries. Golden strands were slipping out of her ponytail, and her eyes were heavy, but she appeared uninjured.

He exhaled a sigh of relief, satisfied that his vampire was healthy and in one piece.

"How did it go?"

"As expected." She shrugged. "Jelisette is never delightful, and tonight was no exception."

His gaze snagged on the bag slung over her shoulder. "Is that…"

She held the bag, twisting the handle through her fingers. "It is."

"Great." Except, it didn't seem great. An air of heaviness that hadn't been there before hung around his wife. "Where was it?"

Brynleigh chewed on her lip. "The cipher was in the safe, and I had to break into it. I hadn't expected it, but I should have. Why would something this important be kept out in the open? That's what took me so long."

And Jelisette could have found her at any time. Ryker's heart raced as he realized how close Brynleigh had been to death.

Relief flooded through Ryker, and he gripped the bag. Brynleigh was home, she was safe, and they had the cipher.

Now that she stood in front of him, he allowed himself to think about what this really meant. Between the book, the cipher, and setting a trap for the rebels at the Reunion, they were finally getting somewhere.

Maybe soon, they could put an end to all this madness. Close out the deal and just live their lives as they'd always intended .

"Thank you, Brynleigh." The words weren't enough to properly convey Ryker's feelings, but he needed to say them all the same. He sensed something was still wrong, though. "Are you okay?"

Her mouth pinched, and she shuddered.

"I'm just glad it's over. Zanri's office was… creepy." Shadows passed through her eyes. "The whole place was creepy."

"But you're safe," Ryker repeated, needing to hear her confirm it.

"Yes, I am." Brynleigh twisted the bracelet around her wrist, and her gaze dropped. "It was… I don't know if I can go back. I don't want to. Death lives in that place, and I'm… scared."

The last word was a whisper, and her eyes widened as it slipped out, as if she hadn't meant to say it.

The admission shook Ryker to his core. He'd never heard his fierce wife admit to being afraid before.

He hated that she had been forced to return to that place because of him. When he'd made the deal with Myrrah, he'd been so blinded by his grief that he hadn't stopped to consider what going back to her Maker would do to Brynleigh.

Ryker wished he could rip the tracking bracelet off Brynleigh's wrist and fling it into the depths of the ocean, but he couldn't. He couldn't even promise that she'd never have to return to the safe house. It wasn't up to him.

He'd made a deal to get her out of prison, and now they were both tied to it.

Tomorrow, Ryker would turn the book and the cipher over to the army's code breakers.

He and Brynleigh had done their part in finding the evidence. Hopefully, between the coded book and the inside information on the rebels, it would be enough.

Even though Ryker didn't have the power to end the arrangement, he refused to stand here and let his vampire suffer on her own. Placing the tote on a nearby table, he opened his arms.

"Come here, sweetheart. "

He wasn't sure she would take him up on the offer, and every second stretched on until she launched herself towards him. He caught her, stumbling back a step as her weight settled against him.

For a very long moment, neither of them spoke.

She gripped him, and he held her, relishing the feeling of her body against his. Her scent of night-blooming roses washed over him, and he pressed his cheek against her head.

"I've got you, love," he murmured.

The endearment slipped out, but it felt right .

She burrowed her face against his neck, her fingers tightened in his shirt, and she trembled.

She was… crying.

Oh gods.

Each tear slipping from her eyes was a tiny dagger shoved beneath his skin. He hated that she was crying, hated that she was hurting.

Kissing the top of her head, Ryker whispered, "I'll always be here for you."

Those three weeks where he'd lived without her had been awful, and he would rather die than let them go through that again.

As he held his vampire close, letting her cry out her frustrations and fears, Ryker made a silent vow. No matter what obstacles came their way or who else they'd have to go up against, he would never let anyone tear them apart. Not the rebels, the Chancellor, Valentina Rose, or Tertia.

They would work through their problems, finish bridging their brokenness, and be stronger than ever when they reached the other side.

Their relationship had been a battlefield, but they would emerge victorious from this war.

Ryker lost track of time as he held his wife. He rubbed her back, murmuring quiet nonsense until her tears slowly gave way to deep, shuddering breaths.

Still, he held her. He would hold her as long as she needed. There was something incredibly powerful about the way this strong, fierce vampire was allowing him to comfort her. He wasn't sure he deserved the honor, but he would work for it.

Eventually, Brynleigh pulled back. She sniffled and plucked at his shirt, making a face.

"You're all wet." She glanced down at herself, where the center of her sweater was noticeably darker. "And I am, too."

Ryker had honestly forgotten all about it. "Yeah. Marlie and I went for a run."

She frowned, and her gaze swept over him. "Things didn't go well with your mother, did they? I'm sorry, I should've asked earlier."

"Don't worry about it. You were upset, and that was more important. Besides, Mother is… testy."

Brynleigh's lips tightened. "She's upset because of me."

It wasn't a question.

By the Obsidian Sands, Ryker wished he could lie. Just once, so he could shield his wife from this pain.

"Not just you," he hedged. "She also thinks I've failed her because I'm not the perfect son she expects me to be."

Tertia's standards were impossibly high.

Even if Ryker had Chosen Valentina Rose—which would've been a monumental blunder—he wouldn't have been able to live up to his mother's expectations. Sooner or later, he would've made a mistake.

"I see." The sigh that left Brynleigh's lips confirmed she understood. "And does she know the whole story of…?"

The rest of her sentence was unspoken, but he clearly heard it. What I planned to do?

"She does. She found out the day she called me when you were first released." His heart clenched, recalling the utter agony of those first few days. "I tried to keep it under wraps, but keeping things from her is practically impossible."

Ryker had learned that many times over when he was a teenager. The first time he snuck out of the house and went to a party, someone called Tertia in the middle of the night.

She'd shown up, eyes blazing and magic at her fingertips, and dragged him out of the gathering at three in the morning.

Brynleigh's eyes hardened, and she stiffened in Ryker's arms.

Did he say something wrong?

The air in the apartment shifted, and Brynleigh stepped out of his embrace.

"It's because she's a Representative. You can't hide things from them. This is exactly what Jelisette was talking about earlier."

Ryker stiffened. "Your Maker isn't sane. You know that."

That was the wrong thing to say. Instead of calming Brynleigh down, the words seemed to incense her.

"No, but even a broken clock is right twice a day." Brynleigh's voice was cool, and shadows slipped from her palms. "It always comes down to this."

"What does?"

"This. Us." She waved between them. "Every single fucking time I think I can forget about the things dividing us, something else comes up. There's the Representatives and everyone else."

Ryker frowned. "I know there's some division, but?—"

" Some ? No. ‘Some' implies a relatively small amount. There's a canyon standing between the Representatives and the rest of the world."

He reached for her. "Brynleigh?—"

She ducked away from him, her wings appearing and curling around her protectively. "No, don't. Not right now."

His heart ached. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" She laughed bitterly, shaking her head. "This is what Jelisette was saying. The Representatives rule this land, and obviously, I don't agree with the rebels, but something needs to change."

On that, they were in agreement.

Ryker slowly nodded, picking his words with care. "So… what do you suggest? "

A drawn-out moment passed as Brynleigh studied Ryker. Her eyes softened, the anger shifting and her lips slanting into a frown.

"I don't know." Sad eyes met his. "I just know that everything is out of balance. Life isn't fair."

"I know that."

"Do you?" She canted her head, and a long moment stretched between them. "Then tell me, Ryker, what would've happened to River if she hadn't been your mother's daughter?"

A protective growl rumbled through him despite himself. "Don't bring my sister into this."

"She's already in it," Brynleigh said softly. "She's been in it since she destroyed my town six years ago."

Ryker stepped back. "Brynleigh, I don't want to?—"

"Tell me," she insisted softly. "What would've happened to River if she had destroyed Chavin and hadn't been tied to a Representative?"

His hackles rose. Why was she pushing him like this? His fae instincts urged him to protect his family at all costs, and he balled his fists.

"Don't do this. Don't make me talk about this."

Of course, she didn't listen.

"It's a simple question," Brynleigh whispered sadly. "What would've happened to River if she hadn't been related to a Representative?"

"Why does it matter?"

"Because we need to discuss it." Her eyes met his. "We can't just ignore it forever. Otherwise, it'll just grow and fester between us."

Really? Because he'd done a pretty good job of not thinking about this over the past six years.

His gut churned, and he shook his head. He didn't want to go down this path, didn't want to think about these things. It wasn't that he was unaware of the consequences.

No, the problem was Ryker was all too aware of them. He didn't need any help conjuring this specific scenario because he wasn't some random citizen. He understood the inner workings of the Republic's judicial system.

"Tell me, Ryker," his wife whispered. "What would've happened?"

His heart beat was so loud that he could barely hear his thoughts. He knew what she wanted him to say. The truth was, he'd always known what would've happened to River had their mother not been able to help with the fallout from the Incident.

But to know something and to speak it into existence were two very different things.

The words rose in his throat. They were on the tip of his tongue but got stuck.

He didn't want to say them.

Six years ago, he had convinced himself that everything he did was for River's own good—and he still believed that. He had made reparations for the Incident as best he could. He spent hours and hours training River so nothing like this would ever happen again. He poured an indecent sum of money into flood relief and storm prevention.

He did his fucking best to help fix things.

But this?

He'd never gone down this path. Never allowed himself to think about the way things might have turned out had their mother not been a Representative.

Brynleigh was still silently staring at him, still waiting for him to answer.

His chest squeezed tighter and tighter. The walls in the apartment were closing in on him. His heart galloped in his chest. He raked his hand through his damp hair, but it did little to quell the unease that had taken up residence deep within him.

That onyx gaze, filled with darkness, shadows, and the night itself, held his as minutes dragged on.

Eventually, Ryker couldn't take the weight of her stare anymore.

"I know what would've happened to her," he said gruffly .

Brynleigh's gaze softened further. "Tell me."

He didn't want to. He didn't want to confront this truth. And yet, he couldn't stop the words from slipping from his lips.

"They would've fucking prosecuted her for her crimes," he half-whispered, half-hissed, his heart thundering. "Is that what you wanted me to say? Do you want me to admit that being related to a Representative is the only reason River isn't rotting in a gods-damned prohiberis-lined cell?"

His nostrils flared, and he balled his fists. "Do you want me to say that my baby sister, who was barely more than a fucking child , is only free because of our mother's influence?"

Every. Word. Hurt.

Every syllable made his chest ache.

Drawing breath was like breathing shards of glassy death.

He moved closer to Brynleigh, looming over her. Her wings spread behind her, flaring as he pressed her against the wall.

"You're upset," she whispered.

"Of course I am!"

She forced this out of him.

His water magic was a swirling storm churning in his veins, moments away from bursting like a geyser out of him. The temperature dropped, and he flexed his fingers.

Mere inches separated them.

His chest heaved, and his arms bracketed the wall above Brynleigh's head. He looked down at her.

Why wasn't she speaking? Why were her eyes searching his?

"Is that what you wanted?" he half-yelled, half-begged, needing her to speak. "Tell me!" He drew ragged breath after ragged fucking breath. "Is that the truth you wanted to hear?"

His heart hurt. His head hurt. All of him hurt.

Silver lined Brynleigh's eyes, and she dipped her head.

"Yes," she murmured. "I wanted you to admit that the Representatives are inherently above everyone else and that life in the Republic of Balance is unfair."

His nostrils flared, and his chest heaved.

"You married the son of a Representative. One day, I will take my mother's place," he reminded her, biting out the words. "Did you forget that?"

Slowly, her head moved left, then right. She could break his hold in a heartbeat, but she didn't.

"I didn't marry you because your mother is a Representative, Ry." A tear ran down Brynleigh's cheek, and her voice was so soft that he had to strain to hear the words. "I married you in spite of it. I Chose you for you . Not for her position. I love you ."

A long, never-ending moment went by as they stared at each other. Chests heaving. Hearts pounding.

Universes were formed and destroyed during that time. Stars were birthed. The planets spun round and round. Babies were born, and the elderly Faded. Storms raged and calmed.

None of it carried even a drop of significance.

The only thing that mattered was the woman in front of him.

Ryker drew in a deep breath, and then, did he the first thing that came to mind.

He kissed her.

This wasn't a gentle meeting of their mouths or a slow, languid caress. This kiss was fire. It was passion, ardor, and anger all mixed in a burning embrace.

It was hurt and forgiveness, pain and passion, sorrow and joy.

It was fucking everything .

This was nothing like their first kiss or those stolen, timid touches during the Choosing.

Those people, that picture-perfect couple, no longer existed. Maybe they never had. Hurt and pain lay between them… but so did truth, honesty, and love.

Their mouths warred for attention.

Brynleigh nipped his lip.

He moaned.

Ryker ran his tongue across the seam of her mouth, and she opened for him. He tasted her, and gods above, he almost came right there .

This was the most passionate embrace of his entire gods-damned life. He desired this vampire unlike anyone else he'd ever met. His cock strained against his shorts, his blood pumped through his veins, and every part of him wanted her.

Needed her.

Keeping one arm on the wall above her head, he threaded his other hand behind her neck. He angled her head just so, tilting her so he could properly devour her.

And she let him.

A moan slipped from her lips, and he swallowed it with his mouth.

Her hands fisted in his damp shirt, and she tugged him even closer. The unspoken message was crystal clear.

More.

By the Sands, Ryker would give her what she was asking for. It wasn't a hardship. This was everything he'd wanted since he first heard her voice during the Choosing.

Every stitch of clothing was far too great of a barrier.

They kissed, becoming a tangle of lips, tongues, and teeth.

Brynleigh sucked on his bottom lip, and he groaned. He released her neck, cradled her bottom, and lifted her off the floor.

She wrapped her legs around him, rubbing her core against his hardened length.

"I want you, Ry," she moaned, retracting her wings. "I haven't stopped wanting you."

The words were permission, an unleashing, and a summoning. They were everything Ryker had ever wanted to hear.

A growl rumbled through his chest as he reclaimed her lips, turned from the wall, and strode to the bedroom.