CHAPTER 04

W hen we hit the Seattle city limits, my chest tightened painfully. I didn’t want to be back here, and I really didn’t want Ryder to be either. I wanted to drag his ass back across the city limits and flee across the country. I wasn’t one to run from a fight, but this was one I wanted to. The potential for shit hitting the fan was too high.

From the sounds of it, Tessa had been out of touch with their dad for years. So had Mal. It put us in a dark area, where we didn’t have a clue what the fuck Daddy Hartford was up to.

Ryder wouldn’t hesitate to use his power if it meant helping Tessa. But what would the cost be? What if the spell was altered? What if it killed him instead of locking him away? How the hell did we know their dad wasn’t already onto Ryder’s presence in the city?

What if I was just hand-delivering him into trouble?

Fuck, I was stressed.

The what-ifs had taken over my brain. I couldn’t stop them if I tried. I just wanted to keep him safe. Here? Here I couldn’t see what was coming until it was too fucking late. It scared the shit out of me.

Probably feeling everything I was, Ryder reached across the console and took my hand. His fingers laced through mine, and he squeezed tightly.

“It’ll be fine,” he said quietly. I didn’t have a damn thing to say, so I nodded, lips pressed together tightly. I knew he was trying to comfort me, but it didn’t work.

My gut told me otherwise.

I glanced at him. The small smile he gave me did wicked things to my heart. Fuck, I didn’t want to lose him.