12
NESS
Ididn’t expect to see Ryder posted outside my house when I left for work the next day. Though the desire to ask him where he’d been last night pinched my stomach, I kept the words locked behind my clenched teeth.
Ryder gave me a two-fingered salute in greeting as I approached his car. We didn’t have time to say anything before Harvey’s truck screeched to a halt in the middle of the road. I stiffened when Harvey poured out of his truck. He staggered toward me with a big smile on his face.
Several things happened at once. Harvey reached for me. I jerked back, out of his reach at the same time that Ryder grabbed Harvey by the back of his neck. He yanked Harvey away from me and growled in the wolf shifter’s face.
Harvey’s look of glee didn’t fade, though. Fear made my breath shudder out of me. I recalled the sound I’d heard the night before. I hadn’t been able to find the source of the pained whimper.
“What did you do?” I whispered.
Ryder stole a glance in my direction. His brows arched when he saw me. I must have been pale. The low growl that rumbled from Ryder confused me. Was he angry that Harvey was upsetting me? Did he actually care about me?
I didn’t have time to think about that right now.
“Come with me and you’ll find out,” Harvey said, smugly.
I grimaced. “I have to go to work soon…”
Harvey laughed. “Dad already called out for you. They’ll find a replacement on their own.”
The way he said it made it sound like I would never go back to work. My stomach churned. The bacon sandwich I’d devoured earlier would come back up if I didn’t get control of myself soon.
“Tell your attack dog to let go of me,” Harvey said. “Or you might lose another friend.”
The world fell out from under my feet. Weightless, I struggled to find balance as I asked, “What do you mean?”
Full of himself, Harvey gestured to Ryder. “Call him off.”
Ryder shook Harvey and growled, “I’m a dragon, not a dog like yourself.”
Though I caught a glimpse of fear in Harvey’s eyes when Ryder snarled in his face, that smug confidence never fully fell away. Harvey knew my weakness. I hated how well the bastard understood me. I’d stood up for my pack one too many times. Harvey and Alvin had been paying attention the whole time.
“Let him go, Ryder.”
Ryder gaped at me. “You can’t be serious! He’s just trying to manipulate you. You understand that, right?”
I knew that. They’d been doing it for years now. What could I do when someone else was in trouble, though?
I locked eyes with Ryder. “You weren’t there last night. Someone helped me and now they’re paying the price. I can’t…I can’t let that happen.” My voice cracked. I couldn’t help it when my heart had shattered.
My nails pressed into my palms from how tightly I’d balled my fists. Ryder let Harvey go. The wolf shifter staggered away from Ryder before straightening his spine. If Harvey had a tail in this form, it would have been tucked between his legs in Ryder’s presence. I knew that Ryder could have thrown Harvey on his ass, but I would not risk the life of another just to watch Harvey get what he deserved.
“In the truck,” Harvey commanded. He turned his attention to Ryder. “You’re welcome to come and enjoy the show, too. Just remember that your pet won’t like the consequences if you decide to act out.”
“Ness isn’t my pet,” Ryder said.
I placed a hand on Ryder’s chest as I passed by him on my way to Harvey’s truck. The sooner we got this over, the better. We didn’t have time for their pissing contest. I hoped the touch conveyed that.
Ryder gave me a look of reproach, as if to ask if I was really going to bend to Harvey’s will. Did I have any other choice? I had a debt to repay to whoever was suffering on my behalf.
Ryder didn’t get back into his car like I expected. When I slid into the passenger seat of Harvey’s truck, Ryder came around and pulled me out. He lifted me high and set me down in the truck bed before taking the passenger seat next to Harvey. Out here, I could breathe a little easier, and I think Ryder knew that.
It was also amusing as hell to watch Harvey balk. It took the man a solid minute to get into the driver’s seat while Ryder waited in the truck cab.
But Harvey put the truck into gear and sped forward. As I pulled my hat down over my hair, I wondered who had been suffering while we’d argued amongst ourselves. I couldn’t think of anyone who would stick their neck out for me.