Warrior's Heart (SEAL of Fortune) (2 page)

CHAPTER THREE

An exhausting two hours later Ryker reenters the room to join Ronnie. They had sweated Baltasar for everything he knows, making veiled threats and innuendos when he showed signs of backbone. Ryker never moved, never said a word, but Baltasar had a difficult time keeping his eyes off of him.

“I hated that,” Ronnie says as she watches Baltasar being led out. They never touched him, but he stands as if a broken man.

“Yeah. It wasn’t much fun. But it had to be done.”

“You seemed to enjoy watching him sweat,” she says softly.

“Yes. No. Let’s just say I don’t have a lot of sympathy for him.”

“What is going to happen to him now?”

“I don’t know. They will probably hold him for a while. Until we can check out some of the information, at least. They may use him to get more. But their hooks are really into him now. They may turn him loose, but he will never be free.”

She looks at the floor. “I feel kind of sorry for him.”

“Don’t. He’s a lying, cheating, two-timing bastard. If I had my way he would never leave his building.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“I do mean that. Ronnie, four of my friends are dead because of that man. I would put a bullet in his brain and sleep like a baby that night.”

Ronnie is shocked to hear him say something so ruthless. After all that he has done to protect her, to be so cold-blooded. “How can you say that? He’s a man, not an animal.”

“Yes. That means he knew exactly what he was doing when he sold us out.”

“You’re horrible! How can you be so cruel?” Ronnie challenges, turning toward the door.

Ryker grabs her arm and pulls her around to face him. “Ronnie. This isn’t a game. This is kill or
be killed. There are no do overs. Should I have stood by and let them kill you? Would you rather I let you die? Or do you want me to stand and fight, to kill them before they can kill you? And what about your father? We have nothing to go on. Should we just let Baltasar leave or would you rather us do what we have to so we can find out what he knows?”

“That’s different!”

“How? How is it different?”

“They were trying to kill me. Trying to kill you. This guy,” she says waving her hand at the window looking into the now empty room. “He wasn’t trying to kill anyone!”

“You’re right. He’s worse. He is the type that will pretend to be your friend until he can slip a knife in your back.”

Ronnie pauses for a moment. She hates this place, hated being part of what she just witnessed. “Let’s get out of this fucking place,” she growls, stepping around Ryker and heading for the door.

Ryker follows her out of the detention center and back up into the main areas of the embassy. He knows that she is a little shaken after watching an expert interrogator work on Baltasar, twisting his words and digging at all his soft spots, weaknesses and fears. “Are you okay?”

“I’m not sure,” she says, stepping off the elevator. “It just seems so cruel, what he did to that man.”

“Ronnie, we are coming up empty. We need the intel if we are to find your father. I’m sorry you had to see that. I really am. Especially since you didn’t have to.”

“I’m just not sure it’s worth it.”

“Ronnie… you don’t mean that.”

Ronnie thinks a moment. “No. I don’t. I just didn’t realize…”

“I know, Ronnie. I know,” Ryker says, trying to comfort her. He changes the subject, trying to draw her thoughts away from Baltasar. “Are you hungry?”

“No.”

“You have to eat, Ronnie. Will you join me for dinner? Please?”

Ronnie thinks about it. She really isn’t hungry, but Ryker is right. She has to eat. “Fine, yes. I’ll go with you.”

Ryker smiles softly. “Thank you. I’m getting to where I hate to eat alone.”

Ronnie snorts out a brief laugh, recognizing a variation of something she had said to Ryker a few days ago. “Yeah. Me too.”

As they enter the mess the smell of food awakens her appetite. By the time she reaches the end of the serving line she has her normal portion of food. So much for not being hungry. Normally their meals together are full of conversation and laughter, but tonight the meal is quiet. Ryker seems more or less normal, but she keeps thinking back to how he could seem to be so cruel, so much of a cold-blooded killer.

She doesn’t understand why she is surprised. She watched him shoot three men, one after he was already wounded and down. She knows he is capable of killing without remorse. But somehow that was different. Was it simply because she was in danger at the time? Is it as simple as that? It is okay to kill to protect her, but for no other reason?

Ryker watches Ronnie as they eat. He can feel her slipping away but he doesn’t know how to stop it. It’s like she sees him in a different light now and she doesn’t like what she sees. He keeps his own council, letting her work it through, hoping the fragile bond they share remains intact.

After dinner he escorts her to her room. He had tried to draw her out as they ate but she had slowly closed down as the meal progressed. It’s early, but dinner had become increasingly strained as the silences lengthened. Now she withdrawn and says goodnight without offering him entrance or a kiss. He smiles sadly, nods, and bids her goodnight before turning to his own room.

Ronnie begins to prepare for bed. She doesn’t understand why she didn’t ask him to stay, and she could tell he is hurt by her rejection. Her world is changing too fast for her to keep up. She had placed Ryker on a pedestal, making him into some perfect man. But he’s not perfect, he’s flawed and human, just like everyone else. If someone were to kill her father would she be as forgiving as she seems to expect Ryker to be? No, she decides, she would not. She would want vengeance. She isn’t sure she could kill, but then, Ryker didn’t kill Baltasar when he had the chance, had he? He had brought the man back alive and unharmed. Wanting to do something and doing it are two different things.

Ronnie lies in her bed, her mind a maelstrom of thought and emotions. One thing becomes clear. She misses Ryker. She misses his touch, his closeness. She misses the safety she feels in his presence. She lies there, in her cold bed, staring into the darkness for a time, then sits up and begins to dress.

CHAPTER FOUR

Ryker turns out the light with a sigh. He has lost her. As it probably should be. Ronnie was just a distraction from the mission. He never should have gotten involved with her in the first place. So why does he feel like shit, then? He rolls to his back and stares into the dark. He just needs to find Dr. Baker, get him out, and then he can get out of this fucking country that has cost him so much. Twice.

He hears a soft knock on his door and frowns in annoyance. If it were important they would call, or at the very least it wouldn’t be this tentative little rap. So whatever it is, it’s not important. Why can’t people just leave him the fuck alone? He throws the covers off his bed, and walks to the door, dressed in nothing but his boxers.

Ryker yanks the door open, his countenance dark and dangerous, but as his eyes fall on her, his face instantly softens. “I… couldn’t stay away,” Ronnie says and she sees his eyes flood with tears, causing her heart to melt a little more.

He feels his eyes become wet at Ronnie’s words. He reaches for her, pulling her gently into his room and shutting the door, pulling her into his embrace as he holds her tight, his cheek against her head, his eyes closed as he breathes in her scent. 

She struggles to not cry as he holds her as if she is the most important thing on earth. What was she thinking? She had nearly thrown away something wonderful. Her hands go around his waist, pulling him tight. “I’m sorry.”

“Shhhh…” he says softly. “It’s okay. I know it’s hard.”

“Can I please stay?”

“Yes,” he replies, but he doesn’t release her. Not yet. Not when he had so nearly lost her.

They stand together for many long seconds, neither wanting to be the first to break the embrace. Ryker can feel the bond with Ronnie strengthen and become more resilient than ever. He had tried to cut it after she rejected him, but obviously he had failed. “I thought I had lost you.”

She is surprised by his words. “What do you mean, ‘you thought you had lost me?’ ”

“I thought you hated me. Or at the very least, no longer liked me.”

“No. I mean, what do you mean, ‘lost me?’ ”

He feels a rush of fear. The words had popped out before he could think about how they might be received. “I was afraid that…”

She steps back. “Go on…” she says when he stalls.

“I was afraid that I would never see you again.”

“See me?”

Ryker looks into Ronnie’s eyes. “Have you, then. Have you as my lover. As my… companion. That I would only get to see you as the daughter of the man I am here to rescue.”

She stares at him for a moment. “Is that how you see me? As your lover? Your companion?” 

He swallows hard, unable to read her. “That’s how I want to see you. Ronnie, I told you yesterday. I want
you,
not just your body,” he says, mentally crosses his fingers that his words won’t scare her off.

Ronnie stands mute. She can’t get her head around Ryker. With her he is kind and gentle, willing to die to protect her. However, when necessary, he can be ruthless, killing without remorse. But he obviously draws no pleasure from it.

He could have killed Baltasar and no one would have been the wiser, but he hadn’t. Perhaps that is the way of the soldier, when it is kill or be killed, to act decisively and without hesitation. As she thinks about it she realizes it doesn’t matter. He is her paladin, her protector, willing to go to any length to keep her safe. Once again that feeling of safety flows over her, and she smiles. “Then, for tonight at least, you will have me. All of me,” she says, gently putting her lips to his

Ryker nearly sags in relief. He knows it is too soon to be talking about forever, so taking it one day, one night, at a time is good enough. He kisses her gently. He wants to ravish her, to take her with passion, to demonstrate his growing feelings for her, but he goes slowly, carefully, afraid of once again breaking this fragile bond that connects them.

She accepts his sweet and gentle kiss. He is a big, strong, man. Yet with her he is incredibly gentle, his touches delicate. He could have tried to take her at her door, but he hadn’t. He had let her go, though it had obviously hurt him to do so, to let her decide if she still wanted him. And she does want him. She does! She pulls back from his kiss with a gasp, clasping him tight. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for the way I acted. I…” she whispers.

“Shhh…” he breathes, interrupting her, kissing her gently on the side of her neck. “It’s okay. You’re here now. That’s all that matters.”

She smiles, her eyes closing in pleasure at his words. She struggles out of his embrace, Ryker seeming reluctant to let her go, and then begins to swiftly undress. She is wearing nothing but her pants, shirt and sneakers and it takes her only moments to undress. As she slides onto his narrow bed, he strips himself of his boxers and joins her. His room is not nearly as large or well-equipped as her guest suit, and his single bed is going to make it tight tonight. But she doesn’t care. Close to him is where she wants to be.

The small bed is going to make it interesting, but Ryker doesn’t mind. He will sleep on the floor if he is has to. The important thing is she is here with him. He tucks in as tightly as he can, then rolls partially to his back, dragging Ronnie with him in the roll, then centers himself in the bed with Ronnie lying on his chest. He smiles at her as he looks into her eyes.

“What?” She asks.

“Nothing.”

“Tell me.”

“I’m just thankful for my good luck.”

“Good luck?”

“That you didn’t toss me overboard.”

“I’m sorry, Ryker. I was just confused and I…”

“Shhhh…” he says softly, touching a finger to her lips. “No more apologies.” He waits until he sees her begin to smile before pulling his finger back and replaces it with his lips.