Chapter 83

***~Draven~***

“Something wrong?” Thomas’ voice snapped me out of my stupor and in reflex, I locked my cell phone and shoved it in my jacket’s inset pocket. There was no way I was about to purge my feelings to these men. I loved them but I wasn’t ready to share my relationship with Riley. Not when I knew they’d both never let me hear the end of it, especially when they seemed to have anticipated my interest long before I was willing to.

“No.” I answer with a straight face despite the warring voices fighting for purchase in my head.

“You were staring at your phone for quite some time.” Austin drawled in that teasing manner of his. I transfer my gaze to meet his. He wasn’t supposed to be on this trip and yet here he was, laid back against his seat, ankle to knee and a manila folder cracked open on the table in front of him. It always amazed me how pristine he looked, even after a weeklong mission.

“Since it belongs to me, I assume I have the right to,” I answer noncommittedly. Austin’s grin widened while Thomas chuckled. My God, what a change. Since Austin’s plan to reunite Thomas with Avril, the man had learned to smile again. I couldn’t find it in my heart to judge him, how could I?

I was certain they’d noticed me paying more attention to my messages over this past week, but there was no jab, not until now.

“How’s Riley?” Austin questioned outright and Thomas crossed his arms over his chest in anticipation. When I cock an inquisitive brow at Austin, he shrugged.

“Skylar was quite taken with her, so was Nova,” He answered by way of an explanation, “I’m simply following up on their interest.”

“Avril’s been wondering when she’ll get an introduction.” Thomas interjected and I shook my head at both of them.

“I’m not ready for your women to steal mine away.” I roll my eyes in protest. I appreciated Skylar and Avril but I knew what it meant for all our women to be friendly and I wasn’t ready to share my time with Riley yet. I may never be.

“Yours?” Thomas’ eyes widened in mock surprise while Austin nodded approvingly. Oh, fuck it.

“Mine.” I reiterate with a sigh. “I’m thinking of asking her to marry me,” I reveal with a pat to my chest, where I stored the ring I picked up on our mission. I hadn’t planned it but the idea infiltrated my mind the moment my eye caught sight of a ring in a jewellery store display case. A two-carat radiant engagement ring with two one-carat triangle side stones. I had the most unusual urge to see that very ring on Riley’s finger. And now that we were heading back home, I was growing impatient to see her. Perhaps, that was why I sulked at her last message. Riley informed me that she was hanging out with a few friends tonight and she promised to be present with them, which meant no communication with me for the night.

Never mind it though. I would be home by morning and I was sure to see her sprawled out on our bed. For that alone, I could force myself to endure radio silence for a few hours. I didn’t want to scare her away by being possessive, by demanding that she maintain contact. It was killing me though because I was fighting against my baser instincts.

“That’s my cue to pour us a celebratory drink.” Thomas vacated his seat in search of a bottle and some glasses while Austin patted me on the shoulder.

“I think you make a great pair.” Austin grinned.

“You don’t think it’s too soon?” my gaze flicked between them as Thomas placed a glass in front of me.

“I honestly think it’s been long enough.” Austin shrugged and Thomas nodded his head in agreement. I had the nagging feeling that I was asking the wrong men about this. They weren’t particularly normal. Thomas stalked Avril for years after she left him and Austin was forcing his sworn enemy into a marriage of convenience. Rational thought was few and far between with these men. No judgement, because I wasn’t particularly a saint. It was arguable that I was worse than them both combined.

“We tend to know when we’ve found the one.” Thomas added as he brought his glass to his lips, seeming to be unaware of my second guessing on the reliability of their advice.

“Even if we are slow to admit it to ourselves.” Austin raised his glass in salute, a wide grin plastered over his face. Thomas and I shot him curious gazes at his comment. And then I stared at Thomas. Skylar had been his childhood friend and as I gathered, she was like a sister to him. Her accepting Austin’s marriage proposal did play on Thomas’ mind, hence the reason he’d asked me to help uncover her relation with Austin’s half-brother Colin; the man she was pregnant by and outright refused to marry.

It was convoluted but I could tell Austin’s interest in Skylar was far beyond a pretend wife. Perhaps, he suspected it himself. Strange considering, they supposedly despised each other. Thomas on the other hand was clueless, conflicted by this whole marriage of convenience situation. However, I was not about to broach that topic. Austin would reveal his intentions when he was ready. The fucker always kept his cards close to his chest.

Regardless, I opted to accept their advice. I wanted Riley. There was no mistaking this possessiveness for something fleeting. She was still young but I wanted to claim her as mine even if she only holds the title of my fiancé for the next few years. I’d leave our wedding date up to her entirely but I needed her to wear my ring, I needed to announce to the world that she belonged to me. And I was never letting go.

***

I take the stairs two steps at a time, rushing to our bedroom. My heart pounding in my chest, I could hardly wait to lay my eyes on Riley, far less to finally touch her. I had planned to gauge her reaction to an engagement before anything else but the need to surround myself with her was overpowering.

I push the door open, my feet planted on the floor, my entire mind silent as I stare around the empty room. The bed looks unslept in, or maybe I missed her? Did she already wake up? I made the decision to turn around and head to the dining room, but my eye caught sight of her cell phone lying in the middle of the bed, acting as a weight for paper. I move towards it, grabbing her cell phone in one hand and the note in the other.

Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. It should have been enough, but it wasn’t. I’m sorry.

I read the note again and again and again. My heart’s protest grew louder with each time the words reverberated in my head. For her sake, this better be a fucking joke. I crumble the note, letting it drop from my hand and I storm down the stairs to find Eddy.

I shove at the door to this surveillance room, it gave way without much force. The anger in my veins momentarily subside, replaced by shock as I see Eddy’s body lying flat on the floor. I kneeled beside him, ready to check for a pulse when I noticed the slow rise and fall of his chest. I breathe a sigh of relief, tapping him on the face to rouse him. Eddy groaned in protest, his eyes parting just a sliver and seeming to catch himself, he shot up, grabbing his head and moaning at the sudden movement.

“What happened?” the unease was blatant in my chest. My house was impenetrable but it was clear that Eddy had been drugged. The signs were clear.

“I have no idea,” his voice was raspy, I walk over to the mini fridge and pull out a sealed bottle of water, handing it to him. Eddy drank the bottle in a few greedy gulps.

“The last thing I remember...” he took a moment to wipe the back of his hand over his mouth, “was Riley offering me a smoothie, she said she wanted my opinion before she bothered to make it for you.” He said, his eyes shooting to mine with an unvoiced assumption, one I didn’t want to admit was on my mind as well.

I notice the half-drained smoothie on the desk. My chest constricting painfully. Riley drugged him and left. Eddy was assigned to be her protection while I was gone. He would have followed her if he were lucid and Riley knew that.

Fucking hell. The ring in my inset pocket weighed heavy at that moment. Had I read it wrong? I wanted to get up and find her and yet a part of me felt betrayed and downright numb.

“She’s gone.” I sink down to the floor, my back against the clear wall for support, my chest heaving as I fought to manage my breathing.

“What?” Eddie asked but I hadn’t the heart to repeat it, the words written on that note running through my head.

It should have been enough, but it wasn’t…