Chapter 140 Ryder arrives
Sage's POV
The door slammed against the wall as Ryder pushed through, two of Diego's men grabbing at his arms. He shook them off, chest heaving as if he had been running.
"Ryder?" I stared at him, my mind still spinning from confronting Jaxon about being RC.
"Sage, I need to talk to you." His eyes were wild and desperate. "Right now."
"Mr. Kane, you need to leave," one of Diego's men said, his accent thick. "The ceremony—"
"There's not going to be a ceremony." Ryder's voice was raw. "Not until she hears the truth."
The men reached for him again but I held up my hand. My heart was pounding, torn between the fury I had felt toward him days ago and complete terror of finding out that my brother was RC.
"Wait." I looked at the guards. "Let him go."
"Señorita, Elena said no one should disturb—"
"Let him go." My voice was steel. "And get out. Close the door. All of you."
The men exchanged uncertain glances but obeyed, releasing Ryder and backing away toward the door. Jaxon moved to follow them.
"Not you," I said to my brother. "You stay right there."
Jaxon stopped, his jaw tight. The door clicked shut, leaving the three of us alone.
Ryder and I stood there, maybe five feet apart, just looking at each other. Him in his worn jeans and black t-shirt. His motorcycle boots were tracking dirt on my carpet. And me in hundreds of dollars worth of white lace, my carefully styled hair probably a mess, and my professional makeup ruined by tears.
I had thought about seeing him again. About what I would say, how I would apologize for the terrible things I had accused him of.
But now that he was here, the words stuck in my throat.
"I'm sorry." They came out as a whisper.
Ryder's expression cracked, something raw and vulnerable showing through. "Sage—"
"No, let me say this." I took a shaky breath. "I'm sorry for what I said to you. For accusing you of being RC. For thinking you could kill my father. For throwing you out and telling you I hated you when I didn't. When I never did."
"You don't have to—"
"Yes, I do." Tears were sliding down my cheeks again. "I was wrong about you. So completely wrong. And I destroyed what we had because I was too scared and too suspicious to trust you."
"You had every reason to suspect me." Ryder's voice was rough. "My initials matched. I have done questionable things that make you see me as a terrible person. I gave you—"
"You didn't kill my father." The words came out fierce. "You would never. And I should have known that. I should have trusted my heart instead of letting fear make my decisions."
We stood there, the air between us charged with everything we weren't saying. Then Ryder closed the distance, and I met him halfway.
His arms came around me and I pressed my face into his chest, breathing him in. He smelled like leather and motor oil and home, and I felt the warmth of his embrace.
"I'm sorry," I said again, the words muffled against his shirt. "I'm so sorry."
"Stop apologizing." His voice was thick with emotion. "You were trying to protect yourself. You were trying to find your father's killer. There's nothing to forgive."
"How can you say that?" I pulled back to look at him. "I accused you of murder. I called you a killer. I told you to get out of my life."
"And you were right to question me." Ryder's hands framed my face, his thumbs wiping away my tears. "I did kill someone. Marcus Webb is dead because of me. Why wouldn't you think I could kill your father too?"
"Because you loved him." My voice broke. "Because you're not capable of that kind of betrayal."
"I wish I'd given you more reason to believe that." His forehead touched mine. "I wish I'd been honest from the start instead of keeping secrets."
"What secrets?" I asked, pulling back slightly.
Ryder's expression shifted, became more guarded. He glanced at Jaxon, who was still standing by the window, watching us with an unreadable expression.
"I knew," Ryder said quietly. "About Jaxon being RC. I figured it out weeks ago."