Fate’s Unseen Shadow (Cager #1)

Chapter 2

"Take a shot of tequila and sit your ass down. Damn. I’ve never seen you pace this much," Xavier Kennedy said with a loud laugh.

He knew Xavier was right. Pacing wasn’t his usual style. But he’d never been on a blind date before. "She said she’d be here," Ryker Cruz muttered, finishing off his second beer. He’d never needed liquid courage when it came to women. But she wasn’t like the others.

A small group entered Cager, the bar he owned with his three friends on the edge of Charleston, South Carolina. He watched them carefully, but they were all paired off. He’d imagined every scenario for this meeting, including the possibility that "she" might not even be a woman.

That was the risk of meeting people online—especially with no photos, not even a fake one.

"Sit down already," Damon Vargas said, settling into his usual spot at their booth next to Xavier.

Reluctantly, Ryker perched on the edge of the bench, opposite the men. "It’s nerve-racking. I don’t like feeling this way."

Slater Walsh, who’d been mostly glued to his phone all night, finally looked up. "Did she at least tell you her name?"

"No."

"Her age? Height? Ethnicity?" Slater raised an eyebrow. "Anything to help us spot her?"

Ryker shook his head. "Nothing."

"And you’re still set on meeting her?"

"Yeah." He needed to meet her. She was brilliant with computers, and even if there wasn’t a romantic connection, he had to meet her in person.

Xavier pointed toward the door. "Well, let’s hope that’s not your date."

A heavily tattooed man named Clarence walked in, one of their regulars. Ryker reached for his beer but set the empty glass down. "Funny."

Xavier chuckled, but then he straightened up suddenly. "Wait… is that her?"

Slater whistled. "If it’s not, I call dibs."

Ryker didn’t look. "Not falling for it."

Damon stood and adjusted his shirt. "Actually, they’re serious. I just saw her come in. That’s not a woman who usually walks into Cager alone."

Curiosity piqued, Ryker looked over. "Oh." They were right.

The woman had long, dark brown hair that fell to the middle of her back. Even though it wasn’t a cold night, she wore a black hoodie that stood out against her fair skin. Fitted jeans flared over her sneakers, and as she scanned the room, he caught a glimpse of her sharp, focused gaze.

She stood there, taking in the bar, for only a moment before Ella, Damon’s wife, pointed her in their direction.

The woman turned.

“Damn,” Ryker whispered as their eyes met. “I hope that’s her.”

Xavier grinned, pushing up from the table. "I’ll go help Damon and Chris with the crowd. Enjoy yourself."

Ryker waved him off, silently hoping this was his mystery woman.

A moment later, Ella handed the newcomer a vodka cranberry before she glanced back at Ryker. She held his gaze a second longer than necessary, making him feel like a teenager again.

Slater nudged him under the table. "Damn, boy. Quit gawking like you’ve never seen a beautiful woman before."

"Thanks for the pep talk."

"You’re the last one who needs any boosting when it comes to women. You’ve been off the market by choice. At least your absence has let Xavier and me have a chance to even the playing field."

Ryker stood, his nerves suddenly electric. "I think I’m in shock."

"I know you’re in shock, but keep it cool. You used to be great with women. This is just another chance to prove it."

Ryker nodded, trying to remind himself of his confidence. But this wasn’t just any woman—she was someone he’d thought about daily for a year. Someone he couldn’t stop thinking about.

As she approached, she smiled shyly. "Hi. I’m supposed to meet?—"

"Me." He lifted his hand. "You’re supposed to meet me."

She laughed softly. "I know."

Of course she did—she knew so much about him, while he knew almost nothing about her.

Her eyes sparkled as she looked him over. "Nice to meet you, Ryker."

He reached out, taking her hand. "Nice to meet you, too." He resisted the urge to call her by her screen name, Shadow Flower. He wanted her real name.

"I’m Slater," his friend interjected, shaking her hand briefly before moving aside. "I’ll let you two enjoy yourselves."

Once Slater was gone, Ryker motioned to the empty seat. "Want to sit down? Or we could go somewhere else if you’re hungry."

Her light brown eyes, flecked with hints of amber, met his. "I didn’t have any specific plans." She slid into the booth across from him, glancing around the bar. "I don’t go out much. Not sure if you’re the same."

He shrugged. "Mostly just here with the guys. Or for work. I can’t believe you’re actually here.” After a year of messages, she’d become his obsession. He spent hours every night talking to her online. Good thing he hadn’t known she looked like a goddess, or he’d have been a mess. "I feel like you know a lot more about me than I do about you," he said, smiling.

She nodded. "I do."

He laughed. "That doesn’t seem fair anymore. Can you tell me your name?"

She sipped her drink, looking away.

"Why keep it a secret? You know so much about me. I mean, you know I’m trustworthy, right?"

She tilted her head, a faint smile playing on her lips. "I do. That’s why I’m here. Part of why I like you."

His heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t felt like this since he was a kid crushing on his middle school sweetheart.

"Then give me a name to put with that beautiful face."

She blushed and looked down. "That’s a cheesy line."

"Maybe, but it’s true."

With a small sigh, she seemed to consider it. "I hope I don’t regret this."

"You won’t."

"How do you know?" she asked, meeting his eyes.

He leaned forward. "Because you trust me."

Before she could reply, her phone rang, lighting up with a local number. She glanced at it. "That’s the hotel."

"How do you know?"

"I remember it from the confirmation email. Hello?" She frowned, her expression growing serious. "What? How?" She slid out of the booth, her tone urgent. "Did you call the police? Did you see anyone on camera? I’ll be there soon." With a frustrated groan, she pocketed the phone and headed for the door. "I have to go."

Ryker caught her hand. "Don’t go."

"I have to. I need to get back to the hotel." She tried to pull her hand free. "I’ll call a taxi."

"I’ll drive you." He quickly crossed to Damon, who was at the entrance. "Can I borrow your car?"

Damon raised an eyebrow. "That was fast."

"Not like that. Something’s up at her hotel, and I’d rather drive her than have her take a cab. I rode my bike here." He swapped his motorcycle key for Damon’s car key. "Helmet’s in the office."

Damon grinned. "Good luck."

Ryker returned to her side. "Ready?"

"What’d you get?"

Taking her hand again, he led her to the employee entrance and out the door. "Damon’s car." He unlocked the black sports car, the headlights flashing.

"Oh." She glanced toward the lot. "Kind of wish we were taking your bike."

"Of course you know what I ride." He opened the passenger door. "But I can make that ride happen later, once I have a helmet for you. Besides," he added, glancing at the sky, "it’s about to rain."

Once they reached her hotel, Ryker parked where she directed him. They both got out, but as they neared the side entrance, she froze, her eyes widening in alarm. Instinctively, he reached for the gun at his waistband but held it there.

"What is it?" he asked, scanning the area.

That’s when he spotted them.

Two men dismounted their bikes near the building. They were older, both covered in leather and tattoos. He recognized one of them from the Vipers, a local motorcycle gang.

"We need to go," she whispered, trying to push past him, but he stopped her.

"Running will only make them more interested. Do they have a reason to come after you?"

She didn’t respond, but her eyes betrayed her fear.

"Do they know what you look like?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

"I…I don’t think so." She started to look over her shoulder, but he gently caught her chin, keeping her face turned away from them. "I don’t understand how they found me."

As the men began to approach, Ryker made a quick decision. Without a word, he leaned in and kissed her.

She jerked back in surprise, her eyes wide. "What’s that for?"

"Throwing them off." He glanced at the men, who were still watching. "Either kiss me or get ready to run."

Her hesitation didn’t last. She pulled him down for another kiss, one he fully reciprocated, resting his hand on the back of her head. It was a struggle to focus on the situation and not on her soft lips and the taste of her drink lingering between them.

Her fingers slid through his hair, a soft moan escaping her lips, and he momentarily forgot all about the Vipers. Pulling back just enough, he brushed his lips against her ear before whispering, "It’s working. They’re moving on. We should go."

"Good." She drew in a breath, then leaned in, kissing him again and again, pressing closer.

He knew he needed to stop, to focus on getting them out of there. But damn, she felt incredible in his arms.

Her hand traced along his ribcage, pausing as she felt the edge of his gun. She pulled back slightly, her brows raised. "Do you have a license for that?"

"Yes.” Strange question at a moment like this.

"How did I miss that?" she muttered.

He kissed her temple, watching the men as they finally turned away. "Let’s go."

"But my stuff is in the room."

Ryker opened the passenger door. "Hide your face." He jogged around to the driver’s side and climbed in.

"We can’t leave it unsecured. Someone broke in."

"And I’m guessing the men looking for you are the ones that broke into your room. I’ll send the guys to get your things." He backed out of the lot, his mind racing. "What’s your connection to the Vipers?"

"I’m not involved with them," she snapped, her eyes flashing with anger.

He bit back a grin, her reaction unexpected. "Poor choice of words. Let me rephrase. Why were you terrified when you saw them?"

She looked down, tapping her fingers anxiously. "I don’t know how they found me. I need my computer to figure this out."

Ryker drove in silence for a moment, then finally asked, "At least tell me your name. The real one."

After a moment of silence, she whispered, "The truth is complicated."

"I can handle complicated."

"Fine." She exhaled slowly. "My name is Maggie. Maggie Jamison Turner.” She squeezed her eyes tight. “Ares Jamison was my father.”

He froze, mind scrambling to process that fact. “What do you mean was?"

“He died almost a year ago. Cancer."

He felt his pulse quicken. "But… Ares just claimed responsibility for that Swiss bank hack a few months ago."

She buried her face in her hands, then looked up, her eyes meeting his in the dim light. "Technically, that was me."

His jaw tightened. "So, you’re not here just to meet me, are you?"

She leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. "Yes…and no. I came here for you, but, damn it, I screwed up."

The second book in the Cager Series, Chasing Wildfire, will be released in Spring 2025.