Rescuing Ryder (Serenity Securities, Team Hawk #1)

Chapter 29

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Claire winced as the specialist checked her eye again. The bright light seemed to penetrate through her brain and her head throbbed. A week flew by in chopped-up segments of her waking to discover a different person sitting with her. Ryder seemed to take the night shift while the women settled into a routine of visiting during the day. Of course, it made sense, considering he went to his appointments with Dr. Hill. In the afternoon, he attended physical therapy and joined Whiskey for evening sessions.

She felt relieved when he showed up nightly. Yet it confused her. Claire heard him tell Kassie how he felt and then he slept beside her in the recliner. Hopefully, Chase planned to release her today and allow her to return home.

Kassie arrived and assisted her into the recliner, which smelled like Ryder. She placed the quilt over her lap and brought in a breakfast tray. Instead of leaving her to eat, Kassie changed the sheets on her bed and sat on the edge facing her.

“How do you feel?” she asked. “You’re still moving a bit slowly. It’ll take a while before the headaches disappear completely. I don’t want you driving.”

“Does this constitute my discharge paperwork? Believe me, I want to sleep in my own bed. Don’t take this wrong, but I’m ready to bust outta here.”

Kassie chuckled. “I don’t blame you. Chase will release you when he returns from the team meeting.” She grew quiet. “They’re concerned about you.”

Claire sighed and put down her fork. “I’m feeling better.”

“We’re worried about you. Why didn’t you confide in us about this Kilner guy? If Ryder didn’t go after you, we might be organizing a funeral for you,” Kassie admonished.

“I went to the police in Seattle. They confirmed he remained under lock and key. The captain suggested it might be a few bored teens terrifying a new resident,” she explained.

Kassie frowned. “You didn’t tell us. Then this situation with Ryder…”

“There’s no situation with Ryder,” she rushed.

Kassie sighed. “It’s me. I see the way you interact with him.” She held up her hand when Claire started to interrupt. “I’m not saying you acted inappropriately. You clung to him and refused to let him go until we sedated you to give you the care you needed. When you woke, you searched for him. I know those feelings and how deep they run. As your friend Claire, I’m telling you it’s okay to feel close to someone. I’m hoping one day you’ll realize the line between us isn’t gray… it’s nonexistent. Because we’re more than friends, Claire. We’re your family.” She didn’t wait for a reply as she walked from the room.

Ryder rang the bell at the Serenity Securities building. Within a minute, the SEAL, Shadow, opened the door and allowed him in. Ryder only met the team for PT in the woods and on the outdoor equipment. Now he received the invitation to join them at the facility. Somehow, it didn’t feel like an honor. A feeling in his gut warned him they didn’t ask for social reasons.

Shadow lifted his chin and pointed down the hall. “Whiskey’s in the kitchen. Tess made homemade waffles and Taco’s helping. Head straight, and I’ll see you in a few.”

Ryder headed in the direction Shadow pointed and smelled the heavenly scent of breakfast cooking and people chatting.

He entered the kitchen to see Whiskey sitting at the table with his laptop. Leo held baby Grace and fed her a bottle. Tess and Taco stood side by side while she flipped the waffles. Taco’s hand trailed down her back in a possessive manner. Chase walked in behind him, still in a doctor’s coat. Leo nodded for Ryder to sit.

He glanced at the serious expressions on the men’s faces and noticed Tess disappear from the room. Shadow and Matthew joined the table. Taco set down a plate of waffles, a platter of assorted breakfast meats and a bowl of fruit. Like one big family, they passed the bowls to one another, and Taco dumped stuff on Leo’s plate while he burped the baby. Saint drifted in at the last minute, sitting beside him. Taco passed Ryder a plate.

He picked a waffle and filled a side bowl with fruit. He grabbed the butter and lathered the food in syrup.

“We called you here because I want to question you about the night of Claire’s attack. Why did you follow her?” Leo asked as he dug into his breakfast.

“Claire made a deal with me from the beginning. I didn’t have to talk. Believe it or not, your friend can’t assemble anything with a screwdriver. You must’ve witnessed her bringing in projects for me to put together. I became her handyman of sorts up until a few weeks ago.” Ryder sipped his coffee.

“Did she say anything to you about David Kilner?” Shadow asked him as he bit into some fruit.

“No. I’m a previous patient of hers. What about you?” Ryder bit out.

Leo frowned. Shadow shot daggers at him as he seethed, “She’s our friend.”

“You’ve visited her house quite a bit, from what Chase’s godfather, Jake, tells us. He says one of her neighbors mentioned Claire screamed a couple of times when you showed up. Claire assured the neighbor you were a friend who startled her. Do you care to explain why you made her scream?” Leo cut through the bullshit of the meeting.

Ryder sipped the orange juice, considering if he wanted to tell the group to fuck off. The only thing stopping him was the worried expressions on their faces. “If you’re truly her friend, you might’ve painted that eyesore of a house instead of fixing the landscape. I’m afraid I startled her one night as she fled the house because she thought someone broke in.”

“When you asked to transfer to Dr. Hill, did something occur between you?” Chase asked.

“No.”

“I went through the tapes. It seems like you met her when she went jogging and then you stopped suddenly,” Matthew stated as he reached for the butter.

“She kept the sessions in her office. I didn’t join her for jogging anymore. She didn’t say why,” he admitted as he bit into the best waffle he ever ate.

“Then how do you explain her screaming on the path a few days ago?” Matthew pressed as he sipped his coffee.

“I did catch her on the running path. Claire appeared terrified and didn’t see me. She ran straight at me while she glanced behind her. I didn’t see her again until the night Kilner showed up.” Ryder watched the men glance at each other in silent communication.

Ryder continued, “I felt shitty about not consulting with her about switching. When I went to her house to apologize, Claire insisted I leave. I’m assuming David threatened me or her. I witnessed her slip a paperweight into her pocket and thought it odd. She’s unpacking and I thought she wanted to place it somewhere else. When I left, Claire called out to me. She said sometimes things happen beyond our control and none of it’s my fault.”

“I ordered you to stand down. Why didn’t you? Do you typically disobey a direct order?” Leo asked him gravely.

“Claire appeared terrified. I called Whiskey because I felt something in my gut. Why do I feel like I’m under an interrogation? Last time I checked, I don’t take orders from you, and I won’t stand by while Claire’s life remains at stake,” he spat. Ryder’s hand curled into a fist, and his nostrils flared as he gazed at the men. They closed ranks for one another, which didn’t include Claire. They wanted to blame her.

“Tex vouched for you. But we become protective of those we care about. Claire never informed us about David Kilner. Did she discuss him with you?” Leo pressed.

Ryder put his fork down and stared at the leader. “What is this? She’s your friend. Yet, you call me here to answer questions about her. Why didn’t you know she felt terrified and this guy tormented her? You’ve known her longer than I have, yet she clung to me to feel safe. I say you’re not much of a friend if she didn’t feel comfortable enough to confide in you,” he barked.

He rose from the table, no longer willing to share breakfast with these holier than thou hypocrites. Ryder thought Doc seemed different than the others. Now Chase seemed the biggest ass of all.

“Sit,” Leo ordered. He covered the baby’s ears. “Hell, we’re as confused as you are. She never mentioned anything to us. We feel like jackasses. Matthew reviewed the security footage of the hospital. No one enters the mountain without him knowing. When he pulled the last few weeks to see if David Kilner visited the hospital, he came across footage of Claire staying all night in her office and leaving in the morning. She works there, but not twenty-four hours a day. We don’t understand when it started and why she didn’t come to us.”

The men appeared guilty and sad by the revelation. Ryder lowered himself back into his seat.

“I don’t know why. I asked her about Matthew installing a security system when she asked if I knew how. She didn’t seem like she felt comfortable asking,” he admitted. Not wanting to make the team feel worse, he regretted telling them. Ryder wanted to know why she didn’t come to them, too.

“Claire’s getting discharged today. I’m not entirely comfortable with her staying by herself. I don’t think Claire will accept an invite from any of us to stay as our guest until she’s on her feet. We want her to know we’ve got her back. Kassie says the women have a plan. It scares me a little. What can we do to help her now?” Chase rubbed the scruff along his jaw as he thought out loud.

Matthew cleared his throat. “For starters, I’ll install a security system. We’ll send a feed here to keep an eye on her. Nothing invasive; all entry points, her office, entryway and back porch. I want a panic button in her office, bedroom, and living room. It might help her to feel safe knowing we’ll come at a moment’s notice.”

Leo nodded. “How long will it take for you to install?”

“It’ll take a few hours if I can borrow two of you,” he apprised the group.

“Taco and I will help,” Shadow offered.

“I’ll take Claire home,” Chase pitched in.

“Whiskey and I can change her locks. Who knows how many keys float out there? I’ll drop Grace off with Catherine. When does Kassie plan to initiate her plan? You can bet she enlisted all the women,” Leo surmised.

The men grunted around the table.

“Tess will bring lunch for all of us once she finishes at the community kitchen,” Taco volunteered.

“I’m sure Bryanna can bring some goodies. I’ll help Tess load the car and bring everything,” Saint contributed.

“What can I help with?” Ryder asked as the men stood as one to clear the table. They grinned at him as if they knew something he didn’t.

They worked as a well-synchronized team: one man cleared the table, one scraped dishes, another put everything away, and the other loaded the dishwasher and wiped the area down. He missed the camaraderie of belonging to a team. From the way this group worked, they were more than coworkers. They were brothers, something he missed more than anything.