Rescuing Ryder (Serenity Securities, Team Hawk #1)

Chapter 37

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

The police arrived to take the report. The team snapped pictures and asked Claire to list anything taken. She searched the rubble of her invaded home and discovered nothing missing. At 0200, Leo called it a night. The men cleaned up the broken glass and righted the furniture. They promised to help her sort through her belongings and discard the damaged items later in the morning.

Her heart felt heavy as Claire picked up her first-edition copies. It didn’t mean anything to most, but to her, they became the prize after a long search and the enjoyment of adding it to her ever-growing collection.

Ryder led her to her bedroom. The mattress was pulled back in place and fresh sheets adorned it. “You need to sleep,” he told her. “I’m staying the night. I don’t understand why you refused to stay on the mountain.”

“Because I worked hard and saved for this house. I’m not letting some jerk run me off. It’s my home and I’m staying,” she confessed wearily.

“What about the file on Kilner? Did you check to see if it’s still safe?”

Claire nodded. “Leo asked me to check. It’s still there. Do you think it’s related?”

“I’m not sure. I’m not allowing you to stay alone until we discover who did this,” Ryder informed her, determined.

“The team said they can watch the house. The police agreed to make extra patrols. It’s my fault I forgot to set the alarm,” Claire admitted. “Matthew checked the last time I used the code.”

Ryder stared at her. Claire didn’t make careless mistakes. She followed the rules and kept meticulous notes. Forgetting to set the alarm seemed like a stretch. The coincidence of a burglar knowing she forgot it felt even slimmer.

“I’ll sleep in the living room,” Ryder offered.

Claire mutely nodded. He didn’t understand her need to question her feelings and her involvement with him as a patient, no matter how short-lived.

She entered the bathroom and changed into the folded pajamas Ryder set on the sink. Pulling her hair into a messy bun on top of her head, Claire glanced in the mirror. Her eye lost the black and blue shades she sported over the last week. It felt puffy and it burned now and then, reminding her of Kilner. Claire hoped as it healed, the memory faded along with the damage. Now her nerves felt shot between Kilner, Ryder and the house. She sat on the toilet, aware Ryder refused to sleep until she lay in bed. Claire pulled the towel from the rack and muffled her cries, letting go of the fear, the worry, the confusion, and her feelings.

She didn’t feel like the professional woman who kept everything together. Claire noticed the disappointment on the team’s faces when Matthew confronted her about forgetting to arm the house. Then Ryder thought she went on some power trip about her position, and his switching physicians meant she didn’t get credit for rescuing him. He didn’t understand; he still missed the crucial part of his puzzle. And the rub was, Claire couldn’t tell him.

Ryder paced the hallway, waiting for Claire to exit the bathroom. She took longer than usual and considering the bags under her eyes, he thought she’d rush to crawl into bed.

Another five minutes went by, and the door remained closed. His jaw clenched and he stared at the barrier between them, willing her to open it.

Pressing his ear to the wood, Ryder listened for any movement or some sign she dressed. A dead silence came from the other side.

He slightly knocked and called through the door. “Claire? Do you need anything?” Ryder frowned when she didn’t respond. Turning the knob, he found Claire sunk to the floor, sobbing into a towel. It didn’t appear she even heard him.

“Hey.” Ryder rubbed her back soothingly. “You’ve experienced a long day. Things always appear darkest before dawn. Let’s get you into bed and things will feel brighter in the morning.”

“Will it? You believed me to feel cheated for not rescuing you. I’m more concerned about hurting you by making the wrong judgment call. You’re right. I think highly of myself and my career. Where did it get me? I showed up and argued a man deserved to stay in a mental institution because I felt he deserved it. He broke into my home and brutalized me and now he’s dead. Then, I forgot to set the alarm, and now someone wrecked my whole house.”

Ryder picked her up like a child under her arms and boosted her on his hips. Carrying her into the bedroom, he sat on the edge of the bed. Grabbing tissues, he held it as Claire blew her nose and he wiped away her tears.

“You hold yourself to a high standard and the patients you’ve treated benefited from it. A mental patient escaped an institution and went after one of the people he felt responsible for keeping him there because she spoke up for two women who didn’t have a voice. I know this feels like a far stretch, but believe it or not, you’re human and you forget things like the other mortals of this world.” Ryder soothed her.

Claire sniffed and smiled through her tears and reddened cheeks. Her damaged eye appeared even more bloodshot than it had earlier, and he worried she stressed herself beyond reason.

“Come on. You need some rest.” He coaxed her into bed and covered her. Switching off the light on the bedside table, he turned to leave. He made it to the entryway of her door when he heard her.

“Ryder?”

“Yes, Claire Bear?”

“Can you sleep in here with me tonight?” Claire’s voice sounded unsure and scared. “I don’t want to stay in here alone.”

“Sure, sweetheart. Give me a minute to change.” Ryder walked into the bathroom and came out wearing boxers. She lay stiffly on her side as he climbed into bed.

A few minutes went by, and he knew Claire fought sleep. Sighing, he rolled to his side and pulled her onto his chest. Her body instantly relaxed against him. Ryder kissed her head as he murmured, “Sleep, Claire Bear; I’ll chase the monsters away.”