Page 82 of Ryder’s Storm

A sheepish expression appeared on Ryder’s face. “I might have forgotten to mention that vampires have rather sensitive hearing.”

Scarlet felt heat rise into her cheeks.

Ryder turned his head toward the door. “What’s your problem, Grayson?”

“We got a message from Brandon King. He claims you abducted Scarlet. And he’ll have you arrested if you don’t bring her back.”

Scarlet almost choked on her next breath. “That’s… that’s…” She was speechless at her father’s outrageous claim.

“Give us a few minutes,” Ryder said and swung his legs out of bed. “We’ll be right out.”

Scarlet’s head was spinning, fury and disbelief colliding inside her. “He can’t do that! I’m an adult. He can’t just…”

“We’ll handle it. I promise.”

Ryder pressed a kiss to her forehead and led her into the bathroom.

38

When Ryder and Scarlet left Blake’s office a few minutes later, showered and dressed, Grayson was waiting impatiently in the hallway.

“Finally!” Grayson groused. He motioned them to follow him.

“What exactly did my father say?” Scarlet asked.

“I don’t know. I didn’t speak to him.”

Realizing that Grayson was leading them toward Samson’s office, Ryder asked, “He spoke to Samson?”

“My father is at the theater with Mom. King couldn’t reach him, so the call went to Amaury instead.” Grayson stopped in front of Amaury’s office door, and knocked.

The door was ripped open, and Amaury, a huge, linebacker-sized vampire appeared in the door. “What the fuck took you so long?” Then his eyes fell on Scarlet. “I’m assuming you’re Scarlet King.”

“Yes, I’m…” Scarlet started, but her words died.

Amaury inhaled and shifted his gaze to Ryder. “You didn’t need to shower on my account. I can still smell you on her. What the fuck is going on here?”

He ushered them inside with a quick hand movement, but when Grayson tried to follow, Amaury stopped him. “You, get out!”

It looked like Grayson wanted to say something—if Ryder had to guess something along the lines of the fact that Grayson was the boss’s son—but he didn’t and left, pulling the door shut behind him.

“Mr. Amaury, I don’t know why my father is doing this…”

“It’s just Amaury,” he ground out. “And Ryder knows full well that we have rules here, and—”

Before Ryder could launch into an explanation, he heard a familiar female voice coming from the seating area.

“Baby, calm down,” Nina, a beautiful blonde with a pixie haircut said as she rose from the couch, arranging her top, which looked a little crumpled. “You were reckless once too.”

Ryder’s gaze instinctively went to Nina’s cleavage. Was there a drop of blood seeping through her top? It appeared that Amaury had just been feeding from his mate, and by the looks of it not from her neck, but her breasts.

“Guess King’s call interrupted your dinner,” Ryder said, not afraid of Amaury in the slightest. He was putty in Nina’s hands. She would rein him in if need be.

“Watch what you say, Ryder,” Amaury warned.

“Scarlet knows,” Ryder said.

“Knows what?”