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"I thought you quit smoking," she frowned.
Chance shrugged. "I found a reason to start up again. Now come on in, kiddies. We won't want to scare the neighbors by talking business on the porch."
He stood up from his seat and pushed the front door open. Caspar took a moment to get up the three steps, but he did well by himself. He entered the house first with Corbus following a few steps behind. She was going to go inside as well, but a strong hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"What's the brown-haired one doing here?" he asked.
"I told them. I trusted them with my secrets...but that may have backfired the next day?" She squeaked out.
"What do you mean, daughter-of-mine?" he said in a sickly-sweet voice.
"Renly hates me. He thinks I'm nothing but a cold-blooded, cruel murderer. That I just got close to him to hurt him," she said quietly, staring at her feet.
The hand on her shoulder tightened before it relaxed slightly. "That's his loss. He wouldn't have done well in our lifestyle, anyway. It's better that you realized this now instead of later."
"Ghost is his brother, and he doesn't have a problem with our lifestyle," she argued, turning around to face Chance.
Chance sighed, and his expression looked pained as he dropped his hand from her shoulder. "I thought I told you to stay away from him."
"Dexter said he's dangerous. I don't see where you're all getting that. How is he any more dangerous than you or I am?" Chance looked away, and she knew he wouldn't give up the answer easily. "Please, Dad. I have to know what's so bad about him."
"He's...He's emotionless," Chance said quietly, giving in. He pressed his lips together for a moment. "I've never seen him smile or laugh or cry. He is set on his assignment, and nothing can deter him until he gets the job done."
Mykie noticed that his hands tightened into fists, and he’d dropped the cigarette. "You're right, though. As my second, you have a right to know." He let out a deep breath and closed his eyes. "He's my doubt agent, that's why he's dangerous. I only trust him as far as I can throw him. He's infiltrated himself into the Vultures and brings me back what information he can."
To say she was shocked would be an understatement. Ryker was working with the Vultures…as a double agent. Did he know about the attacks on her? On his father? How couldn’t he have known? Unless he was like Adam, he was some lower-ranking member that didn’t get a lot of information. That was the only explanation she had that made sense. The only other explanation meant that he had lied to her, and that wasn’t something she wanted to think about.
She wouldn’t tell anyone if she was working both sides, either. That would put her at risk. Chance would never ask her to do that, though, due to her history with the Vultures.
Suddenly she thought of that night at La Noir where he was working as a bouncer. Was he there on assignment for Chance or the Vultures?
No. She needed to stop that line of thinking. She was going to let new information cloud her judgment toward Ryker. It wouldn’t be fair, after how many times he’s been there for her and believed her wholeheartedly.
“After what happened to Dad, how can you reasonably send someone close to them?” she murmured.
He put his cigarette out with his shoe. “He offered, and I couldn’t turn down the opportunity.”
“So, you’ve known the whole time that the Vultures wanted the Harper account, both of you? And you still let everything play out like it has?”
He shook his head. “I can’t predict the future. I would have never sent you if I knew how much the Vultures were set on keeping the Harpers. Ryker, as far as I know, never heard anything about it. He’s not stupid, though. He wouldn’t have survived this long if he didn’t know how to hold himself.”
He put his hands in his pockets as he looked her over.
"I'd be lying if I said that his sudden interest in you didn't scare me. He’s in a dangerous position; the Vultures are already too interested in you. But you’ve been looking much happier these days, and I want to believe that it’s his doing. I know you can tell for yourself what sort of people you want in your life by now, but I still see you as the little girl that didn't know what a period was."
"Chance!" Mykie hissed, hitting him in the arm. She looked over her shoulder into the house, embarrassed. She was glad the boys were far away and didn't hear his remark.
Chance laughed.
"You have to admit it was cute. You didn't have any girl friends to ask, so you can home and ask me what it was and why girls got it."
“Stop it, Chance.” She giggled and pushed him. “Seriously.”
“All right, all right.” He chuckled. “I’ll try not to embarrass you.”
She turned and walked inside the house, but not before checking her surroundings. She had the eery feeling that she was being watched again. Maybe it was the weird air of an on-coming storm that made her feel weird, as she thought she might have seen a flash of lightning earlier, as well.
She couldn’t believe that Chance would choose to sit out in the cold instead of smoking inside. It was obvious by the smell of the place—though the strong smell of air fresher seemed to try to cover it up—that he didn’t hold back from smoking inside.
