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“You do?”
She nodded. “It's because of my dad, isn't it?"
"Your dad?" he repeated.
She opened her eyes. "He was in your position at one time. Negotiating and trying to be the bridge between both sides. You were afraid I'd get angry that you were getting close to me, only to feel that same risk of losing someone again to the Vultures. I promise, if you had just told me from the beginning. I wouldn’t have been so upset to find out from someone else."
Ryker squeezed her hand.
"You're right. I'm sorry for keeping it from you. After you told me about your father, I didn't know how to tell you about it."
She squeezed his hand back. “I…I want to believe you have good intentions. That you aren’t playing us all. Playing me. Please don’t prove me wrong.”
“I won’t. Trust me,” Ryker pleaded.
"I don’t want secrets between us. When it comes to both groups, I want us to be in this together," she murmured.
“Does Chance know you’re asking me this?”
She winced. “He doesn’t need to. I need to know that you’re safe and what is going on with the Vultures. If you know something about why they’re after me, you need to tell me. Besides, I'm supposed to pass along your new job, of sorts. You're going to continue your task with the Vultures and find out the best revenge Chance can do against their king. Once that is done, Chance will send a message that he isn't to be messed with."
Ryker snorted. “That’s not a very well-thought-out plan. You have no idea what I’m supposed to do to get the point across? This is what it all comes down to, for you? You realize we’re talking about another gang’s leader, right? Not just a school-yard bully?”
“I don’t know everything about the Vultures. I can’t come up with a good plan when you just admitted today that you’ve worked with them before,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“I just would like to know a specific plan before I stick my neck out and risk myself for a group of people that wouldn’t care if I lived or died,” Ryker snapped.
“Oh, so you wouldn’t risk yourself for the Cantil? For your family? Whose side are you on, anyway?” she snapped back.
“I don’t trust anyone. Both of them would rather let me get killed than protect me.”
“You don’t trust me?” Mykie asked, crossing her arms.
“I don't trust anyone who just wants to use me for their benefit. I’ve told you before that I am loyal to you, and that's the only reason I will go through with this plan. As long as you’re happy."
"I want justice and I want information. If you can help me get that, I'll be happy," she said firmly.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," Caspar said, looking frantic as he came up beside Ryker, "but people are getting rowdy about the time it takes to get their drinks. Is everything okay?"
"Caspar, this is Ryker Harper." Mykie gestured to the icy blond. "He's going to introduce me to his Vulture buddies and help show them that I won't take an attack on someone I want lightly. He’s also going to find the perpetrator who killed his father and their motive."
"Ren's brother?" Caspar asked, looking at him. “I think we met before, briefly.”
"I didn't agree to that," Ryker said in a stern tone, ignoring Caspar entirely. "I'll help, but I won't put you in unnecessary danger. I’m already looking into the incident with Earl, and why he was killed, so that will be no problem."
"That's not fair," Mykie griped.
"I'm really sorry, but can you talk about this later? When fewer people are threatening me over drinks?" Caspar asked.
Mykie agreed. “We’ll talk about this when things are less complicated.”
It was a few hours later, around midnight, that they all could sit down and have a break to talk. Caspar had chosen the booth that his friends and he usually chose and she obliged him. She sat across from him while Ryker, after finishing one last order, came to stand beside her side of the booth, deciding to stand instead of sitting.
"Your safety is more important to me. My father is dead, but I care more about you than I ever did for them. Can’t you understand that?" Ryker stressed.
“They are the same people who killed my parents and are after me now. I deserve to be involved in finding out why this is all happening now, years after my parents are dead.”
Ryker appeared conflicted. "I will help you on one condition, I want you to stick as close as possible to me at the funeral."
