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“It’s where the Vultures meet. Completely confidential, like the Snake Pit,” Ryker explained. He coughed again, and it sounded painful.
Mykie sighed. “You sound more hurt than you’re saying. If you don’t want to tell me, fine. I’ll see you tomorrow and I’ll be able to judge for myself.”
“It’ll start at nine. Will you be ready?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” she murmured.
“Everything will work out,” he said softly.
Mykie laid down on her side and pressed the phone to her ear. “You’re too optimistic. It sounds like you’re actually happy to go to the funeral.”
“I’m happy to spend time with you, that’s all. If seeing you on my arm ruffles Renly’s feathers in the process, that’s an added bonus.”
“You’re horrible to your brother,” Mykie chided.
“He’s much worse with me. He’s everybody’s favorite and took the opportunity to convince them I’m the devil.”
“You’re no more the devil than I am,” she jested.
“I don’t know. I’m sure if you ask your boys, you’re a little evil when you want to be. I hope I wasn’t too harsh with the one today.”
“No,” she said. “But you need to stop looking at yourself as separate from them. I love you, and I love Caspar. I’m starting to fall for the others, too, so I hope you know that you have to share me.”
“I do, Mykie. I just don’t like the idea of you getting hurt because they’re unable to handle you. I haven’t had a reason to trust any of them with your safety.”
She heard movement on the other side of the phone.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Getting dressed for bed. I was going to let you sleep, unless you have something else you’d like to say?”
“I have a question, actually. Do you know Blaine Holland? Is he a Vulture?”
Ryker was quiet for a moment. So quiet that she almost thought to check the phone to see if the call dropped. Just when she was going to pull the phone away from her ear to look, Ryker spoke.
“He’s someone I’ve noticed. I believe he’s new; hasn’t earned his wings, yet. He doesn’t talk to many people. I don’t know where his loyalties lie.”
She sat up straighter. “Can you find out?”
She heard his low chuckle, and it sent a shiver down her back. “You really like to get yourself into troubling situations. Snakes, mice, and birds? Are you trying to create a zoo?”
Mykie frowned. “I’m not interested in him further than his involvement with the Vultures. Nothing more.”
“You don’t have to convince me, Princess,” Ryker said, but she could hear the humor in his voice.
“Seriously. He’s nothing but a pain in my ass and always in my way.”
“Sounds like the other Vulture you described. Has he hurt you?”
“No. He’s actually been helpful on some occasions,” she said, thinking of him at the mall.
“Doesn’t mean he isn’t a threat to you. I’ll look into him and see what I can find.”
She explained to him again what Zack had said to her in the diner after he murdered Earl.
She could hear in his voice that he was lost in thought. “I won’t know anything until I can find out more. Zack is ruthless and unpredictable, so I don’t know why his tactics have changed from actively interacting with you to simply stalking. There must be more to things than we both know right now.”
“We’ll find out tomorrow. Together,” she said. “Goodnight, Ryker.”
