Ryker (Hope City Book 5) Read online

  “Copy. Night.” He ended the call and sighed. Hughes was a damn good cop, and he’d make a fantastic colonel. Unfortunately, Fenton was a weasel and it would take a stick of dynamite and a crowbar to remove the guy from his current position. So, the rest of the organization suffered while the man acted like a tyrant. Thank God the Commissioner and just about everyone else was onto the asshole’s games. He thumbed his contacts and found the number for the Deputy Commissioner. The call lasted two minutes, but it was two minutes well spent. If Fenton could spin tonight’s events to cast a shadow on Ryker or his team, he would. Letting the Deputy Commissioner know what had transpired before Fenton could throw it in his face took a ton of pressure off his shoulders.

  He drove up to his small Craftsman, turned in the driveway, and parked beside the old SUV. Letting himself inside, he locked the door behind him, stripped away the foul-smelling clothes, and put them directly into the washing machine. Quickly loaded with soap and two caps full of those good-smelling beads, he prayed the stench of the fire would come out on the first wash. He liked those jeans, and the t-shirt had been a gift.

  The selector button slid to heavy wash with a flick of his thumb and he depressed the button, starting the machine. With a soft click, he shut the laundry room door behind him and padded straight into the bathroom. His little house had two bedrooms and one bathroom. It was functional and worked for him. Small enough to keep clean and big enough to have everything he needed. He showered quickly, scrubbing hard to get the smell of smoke off his body. Unfortunately, the stench seemed to be pasted inside his nose. He gave up after the third round of suds and shampoo.

  Drying off first, he brushed his teeth and headed to bed. He slid in between the sheets and gathered the warm, soft body sleeping on his pillow closer.

  Brianna King sighed and then purred as she cuddled next to him. “Back from work?”

  Her soft question tugged up the corners of his mouth. “I am.”

  “Are you okay?” Her hand skimmed upward and landed against his pec, over his heart.

  “I’m okay. Go back to sleep.”

  She hummed. “What time is it?”

  “After four, I guess.”

  “What time do you have to be at work?” She leaned away. Her beautiful blue eyes, heavy with sleep, stared up at him.

  “When I get there.” He turned on his side so they were face to face.

  Her fingertips trailed over his chest. “So, you could sleep in with me?”

  “I could.” A smile formed on his lips as she leaned in and kissed his chest before she slipped further, trailing her lips across his abs and still down further. He rolled onto his back and moved his legs apart, giving her room. His hands found purchase in her long dark brown curls and held on gently as she circled the head of his cock with her tongue. Her hands cupped his balls, and she sucked him into her mouth. Fuck, the woman somehow knew what he needed. She hummed around his cock, wetting it before she took him farther into her throat.

  “God, babe.” He strained against the need building inside him. She was fucking talented. Her tongue worked his shaft and the suction, oh, damn, the suction and fondling of his balls had him pegged in no time. She pushed down; the head of his cock slid into her throat. She gagged but repeated the move again and again. The tight grip of her throat and warmth of her mouth were too much. He tugged her hair, letting her know he was close. She moaned and once again impaled herself on his cock, taking him to the back of her throat.

  He curled up as he came. His fist tightened in her hair, and his cock flooded her mouth with his release. Her tongue lapped and swirled as she drank down all he gave her. He flopped back onto the bed and shivered when her tongue danced over his spent cock. Hypersensitive, he hissed. She pulled off and crawled up his body before she laid on top of him. “Welcome home.”

  “Damn, I’ll ensure I get called out every night.” He pushed her curls away from her face and brought her down for a kiss. “I’ll return the favor. Just give me a minute to catch my breath.”

  “No need. You took excellent care of me earlier.” She dropped to his side and tugged up the blanket which had slipped to his knees. “Any of your people hurt?”

  He shook his head. “No. Although, I spoke with Brody and Brock.”

  “Mood gone.” She groaned and flopped onto her back. “How did I let myself fall for the JDET Captain?”

  “Well, to start with, I didn’t tell you what organization I was with, just that I worked in Public Relations. I wasn’t the commander of JDET... because of the circumstances.”

  She snapped her head back toward him. “Yeah, that’s right. It’s your fault. No, wait, it’s that asshole Fenton’s fault.”

  He laughed and brought her closer. “That’s right, you can blame it all on him.”

  “Damn straight.” She swirled her finger across the hair on his chest. “Mom is still angling to meet you. I keep putting her off. Thank God she has Gage to keep her occupied.”

  “I have no problem meeting your parents.” He ran his hands through her hair. His eyes closed as he held her, and he yawned until his body shook. God, he wasn’t twenty-something any longer. He needed to get some sleep at night. Working through the night didn’t used to be a problem. Now? Well, he was keeping late nights waiting for Brie to close the restaurant and make it to his house. He’d happily drink more coffee to stay awake during the day so he could spend his nights making Brianna happy.

  “See, you really don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. My brothers are horrid. You don’t know them away from the job. My dad isn’t much better, especially when he gets with Colm.”

  He had to think for a moment and then remembered. “The neighbor.”

  “Closer than neighbors. The McBrides are family.”

  “I can handle it.” He yawned again.

  “See, that’s just it. I don’t want you to have to handle it. Why couldn’t I have a normal family?”

  He chuckled and moved, situating her on his bicep and getting comfortable. “You have a normal family. A regular Norman Rockwell painting.”

  “What about me meeting your family?” She snuggled closer and slid her leg across his. He loved the way she wrapped around him.

  “Not the same as your family. No Christmas card moments there, but I’ll introduce you to them if you’d like.”

  “Maybe we should just be happy with each other for a while longer first?” She placed a kiss on his chest, and he smiled with his eyes closed.

  “Whenever you want, babe. Until then, my lips remain sealed.” He drew a deep breath and let it go slowly.

  “Thank you,” Her whispered words against his chest were the last thing he heard before he drifted to sleep.

  Chapter 2

  Brianna drove down Jefferson and frowned. A police car was double-parked in front of her restaurant. No... they were in front of the small shop next door. She slowed to a crawl and craned her neck to see what was happening. Mrs. Paradelle was motioning to the broken storefront window. Ouch. That would cost a pretty penny to replace, especially if Mrs. P. didn't carry good insurance.

  She sped up and went around the block, turning into the alley behind the restaurant. There were four parking spaces reserved in the rear for her restaurant. One for her, one for the front of house manager, one for the chef, and one for deliveries. Her staff parked farther down in the large parking lot at the end of the block. She paid their parking fees as part of their compensation package. Small things made a big difference to her staff, and she hadn't lost an employee in two years. They were happy, she made a decent income, so it was a win-win for everyone.

  She drove her old SUV into her slot, locked it, and headed into her pride and joy. Horizon. The establishment she'd turned around—with a little help from her cousin, Justin. The man had a Midas touch, and when the restaurant came onto the market, she’d asked for his advice. He was so generous that he and his wife Dani flew in from New York and did a walkthrough of the property. He rattled off count
less suggestions, and Dani had done a survey on the location, deeming it in a great central placement with future growth potential. With solid advice from Justin and Dani King, she purchased the place and slowly implemented the changes he'd recommended. Mortgaged to the moon, turning a real profit had taken years, and because she'd invested her profits without paying herself as much as she paid the chef or the manager of the front of the house, she'd lived frugally.

  She unlocked the back door and let herself in, turning off the alarm after she locked herself inside the building. Her office was off the kitchen, away from the public spaces. She flipped on the light to her tiny space and turned on her computer. She'd already dropped the cash deposit from last night in the nighttime drop box for her bank on her way to Ryker's, but she still needed to do her accounting, go through the orders, and pay vendors. There was always something to do.

  The restaurant came to life shortly after she entered her office. She could hear the kitchen staff laughing and the clang and clink of pots, pans, and utensils being used. Garlic and onion and the smell of roasting beef reminded her tonight's special was prime rib. She needed to tell the chef to save her two servings. They usually sold out before the restaurant closed. Ryker loved it, and they'd had several late, late dinners at his house or hers. Her phone rang, and she glanced at the face before rolling her eyes. Her mom. She picked it up and put it on speaker. “Hi, Momma. I'm not late calling, I told you I was calling at ten.” She glanced at the clock. She still had twenty minutes.

  “I know, but I need to pop over to Gage's school. This week is the big book fair, and I volunteered to work it. I wasn't sure if I'd told you. I didn't want you to think I'd ducked your call.” Hannah King laughed.

  The lighthearted sound made her smile. “You forgot, but it's not a problem. Why don't we do lunch next week after the book fair is done? We can visit and catch up.”

  Hannah squeaked, “On clam chowder day?”

  She laughed at her mom. “Yes, and bring Sharon with you. Chef has a recipe for sourdough bread that is fabulous with a salted herb butter he's created. It is divine.”

  “That sounds wonderful. I want to hear all the details about your new beau. I know you wanted time to spend with him, but it's been a long time. Perhaps we can schedule a dinner at the house?”

  “Mom, this is the first genuine relationship I've had. I like this guy and I don't want the boys pulling their puffed-up caveman routine. And Daddy... he will grill him.”

  “Your father has grilled none of your boyfriends.” Hannah tsked and continued. “I can talk to the boys. They'll behave.”

  “Maybe we can talk about scheduling a dinner next week at lunch?”

  “That wasn't a no.” Her mother pointed the obvious out.

  “To be honest, Mom, he's said he doesn't have a problem meeting you. It's me. I don't want to jinx this.”

  “Brianna Marie King, your family is not a jinx!”

  “No, I didn't mean it that way. I am just afraid of pushing it too fast, of doing something that will break this wonderful bubble we have surrounding this relationship. He's so good to me, Mom. I'm terrified of screwing it up.” She stared at her desk blotter, not really seeing it.

  “Honey, if this man is right for you, having him meet us will not screw it up. If your brothers trying to protect you chases him away, maybe he's not strong enough to be there for you.”

  “Mom, the boys would never run him off, it's the fact that they'll be assholes on purpose.”

  “Language.”

  She rolled her eyes at her mother's caution. “Mom, he's an amazing man.”

  “Then let us meet him, honey. I promise to put the boys on notice.”

  “And the McBrides, too.”

  “I'll talk to Sharon. We still can snatch those young men by the ear and twist if we need to do it.”

  She chuckled at the thought of her mom grabbing Brock or Brody's ear. Blayze—that she could picture. “Okay, we'll set a date next week at lunch.”

  “That sounds perfect.” Hannah sighed. “Brie, honey, I'm so happy we've gotten closer and can visit about things like this.”

  She closed her eyes and smiled. “We were close before, Mom, but you were pushing so hard to find me someone, I'll admit I was trying to avoid all contact. It wasn't exactly comfortable.”

  “I know. I promised myself I'd try to do better.” Hannah laughed. “No more helicopter mom.”

  “Hover Mother.” Brie laughed at Hannah's sound of derision.

  “I've got to run. Have a wonderful day.”

  “Thanks, Mom. Have fun at the book fair.”

  She disconnected the call and leaned back in her chair, a faint smile lingering on her face. “Hey, Boss. Did you hear what happened to Mrs. P.'s place?” Lola, her hostess and front of house manager, stood at her door.

  Brie shook her head. “No, when I came to work this morning, I saw a patrol car there, but I didn't stop.”

  “Mrs. P. was outside sweeping up when I walked by. Some asshole threw a brick through her plate-glass window.”

  “Why would anyone do that? It's a small travel agency. Someone mad at a bad cruise booking?”

  “No. She's really upset though.” Lola leaned against the door frame. “Scary.”

  “That's so sad. Hey, put a to-go order in for her and have someone take it to her before we open.”

  Lola smiled. “I figured you'd want to do that. I already talked to the chef. If you didn't mention it, I would pick up the tab.”

  “Nonsense. We take care of our neighbors. Oh, speaking of which, if Councilman Davis comes in, let me know.”

  Lola nodded. “Sure will. Are they still stalling the ordinance change?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. I gave them the petition with the signatures, we've done the yearly cost breakout for the delivery, even gotten insurance quotes and told them we would not hold the city responsible, would fund the program, and would sign waivers, but somehow it keeps getting pushed to the side for more urgent business. I hate wasting food.”

  “I'll keep my eyes open.” She glanced at her watch. “I better get up to the front, we open in twenty minutes. Oh, Jeremy is running late. His babysitter called in sick, so he's scrambling to find someone.”

  “Do we have enough servers without him?”

  Lola shrugged. “We could get by if need be, and I could bus when I don't have to work the stand.”

  “No, I'll bus the tables. Move Parker to cover Jeremy's tables, he's done it a couple times, and although he doesn't like it, he's competent. Tell Mark I need him to keep the front of the house running and you need to stay at the hostess station. Also, please call Jeremy and tell him he's got the day off with pay. Hopefully, he'll be able to find alternate care if the sitter is out longer than today.”

  Lola blinked and then shook her head. “You know, I don't think another boss in the city would bus tables for one of their servers, let alone give them the day off with pay.”

  Brianna frowned. “I'm sure there are many who would do the same thing.”

  “Boss, nobody has a heart as big as yours. We know we have it good here, and you got to know we are proud of what this place has become.”

  “It has been a team effort, that's for sure. Lord knows I didn't do this by myself.” Brianna stood and stretched. “I’m going to change my shoes. I have a pair of flats in my SUV. Change the schedule and call Jeremy for me, okay?”

  “Got it.”

  She grabbed her keys and made her way through the kitchen. She snatched a baby carrot from Carol's cutting board. Carol's eyes got huge, and she spun. “Chef, Brianna's pinching food again.”

  She heard her chef's booming laugh throughout the kitchen. “She bought the food, she can eat it.” Chef Roger Plummer turned away from the massive stovetop. “But not all of it, some goes to the customers.”

  Brianna stuck her tongue out at Carol. The woman laughed so hard she snorted and that set off the rest of the kitchen. Carol's laugh was contagious. Brie ate half of the
baby carrot before she headed to the back door. She shoved the rest of the carrot in her mouth and concentrated on getting the key for her old SUV untangled from the keys for the restaurant. She managed it and popped the back door open. It only took a moment to grab the shoes and shut the door.

  “You know who owns this place?”

  Spinning, she gasped and backed up, slamming into the side of her SUV. “My God, you scared me.”

  An ugly smile spread across the man's face. His teeth were rotted and grey, which matched the pallor of his skin. Thick, ratty blonde hair fell in a snarl over his brow. He stepped closer, and another man stepped into view from the other side of her SUV.

  “I asked you a question. You know who owns this place?”

  The man's breath made her cringe and turn her head. “It would be best if you left now.” Brianna nodded to the back door. “If I don't go back in there in the next minute, they'll come looking for me.”

  “That so?” He stepped closer and sneered.

  Brianna straightened to her full height, realizing that the man was shorter than she was. With her shoes held to her chest, she stepped forward. The man's eyes widened for a moment, taken aback. “Why do you want to know?”

  The other man moved closer. The talker, emboldened by his backup, smiled.

  “Hey Brie, phone call for you.” Lola stood at the top of the stairs, the door held open. “You okay?”

  “Ah, yeah. I'm fine.”

  The men drifted away from her and headed down the alley. Brie drew a deep breath. What a weird experience. She headed to where Lola waited. “Could you take a message? I need to use the bathroom and change.” She held up her shoes and headed up the stairs.

  “Sure, but it's Sexy Voice.” Lola waggled her eyes.

  Ryker. She chuckled and nodded. “Okay, yeah, I'll pick up in my office.” She darted through the kitchen, barely cognizant of the people or the controlled chaos of lunch service prep. She closed her office door and drew a deep breath, and then another. She sat down and glanced at the phone, picking up the line Ryker used when she didn't answer her cell.