Villain by Jackie Wang

Author:Jackie Wang [Wang, Jackie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jackie Wang

29

Cally

I stared down at Ryder’s contact info until the letters and numbers blurred together. It was almost three in the morning, but I couldn’t sleep. I was shocked, if not mildly traumatized, by all the events of the previous evening and all the new information I learned both about my father and my ex. The only one who knew what I was going through was Ryder. Ryder wanted me to need him. He needed my help to get to my dad, and he would’ve done anything to lure me back into his trap. I had no reason to believe that Anthony was part of the Russian mafia. Especially since the man who told me this information was also my enemy. Of sorts anyway.

I had no idea what to make of my relationship with Ryder. It wasn’t a relationship at all. He needed something from me, and I wasn’t about to help him unless he could offer me something in return. By the looks of him last night, he was willing to help me solve my stalker problem in exchange for me helping him with his problem. It wasn’t exactly an equal trade. What he was asking of me was unheard of. Ridiculous. If I had never seen that photo, I would’ve labeled him a psycho and sent him packing.

The crux of it all was the goddamn photo. What had Dad done to Orielle, if anything? What had he been involved in? I wanted to find out just as much as Ryder did. My curiosity ran too deep to be curbed now. It’d been years and years since I last saw Ori, but I knew I hadn’t been crazy when I saw her face. We’d been childhood friends. But that had been a long time ago. Why did I still care? And now Dad had his guard up and he wouldn’t trust me anymore, especially since he learned that I helped Ryder.

Maybe I did need Ryder’s protection. At least knowing that I had him around made me feel a bit safer. His broad, muscular shoulders and toned physique, along with his impressive stature, could intimidate almost anyone. Ryder was probably the last person in the world I should’ve sought protection from. Yet, somehow, knowing I had something he wanted from me made me certain he’d protect me against Anthony. I had no idea how dangerous Anthony was, but I definitely wouldn’t be the first person to get murdered by a jealous ex turned stalker. So many facets came into play, each an overwhelming hurdle that could play out in a million different ways.

My thumb hovered over the call button, then slid down the side of the phone. I’d call him later. After I had a good night’s rest. Maybe with a clear head, I’d change my mind.

Try as I might, sleep wouldn’t come, and I ended up getting out of bed at 4:45 a.m. and going for a quick jog. It was foolish, almost insane, to go jogging after everything that had happened the night before, but I was sick of feeling like a caged animal in my penthouse.

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