Among the Echoes (Wrecked and Ruined #2.5)(10)

"Riley," she says flatly.

"Nice to meet you, Riley."

She finally offers me a weak smile that never even gets close to her eyes.

"Oh, let’s not forget this." I pick up the gun she came in with and pass it back to her. I immediately regret returning it. This woman is a mess right now. Arming her doesn’t seem like the brightest of ideas. "Do you even know how to use that?"

"Yeah, I do. But I hate it." She reaches forward, taking it from my hands. She doesn’t grasp it. Instead, she holds it flat on her palms as if it were a ticking time bomb ready to explode.

My lips twitch, and I force myself to turn away to hide the smile.

"Come on." I walk to the front door, pulling it open for her to lead the way, but she stands silently, waiting for me to exit first. I take the five steps to her door as she follows closely behind me.

She never touches me, although for some strange reason, I can’t say that I would mind if she did.





"You want me to look around?" Adam asks when we reach my door.

My heart sinks, unsure of the correct answer. Do I want him to look around? I’m still not completely convinced that this guy isn’t dangerous. Yet there was something in his expression when he told me that he wouldn’t hurt me that made me believe him. It was something deeper than just a superficial lie. I would recognize one of those; I tell them all the time. Honestly, what choice do I have right now? He’s had two opportunities to kill me if he wanted to. Both he let pass him by. He is either a normal guy or the world’s worst hit man.

"Uh, yeah, that would be great," I answer.

"Just stay here." He looks down at my hands and the way I’m holding the gun. "And give me that. You look like you’re serving up drinks."

I snap my head up, startled by his sudden attitude, but when my eyes meet his, he’s smiling. His expression slightly falters when his eyes lock on mine.

He gently shakes his head, seemingly trying to clear his mind. "Yeah. So, I’ll just have a look around."

"Can I get my phone out of my room? I really need to make a phone call."

"Let me just have a look around real quick."

I stand in the freezing cold while a stranger searches my apartment—a scenario that, only a few hours ago, would have thrown me into a tailspin. But as Adam’s massive body confidently walks around, checking every room for any possible sign of trouble, an unusual feeling washes over me. A feeling only one man gives me.

I snatch my phone off the nightstand and dial Dave’s number. It goes straight to his voicemail and my stomach drops. He never turns his phone off. I’m not even sure I knew that Dave had a voicemail. If I call, he answers. Plain and simple. A million different possibilities race through my mind. None of which have a positive ending.

"Hey, are you okay?" Adam walks over, and only then do I realize that I’m staring at my phone with tears running down my face.

"Yeah. This whole thing just scared me. That’s all," I skillfully lie.

"Well, I think it’s just your window. Everything else looks fine. I’ve got some tape at my place. I’ll grab it and patch that window so you don’t freeze tonight."

"You don’t have to do that. I’ll figure it—"

"I’ll be right back. Put this away." He hands the gun back to me. "Preferably somewhere locked up—where you can’t reach it. I saw the way you held that thing. I think the entire city would be safer tonight if you just threw it in the river," he teases, and I can’t stop my lips from tipping into a small smile too.

For the next few minutes, Adam uses cardboard and tape to patch up my window. It will need to be fixed soon, but I’ll have to wait for Dave to get back. Where the hell is he? I repeatedly call his phone, desperate to hear his voice. But every time, it goes straight to voicemail—skyrocketing my already climbing anxiety.

"Do you have a broom?" Adam asks, surprising me.

I suck in startled breath and jump back. My foot catches on the edge of the bed and I slip, landing less than gracefully on my butt. "Shit!"

"Shit!" he echoes behind me as he rushes over. "Are you okay? I didn’t mean to scare you."

"Jesus, I’m making a real ass of myself tonight."

"No you’re not," he says with a smirk that tells me otherwise. "So. Broom?"

"Please, you’ve done more than enough. Don’t worry about it. I can clean up the glass."

"Well, yeah, the glass too, but I was going to clean up your eggs."

"What?" I ask, confused.

"I’m not sure what you have against eggs, but you have single-handedly killed two dozen today. I’m guessing you trampled them on your way over to my place."

"Damn. I didn’t even see them.

"It’s okay. Nothing a broom and dustpan can’t fix." He smiles again, and for the first time since I laid eyes on Adam, I really see him.

He’s a good-looking man. I noticed that he was tall and muscular right off the bat. But as I look up at him now, I see the whole mouthwatering package. His hair is clipped short, the front just long enough to allow him to style it. His eyes are an unusual combination of brown and green, making them appear almost golden. They’re undeniably beautiful. His nose is slightly crooked, but it doesn’t distract from his good looks. His smile is wide, but still timid. It’s as if he knows what a wreck I am and he’s trying to walk on figurative—and apparently literal—eggshells around me. His white teeth are not perfectly cookie-cutter straight. It’s obvious that he did not have the torture of years of orthodontics like I did. But these slight imperfections just make him look sexy and rugged. He must catch me staring because his confident smile fades as he quickly looks away.