Claiming Felicity (Ace Security #4)(46)

“And what’s that?” Felicity asked quietly.

“Discretion,” Rex said. “I’ve only talked to Garrick once, in regard to a mission I was considering taking on. There was a rumored shipment of women from the Philippines that was supposed to arrive via truck in his area. I contacted him and strongly suggested that he might want to make sure it was diverted. I managed to convince him that if his goal was to be discreet, that wasn’t the way to do it, as I would make it my goal in life to bring down everything he’d worked so hard to build up.”

“Holy shit,” Felicity breathed. “What happened?”

“He gave me the particulars of that shipment and where my men could intercept it. We haven’t talked since, and I’ve left him alone. He knows where I stand on the subject of the abuse of women and children and hasn’t attempted to cross the line. As I said, he doesn’t want any attention brought to his little operation. He’s a big fish in his small pond of Chicago and has no ambition to expand . . . or get on my bad side.”

“So . . . Joseph Waters?” Ryder asked. “He’s in Castle Rock and gunning for Felicity.”

“Yeah. I’ll be having a word with his father,” Rex said in a deadly tone.

“That’s not good enough,” Ryder said hotly. He knew Felicity was looking at him with wide eyes, but he continued. “Talking to Daddy isn’t going to make his son back off. He’s obsessed. Dangerous.”

“I’ll excuse your tone this time, because I know you’re worried about your woman, but be careful, Ace,” Rex warned.

Ryder struggled to keep his temper in check. In all the years he’d been working for Mountain Mercenaries, he’d never spoken to his handler with the kind of disrespect he was showing right now. He took a deep breath. “My apologies, Rex.”

Not acknowledging his words, Rex simply said, “Do what you’ve been doing. Stay close to Felicity. Stay alert. Garrick isn’t going to be happy that he’s on my radar again. He’ll rein in his son.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Ryder asked.

“Then Garrick will find out what having me up in his business means. I’ll ruin him. He won’t have a penny to his name, and he’ll be run out of Chicago faster than you can snap your fingers.”

“Can he do that?” Felicity mouthed to Ryder.

He nodded. “You’ll let me know if you find out any updated information?” Ryder asked his handler.

“Of course. Felicity?” Rex asked.

“I’m here,” she said.

“I’m sorry for what you’ve been through over the last decade. No woman should feel so threatened that she has to leave everything she knows. I hate that you’ve been on your own for so long, but you aren’t anymore. Ace is a good man. He’ll keep you safe.”

“I know he’ll do everything he can,” she said quietly, not taking her gaze from the man at her side.

“I’ll be in touch,” Rex said, then the line went silent.

Ryder reached out and grabbed his phone, clicked it off, and stuck it back in his pocket.

“Now . . . how can we help you?” Gray asked Ryder. “What do you need from us?”

“Information,” he said immediately. “I’ve got Felicity covered. My brothers and her friend Cole are watching over her when I can’t. So far he’s only done little annoying shit. But I have a feeling he’s going to be pissed after talking with Daddy and will also likely get impatient that he’s not seeing the reaction from Felicity that he wants.”

“And what’s that?” Ro asked.

“Fear.”

Ball turned to Felicity. “You aren’t scared?”

“I’m terrified,” she returned immediately. “But I’m more pissed. I like Castle Rock. Love my friends, my godsons, my business. And I’m sick of running. So I’m gonna fight. If that bastard thinks I’m going to run again, he’s wrong.”

“You know, I’m cooler than Ace,” Meat said suggestively. “You could come over to my place and—”

Black shut up the other man with a smack to the back of his head. “Shut the fuck up, Meat.”

Felicity giggled.

Ryder sat back and watched his woman relax around his friends. He liked it. A lot.

His friends were all large men. Muscular. Fully capable of killing another human with their bare hands. But they were treating Felicity as if she was a little sister. For the most part, keeping their language clean, putting her at ease. He would miss them when he moved up to Castle Rock, but he knew without a doubt he and Felicity would be making many trips down to the Springs to hang out at The Pit and to catch up. He might be quitting the mercenary job, but if any of these men needed him, he’d be there for them in a heartbeat.

“You ready to go home?” Ryder asked Felicity during a lull in the conversation.

“You don’t want to play a game of pool?” she asked. “Hunter challenged you, you know.”

“I have better things to be doing up in Castle Rock than hanging out with my friends and beating their asses at pool.” Ryder watched as her pupils dilated at his words. He ignored the good-natured ribbing that floated around him. It was as if he and Felicity were the only two people in the world at the moment. He held his hand out to her, his palm up, eyebrows raised in challenge.