Claiming Felicity (Ace Security #4)(70)

They walked behind Blake into the house. The second they stepped inside, they could hear Grace crying as if her entire world had fallen apart . . . which she supposed it had.

They quietly stepped into the large living area and saw Grace and Logan sitting on the floor in the middle of the room. It looked like Grace had collapsed when her husband had told her the bad news about her baby.

Bailey was standing off to the side, holding Ace, and Joel had his arms around his sister, holding on for all he was worth.

The second they stepped into view, Grace’s tearstained face turned to Felicity. “This is your fault. If it wasn’t for you, I’d still have my baby!”

Felicity gasped and brought a hand up to her chest. It felt as if her best friend had just stabbed her with a knife, her words hurt that much. The tears she’d been holding back, barely, gushed out of her eyes. She took a step backward, wanting to flee. Wanting to be anywhere but there.

But Ryder wouldn’t let go of her hand. Felicity reached down and tried to pry his fingers off hers, but he merely held on more firmly. “Oh my God, please, let me go,” she begged. She couldn’t handle this. It was her fault. If she’d fled when she’d planned, Nate would still be here. He’d be with his family.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it!”

Felicity looked up through her tears and saw Grace struggling to stand. She was staring at her and shaking her head.

“Leese. Please. I didn’t mean it. It’s not your fault. It’s not.”

This time when Felicity tugged at her hand, Ryder let go.

She stumbled a couple of steps toward Grace, and they fell into each other’s arms. Both sobbed hysterically.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Felicity sobbed.

“No, I’m sorry,” Grace returned, barely understandable through her gasps and tears. “I know it wasn’t your fault. It was his. No one else’s. You always told me not to apologize for stuff my parents did, so I’m telling you the same thing. Logan will find our son. I know it.”

Felicity felt a hand at her elbow steering her and Grace to the couch, but she didn’t lift her head from her best friend’s shoulder. She held on as tightly as possible. They collapsed on the cushions, still holding on to each other and crying.

Before long, she felt someone at her back. It was Bailey. The other woman wrapped her arms around both Felicity and Grace. Felicity looked up and saw Alexis sitting behind Grace with her arms around her as well. The four of them huddled on the couch for at least half an hour. Talking quietly between bouts of tears.

Nathan put together a light dinner, but no one other than Joel really felt like eating.

When it was dark outside, Ryder came up beside her and leaned in. “Time for bed, love.”

Felicity nodded. She hugged Grace and Bailey one more time, bid good night to the men, and followed behind Ryder, her hand held tightly in his. He led them upstairs to the room they’d been sleeping in since she got out of the hospital and shut the door quietly behind them. “Go on and get ready. I’ll change and do my thing when you’re done.”

Felicity nodded and went into the small attached bathroom.

When he came back out, Ryder was wearing a pair of boxers and was pacing the room. He kissed her on the forehead on his way past her to the restroom.

Felicity put on a black tank top and took off her jeans. She climbed under the quilt and waited.

She didn’t have long to wait. Ryder opened the bathroom door a minute later, stepped to the wall, and shut off the light, leaving the room in darkness. She heard him make his way around the bed and felt the mattress dip as he got in on the other side of her.

Then she was in his arms and could finally relax.

All day she’d been tense. She didn’t have any doubt that Ryder would keep Joseph from taking her, but it had still been a very stressful situation. Then when Grace had blamed her for Nate being kidnapped, she’d felt her heart stop beating. It had been so like her sensitive best friend to immediately recant her statement and be genuinely remorseful for uttering it in the first place.

She melted into Ryder’s arms. Burying her nose into the warm skin of his neck, she could feel the stubble of his beard against her cheek. Overwhelmed with sensations, the tears began to flow once more.

Ryder didn’t once tell her to shush. He simply held her tighter and let her cry.

When she was finally all cried out, Felicity sniffed. Hard.

Chuckling, Ryder leaned over and grabbed a tissue from the table next to his side of the bed. He handed it over without a word.

Not feeling embarrassed in the least, although she supposed she probably should be, Felicity dried her eyes and blew her nose. She chucked the used tissue toward the table on her side and snuggled back into Ryder without checking to make sure she’d made her target.

“Fuck,” Ryder said softly. “Am I glad to be here with you.”

Felicity nodded. “Me too.”

“I’m torn,” he continued. “I’m devastated for Logan and Grace. Pissed way the hell off at Garrick and even Rex for sending him to the meet in the first place. But relieved as fuck that you’re free.”

Felicity could only nod again. Yes. She was feeling all that and more. Picking up her head, she whispered, “I love you.”

“And I love you. So fucking much,” Ryder said. “I want to fuck the shit out of you to celebrate you finally being able to go where you want and do what you want, but unfortunately, this isn’t the time or place.”