Playing Dirty (Risky Business, #2)(21)

“Stop it! Both of you!” I said, irritated. “Tonight has been a disaster from start to finish and the last thing I want to do is put up with you two in a pissing contest.” I turned to Ryker. “Go on and go. It’ll be thirty minutes out of your way to take me home and you said you had to get in to work.”

“You’re my responsibility,” he stubbornly persisted. “I’ll take you.”

My already frayed temper lit up. “I’m not anyone’s responsibility,” I retorted, slipping off his jacket. “Least of all yours.” I thrust his coat at him before spinning on my heel and stalking off. After a few steps, I stopped and glanced back. “Parker, you taking me home or what?” I could get a cab, but from here, the fare wouldn’t be cheap and it was much preferable to ride in the clean confines of Parker’s BMW.

Parker shot Ryker a look that may have been triumphant, but I didn’t care. Ryker had pushed me too far tonight and I wasn’t about to become the bone between two alpha dogs.

Nothing tonight had gone like I’d wanted it to and now it seemed like a huge mistake to be dating Ryker at all. He was a dangerous kind of guy, with honey-come-get-me looks and sharp edges all around. Were we one of those couples where the only place we really fit well together was in bed?

Parker and I didn’t say much until we were on the road, then I took the opportunity to quiz him about Leo. Parker had acted like he’d known who he was and I didn’t see a better chance to find out, especially since I had significant doubts that Ryker would be forthcoming with information.

“So you knew that guy?” I asked. “Leo Shea?”

Parker glanced at me, then back at the road. “Yeah. Supposedly, he runs a drug trafficking ring that helps get narcotics into Chicago and distributed. They arrested him a few years ago, but the case got thrown out on a technicality. It was a big deal at the time.”

I vaguely remembered something about it, but watching the news had never been one of my favorite pastimes.

“He called Ryker ‘McCrady,’ ” I said. “I kept waiting for Ryker to correct him, but he didn’t. Instead, Leo said something about how he thought Ryker was supposed to be dead.”

That earned a sharp look from Parker. “What happened?”

“I intervened because Leo said something about taking Ryker for ‘a ride.’ ”

Parker was silent for a few moments and I waited impatiently. “Well?” I said at last. “What do you think it means?”

His gaze was steady when he replied. “I think it means that Ryker has a past he hasn’t told you about. And I think it’s extremely unfortunate that Leo Shea knows you’re involved with a man he knows as McCrady.”

Yeah, that’s what I’d been afraid he’d say. “You think maybe Ryker worked undercover or something? And that’s why Shea knows him?” We’d both been thinking it. I just put it into words.

“Yes, I do.”

“I wonder if Ryker had anything to do with him getting arrested then,” I mused.

“Probably.”

We pulled into the lot of my building and while I’d expected Parker to drop me off, he parked instead.

“You don’t have to walk me up,” I said. “I’ll be fine.”

“I’m sure you will,” he said, beeping the car lock. “But just in case, I’ll make sure.”

My nerves were jangling as we went inside and waited for the elevator to take us up to my apartment on the third floor. At work, there was always something to talk about. Outside of work … all I could think about was how much we hadn’t discussed, like That Night (which was how I always thought of it inside my head).

“I didn’t realize you knew who my dad was,” I said.

“The firm does background checks on everyone,” he said with a shrug. “Since you were using your mother’s name, I assumed there was a reason and didn’t see the need to pry.”

The elevator dinged and we stepped inside. As usual, Parker looked impeccable even after a day of work. His tie wasn’t even loosened and the smooth wave of his hair fell over his brow in an almost seductive kind of way.

I realized I was staring and jerked my gaze from him to the elevator doors as the floors slid by. When my floor opened, I tried again.

“Thanks for bringing me home,” I said, stepping into the hallway ahead of him. But he just smiled in a benign sort of way and followed me.

“You’re welcome.”

I wanted to gnash my teeth in frustration and barely restrained myself from stomping to my apartment. I’d done a lot of work inside my head to get over my feelings for Parker, and being in close proximity to him outside of our usual environment and the rules that governed it wasn’t helping.

“So are Ryker and you having a … disagreement?” he asked, smoothly taking my keys out of my hand and unlocking my door. He stepped inside and I had no choice but to follow him.

“We probably shouldn’t discuss Ryker,” I said, tossing my purse down on the kitchen table. “Our relationship is between us.”

“Fair enough,” Parker said.

I stood in the middle of the kitchen, arms crossed. I didn’t want him there and wasn’t about to play hostess. However, it appeared I didn’t have to, since he went to my cabinet where I kept my glasses and liquor and proceeded to help himself.