Ricochet (Renegades #3)(2)
Author: Skye Jordan

“She does. She asked me to call you and see if you’d come home.”

Bitter betrayal welled in Rachel’s belly and rose to tighten her chest. She picked up the fan on the floor at her feet and held it in front of her neck. “Then why didn’t she call me herself?”

“You don’t answer her calls.”

God, she didn’t have the patience for this. “If I don’t answer her calls, what makes either of you think I’ll drive three hours to see her?” She set the fan on her blotter. “I’ve got to go, Mom. I’m in the middle of a hundred things—”

“Rachel,” her mother pleaded. “She wants to talk.”

“Good for her. She can talk all she wants, just not to me, because I don’t want to hear her. And I sure as hell don’t want to see her.”

“Honey, it’s been six months—”

“So what does that mean? That I should be over it? That I should just forget? Go on like nothing ever happened?”

“No, of course not. But she’s reaching out—”

“Look.” Rachel cut her mother off with a stern tone, then took a deep breath. “I know this is hard on you and Dad.” She pressed her fingers against closed eyes. “I wish Nicole had made different choices. Wish she’d put someone else’s feelings before her own for once. But she didn’t. She never has. And honestly, I don’t think she’s even capable.”

A familiar impasse settled between her and her mother, and silence filled the line. Rachel’s heart felt heavy, which only stirred a deeper anger toward her gorgeous, selfish younger sister.

“I’m sorry, Mom, but this time, I’m not willing to just forgive and forget.” She stood and looked at the mess she’d made of her desk. “I’ll call you later. Love you.”

Rachel disconnected and squeezed her cell until her palm stung, which kept her from hurling the phone across the trailer.

Footsteps pounded up the stairs. “Got the harness?”

Jax filled the doorway in all his six-foot-two, muscle-bound, ex-movie-star glory. The edges of his dark hair stuck to his sweaty, dirt-streaked face. His jeans were covered in dust, his T-shirt ripped at the hem.

“I’m still sorting them out.” She moved around her desk again. “The guys just told me you needed it, and Keaton is a damn slob with the harnesses. Wait till you see that nightmare.”

“I can hear you…” drifted over the Bluetooth.

She reached for the thumb-size device, said, “Not anymore,” and powered the receiver off.

“I’ll make you a deal,” Jax said, grinning. “I’ll tackle the harness mess if you make a pickup run to the airport.”

Rachel slumped and leaned her ass against her desk. She glanced at the clock on the wall behind Jax. “LAX at rush hour on a Friday.” She crossed her arms. “You really hate me, don’t you?”

“Sorry, honey. It’s Ryker. The airline has changed his flight three times, and he just called to let me know he’s coming in today instead of tomorrow morning. This shoot is going to run late tonight, so I got him a room at the Crowne. All you have to do is drop him off.”

Ryker. His name brought fluttering memories of the flirty, snarky conversation they’d had over the phone a little over a week ago. If she had to battle the 405 parking lot, she couldn’t think of a more interesting pickup. She been wondering if he was as sexy as his voice, but…

“If he’s just going to the Crowne, why am I picking him up? Why can’t he just catch the shuttle like everyone else? It runs between the Crowne and the airport every fifteen minutes.”

“I need you to bring him the bridge plans so he can look them over tonight. We’re closing in on a real time crunch here. “Have you heard from Townsend today?”

Rachel winced internally as she rounded the desk, picked up her purse, fished out her keys, and lifted the strap over her shoulder. She didn’t know what she’d do if the contracting blaster wasn’t able to fit this bridge explosion into his schedule.

“Not yet, but he usually calls late, after he gets off the jobsite.” She picked up a roll of plans from a shelf near the door. “You know I’m going to be a mad woman by the time I get to the airport, right?”

His mouth curved into the cute grin that drove his girlfriend, Lexi, crazy. “More than usual?”

She pushed off the desk with a smirk, and started toward the door.

“Ryker’s coming in on American. Terminal four.”

“How will I know him?”

Jax shrugged. “I’ve never met him. I’ll ask Troy and let you know.”

“If he suggests I stand at baggage claim with a sign that reads ‘Ryker,’ slap him for me. And have Troy send me the guy’s flight information too, please.”

God, she was so not looking forward to the stop-and-go, the cutting in, the blaring horns…

At the door, she paused an poked Jax’s rigid shoulder with her index finger. “You. Owe. Me. Big-time.”

2

Ryker paced the sidewalk in front of terminal four at LAX and looked at his watch again. It was after seven p.m., and he’d been waiting for someone from Renegades to pick him up for two hours.

He was hot. He was tired. And he was damn sick of the noise and chaos throughout the terminal.

God he hated LA.

He pulled his phone from the pocket of his pants and hit Redial. The call rolled into voice mail. “Dammit.”

Ryker clenched his teeth as he waited to leave yet another message, and stuffed his cell away. He had to accept the fact that he was on his own tonight. He clasped his hands behind his head and paced at the curb. Grab a taxi, find a hotel, get something to eat… What a pain in the ass.

Exhaustion crept in. He’s spent way too many late nights partying in New Orleans. And he was going to head back as soon as he talked to Troy about this job.

“Things we do for friends,” he muttered and waved to grab one of the three taxis approaching.

They all must have seen his gesture, because they veered toward the curb at the same time. One of the taxis swerved from an outside lane, cut in front of a second, and pulled up in front of Ryker. The second cab swerved to avoid hitting the offending cab, barely missing the third. Taxi’s two and three hit their brakes but couldn’t stop in time, and ran into the first cab, now sitting at the curb.

Crunching metal. Horns. Screeching tires. Shouts from pedestrians. The noise echoed off concrete like a grenade in a tunnel and tore across Ryker’s exposed nerves.