Ricochet (Renegades #3)(38)
Author: Skye Jordan

“B-because there’s a shitload of work involved, precise work, focused work,” she said, looking at him like she couldn’t believe he’d asked the question.

“I can be precise and focused without wasting time.” He glanced toward Jax. “If you want this bridge blown while I’m still here—”

“I can’t get away tomorrow either,” Josh said. “I have to give Precision a little notice on my change of schedule.”

“Better for me,” Ryker told him. “I can sure as shit scout a bridge on my own.”

Marx dug the side of his fork into the chocolate cake, and liquid chocolate spilled out, reminding Ryker of…what else…chocolate fondue. Christ. He shifted in his chair, but it didn’t ease the tightness in his groin. One that wouldn’t be alleviated any time soon, judging by Rachel’s growing anxiety.

“Really,” Marx said dryly, forearms against the table, fork hovering over the dessert. “You’re going to single-handedly carry all the equipment, video, photograph, take notes, measure—”

“Did you miss the part about me being a Ranger for eight years?” Ryker picked up his own fork, cut into the cake, and broke it open, allowing the chocolate to spill out. “Scouting a bridge by myself is like a vacation.”

“Actually, Rachel’s an awesome scout.” Jax held one of the lemon bars. “If you two go over the employees first thing tomorrow and want to head up to the bridge site mid-morning, I could have the guys load up trucks and trailers with what we’ve got as a start and you could scout the bridge in the afternoon. I can be there by the time you’re done, bring another load, maybe round up a few staff, and you, Rachel, and I can finalize the action plan tomorrow night.”

“Jax—” Rachel started, her expression stricken.

“Then Rachel can write up the action plan while you’re creating the SOP,” he continued.

“Wait. Jax—” Rachel tried again.

“I know,” he said, grinning across the table at her. “It’s short notice and I’m messing with your schedule. But if you take any other job within Renegades, you’re going to have to learn to be flexible, honey. You’ve gotta loosen up, get spontaneous. You know how things shift on the fly in the field.”

In Ryker’s opinion, Rachel was plenty spontaneous.

“Are you going to play with that or eat it?” Rubi asked.

Ryker looked up and found her watching him as he moved the syrup around on the plate. He grinned, said, “Play with it.” And looked at Rachel as he slid the chocolate-covered fork into his mouth.

Rubi laughed. Rachel massaged her temple.

“Wait a minute,” Marx said. “You can’t expect Rachel to drive a rig three hours along the coast highway. That road is dangerous enough without a trailer. And she’s not qualified to write up an action sequence for an explosion plan. As far as scouting with Ryker, have you seen the terrain surrounding that bridge?”

“Okay, enough.” Anger rang clear in Rachel’s voice. “I’m sick of being underestimated.” She looked at Marx. “I grew up on a ranch, which means I’ve been hauling shit since I could drive at thirteen. I’ve also been backpacking every summer in the Sierra Mountains since I was seven. I’ve hiked the Trinity Alps, the Olympic Mountains, the Columbia River Gorge, the Grand Canyon, and the Tetons. And I’m the one who created that action-sequence plan for last month’s train blast, so stop telling me what I am or am not qualified to do.”

“Well,” Ryker murmured, “that explains a lot.”

Rachel’s hot eyes cut toward his, and Ryker bit the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning at her.

“Wait… What…?” Marx’s mouth hung open. “Wes’s signature was—”

“Wes looked it over,” she said. Behind her, Wes shot for a basket into the hoop at the pool’s deep end and scored. “And we consulted with Titan demolition together, but Wes has never created an SOP, and with consistent sixteen-hour workdays, he barely had enough time to tell me what should be in the plan, let alone write the damn thing. I could make the time, and I have an MBA that’s going to waste. It made sense for me to do it, and both you and Cinematic accepted it, so what difference does it make who writes it?”

Ryker had stopped playing with his chocolate. He hadn’t thought he’d been one of the underestimators, but…the ranch, the backpacking, an MBA? Yeah, he’d underestimated her. Ryker enjoyed the chink this information put in Marx’s ego, but what really created this strange sensation in Ryker’s chest was Rachel’s moxie. She definitely had a soft side—the nurturing side Troy wanted around to take care of everyone. But Ryker was loving this tough streak. He admired it. And he admired her for standing up to Marx and Troy. And, yes, even him.

Rubi’s applause filled the brief silence. “You go, girl.”

Rachel’s gaze cut to Rubi’s, and her face flushed pink. On a heavy exhale, she grabbed a lemon bar and turned toward the house with a muttered, “I need a drink.”

11

Ryker sat in the truck in the parking area on the set and took a sip of coffee, his gaze holding on the Renegades trailer.

This was so fucking stupid. He didn’t need anything about this job—not the money, perks, kudos, visibility, rush, sure as hell not the stress. And he didn’t need to spend time with a woman who made his body tighten like a rubber band ready to snap, knowing she didn’t want him.

She may be attracted to him. But she didn’t want him.

He didn’t blame her. When you took mind-wracking animal sex out of the equation, Ryker came up empty on offerings for a woman.

But Rachel had said she didn’t want either the crazy sex or the relationship, which left…what? Occasional, comfortable, quiet…companionship sex?

No. Ryker didn’t do tame. He put everything he had into every encounter. If he couldn’t, he didn’t do it. He didn’t settle.

Life is way the hell to short.

His gaze traveled over the wide gravel path leading to the set.

So fucking short.

His gaze blurred. Jagged teeth tore a hole beneath his sternum and chewed outward.

Alive one second, dead the next.

In his mind, he saw Tagger and Dekker alive, laughing, throwing a football, tagging each other with spitballs over dinner in the mess hall, as clearly as if it had all been yesterday.