Page 99 of Ravaged Devotion

Rue glanced away.

The Black Hart sighed and settled him back down, tucking Rue’s head beneath his chin. “Sleep, sweetheart. Tomorrow will be another long day.”

“Ryker.”

“Sleep.”

He wanted to apologize, but it wasn’t like it was his fault for considering all of the angles, especially when evidence like the manual had fallen into his hands. “Maybe Cosima was involved before Jesse killed her.”

That was assuming Jesse had killed her, but that’s what they were going with since there were no other obvious options. Technically, they’d yet to find the bodies of the couple of other missing workers, but Rue wasn’t holding his breath for them.

They were most likely dead as well.

“She was incredibly adamant that no one should panic,” Ryker said.

“And she had your manual in her desk.”

“It’s possible.” He sighed. “But it doesn’t really matter. Whoever was or is involved can wait. I just want to focus on getting us out of here in one piece.”

With nothing more to say, Rue chose to go quiet, clinging to Ryker as he tried to relax and let sleep wash over him.

Chapter 21:

Something woke Rue in the middle of the night. At first, he wasn’t sure what it was, frowning at the dark window. Then Ryker shifted at his back and the echoing shrill scream from somewhere in the lodge faded away. Somehow the sudden lack of sound was what made him process it.

“Stay.” Ryker held him closer when Rue went to roll over. “Go back to sleep.”

“But…Who was that?” It’d sounded female. Esti? It must have been Esti.

“It came from the second floor,” the Black Hart said. “You’re safe.”

That wasn’t what Rue was worried about at the moment but…Ryker was right to stop him. What exactly could he do even if he did rush out there? He was no match for one of those things, and if the scream had been any indicator, it was already too late for Esti anyway.

Bile rose up the back of his throat and a tear slipped past his defenses.

“Do you blame me?” Ryker asked.

Rue knew what he meant.

Because he might be the creator of this nightmare.

Because his father was most likely the person behind bringing it to life.

Rhys was the one who’d gathered them all here. He was in charge of the guest list for every company outing, and he’d been the one who’d decided to rent out the entire resort. He had money and access to Ryker’s things, and everyone knew he was creative in his cruelty.

His first wife had died from anaphylactic shock after eating a food she was deathly allergic to.

In the form of a desert that never contained that ingredient.

One that she frequently requested the kitchen staff to make.

At the dinner table, in front of her seven-year-old twin boys and their father.

A man who had kicked her EpiPen across the room casually when she tried to get it.

Rue remembered asking Ryker once, when they’d been in their teens, why his dad had turned it into a production. Rhys could have easily killed her without all the flare.

He’d never forget the angry gleam in Ryker’s eyes, or the tight sound of his voice when he’d explained Rhys had done it because he hadn’t wanted it to be easy. Not only had he wanted her to suffer until the very end, painfully aware what was happening to her, that she was dying, he’d also wanted her to know the cause was her favorite dessert and the man she’d insulted.