Chapter 23

• "Not here," I choked out, my voice barely a whisper against the crisp autumn air. I pressed my palm flat against his hard chest, feeling his erratic heart thumping against his ribs. "Please, Ryder. Take me back to your place. Just get me out of here, and I’ll tell you everything. But I can't do it in the open."
• Ryder stared at me for three agonizing seconds, his dark eyes searching every millimetre of my pale, terrified face. The muscle in his jaw pulsed violently as he fought back the immediate urge to hunt down whatever had rattled me. He didn't ask another question. Without a word, he grabbed the spare helmet, buckled it securely under my chin with heavy, controlled hands, and swung onto the motorcycle.
• I climbed up behind him, burying my face into the leather of his jacket and holding on so tight my knuckles turned stark white. The ride up the mountain was a blurred terror of roaring engine exhaust and cold wind tearing at my skin. Every second on the road felt like a reprieve before the inevitable explosion.