Vivian Arend - Turn It On

Ryan laughed quietly. It felt good to release a little of the tension wrapped around his brain. He liked Maxwell, liked how the man wasn’t pushy but quietly stuck to his guns until he got what he wanted.

Kind of like having a mosquito in the room—you had to pay attention.

“You’re jealous because you haven’t figured out how to count cards. Stick on a nineteen, it’s a very basic rule…” Ryan forced the light-hearted conversation out, but what he wanted to do was kick some ass. He’d known there was danger, and he’d screwed up somehow and let her down. She’d been hurt and it was more than he could bear. He twisted his body to be able to continue holding her hand and face her brother better. He considered for a moment.

“My first reaction is to say again it’s none of your business what’s between me and Max and tell you to fuck off, but your family is one of the tightest knit groups I’ve ever met. I can understand why you’re asking and I’m willing to share I’m planning to do my damnedest to make her happy. I’m also going to figure out what the hell is going on around the house so we never end up in this stinking hospital again.”

Junior nodded slowly in response. “That’s more than I was asking for, and about what I expected.” He rose to his feet, brushed a kiss on Maxine’s cheek and headed to the door. He turned back to stare at Ryan. “For what it’s worth, I like you. I think you’ve got a good heart. You might even have the nerves it takes to be part of this family.”

Ryan snorted. “I was in the fucking military and you wonder if I’ve got enough balls?”

“Oh, you’re physically and mentally strong, but family comes in all shapes and sizes, there’s no one size fits all. You get to pick your friends. You don’t get to pick everyone in your family, and it takes a special kind of courage to survive that reality.” Junior glanced at Maxine once more. “Call me when she wakes?”

Ryan nodded, his brain full and his heart aching, as Maxwell left the room.

How had someone gotten into the house to injure Maxine? All the safeguards had still been in place when the alarm went off. He’d made it to the house shortly after the emergency response team arrived and they’d had to break a window to get in. Seeing her white face and the bloodstains as the EMT carried her out on stretcher had wrenched something inside him, and he’d happily kill the bastard who’d hurt her when he found him.

A bigger question nagged at him. Why were all these things happening? It made no sense. Maxine’s Gramma had lived in the house for years without any disturbances and suddenly, once she moved out, the place got taken over by fucking ghosts.

Maxine shifted on the bed and drew his attention. She was going to be frightened as hell to know someone had broken in. It was his damn fault she was hurt, and it was breaking his heart to see her lying there bruised and battered. He needed to make things better. Needed to heal the hurts and stop the insanity from continuing. If he had to sit on her until the bastard was caught, he’d be willing. This was not about ordering her around, it was about potentially saving her life. And his, because if something happened to her, he’d never recover.

Her eyes opened and his heart leapt to his throat. “Sweetheart?”

Maxine turned her head toward him and grimaced. “Crap, I hurt.”

Ryan nodded, sliding forward so she didn’t have to move to see him. “You’re going to hurt for a bit, but there’s nothing permanently damaged. Thank God. You’ve got bruises and you probably feel like there’s a jackhammer going in your head but you’re going to be fine.” He lifted her good hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles gently. The tight knot in his belly released a tiny bit as he watched her eyes dart around the room, sharpness returning.

“I’m at the hospital?” she asked.

“Actually, I redecorated your bedroom. Like it?”

Maxine chuckled for a second before groaning. “Don’t make me laugh, it hurts. What happened?”

“I hoped you could tell me. What do you remember?” He rubbed her fingers, touching her again and again to reassure himself she was okay.

“I was in the bathroom, and when I came out I heard a noise. Something hit the back of my head and…” She frowned. “I don’t remember much else. My head hurts and my arm hurts.”

“You’ve got a concussion, and your arm is in a cast because you tore some ligaments and cracked a bone when you landed on it. Your collar bone is bruised too.”

Her eyes grew wide. “Shit. That’s not good. I must look like a mess.”

Ryan swallowed hard. “You’re beautiful. And brave. You set off the alarm, sweetheart, and I’m so proud of you. You took care of yourself and got the help you needed when my security system let you down. I’m sorry, I’m the cause of this.”

Confusion flashed across her face. “Did you hit me?”

He jerked back in surprise. “Of course not.”

Maxine smiled at him. “Then don’t be stupid, it’s not your fault.” Her eyes grew glassy again and she took a long breath in. “There’s some seriously good shit floating through my veins.”

“Maxine, I love you.” Fucking great timing, but he couldn’t wait anymore. It burst out of him like a breached dam and he needed her to know. “I love you and I want to marry you. I want us to be together and have kids and add to the insanity of your whole clan.” He leaned closer and gently touched her face.

“I love you too, Ryan.” She closed her eyes. It was quiet in the room for a minute before she cracked one eyelid open. “Did you just propose to me?”

He nodded.

“Hmm.” And she fell asleep again.

Nurses bustled in to check her and there was no more time for talking, for seeing if she’d understood what he’d said. Ryan laughed at himself. All fucking month to figure out he needed her like he needed oxygen, and he had to go and propose while she was high on painkillers and totally out of it.

Later. He’d try again later, and do it right.

“You want me to wait for you?”

Ryan handed the cabbie money and shook his head. “I’ll phone when I need a ride back.”

He let himself into the house and mentally reviewed the list of things he thought Maxine would like to have at the hospital. She’d have to stay overnight, possibly two nights, and he knew she’d feel better with some of her personal possessions around. It was easier to leave his car parked and grab a cab than fight rush-hour traffic and attempt to park again. Taking the stairs two at time, he headed toward their bedroom to grab her bag from the closet.

A loud clatter rang out from above his head and he ducked into the first side room, disappearing from sight. Swearing followed, and then rapid footsteps, and Ryan pressed hard against the wall. He could see the hallway through the narrow crack between the door and the doorframe. Someone with dark hair carrying a box in their arms raced past and disappeared into the master bedroom. Ryan glanced around for something to use as a weapon, anything, and ended up grabbing an antique bed warmer off the wall. He approached the doorway cautiously, but when he entered the room it was empty.

He inched his way forward, checking the bathroom, listening for any noise to explain the disappearing intruder. Then he noticed the closet door was ajar, a faint light visible through the crack.

The closet had no interior light.

Brushing aside their clothing, he spotted a small opening in the back wall about three quarters the size of a regular door. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. There was a secret passage in the back of the fucking closet. After carefully putting aside the bed warmer, Ryan entered and followed a narrow hall to the top of a steep spiral staircase.