Page 6 of Stryker's Ruin
“Who did you live with? An aunt?”
I shake my head. “Vince found a caregiver and relocated her and me. My memories really only start somewhere around age three. He came to visit that time and I remember getting a new caregiver a couple weeks later. We moved to a new house, and she was with me for almost two years. With the next teacher I moved to Italy. Two caregivers later, I relocated to France. We were in Paris for a while but most of the time I’ve lived in the country or on the edge of small towns. After France it was Portugal, Switzerland, Spain and back to Italy. He fired one ofmy first teachers in Portugal when she tried to enroll me in school.
“Every move I received new books, lessons and languages to learn so I was busy. Most of the caregivers were tolerable. Two I came to care about a lot.” I pause and think of how much I will miss Ettore.
“Eighteen months became the norm for change. Sooner if he felt I was getting too close to my guardians or they to me.” I slap my hand over my mouth. Oh no. What have I done? I’m not allowed to say such things. Ettore was different. We played the ‘game’ as she called it but when no one was around we could be free to say things.
Stryker pulls off to the side of the road. My heart thunders. He’s taking me back to tell them how bad I am. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Please don’t tell. I won’t say anything again.”
Turning in his seat he lays his hand over mine. “Let’s get something straight, right here, right now. I’m sensing things I don’t like. We’ll talk about those later. I need you to understand I’m here to protect you. And only you. I don’t give a flying rat’s ass about anyone else.
“I don’t care about anyone else’s rules. I’m going to be honest with you and I want you to always be honest with me. I can’t protect you if I don’t know who has or is hurting you. I’m your bodyguard, you’re my responsibility. You are mine to protect. I may technically work for your grandfather, but you call the shots when it comes to you, what you do and don’t like or want. Do you understand?”
“I think so.”
“There is nothing you can’t say or ask me. I will not get upset or tell anyone.”
I nod.
“I know I’m asking a lot since we just met. But I need you to always tell me the truth. Even if it’s about your biological family. If you don’t, it puts us both in danger. We could both get hurt.”
“No. No, I don’t want you to get hurt because of me. I don’t want anyone to be hurt or suffer because of me. I’m the bastard, I understand my place and my role. I’ll be good.”
CHAPTER 5
Stryker
I give her hand a squeeze and check traffic before pulling back onto the road. It’s not what I wanted to do. But I needed to. I need to drive as far away from that house as I can. If I don’t, one of two things are gonna happen.
I was either going back to her grandfather’s house and beat the hell out of him or burn his whole fucking house down with the family inside.
What the hell did they do to this beautiful, innocent woman-child?I know my place.What the fuck?
“Stryker, may I ask a question?”
“Yes. Always.” I glance at her and smile. “You can say anything, ask anything of me. We’re… friends.”
“Friends.” Her face lights up. “Yes, friends.”
God she’s beautiful. I force my gaze back to the road. “What do you want to know?”
“Do rats really fly in the United States?”
Laughter erupts from deep in my chest. Something I haven’t done since I was a teen. Without thinking I reach over and claspher hand and glance at her. Her innocent smile takes my breath. Oh fuck, I’m screwed.
“Naw, it’s just an expression.”
“Oh. I would have liked to see one.”
“What else would you like to see?”
“A zoo with animals. Lots of animals. I want to touch them. There have never been animals where I’ve lived.”
“What else?”
“I want to walk the streets of a city. Look up at the skyscrapers. Maybe go up inside one. And visit a flower garden.”
“You said you lived in Paris.”