🗝️Detective Ryker Viltarin must uncover dark secrets before he loses not only his heart but also his life.🗝️
You're on your own, far from home
The wind is blowing in the top of the pines
A gloomy sky where the sun never shines
Deep...
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Their hearts raced as the song continued to blast from the loudspeakers, and they stared at each other. It was only when the melody stopped, and the speaker's voice sounded metallic from the old box that he broke free from his stupor and bowed his head in embarrassment.
"Sorry," he stammered. "I didn't mean to scare you."
Oh God, he would have loved to sink into the floor. Where had his composure gone that he so desperately wanted back? Instead, it was little more than a harsh whisper that spread between them with a strange crackling heat as Eve's cheeks reddened visibly. Shit, why did she have to look so gorgeous doing this? Ray groaned inwardly, wanting to grab himself by the collar to remind himself that he had just decided to be professional. Professional meant not finding his comrade's (ex)wife sexy!
Meanwhile, Eve opened her red cherry lips to say something, but she was interrupted by tiny footsteps and quick paws.
Liam and Chief came rushing into the kitchen. Ryker pulled his leg to the side just in time to keep them from tripping over him.
The boy was probably on his way to his mother but put on the brakes when he spotted Ray. Chief, who was hot on the boy's heels, was entirely surprised by his playmate. Paws could be heard scraping across the parquet floor as the dog tried to stop his momentum but still crashed into the little legs from behind.
Ryker's arm reflexively sprang forward and caught the boy's tiny body before falling to the tiles due to the dog's momentum. Liam and Chief hung in a tangled ball in his arms and beside his legs.
"Hey, you two, slow down," he said quietly but firmly, still wondering about this unexpected instinct. Intervening... felt so natural, as if he had done nothing else all his life.
The dog whimpered softly as if expecting a thunderstorm. Because he was already backing away quietly, allowing Liam to set the boy back on his feet.
Blinking and wide-eyed, it took a moment for Liam to find his words again.
"Thanks," the boy mumbled as the cheeky boy's chin lifted enough for him to look up at him.
A smirk naturally played around the corners of Ray's mouth, and the mild smile immediately spread under his beard. His gray-blue eyes showed a warm fire as he reached out to ruffle Liam's hair, earning a soft, childish laugh.
