Remember Ramsey by Cynthia Eden

Chapter Eighteen

Observation notes: Ramsey asked me to leave with him. Even as he asked, I could tell by his expression that he thought I would say no.

But how could I? I love him so much that sometimes it scares me.

We will leave everything else behind and start new.

***

“You found my laptop!”

Ramsey swallowed as he glanced up from the laptop. It was close to ten a.m. He’d woken an hour before, and he’d had the laptop sitting in the kitchen, waiting for her. “It wasn’t lost.”

“But I couldn’t find it yesterday. I searched everywhere.” She had on his robe. It swallowed her but still somehow made her look achingly sexy. Then again, he always thought she was sexy.

“I gave it to an…acquaintance to repair.”

She inched into the kitchen. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Why, indeed? Be honest with her. “Because I thought that if he recovered the files, I’d read them.”

Whitney tip-toed closer. Her gaze cut to the laptop, then back to him. “You read all the recovered files?”

“No.” He’d been fucking tempted. So very tempted but… “I couldn’t.”

“You couldn’t?” A pause. “Why?”

“Because if I did that, then I’d just be back to playing the bastard, and I don’t want to be that person with you.”

She sucked in a breath.

“If you hated me, if you feared me…if at the end you thought you would be better without me…that is for you to know.” Her choices. He pushed the laptop toward her. “What you don’t yet remember…maybe you can find the answers in there.”

“I don’t need to remember everything.” Anger tightened her voice. “And I know already that I didn’t hate you. Not then. Not now. I told you, I love you.”

He loved her so much it consumed him. “I asked you to run away with me.”

“What?”

“Haven’t remembered that yet, have you?” He scraped his hand over his jaw. Damn, he needed to shave soon. If he wasn’t careful, he’d hurt her delicate skin. “Before you disappeared, I asked you to start a life with me. In this town, I’m the criminal. I’ve got enemies always gunning for me. I wanted something more. I wanted it with you.”

Once more, she eyed the laptop, then him. “When I came to you at the bar a few days ago, you…you were denying that we were involved. You said something like, um, like it wasn’t as if we were planning a future and we were going to run away from everyone.’” She sucked in a sharp breath. “But…we were?”

He nodded. “And when you didn’t show to meet me, I thought you’d changed your mind. I thought you’d realized that you shouldn’t give up everything else for me.” He squared his shoulders. “Because it’s what I realized, too.”

Pain flashed on her face. “You think…after last night, what you said—what we said—you think we shouldn’t be together?”

He shot to his feet. The chair screeched back behind him. “No. I think you shouldn’t have to give up a damn thing for me.” He intended to be the one who left a life behind. Ramsey reached for her hand. Lifted it and placed it over his heart. “It fucking beats for you, baby.” She had to get that. “But you aren’t sacrificing anything for me.”

She’d loved him months ago.

By some miracle, she loved him now.

“I won’t be reading your entries. Your secrets are—”

“I don’t care if you read the entries! I want you to know me, all of me, just as I want to know you. There is no part of me that needs to be kept secret from you.” Her hand still pressed to his heart. “Just as you can’t keep any part of you secret from me. Do you think I can’t handle whatever is in your life? Your past? Because if that is the case, think again. I handled you before, and I will handle you always.” Fierce determination.

God, she owned him, and she didn’t even seem to realize her power. It went far beyond need, or even love. He would wreck the world and rebuild it again for her.

That was precisely what he intended to do.

“Oh, no.” Alarm flared in her eyes. “Is that the time?” Her attention dipped over his shoulder. “I have to go!”

“What?” He kept holding her hand. “What’s happening?” They were kind of in the middle of something vital.

“I have an appointment with my counselor. He’s—he’s a friend who was trying to help me recover my lost memories. I go see him every Saturday, and I’m late.”

Fuck the friend. But he couldn’t say that. His jaw locked as he slowly let her hand go. “I’m coming with you. You know I want you protected until—”

“Of course, you’re coming with me.” Her eyebrows lifted, and she smiled. “I just told you that I want you knowing all of my secrets just as I want to know yours. This is going to be my last visit with Edward. I don’t need him any longer. I have you.”

Damn straight, she did.

She rose onto her toes and pressed her lips to his.

***

Jag was waiting outside when Ramsey and Whitney hurried down the steps of the beach house. He’d been leaning against the side of the limo, but when he saw them, Jag straightened. “Guess it’s my turn for guard duty, huh? When I got the text that you needed a driver, I came right over.” He offered Whitney a smile. “Where am I taking you today? And are there going to be hot coeds around?”

“You’re taking us,” Ramsey told him flatly. “Whitney has an appointment with the guy who’s been helping her recover her memory.”

“My last appointment,” Whitney pointed out. The memories were coming faster and faster now. She could look at the beach and see them jogging together. The photo of them that he kept in his nightstand? She remembered the day that photo had been taken. How happy she’d felt. He’d chased her back to the house and they’d made love on the couch. She cleared her throat. “Between the memories that are coming back and the files that were recovered on my laptop, I know what happened back then.” Not that she’d read the files yet. She would. After her appointment with Edward.

Jag smiled. “Hey, that’s great news!”

Ramsey didn’t speak.

Jag’s smile dimmed. “Isn’t it, boss?”

“There are some plans that need to be put in place.” Ramsey opened the back door of the limo. “I want to meet you and Darius at the bar this evening, five p.m. Make sure the place is locked down except for us.”

“Sure, whatever you want.”

Whitney slid into the back of the limo. “I’ll be there, too, right?” she prompted.

“Where I go, you go. Especially until we can get Axel talking.” He slanted a fast glance at Jag. “Any updates on him?”

“The bastard is still dead to the world.”

Ramsey climbed into the back of the limo. Whitney hurriedly rattled off the address to Jag.

“Maybe Axel should stay that way,” Jag growled as he peered inside the limo at them. “I hate he tried to hurt you, Whitney, and Ramsey, if I’d been there when he came at you…” Rage flashed on his face. “Darius told me he pulled a knife and tried to drive it into your back! I would have killed the bastard myself if he’d pulled that move around me!” His breath huffed out.

Whitney realized that Jag’s loyalty to Ramsey went very, very deep. So deep that he’d be willing to kill.

“If Axel is dead, then he can’t tell me who hired him.” Ramsey’s voice was easy. Casual. “He can’t die until I know his employer’s identity.”

Jag gave a jerky nod. He moved back. Slammed the door shut.

When the car began to move a few moments later, Whitney carefully asked, “Do you always inspire people to kill for you?”

“Jag has been at my side for years. We met when we were both kids on the streets.” His fingers drummed on the seat. “He has it in his head that I saved his life.”

“Did you?” The privacy screen was up.

“We’ve been over this, sweetheart. I’m not the hero. I’m not—”

He wasn’t looking at her. So she curled her fingers under his chin and made him look. “Did you save him?”

“Jag was getting his ass beat by three guys. I helped. Not like I had anything else to do that night.”

“Of course. Nothing better to do.” She would not smile at him. “And after you jumped in the fight? What did you do after that?”

“What do you mean?”

“With Jag. What did you do?”

“I cleaned him up. He was bleeding all over the place.”

“That was nice of you.”

He growled.

She wasn’t done. “Have there been others like Jag?”

“There’s nobody quite like Jag. That guy is vicious in a fight. He made sure he could never be taken down again—”

“How did you and Darius meet?”

“Why?” Suddenly suspicious.

Her fingers stroked along his hard jaw. “Because I told you, I want to know all your secrets.”

“We fought.”

She waited. Her hand stayed pressed to his cheek.

“When I needed cash, I bare-knuckle boxed. He was my opponent. We tried to destroy each other.”

Hardly a heart-warming start to a friendship.

“He wouldn’t give up. No matter how many times I knocked him down, he would shove himself back up. Everyone was screaming for me to finish him. But I knew that to stop him, I might have to kill him.” He swallowed. “He was just trying to earn money, too. That money let us eat back in those days. Was I supposed to kill a man because he wanted to eat?”

No.

“So I stopped fighting him. Just turned my back on him. And I charged for the man who’d organized the match. The prick who was counting his money and yelling the loudest for me to end Darius. And Darius—when he realized what I was doing—he had my back. He’s had it since then.”

“He’s not the only one,” she whispered.

Ramsey frowned.

“I have your back, too. Know that. I will always watch out for you. I will always trust you.”

His head turned and his lips brushed over her palm.

***

“Whitney!” Edward hurried across the small reception area toward her. They’d just entered his office on the third floor of the downtown building. His hands lifted toward her. “I was starting to get worried that you’d forgotten our—”

Ramsey stepped into his path. “Hi, there.”

Edward stopped. Frowned.

“I did almost forget, Edward,” Whitney inserted smoothly, “and I do apologize for being late.” She squared her shoulders. “There have been some developments recently that have changed my situation.”

His eyes widened. “You’ve remembered your missing time?”

She couldn’t help but smile. “I’ve started to recall, yes.”

“Wonderful!” He beamed at her. “Come into my office, and we’ll get started talking.” A quick glance toward the wall that was Ramsey. “Your…ah, friend, can remain here in the waiting area. We have a lovely selection of reading materials—”

“Why isn’t a receptionist here?” Ramsey asked. He pointed toward the empty desk on the right. “Shouldn’t someone else be here to welcome the clients?”

“I, ah, I only see special clients on the weekend. There’s no need to bring in my assistant.”

Ramsey’s gaze slid to Whitney. Then back to Edward. “Special. Got it.” His lips curved into a shark’s grin. “I’m actually going to be coming in with her. Consider this meeting a couple’s therapy session.”

“What?” Edward took a step back.

Jag opened the lobby door. “Building seems secure. You want me to stay close?” he asked Ramsey.

“I’ve been told there is quite the selection of reading material here in the lobby. Take a seat, Jag. We’ll be back soon.” His fingers threaded with Whitney’s, and he advanced toward the open door of Edward’s office.

Edward stared at him with wide eyes. She should probably introduce the two men. As soon as they were inside of Edward’s private office, she did just that. “Edward Wilson, this is Ramsey Hyde.”

“Dr. Edward Wilson,” he corrected as he inclined his head.

Ramsey’s smile stretched a little bit more. No amusement gleamed in his eyes. “You like roses, doc?”

“Excuse me?”

“Can’t help but notice you’ve got a vase of red roses on your desk. You must really like them.”

Edward’s gaze darted to the roses, then over to Whitney. “They’re for her.”

“Are they now.” Ramsey’s voice became a little flatter. He wasn’t asking a question.

“How freely can I speak with him here?” Edward asked Whitney. “Because I think it would be better if your friend returned to the lobby—”

“You can speak as freely as you’d like. Ramsey knows everything about me. And he’s staying in here with us.” Because she wanted him there. Seeing those flowers had caused a shiver of unease to dart down her spine.

Ramsey let go of her hand, and he walked toward Edward’s desk. His hand lifted, and he carefully touched one of the rose petals. “Why do you have these for Whitney?”

“She likes roses. They’re her favorite flower.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

Edward frowned at him. “We were using a sensory technique to help restore her lost memories. By putting her into contact with familiar objects, scents, tastes, sights…the goal was to stir up the memories she lost during her dark time.”

“Dark time,” Ramsey repeated. “That’s what you call those six months?”

The six months she’d spent with him. “They’re not dark any longer.” Her chin lifted, and her hair slid over her shoulders. “The sensory technique worked pretty well for me, actually.” Her gaze was on Ramsey’s fingers as he carefully touched the rose petals. “I found a familiar environment, and the memories began to resurface.”

“You’re going to bruise those petals,” Edward snapped at Ramsey.

“I doubt it. I know how to hold precious things.” He smoothed his finger over one more petal. “When did you realize roses were her favorite?”

“I’ve known Whitney for a very long time,” Edward replied stiffly. “We were in grad school together. I am quite familiar with her tastes.”

Ramsey glanced over at Whitney. His fingers fell away from the roses. “You never mentioned him to me.”

There was something about his tone…

Wait, was Ramsey jealous?

“Why would she have mentioned me to you?” Edward huffed. “I’m sorry but exactly who are you to Whitney and why—”

“I’m the guy who took her into the dark,” Ramsey cut in to bluntly say. “And I’m the one who’s pulling her back out.”