Ryan Renewed: New York Ruthless: Book 5

Three Months Later

My stomach rumbles and I check my watch. Right on cue! Every day at two p.m. I get ravenously hungry and crave ice cream, specifically butterscotch and pistachio mixed together in the same bowl. I’ve convinced myself that it’s a pregnancy craving, though the truth is I’ve always loved that flavor combo. But now I get to indulge in it every single day without feeling even the slightest hint of guilt.

“You fancy a snack?” I say to Hayden with a pop of one eyebrow.

“Ice cream time?” he grins at me.

“Of course. Come on.” I stand and walk out of the den and to the kitchen with him following me. Opening the door to our huge freezer, I reach in and pull out the two tubs of ice cream. They feel suspiciously light.

Placing them on the counter, I pull off the lids to find both tubs almost empty.

I frown as my stomach growls in protest. “That’s so strange.”

“What is?” Hayden says as he comes to stand beside me.

“There’s none left.” I hold up the empty cartons as proof.

“Maybe one of the guys ate it?” he offers with a shrug.

“No.” I shake my head. “They’re not huge ice cream fans and even if they were, they’re not mean, or stupid enough, to take the last of it from their pregnant, hormonal wife. They wouldn’t have put the empty tubs back either.”

“Maybe you ate it and you forgot?”

“Hey!” I nudge him in the ribs. “I don’t eat that much of the stuff.”

He chuckles. “I didn’t mean that. Anyway, it’s no big deal. Let me take you out for some ice cream instead. It’s a beautiful day and I could do with some fresh air.”

I look at him. The brothers are upstate signing some paperwork. They’ll be back in a few hours. They won’t like me going out with Hayden alone. He’s been here almost every day for the past three months and he spends time with all of my husbands as well as me but they still don’t fully trust him, and I don’t know if I do either.

My stomach growls again. I’m not a prisoner here. I don’t need my husbands’ permission to go out. I can take care of myself and my babies. “Daisy’s is just a few blocks. We could go there?” I suggest.

“Perfect!” Hayden says with a vigorous nod of his head. “Let me just use the bathroom before we go.”

“Sure,” I smile at him. “I’ll wait by the elevator.”

Hayden turns on his heel and walks out of the room and I grab my purse. Taking out my cell, I type out a quick text to our group chat to tell the boys where I’m going.

A walk in the sunshine will do me good. Not to mention the delicious ice cream reward at the end.

Forty-five minutes later, Hayden and I are sitting at my usual table in Daisy’s ice cream parlor. I know it’s probably bad that this is my usual table and it speaks volumes about my sweet tooth and current ice cream addiction, but this place is near to mine and Mikey’s jogging route too, and we often stop in for a coffee. The place is quiet today but it often is at this time of day, just before the local schools let out.

Hayden is quieter than usual, and he pushes his raspberry swirl around his bowl with his spoon.

“Everything okay?” I ask.

He glances at his watch and it’s not the first time he’s done that since we sat down ten minutes earlier. The hairs on the back of my neck start to tingle unexpectedly.

“Hayden?” I snap.

“What?” he blinks at me. “Oh, yeah. Everything’s fine.”

I narrow my eyes at him. He’s lying. “Do you have somewhere else to be?”

“No. Of course not,” he says with a shake of his head.

The sound of the bell jingling when the door opens makes us both look up. Two huge men dressed in black walk through it and my heart starts beating faster.

“Jessie,” Hayden says and I turn my gaze on him. He swallows hard. “I didn’t know this was what was going to happen.”

I drag my eyes back to the two men who have just walked through the door. They have tattoos on their necks that look vaguely familiar to me. My pulse is racing now too. The bowl of ice cream I just about inhaled is threatening to make a reappearance.

When one of the men starts shouting at the other customers to get out in a thick Russian accent, the bile surges up my gullet, burning the back of my throat as I swallow it down.

“What have you done?” I hiss to Hayden as the customers run out of the door.

“I’m sorry, Jessie. I didn’t know they wanted to hurt you,” he sobs. “They said they were going to kill me.”

I suck in a breath, glaring at the two Russians as they approach our table.

“Miss Ivanov,” the taller one snarls as he holds up a syringe full of fluid.

Damn! I hate needles! Why do people insist on sticking me with those things and freaking kidnapping me?

“It’s Mrs. Ryan, actually,” I snarl back.

I glance sideways and see that Daisy has disappeared and in place of the petite woman with the purple pixie cut and elfin face, stands a tall former Navy SEAL.

Without turning around, I know that another former SEAL is walking out of the back room. At the same time, two men with arms as big as boulders, armed with semi-automatics are coming through the front door. One reaches up as he opens it, taking hold of the bell so it doesn’t make a sound as he and his colleague walk silently into the parlor and make their way toward us.

I keep my eyes on the Russians. “Who sent you?” I snap.

“Please don’t hurt her. I’ll do whatever you want,” Hayden snivels.

“She is what we want,” the tall one snarls as he reaches out his hand to grab my arm.