The Barrier Between (Collector Series # 2) by Stacey Marie Brown Read Free Book Online Page B

bag pulsed with his
breathing. I inhaled a deep breath, the soft rush of water flowing
down the river, soothing me. The heavy, sweet smells of flowers,
fruits, and plants growing around filled my nose. Sunshine trickled
through the leaves. A ray fell across my face, and I turned to its
warmth. It was cooler by the water, but higher in the forest
moisture clung to the earth, heating it.
    Feeling a body settled next to me, I opened one lid
and looked over at the Viking next to me. He kept his attention on
the river, but he knew I was watching him. We sat in silence,
listening to the sounds of water and forest.
    “I’m sorry about earlier.” I hugged my knees to my
chest. Ryker ran a hand over the top of his head then rubbed at his
beard, not able to settle down. “What’s up with you?” He still
didn’t look over at me when I spoke. “You’re the one acting odd
now.”
    A long exhale of air blew from his lips, and he
stretched his legs out, leaning back on his elbows. It was still a
full minute before he finally spoke. “As you probably know, fae
aren’t big talkers... at least about feelings or anything.” No
shit, really? “It’s seen as a weakness, guaranteeing it will be
used against you.”
    “Doesn’t sound much different from how I grew up.” I
let my folded legs drop, my knee hitting his thigh. Neither of us
moved away from the contact.
    A slight grin tilted his mouth. “Yeah, strange how
different our worlds and experiences are, but we still have a lot
in common.”
    “Unfeeling criminals who like to rob and beat the
crap out of people.” I smiled, stealing a glance at him. His eyes
flickered over me, watching me. My stomach clenched.
    When did this happen? When did his gaze start
knotting my stomach and halting the air in my lungs? My focus
went back to the water.
    “You’ve been through a lot lately.” He stared out at
the forest across the way. “If... if you need to talk about it or
anythi—”
    “No.” I cut him off, detaching myself from Sprig’s
carrier. I rubbed at my shoulder where his weight sat, then let my
arms fall to my lap.
    Ryker gave a quick nod. “All right.”
    I watched as my fingers coiled around themselves. I
sucked at talking to people, letting them in. The DMG therapist
told me it was the way I protected myself from being hurt. If I
didn’t let anyone in, no one could hurt me. The problem was the two
people I actually did let in were dead. My heart was already
broken. But not even Lexie or Daniel knew all of my past. Ryker
did. At the time I felt secure talking to him. Almost like speaking
to a pet. Someone who wouldn’t judge or care about what happened to
me. Simply listen. Now his presence looped around me like rope. He
no longer seemed safe.
    We stayed quiet for a long time, but Ryker’s
shoulders never relaxed. Then his deep voice broke the silence.
    “I didn’t tell you the complete truth about the day I
lost my family. The fire. I didn’t go and save my family first like
I told you.”
    “What?” I jerked my head toward him.
    “That day... I also lost the woman I was going to
marry.”
    My mouth fell open.
    Ryker pulled his knees up; his hand clasped the other
wrist, locking his arms around his legs. “Even though the village
knew I was different, I’d grown up among humans, and I naïvely
thought I could have a normal life. A human one.” He stared down at
his hands. “Her name was Tanvi. We were quite young and thought
ourselves in love. Her father did not approve of our relationship,
already seeing what I didn’t want to—my life and world was never
meant for her. But try telling that to young lovers.
    “Her father and mine banned us from seeing each
other, but of course this made us even more anxious and careless.
She became pregnant...” His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.
“This was back in a time when shame in a family would get you
killed, but she would not get rid of the baby. She hoped it would
get her father to relent and let