I wake up still on the couch, but I've been moved so I'm laying across it, a pillow has been propped up under my head and a blanket has been thrown over me. Another pillow and blanket lay on the floor next to the couch.

"Oh good, you're awake," Quinn says she looks up from the dishes she's washing in the connecting kitchen. "I was starting to think you died on me." She shoots me a smile over her shoulder. "Not that I'd object to being left alone with that eye candy you brought with you."

I give her a flat look. "Don't let him hear you say that. His ego's big enough as it is," I tell her. She laughs. I look around. The only rooms I can't see into are her bedroom and the bathroom. "Where is he anyway?"

"Tied up in my bed, waiting for me to have my fun."

"Very funny," I tell her dryly.

She laughs again and turns around to face me. "He went out back, said he wanted some fresh air and that he had to make a few calls. He did say he wanted to talk to you when you woke up."

I nod as I get to my feet. "I want to talk to him too."

Quinn eyes me. She's always been able to read people better than I have. She has an eye for detail and she's always able to tell what I'm thinking. "You going to tell me exactly what's going on?"

I shake my head. "The less you know the better."

"Then I guess it sucks that you gave me the password to your computer and then never changed it."

My gaze shoots up to meet hers, my eyes wide.

She stares back at me seriously. "I already know what's going on. Or at least, the gist of it. I looked through your computer while you were asleep."

"Invasion of privacy much?"

"We're best friends," Quinn states. "If I were in your position you would be doing the same for me."

I cross my arms over my chest. "That's not the point."

She shrugs innocently. "Not my problem," She turns back to the dishes in the sink. "By the way, me and your FBI "friend" had an interesting conversation while you were in your death like sleep," She uses her fingers make quotes as she talks.

"Do I want to know what this conversation entailed?" I ask her.

She shrugs again. "I just cleared some things up."

I stare at her for a beat, trying to figure out the hidden meaning behind her words. Suddenly it hits me. "My God, you threatened him."

Quinn turns away from me but I can still see the smile on her face. "I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about."

"For a person who hates violence with an admirable passion, you seem to enjoy threatening people," I tell her.

And it's true. Quinn despises violence of any kind, but especially when it's against children or animals. She gets in arguments, not fist fights, but she still recognizes that there is violence in the world and there's nothing she can do about it. But that doesn't mean she has to like it.

For her to threaten with or wish violence on anyone, well, you would have had to have seriously-and I mean seriously-pissed her off.

"Threatening someone and actually committing an act of violence are two very different things," Quinn says. "And all I said was that if you go down for being a hacker, he's going to go down for helping you. That's hardly threatening violence upon him."

I roll my eyes and shake my head. "I can't believe you."

She smiles at me. "Well, I don't think we have anything to worry about." She stares at me. "He seems to really . . . like you . . . and you feel the same." The way she says like suggests that's not the word she was going to use. The look in her eyes as she says that only confirms it.

I feel heat creep up my cheeks and I turn away abruptly. I clear my throat. "I'm going to go find Ryder," I say simply.

I hear her laugh. "You can run but you can't hide," She says as I walk out the door.

I blow out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding and block out her words. I start walking off to who knows where looking for Ryder.

I follow a worn down dirt trail through the trees, half wishing I brought a jacket because the air is colder now than it was before. I don't know how long I'm walking, but it feels like an eternity and I'm seeing no sign of Ryder. I grumble curses under my breath, all directed at him, as I continue to walk.

"-too much to ask that you stay in the warm cabin? Of course, it is. Idiot. Complete ass making me walk through the forest looking for you. When I find you I'm going-" I cut off abruptly when a twig snaps behind me. I whirl around, but there's no one there.

"Ryder?" I call out but there aren't any more sounds. Of course, I also notice that the entire forest has gone eerily quiet. "Ryder?" I repeat. Still no answer.

I turn and continue on down the trail, listening intently for any other sounds. I'm so focused on that that I almost walk right off a steep drop off and fall into the large lake below. I stop myself and back up a few steps, only to find myself walking up to the ledge once again.

The view from here is amazing. It's not as if I'm standing on a cliff, the ledge is only about ten feet up from the lake, but it sits just high enough up for you to get a view of the whole lake. Of the trees surrounding it, of the sky mirrored off of it. I can't help but stare.

I go to take another step closer to the ledge when I feel hands press into my back and shove me forward. I let out a scream and struggle to find something to hold on to as I start to fall. I close my eyes and wait for the cold water to rush over me, only to realize that I'm not falling. That something's keeping me in place.

I slowly open my eyes and see the lake below me, my body hanging over the ledge, but not falling. The next thing I see, I'd like to kill.

Because Ryder is holding on to the back of my shirt, keeping me from falling into the lake and tears are streaming down his face as he tries to control his laughter.

"Ryder what the hell?!" I shout as he pulls me back upright, his booming laughter echoing out and not appearing to be coming to end any time soon. "You're such an ass!" I growl.

He laughs louder and pulls me into him. I try to throw punches into his chest. "You need to lighten up gingersnap," He says between fits of laughter.

I glare up at him. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

He smiles down at me, his laughter finally ending. "What? I can't have a little fun?"

I continue to glare at him.

He smiles wider. "You were standing there and I just couldn't resist." He tucks my hair behind my ear and I feel my heart leap in my chest. "Too good to pass up."

"What?" I ask sarcastically. "Nearly giving me a heart attack?"

He smiles, one arm still holding me into him. He taps me on the nose. "I wasn't going to let you die."

I stare at him thoughtfully. "You're in an awfully good mood. Why?"

He rolls his eyes and starts walking down the trail, motion for me to follow. "Your problems and mine might get solved a lot sooner than you think."

I tilt my head as I walk beside him. "What do you mean?"

"The head of the gang was found dead a few hours ago."

I nearly trip over my own feet. Well, John works fast.

Ryder notices and comes to a stop. He frowns down at me. "But that doesn't actually surprise you," He says as he studies my expression. I pray I keep my thoughts off my face. It clearly doesn't work. "You knew he was going to die," Ryder suddenly declares.

I turn away from him and keep walking. "That's ridiculous," I tell him, my voice confident and smooth. "I'm not psychic."

Ryder grabs my arm and pulls me to a stop. "What did you do?"

I scoff, waving him off. "I've been with you this entire time. I haven't done anything."

He shakes his head. "No, you haven't been with me the whole time . . ." Ryder stares at me for a long moment. And then he starts swearing.

"Tell me you didn't hire John."

"I didn't hire John."

He throws his hands up in the air and lets out a groan. "Do you realize how utterly illegal that is?"

"Nope, because I didn't do anything. You can't prove anything."

"Please just shut up," Ryder puts his hands over his ears. "I didn't hear this. I didn't hear any of this. I don't know what she's talking about it. She's a rambling lunatic."

I glare at him. "I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't do anything."

"Stick with that story," Ryder says. He lets out another groan and starts walking away muttering something about me giving him a migraine.

"Well you're not exactly a walk in the park to get along with either," I inform him and I walk quickly to keep up.

Ryder looks at me and his eyes light up with mischief. "I don't believe you mean that."

"Oh? And why's that?"

"Because you're sticking around." He smiles at me and throws his arm over my shoulder.

I can't help but smile back at him. "So are you," I point out.

"It's my job. I don't have a choice."

I glare at him and remove his arm from my shoulder. He laughs and pulls me into him.

"I'm just messing with you carrot top," He says. I continue to glare.

It's quiet for a long while as we continue walking down the trail, circling the lake. Ryder keeps his eyes on the trail in front of him and his arm around my shoulders. I also notice that he's started playing with a strand of my hair without even realizing it.

I can't help but think about how nice this is and, unfortunately, how it's unlikely to last. He's FBI. I'm a criminal. There is no universe in which this would ever work out.

I try to squash the depressing feeling that's swelling up inside me. I mean, I knew from the beginning there wasn't a chance in hell of this ever working out. And here I am wishing it would.

Ryder stops and looks down at me, a frown on his face as he studies my expression. I turn and look out at the lake, away from him. "It's beautiful here," I whisper, trying to keep him from reading too much into the thoughts that I'm sure were spelled out across my face.

I feel him staring at me and I can practically hear the words he wants to say, the question he wants to ask, but he doesn't. He doesn't say anything.

"Yeah, it is," He finally replies. "I can see why Quinn likes it here."

"Quinn likes peace and quiet," I agree. "She hates violence and this place reminds her of peace."

"I can understand that," Ryder says.

I nod and when I turn to look at him, he's still staring right at me. Not even looking at the lake.

He blows out a breath and takes a few steps forward until he's standing right by my side yet again. "Nicky," He starts, but doesn't finish.

"So, you do know my name," I tease.

He laughs and playfully rolls his eyes. He looks away from me and out at the lake. He blows out another breath.

I look out at the lake as well. "I wish we could just stay here," I mutter softly. "No Volkov, no gang, just this." Of course, I'm not talking about the place in particular. I'm talking about the moment. I'm talking about us. Whatever we are.

Ryder doesn't say anything at first, just rocks back on his heels. "Me too," He finally whispers.

I glance at him briefly before letting my gaze rest on the lake once more. Quinn's words echo in my head, about Ryder really liking me. I decide to take a chance. "I wasn't talking about where we are. Not the place," I tell him quietly.

I feel his gaze move from the lake to the side of my face.

"I know," He replies simply.

My heart starts beating faster when he pulls me into him and lowers his lips gently onto mine.

The kiss is slow, sweet, and feels like it should last forever except it doesn't. And I'm all too sad when Ryder pulls away. He reaches out and tucks my hair behind my ear again and smiles down at me. I stare back at him, waiting to say something I know I shouldn't.

"Je t'aime," I whisper under my breath.

"And we're back to summoning the dead," Ryder teases. I smile at him. "What did you say?"

I shake my head. "Nothing," I tell him. "Don't worry about it."

Ryder narrows his eyes playfully at me and opens his mouth to say something but stops. The playful and happy look that was once on his face is wiped away and replaced with a tense and worried one instead.

"Ryder?" I question. He doesn't respond, just stares over my shoulder, out past the lake. I turn to look. To see what's caught his attention.

Smoke.

Thick black smoke is filling the sky rapidly, coming from the direction we were walking from. Dread settles deep in my gut and my breath catches in my throat. I can't breathe.

"That's Quinn's cabin," I whisper.

There's no way for me to know this without being able to see it, but I know it's her cabin. I was so concerned with the trouble I was bringing to Ryder's life. I didn't even stop to think about what I had done to hers.

I didn't think anyone could track me here. Never thought she'd ever become a target.

I've never been more wrong. And now Quinn's cabin is burning and Quinn's unaccounted for.