Behind him, the ringing of the front door stopped, and it fell into the lock with a resounding click. 

"Hey, I'm a bit late..." his voice faltered as soon as he stepped inside. The cozy warmth enveloped him as his eyes wandered restlessly through the café's guest area.

Unlike the day he arrived, Bluebirds was empty. Not a single guest had settled near the fireplace, although these were the most coveted seats. He couldn't even spot Sally, who was supposed to be behind the bar. The place was empty. Irritated, he turned and looked out the window to ensure no one was sitting outside on the porch. In haste, he hadn't noticed a sign on the door saying "IN PAUSE," which he only noticed now.

"Ohhh," Ryker winced as the bright, much-too-high voice suddenly sounded behind him. "If it isn't my beloved craftsman."

Startled and taut as a bowstring, he almost jumped to the side. Ray turned his head in the direction the voice had come from and spotted Sally looking at him with a wide grin. She blinked at him, and her tongue ran slowly over her upper lip.

"Have you come to accept my offer?" the blonde continued, batting her long eyelashes. She leaned over the counter behind which she had emerged like a ghost, her ample bosom almost falling out of the basket.

Now he noticed that her blouse was wrongly buttoned and rumpled. Her hair was also messy. Strands that were otherwise neatly styled fell unkempt around her slender face, the parting askew. He knew that Sally attached great importance to her appearance. Even on a bad, stressful day, the vain café owner would never stand behind the counter like that; he was sure of it.

Following his instinct, he tilted slightly to look past the blonde. Further back, a shadowy figure hurried away through the back door like a thief. Nevertheless, he recognized the guy: it was the marketeer. Ray automatically wrinkled his nose but straightened up again and crossed his arms defensively in front of his chest.

"Excuse me. I'm looking for Evelyn. I dropped her off here almost an hour ago, and I was supposed to pick her up here." Although he neither growled nor growled, his voice had a stern, dismissive tone. His gray eyes were fixed implacably on Sally.

"Evelyn?" he heard, and Sally wrinkled her nose. "Oh, she's already gone. Besides ... What does a man who looks like you want with that fat cripple?"

Sometimes, people say words without thinking about them. And yet, precisely, these words allowed a glimpse into the other person's soul. The words that someone like him was waiting for. They were more precious than anything else.

>>Badum<<

He could hear his own heartbeat in his ears.

"Never mind where she is..." Now Sally came out from behind the counter. She wore a short skirt that reached just mid-thigh, revealing firm thighs. He saw how the blonde's lips moved and how she came closer with swaying steps.

"Wouldn't you rather come in my appartment with me?"

His hand tensed until his knuckles turned white. His teeth gritted as hot anger spread like fire through his veins. A tremor seized his body. He had had an uneasy feeling the whole time. Now, it was falling into place like a puzzle. This woman was a bitch. He didn't have to be a detective to realize that, but ... He had underestimated her.

Sally gotten involved with the estate agent to throw a wrench in Eve's plans. Had she also spoken to her the way she had just done and called her a fat cripple? Did Sally always do that? The thought of caution and reason was suddenly wiped away. Instead, a thunderous storm raged inside him.

Hissing, he sucked in the air. Sally had almost reached him when he took two quick steps towards her. Any hint of warmth was wiped from his face as he grabbed the blonde by the shoulders. He pushed the young woman back until she bumped into the counter.

Sally misjudged the situation, giggling and batting her eyelashes.
"Ohhhh, please be gentle with me," she purred, her chest rising and falling expectantly.

But Ryker was in no mood for flirting, especially not with an easy woman like her, who seemed to be selling her body for favors. He stood menacingly in front of her. With his height, he towered over her effortlessly while his eyes narrowed to slits. His lips curled angrily. At that moment, he saw the startled realization flash in Sally's eyes that he wasn't playing.
"Where is she?« Ray's voice rumbled, hissing and dangerously calm at the same time. "Where's Eve?"

"I..." The hazel eyes stared at him uncomprehendingly. The mockery was gone, as was the ridiculous attempt at flirting. Obviously, she couldn't understand why he was angry and cared about Eve. He was just a handyman who shouldn't be interested in someone like Eve or even give her a second glance.

Eve's scars, her "flaws," were more obvious than his. She didn't fit the image that some people expected. He knew this feeling, this way of thinking, albeit differently. How it felt. How it hurt. People like Sally were shallow and selfish. SHE wasn't worth a minute of his time.

"I don't know," he finally heard Sally's gasp.

The heart in his chest pounded as if he'd run a marathon or jumped into the lake's icy waters one more time. Every fiber of his body was taut like an overstretched bowstring before the shot.

He scrutinized the blonde in front of him with narrowed eyes. Apparently, no one had ever reacted like this before, let alone shown these spoiled child boundaries. She was used to men lying at her feet. But not him. 

"I won't ask again," he growled darkly. "Where's Eve, Sally?"

His expression was undoubtedly sinister enough to condemn the young woman circling him like a cat in heat, miles below the ground.

"I really don't know; she must have left half an hour ago. After..."

"After WHAT?" he has to suppressing the urge to shout at Sally when she paused mid-sentence. He saw her biting her lips. She knew that her answer would not appease his anger.

"After she didn't get the contract for the store," she finally revealed, now even daring to lift her chin. Proud of the result. "I have won. The store is mine."

Ryker pulled his hands back as if he'd been burned.

He wasn't usually a man who was easily flustered. It was unusual for such simple words or insults to upset him like that. Damn, he was a former Seal. Self-control and a calm head were the be-all and end-all. He was used to aiming with a steady hand while shots rang out around him or screams rang in his ears.

But now?

'Fat cripple,' Sally's voice echoed through his head like the echo in a cave.

Ryker thought of Eve's nervousness. Of her smile of anticipation, her flushed cheeks. Of how she always brushed her hair out of her face because she was ashamed. She looked unconsciously in every mirror in the house, and he could see the smile on her lips sink into a hidden pain that he understood only too well. Shattered hopes, shattered dreams, shattered plans.

"Damn it," he hissed softly, clenching his hands into fists again, only to loosen and stretch them out again with the next beat of his heart. As if remote-controlled, he turned away from Sally. His steps took him straight towards the door he had just stepped through, and he rushed out.