“Done with your business?” Ryan gave Echo a glance before turning his gaze to Bill and the others, his eyes flashing with a trace of coldness.
Hawk and the others exchanged looks, hesitating for a second when they saw Ryan’s indifferent expression.
“Boss, your condition…” Hawk started cautiously.
“I’m not dead yet.” Ryan’s cold, domineering words cut Hawk off sharply.
Immediately, the men lowered their heads in unison and replied, “Yes, we understand.” With that, they all hurried out, leaving only Bill behind.
Ryan was still here, and his presence was essential. But with everyone hovering around him, who was managing the Dark family? If word got out that the Boss was critically injured, the chaos that would follow would be impossible to contain.
Hawk and the others felt slightly rattled by Ryan’s condition, but Ryan himself wasn’t shaken-and never would be.
Echo raised an eyebrow, impressed by how Ryan dismissed everyone with just a single sentence. His overwhelming presence left no room for objection. With a slight smile, she picked up the clothes by his side and held them out to him.
Ryan glanced at Echo’s outstretched hand but said nothing. He simply sat on the edge of the machine, letting her help him get dressed.
“Does it hurt?” As her fingers brushed one of the red spots on his skin, she felt his body tense slightly. Echo immediately pulled her hand back and looked at him.
The red spots, formed from the blood contamination, showed signs of starting to fester. Echo had thought they were just a side effect of the radiation, but she hadn’t expected them to be painful. Seeing how his muscles contracted at her touch, she froze.
Ryan looked down at her, noticing the concern in her eyes. Without a word, he reached out, gently stroking her head.
After a long moment of silence, he murmured, “I’m fine.”
The moment she asked if he was in pain, Echo realized how stupid her question was.
Asking Ryan if he felt pain was like asking a table if it could talk. The idea that he’d actually answer her was absurd. Did Ryan even have a pain threshold?
She had been in agony during her own treatment, but Ryan had looked as if he were merely sleeping-he didn’t even furrow his brow. So when Ryan uttered those words, she couldn’t hide her surprise and stared at him, stunned.
“Get me dressed.” Ryan’s voice turned cold when he noticed her hesitation. His hand shot out, grabbing her by the neck as he growled in frustration.
Echo snapped back to reality. Seeing the icy anger in his eyes, she immediately started helping him into his clothes, being more careful with her touch. But even as she moved gently, Ryan acted as if he felt no discomfort, lifting his arms and legs without hesitation. It wasn’t just his body that was tough-his mind was just as unyielding.
“Boss, you should stay here for a few more days and cooperate with the medical team.” Bill stepped in front of Ryan just as he made a move to leave, wrapping an arm around Echo’s waist for support.
Ryan frowned, his eyes narrowing. Before he could respond, Echo spoke up, catching on. “Boss, you need to take care of yourself. Hawk and the others can handle things. Your health is not a trivial matter.”
Bill nodded in agreement. “Exactly, Boss.”
Ryan’s expression darkened as he glanced between the two of them. His voice dropped, cold and dangerous. “Say that again?”
Echo froze for a second at Ryan’s words.
What did he mean by that? Was it wrong to worry about him now?
Why ask her to repeat herself? If it weren’t for the fact that he saved her life, she wouldn’t have even thought about caring for him. Besides Skye, she’d never worried about anyone in her entire life.
Bill hesitated for a moment at Ryan’s command, then clenched his teeth and said, “Boss, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me.”
Ryan gave a small nod, his expression still cold, and wrapped an arm around Echo as they headed out.
Echo raised her eyebrows high, glancing back at Bill. After exchanging a few quick words with the old man, Bill hurried to catch up.
Echo shot a glare at Bill, her eyes full of confusion.
Bill met her gaze and gave a small shake of his head. “Everyone in the Dark family knows Boss is back. If he doesn’t make an appearance, it could stir up trouble. Some things only he can handle.”
Bill had been so focused on Ryan’s condition that he forgot the weight of the Boss’s role.
In the Dark family, leaving room for rumors or doubt was dangerous-sometimes even deadlier than an enemy attack. Ryan always made sure there were no openings for his rivals to exploit.
Bill had slipped up by letting his concern cloud his judgment.
Echo arched an eyebrow at Bill’s explanation. He hadn’t laid everything out, but she got the point.
Back when she was with the Theft Organization, even if she was injured or things went south, she’d grit her teeth and stay quiet. She couldn’t let anyone with an agenda see a weakness to exploit. The same principle applied here-whether for someone like her or someone in Ryan’s position as the Boss.
“I’ll drive,” Echo said, playing her part as a makeshift crutch while they made their way to the car.
She opened the door and helped Ryan inside. Since she wasn’t a medic, it made more sense for Bill to sit up front to monitor Ryan. She saw the look Bill gave her and understood immediately, stepping aside to let him take the passenger seat.
Just as she was about to pull away, Ryan grabbed her by the collar and yanked her into the car. She ended up sprawled across his lap, and before she could lift her head, Ryan pressed her down with one hand, forcing her to stay put. Echo adjusted her posture to avoid putting too much pressure on his legs.
“Stay down.” Ryan let out a cold grunt and applied more force, pinning her firmly against his thighs.
Echo gave up and settled into place, resting against him. If it didn’t bother him, why should she care if it hurt or not?
“Boss, I just-”
“Drive.” Ryan cut Bill off sharply, his voice filled with impatience.
Bill gritted his teeth but didn’t argue. After taking a deep breath, he climbed into the driver’s seat, slammed on the gas, and sped toward the Dark family’s estate.
Echo stayed still on Ryan’s lap, feeling his hand absently stroke her hair from time to time. With her cheek pressed against his thigh, she could feel the solid muscles beneath his skin.
She let out a quiet sigh. It was no wonder Bill, Hawk, and the others were willing to risk everything for Ryan. Beneath that cold exterior, he truly took care of his people.
He had radiation exposure, and those red blotches didn’t look good. Getting too close could risk spreading or infection. That’s probably why Ryan kept his distance from everyone else-except her. He must have figured she was immune to it somehow.
Echo rubbed her head against Ryan’s leg with a slight smile. Having a boss like him wasn’t bad at all-someone who’d risk his life to save hers and even care about his people. This was a far cry from the leaders she’d served under in the past. If Ryan wasn’t going to let her go, fine-she’d follow him willingly this time.
The car pulled to a stop at the gates of the Dark family estate.
Echo lifted her head from Ryan’s lap as Bill slowed the vehicle.
The imposing iron gates swung open, revealing staff lined up on either side, standing at attention with rigid precision. They bowed their heads as the car glided inside, not daring to breathe too loudly.
It was all discipline-true, military-like discipline.
As the car rolled deeper into the estate, more staff appeared, dropping whatever they were doing to bow in silence.
Even other cars, whether coming or going, came to an immediate halt. No matter who was inside, passengers climbed out to bow deeply toward Ryan’s vehicle. Men and women who looked haughty and cold, dripping with wealth and arrogance, now stood humbled, their heads bowed in respect and fear.