by L. Wilder
“I did have a g’reason, Murr-pphy! I’ve got sumthin I need to say to you. Then, I’m done.” I had no idea if he could even understand me with all my slurred words, but I didn’t care. I needed to clear my chest, so I told him, “You might be a big, rrrough an tough biker guy with gorrrgeous, baby blues and great ass … but that doesn’t give you the right to be a complete jerk. And to think I actually thought you were a nice guy. Can you believe that? … I mean, I actually liked you! I was ‘slooking forward to seeing you again, but yooo had to go and blow me off.”
“Have you been drinking?”
“Yep, and I’m about to drink me s’more.”
His voice was low and threatening as he asked, “Where are you?”
Ignoring his question, I asked, “You know wha’s really crazy? I actually thought you liked me, too. How sad is that?”
“Riley,” he warned.
“You ghosted me, Murphyyy. Do you know wha’ that means?” Before he could answer, I snapped, “It means, yooo made me like you, and then you disappeared … I had no idea if you were alive or dead, but whatever. I get it. You aren’t interested, and I’m tow-tahh-ly fine with that. Seriously. Do what you gotta do. As for me, I’m gonna have myself a grand old time and forget—”
Before I could finish my sentence, he barked, “Riley, where the fuck are you?”
I was just about to answer when the backdoor flew open, filling the alley with the sounds of people talking and loud music. As Grady stepped outside, he shouted, “Riley! I’ve been looking all over the bar for you. What the hell are you doing out here?”
I held up my cellphone as I sassed, “Uh … I’m on the phone, Gradyyy.”
“Well, get off the damn phone. It’s thirty degrees out here and you’re not wearing a fucking coat!”
“I’m jus’ fine!”
“You’re lips are blue, Lee. Stop acting like a child and get your ass inside.”
“Fine! Jus’ give me a second.” I brought the phone back up to my ear and said, “Hey, Murphyy, I gotta go.”
I waited for some kind of response, but I got nothing—just dead air. When I saw the disapproving look on Grady’s face, I could tell he was upset with me. As I started towards him, I shrugged. “I’m not on the phone any moooorrree.”
“Come on. Let’s get back inside.” I followed him back over to our table, and as soon as I sat down, he gave me one of his looks. “I’m not going to tell you that you made a huge mistake by calling him, because you’ll figure that out tomorrow.”
“He s’gonna think I’m a raging lunatic.”
“Maybe, but who cares what he thinks.” He placed his hand on mine as he said, “You are an amazing woman, Riley Nichols. Any guy who can’t see that isn’t worth having.”
“I know.”
“Then act like it and forget about the douchebag.”
I let out a deep breath. “Okayyy. You’re right. I’m over it.”
“Good.” When I reached for my drink, he placed his hand on my arm and said, “Easy killer. You need to slow down with the booze.”
“Yeah, I probably should, but my buzz is starting to wear off and that’s the last thing I need right now.” I took a big gulp of my drink and hiccuped before I smiled and said, “But I’ll try to behave.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.”
As I looked over towards the bar, I asked, “Is Earl working tonight?”
“I thought you were going to behave.”
“I was just asking a question. Jeez,” I complained.
Just as he was about to respond, one of his bouncers came rushing over to Grady. “Hey, boss. We’ve got a problem.”
“What kind of problem?” Grady growled.
He was talking a mile a minute as he explained, “Some guy fell down the front steps. He busted his ass pretty good, and now, he’s threatening to sue!”
“On what grounds? He wasn’t drunk enough?” Grady scoffed.
“No, sir. I think this guy is a lawyer or something.” The bouncer’s eyes were wide with panic as he said, “He started spouting off some city penal codes about it being mandatory to clear off any and all ice from the front entrance of the building. I don’t know if that’s true or if he’s just pissed.”
“Well, fuck.” Grady looked over to me as he said, “I’m sorry, Riley, but I’ve gotta go see about this guy.”
“It’s fine. Go ahead.”
“I’ll be back as quick as I can.” As he stood up, he demanded, “Do not move from the spot. Is that understood?”
“Understood.”
I watched as he followed the bouncer towards the front door. When they were both out of my line of sight, I turned my attention back to my drink. As I took another sip of my long island, my mind drifted back to my phone call with Murphy. I might regret it more tomorrow, but I was glad I’d gotten everything off my chest. As I tried to focus on the song that was playing, I took another long drink and then another and another. It wasn’t long before that woozy feeling returned, and I was swaying to the rhythm of the music. All was well in the world until I caught the attention of a sleaze-ball with slicked-back hair and a thick gold chain. When I noticed him eyeing me from across the room, I quickly turned and looked in the other direction, hoping that he’d get the hint that I wasn’t interested. Sadly, he didn’t let my disinterest stop him from approaching my table. At the time, I didn’t know it, but my night was about to take a drastic turn.
9
Murphy
When it came to Riley Nichols, it wasn’t about wanting something I couldn’t have. It was wanting something I shouldn’t want. Knowing what was at stake, I’d done everything in my power to shake the pull I felt towards her, but no matter how hard I tried, she’d always find a way to slip back into my thoughts. The whole thing was driving me over the edge, and when she called, it was like throwing fuel onto the fire. As soon as I heard the sound of her voice, all I could think about was getting to her. I needed to lay my eyes on her, see for myself that she was okay, but from the way she was going off on me, it was doubtful that she’d be happy about seeing me. I wasn’t surprised that she was angry. Hell, I would’ve felt the same if I was in her shoes, but I didn’t expect her to call me out, and I certainly didn’t expect her to use Gus’s phone to do it. Oddly enough, Gus wasn’t nearly as surprised as I was. I had no idea how, but he’d known from the start that Riley struck a chord with me. While he had his concerns about me becoming involved with our new supplier’s daughter, he trusted me, knowing I’d never do anything to jeopardize my brothers or the club.
When I hung up the phone, Gus looked over to me and asked, “What was that all about?”
“She’s drunk and wanted to give me hell.”
“Well, I’ll be damned. Another fiery one. It’d be nice if one of you boys could fall for a meek, timid chick,” he grumbled.
“What’s the fun in that?” Blaze argued. “Besides, we all know that the fiery ones are the only ones who can put up with our shit.”
“You’ve got a point there.” Gus reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys to his SUV. As he tossed them over to me, he said, “You might want to explain a couple of things to her … like why she shouldn’t steal phone numbers from her dad’s cell.”
“I’ll make sure she understands.”
“I know you will.”
I couldn’t stop thinking about the pain I heard in her voice—the pain I’d caused. I’d hurt her—the very thing I was trying not to do—and it gutted me. One way or another, I had to set things right, but before I could do that, I had to find her. When I started for the door, Gus called, “Murphy?”
I stopped and looked over to him. “Yeah?”
“You’ll never know unless you take a chance.”
I nodded, then headed out to the parking lot. When I got to his truck, I didn’t take the time to consider what Gus had said. Instead, I cranked the engine and drove like a bat out of hell towards downtown. While Riley hadn’t actually told me her loc
ation, I’d heard her say Grady’s name right before the line was disconnected. It was my only clue, and I hoped it would be enough to find her. When I pulled up to the Smoking Gun, I wasn’t happy to see that it was packed to the gills. I just wanted to find her and set things straight before she did something we’d both regret, but it wasn’t going to be easy to find her in such a large crowd. I started towards the back of the bar, carefully maneuvering my way through the partygoers as I searched for any sign of Riley. I was starting to lose hope when I finally spotted her sitting at one of the tables in the back corner. She was wearing a little black dress that clung perfectly to her curves, and her hair was down around her shoulders. She looked stunning. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one who’d noticed how beautiful she looked.
An overeager douchebag was standing next to her with his arm around her shoulder, and from the way he was drooling over her, he thought he’d found his companion for the night. Unfortunately for him, that was never going to happen. With my fists clenched at my sides, I started towards them, and as I got closer, I could see that Riley had her hand on the douchebag’s chest, trying to push him off her. The guy clearly wasn’t taking the hint and just kept whispering God only knows in her ear. She shook her head, clearly telling him no, but he wasn’t accepting her answer. By the time I reached the table, I was ready to rip the guy a new one. I placed my hand on his shoulder and snarled, “It’s time to move on, asshole.”
The guy was at least a foot shorter than me with a slim, but athletic build. When he turned and looked at me, I could tell from his expression that he was feeling unsure of himself, but that didn’t stop him from saying, “This doesn’t involve you, so fuck off!”
I didn’t miss the surprise in her drunken voice when Riley asked, “Murphy? What are you doing here?”
“You’ve got two seconds to get your fucking hands off her.” When he didn’t move, I brought my hand up to his throat, lifting him up in the air as I slammed him against the wall. With a look of utter panic, he started clawing at my hand, trying to pry himself free from my hold. The poor bastard looked terrified, but he had it coming. I gave his throat a firm squeeze, and when his face started to turn red, I leaned towards him and with my face just inches from his, I growled, “I’m going to let you go, and when I do, you’re going to walk away. Is that understood?”
He nodded frantically.
“Good.” I lowered his feet to the ground and released my hold on his throat. “Now, get the fuck out of here.”
As he turned to leave, I heard him grumble, “No piece of ass is worth this bullshit!”
The second he was gone, Riley turned to me and asked, “What the hell was that?”
“That was me saving your ass from that asshole, which wouldn’t have been necessary if you hadn’t gone and gotten yourself drunk.”
“Oh, no. You don’t get to come in here acting all high and mighty trying to save me,” she slurred. “You don’t get to do that. Not after ...”
“I just did.”
“Well, you had no right to intervene. Besides, I was handling it!”
“Um-hmm. Sure, you were.” I crossed my arms as I asked, “Where’s your cousin, Grady?”
“Not that it’s any of your business … he had something he needed to take care of.”
“So, he left you here alone?”
“Yes, but he had something important he needed to take care of,” she repeated with an over-exaggerated eye-roll.
“Nothing is as important as you are, Riley. Nothing.”
A faint blush crept over her face as she said, “Tha’s almost funny coming from you.”
When she picked up her drink and took a long sip, I reached for her and said, “You’ve had enough. It’s time to get you home.”
“Whoa. Hold up there, Hercules,” she argued. “Who are you to tell me when I’ve had enough? I’mmmm not going anywhere.”
“This isn’t up for discussion, Riley. You’ve had your little tantrum. Now, I’m taking you home.”
“Tantrum?” Her words continued to be slurred and drawn out as she stood up and asked, “Are you kidding me?”
“Riley,” I warned.
“You can ‘Riley’ me all you want, but I’m not leaving.” As she pointed towards the front door, she said, “You, on the other hand, are more than welcome to do whatever you want.”
“Is that right?”
With that, I stepped towards her, and with one quick swoop, I lifted her up and planted her across my shoulder. Once I had her situated, I noticed that her dress had shifted, and her tiny, black lace panties and perfect ass were completely exposed. My cock stirred to life, and I silently cursed myself when I felt the urge to touch her and feel her smooth, round flesh beneath my hand. It wasn’t the time nor the place, so I gave the hem of her dress a quick tug, making sure she was completely covered. It was at that moment that Riley started hitting me in the back with her fists. “What the hell are you doing? Put me down!”
“You said I was welcome to do whatever I want, and I want to leave.”
“I already told you I wasn’t going anywhere!”
Unable to help myself, I gave her ass a quick, but memorable smack as I told her, “Considering your present situation, I would say you’re wrong about that.”
“Oh, my God! I can’t believe you just did that! Put me down, Murphy!”
Ignoring her half-hearted protests, I grabbed her purse off the table and worked my way towards the front of the bar. She kept trying to wiggle her way out of my grasp, but that wasn’t going to happen. Now that I had her, there was no way in hell I was going to let her go. I gave her ass another firm pop, and as I’d hoped, she finally accepted her fate and settled down. I’d almost made it to the front door when a tall, preppy motherfucker stepped in front of me, blocking the exit. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Put her the fuck down.”
“Not gonna happen.”
“Oh, it’s gonna happen, and it’s gonna happen right now.”
“You need to step back, asshole, or you’re not gonna like what happens,” I warned, tightening my grip around her waist. I could’ve let her down. Considering her current condition, it would’ve been the respectful thing to do, but I had a point to make, and I was damn well going to make it. Besides, there was no way in hell I was going to accommodate the asshole who’d left Riley alone while she was drinking. That shit was out of line, and I had every intention of letting him know it.
He took a charging step forward, and just as he was about to do something stupid, Riley stopped him by saying, “Grady, don’t. I’m okay.”
“Who the fuck is this guy?”
She turned her hips so she could face him, and with a hiccup she answered, “Um … this is Murphy.”
A surprised look crossed his face as his eyes skirted over me. “This is Murphy? The Murphy?.”
“The one and only.”
Grady looked up at me and said, “I don’t know what you think you’re gonna do here, but there’s no way in hell I’m letting you leave with her. Not like that.”
“She was under your watch tonight, and you dropped the ball. That fuck up is on you.” I knew he was Riley’s cousin, but that didn’t mean I was gonna let him stand in my way. “If you’re smart, you’ll see that you’re about to fuck up again.”
“Grady, just leave it. Seriously, s’okay.”
“Nothing about this is okay, Riley,” he argued. “Just say the word and I’ll handle it.”
I eased my hand up and it rested on her ass. Taking the hint, she answered, “Don’t. I’ll be fine … if the room will just stop spinning.”
Grady reached in his pocket and pulled out his card. “Here’s my number. Call me if she needs anything.”
I nodded, and as I walked past him, he shouted, “Riley, call me as soon as you get home.”
Seconds later, we were out of the bar and headed towards the SUV. When I got to the passenger side door, I carefully lowered Riley’s feet to the ground and handed her
the purse I’d taken off the table. She stood there silently scowling at me as I opened the door for her. In her act of defiance, she crossed her arms with an angry huff and asked, “Are you going to tell me what your plans are here, or am I just supposed to assume that I am being kidnapped?”
I stepped towards her and with my arms fully extended, I placed my hands flat against the truck, pinning her in place. As I looked down at her, I felt that pull to her grow even stronger, and from the way she was looking back at me, I knew she could feel it, too. “We both know you just got what you wanted, so why don’t you just get in the truck and stop pretending that this is something it’s not?”
“Oh, my God! You are such an asshole!” Once again, her words were slurred and her facial expressions overdramatized. “You just carried me out of the bar on your shoulder, and you actually think I wanted that?”
“You wanted to see me again, and now, I’m here.” I knew I sounded like a dick, but I couldn’t stop the words from coming out of my mouth. “So, yeah. You got what you wanted.”
“You’re right. I did want to see you again, but that was before …” she lowered her head and her voice grew soft, “when you were being nice … when you actually talked to me instead of the way you’re acting now … barking orders and acting like a bossy asshole. It’s hard to believe you’re even the same person.”
“We’re one and the same, Riley.” I took a step back as I motioned my hand towards the truck. “You can either come with me and give me a chance to set things right, or I can call you a cab. It’s your call.”
10
Riley
And just like that, he’d put the ball in my court—which couldn’t have come at a worse time. In my inebriated state, I had to decide if I was going to ask him to get me a cab and put an end to whatever was going on between us forever or get in his truck and take a chance on starting something real with him. I would’ve thought it would be a simple decision; after all, I’d pined over him for weeks, but I was completely at odds with myself. As I stood there looking at him, all brooding and sexy as hell, I had no doubt that he had the ability to turn my entire world upside down. My brain was screaming for me to just walk away and salvage what was left of my dignity and self-respect. While I was certain I had a pretty good idea of who he was and the kind of life he led and after dealing with the decisions my father had made, I wasn’t sure I could handle it. My heart, on the other hand, didn’t agree. I’d seen a glimpse of the man beneath that rough exterior. Murphy was no knight in shining armor, but there was a light hidden away in all that darkness—a good inside of him that I was drawn to in ways I couldn’t begin to understand. There were plenty of reasons why I should be scared of wanting him, but the fact was I did, and I couldn’t imagine walking away without taking a chance.
