Ride or Die

by Marie, Kay

  "Are you ladies ready," Mouse asks us.

  "Yup!" Emma bounces down the porch stairs. "Let's go, Mousey."

  Everyone laughs except for Mouse, who looks to Sketch.

  "Please don't make that a thing," he pleads, causing Sketch to laugh again.

  "Have fun, Mousey," Sketch says to him.

  "Oh, fuck," Mouse sighs. "Let's go."

  Rivet links arms with me and we follow Emma and Mouse to the clubhouse. The nerves are kicking in.

  "Don't worry. He won't be able to take his eyes off you," Rivet whispers to me. I hope I'll get a chance to talk to him.

  15

  Buster

  Once the clubhouse fills up more, Lolita stops walking around collecting drink orders. Now she's behind the bar with Tink. After Hollywood and Sketch finished their game, I took Hollywood's challenge and Sketch left to go off on his own. We're finishing our game and I'm not doing too great. I'm finding it hard to concentrate. Hollywood sunk his last ball and is now lining up his shot for the 8 ball when a couple of the cut bunnies walk up. He takes his shot and sinks the 8 ball.

  "Hey fellas," London, a newer cut bunny, says as she comes to stand by Rascal and Hollywood.

  "I need another beer," I say to the guys, ignoring London.

  "I'll come with you," Hollywood replies. We walk over to the bar leaving Rascal with London and Ruby. Tink likes to split the bar into sections depending on how many are working. Tonight, it's her and Lolita. The bar is pretty crowded but we find a spot toward the end of the bar and it happens to be Lolita's side. Hollywood probably chose this side on purpose.

  As patched members, we usually get served before anyone else, no matter how busy it is. Lolita sees us before she’s about to take someone's order and comes to us first.

  "Hey, guys. What can I get ya?"

  "Another beer for me, please," I tell her.

  "I'll take a shot of Fireball and another beer, please, Doll," Hollywood says. Her cheeks turn pink before she turns around to go get our drinks. "Do you think Cali is going to actually come tonight?"

  "She supposed to. I guess we'll see," I reply. I glance around the room, my eyes go right to Cali. She has her back facing me and she’s talking with Mouse and Buzz. Jealousy turns inside me.

  "Here you go." Lolita sets our drinks in front of us as Diesel walks over to us.

  "Brothers! How's it fucking going?" Diesel is talking to us but staring at Lolita with a smirk. Two brothers potentially into the same girl? This could be interesting.

  "Thanks, Lo." I grab my beer. "I gotta go. I'll see y'all around."

  "Go get her, tiger." Hollywood slaps me on my back. I shake my head, moving around the room. Cali has her hair in a messy bun. I can’t help but want to mark up her perfect skin. I walk over to the couch where Kicks and Clutch are talking. From here, I get a side view of her. She’s been dressing a lot sexier than I’m used to.

  "What's up," Kicks asks. "Enjoying the view?"

  "What?" I turn to him and he's glancing in the same direction I was. "Ha, yeah."

  "What are you waiting for? Go talk to her," he tells me. It's like she could sense we were talking about her because at that moment, she turns and locks eyes with me, smiling. My heart skips a beat seeing her gorgeous smile. Mouse nudges her shoulder and she slowly walks toward me. My grin grows into a full-blown smile once she's standing in front of me.

  "Hi," she says innocently.

  "Hi," I respond.

  "Do you mind if we could go somewhere a little quieter to talk," she asks. I nod my head.

  "Yeah, come on." I hold my hand out for her to grab and surprisingly she takes it. I keep her close behind me as we walk through a small crowd. We walk down the hall leading to all the rooms. Once we reach my door, I pull my keys out to unlock it. I open it and gesture for her to walk in. She studies the room as she does.

  "Is this okay?"

  "Yeah, of course," she says. I shut the door behind me. "You don't have much in here."

  "I don't stay here much since Shade and I got our house," I tell her. She sits on the edge of the bed. "So, what's up?"

  "I've had a lot of time to consider things. You know, since I haven't been working." She lets out a light laugh.

  "I bet it's weird to have so much time off, huh?"

  "It is, but it's also kind of nice," she admits. "Anyway, I was thinking, maybe we could start over."

  "Start over?" I give her a confused look.

  "Yeah, I mean, we haven't seen each other in five years. We both have changed in that time and I thought we could kind of start over and get to know each other again," she explains.

  "Is this a way for us to work on things and maybe get back together," I ask her, trying to gauge how she's feeling. Her cheeks turn a deep pink and she glances at her hands. I move so I'm in front of her. I put a finger under her chin and lift her face so she's looking at me. "I need an answer, Sunshine."

  "My heart is still bruised, Ryan. This is a way for us to," she pauses like she's trying to find the right words to say next. "Not forget the past, but to move on from it. To earn each other's trust again. We can date and learn new things about each other and after a while, we can revisit the relationship talk."

  "I'll take it. I'll take whatever you want to give me. I'll do whatever I need to do to earn your trust again, to earn your heart again," I tell her.

  "Okay," she says, trying to hold back a smile.

  "Okay," I smirk at her. "Would you like to go back out to the party with me?"

  "Sure." She stands next to me. She seems so small next to me now. I've always been almost a foot taller than her, but I bulked up after I moved to Arizona. I hold my hand out to her again and she takes it. Together, we head back out to the main room.

  16

  Cali

  “Do you want anything to drink?” Ryan says right by my ear.

  “Sure.” He guides me over to the bar where Minx and Raze happen to be sitting.

  “Hey B,” Minx shouts. She looks at me, her eyes going wide. Her eyes go from me to Ryan and back to me, and a smile crosses her face. "Hey, Cali."

  "Hey, Minx. This spot open?" I gesture toward the chairs next to her.

  "Of course! Sit," she tells us. As soon as Lolita sees us, she walks over to us smiling.

  "What can I get y'all to drink?"

  "Something fruity," I ask her.

  "Ever had a Malibu Beach?"

  "No, but I'm willing to try it," I say.

  "I'll have a beer," Ryan tells her. I grin at him. Lolita smiles and shakes her head before going to get our drinks. I turn my body so I'm facing Minx and she turns to face me.

  "So . . . " She looks behind me at Ryan and back to me. "Spill."

  "I came to my senses," I tell her, letting out a light laugh.

  "Explain," she says. I glance over my shoulder at Ryan and he's already looking at me. I grin and he gives me a full tooth smile. Shade is on the other side of him and says something that gets Ryan's attention. I turn to Minx.

  "We talked and we’re going to date and learn about each other again. After a month or so, we'll decide if we want a full-blown relationship or not."

  "Oh, you will. I've seen the way y'all look at each other," she says. I roll my eyes and she laughs. "You'll see."

  Lolita brings our drinks over to us, smiling.

  "Are you two a thing now?" She points between us.

  "Yes," Ryan says before I can get anything out. I half-ass glare at him, trying not to smile. "What? It's easier than explaining everything."

  Ryan runs a finger down my spine and my skin breaks out in goosebumps.

  "Uh-huh, sure. I'll let it slide." I wink at him and turn my attention back to Lolita. "It's a long story, but yeah, we pretty much are."

  "Good, I like you. You're good for him." She walks away again.

  "It's only a matter of time," Minx whispers close to my ear. I swat her away and she giggles.

  "Leave us be." I chuckle. Ryan turns my chair so I'm facing hi
m now.

  "Some of the guys have a bonfire going outback. Do you want to go out there," he asks me.

  "Sure." We take our drinks and head outside. The sky is clear of clouds making it easy to see all the stars. There aren't any city lights so they’re even more visible.

  "It's breathtaking," I say. Stargazing has always been something I've loved.

  "Yeah, it is." I look at Ryan and he's watching me. My cheeks heat up. He cups my face with his hand and rubs his thumb across my cheek.

  "Hey, brother!" A guy I haven't met yet interrupts our moment. Ryan drops his hand.

  "What's up, Clutch?"

  "Bout to go get another drink, you need one." He looks from Ryan to me. Recognition crosses his face. "You were at the party last week, with another girl, right?"

  "Uh, yeah, I was," I tell him.

  "You were," Ryan asks me. I nod at him.

  "Is your friend here," Clutch asks me.

  "Somewhere around here. I'm sure if you find Rivet, you'll find Emma," I say.

  "Emma," he tries her name on his tongue. "Thanks, uh?"

  "Cali," I give him my name. His eyes go wide and he looks at Ryan.

  "The Cali?" Ryan nods. Clutch slaps him on the shoulder and turns back to me, smiling. "Cali, it's nice to meet you. Take care of this guy, yeah?"

  "I'll do my best." I smile at Ryan.

  "I'll leave y'all to it. Have a good night." Clutch winks and takes off the way we came from. Ryan pulls me over to a side of the bonfire where no one else is sitting.

  "So, you were at my house last weekend," Ryan says.

  "Yeah, I guess so. I didn't know it was yours until you came to the bakery. I didn't know your nickname, Buster," I explain.

  "I got that name in Arizona," he smirks.

  "What's the story behind it?"

  "I rolled up to my first race night with only my pink slip like Brian did in Fast and the Furious. It started as a joke then kind of stuck," he tells me. "It took a few races to prove myself to the guys out there, but once I did, they accepted me like family."

  "Clutch and Shade seem like good people," I say.

  "Diesel came to Texas with us too. You'll meet him soon. We still have some guys in Arizona. They're all good guys. You would like being around them." He smiles at me.

  "I'm glad you had good people around you out there. I always worried about you," I admit to him. He hangs his head.

  "I should have called."

  "Stop, we're not going there. It's in the past, we're moving forward," I tell him. He lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses it.

  "It sounds like you met Clutch last week," Ryan says, changing the subject. I shake my head.

  "Emma did. She was walking around with Rivet while I was talking with Minx. He must have seen her and me together," I explain to him.

  "You were talking with Minx? Were the two of you sitting at one of the picnic tables by the bonfire?"

  "Yeah, how'd you know," I ask. A huge smile spreads across his face.

  "You have a tattoo on your shoulder." It's not a question.

  "I do. It's a bouquet of chamomile," I tell him.

  "I saw you. I didn't know it was you, but I felt drawn to you. I was going to come talk to you after I lit the bonfire, but when I went to the table, you were gone." He's frowning now.

  "I had gotten a call from Wren and had to leave," I explain.

  "I like it. It looks good on you." The corner of his mouth tugs up in a half-smile. It's a smile I loved getting from him before and I love it even more now. He's always been a good looking guy, but he has definitely matured some over the years and is somehow even sexier.

  "Thanks," I say quietly. We fall into a comfortable conversation. Almost like the last five years never happened. It makes me happy we can talk like we used to, but I can't let my walls down so easily.

  After a while, Minx, Rivet, Emma, and some of the guys come out and join us. I'm talking with Rivet when a cut bunny walks by, going straight to Ryan and sits on his lap. She whispers something in his ear and he tries to scoot her off his lap.

  "Lexus, get up," he tells her. He clenches his teeth, and I can tell he's pissed.

  "Come on, baby," she draws out.

  "Hey, he said to get the fuck up," I say to her. "Or should I help you up?"

  "And who the fuck are you?" She stands. I mirror her and stand my ground.

  "I'm his girl," I tell her. He grabs my hand and pulls me into his lap. I'm not the kind of girl who would ever fight over a guy, but I will fight for what Ryan and I have. I grab his face and kiss him, staking a claim for everyone around us. The girls and some of the guys hoot and holler. We both smile and break our kiss.

  "I definitely wasn't expecting that," he whispers to me. I shrug my shoulder.

  "I'm full of the unexpected." I wink at him. Lexus must have walked away while we were kissing because she's nowhere in sight now. Ryan wraps his arms around my waist like he could sense I was going to get up. I smile and lean into him. We spend the rest of the night cuddled up, laughing with all of our friends.

  17

  Cali

  It’s Sunday and the club is getting ready for their weekly BBQ. I offered to help Minx and Rivet get things prepped or to bake something, but they told me to take it easy and enjoy my time off. Ryan is trying to teach me how to play pool for like the millionth time since we were kids. I understand how to play, I've never been any good. We're laughing and having fun when the clubhouse door opens. We both glance up to see who it is, but the sun is shining so bright we can't make out who it is until the door closes behind them.

  "Papa? What are you doing here," I ask walking over to him, Ryan right behind me.

  "I could ask you the same thing, Calina," Papa responds. His eyes move behind me to Ryan. "I assume things will be better between you and my daughter this time?"

  "Papa, I told you it was a mutual decision," I say softly. I hadn't gotten a chance to tell Ryan what I told people after he left, so I'm sure he'll ask me about it when we're alone later.

  "Ah, Andrei! Did you have any trouble getting here," Bull asks as he walks toward us from out of the hallway. He was more than likely in his office.

  "No, no troubles. Thank you for having me. Shall we go somewhere we can talk?" He shakes hands with Bull.

  "We can go to my office," he tells him and turns to Ryan. "Buster, why don't you come join us?"

  "Of course," he responds to Bull. He pulls me in front of him as Papa and Bull start for Bull's office. "Why don't you go to the kitchen with Minx while I go talk with them. We have some things to talk about when I'm done."

  I nod at him and he kisses my forehead before walking away. I find my way to the kitchen, my mind spinning with thoughts of why Papa would be here. He's a powerful man, being the Pakhan but what business could he have with a local motorcycle club?

  "Hey, girl." Minx's voice pulls me from my thoughts. "You alright?"

  "Hey, yeah, I'm okay. My Papa is here to talk to yours. They pulled Buster into the meeting with them," I tell her, explaining why I'm in here.

  "Why would your dad be here," Rivet asks.

  "He's the Pakhan of the Orlov Bratva," I tell them. "He's a powerful man, but I have no idea why he would be here."

  "Because of the cartel," Minx says. I give her a confused look.

  "What about the cartel," Rivet questions.

  "Raze didn't tell me much but did say they had gotten word the cartel was lurking around. Maybe our dads are going to work together to take care of the cartel," Minx explains.

  "That makes sense," I respond. Then it hits me. "Do they think that's who shot at my bakery?"

  "That I’m not sure about. Raze hasn't mentioned anything about your shop," she tells me. "Would you mind maybe making some cookies?"

  "Not at all! That would actually be a great distraction," I laugh. "What kind of cookies?"

  "What about red velvet cookies? We have everything for them," Rivet tells me.

  "Perfect! Tell me where
everything is and I'll get started." I smile at them. I'm excited to do some baking. It's only been a few days, but I miss it. It's always been a great stress reliever for me too. With Papa and Ryan somewhere talking without me around, it sort of stresses me out. Papa never got to know Ryan since he travels so much, and I was never sure what his thoughts were about him. Mama always told me not to worry about it though.

  I've never made red velvet cookies before but knowing how delicious red velvet cake is, I can only imagine how good the cookies will be. I collect all the ingredients before I do anything else. It takes around twenty minutes to get the dough prepped. As I'm scooping it out onto a cookie sheet, the kitchen door opens. Curious, I turn around and Ryan is walking toward me.

  "They roped you into baking, huh?" He laughs.

  "It doesn't take much to get me to bake." I wink at him.

  "What are they exactly?"

  "They're red velvet cookies with white chocolate chips," I say.

  "That sounds amazing. You about done?" He wraps his arms around my waist and rests his head on my shoulder.

  "They need to bake then I'll be done," I explain.

  "Hey Minx," Ryan calls over to her. She turns around to face us. "Can you keep an eye on these while they bake so I can steal my girl?"

  "Yeah, sure," she says with a smile. "Don't hide her away for too long."

  She winks at us and goes back to what she was doing. I set a timer for ten minutes and stick the cookie sheet in the oven. Once I close it, Ryan is practically dragging me out of the kitchen and doesn't slow down until we reach his room.

  "You about pulled my arm out of my socket." I laugh. He closes the door and pulls me into him. He holds me with one snaked around my back and tips my chin up with the other. He closes the distance, locking his lips with mine in a sweet kiss. I gasp at the unexpectedness of the kiss and he takes the opportunity to slide his tongue inside my mouth. It's over as quickly as it happened. He pulls his face away far enough to lean his forehead against mine.

  "What was that for," I ask on a whisper. He shrugs a shoulder.