by Rye Hart
We walked to an older looking building on the edge of the community and when she pushed the door open, the sound of Southern Gothic music floated through the air. It was like outlaw bluegrass. I actually liked the sound and sighed softly as I followed her inside.
I could see a few pool tables, regular tables, a well-stocked bar, and a dart board. Chloe led me to the bar and we both took a seat. She smiled and offered me a beer, but I shook my head.
“Got Coke?” I asked.
“Sure do,” she said, waving the short, stocky bartender down. The woman slid a Coke across the slick bar top and I caught it with ease.
“You don’t drink?” Chloe asked me.
“I’m underage and I never really had a taste for it,” I explained.
Chloe chuckled. “I was underage when I started drinking, but I respect your decision.”
I smiled thankfully and sucked down the Coke, sighing at the burn that coated my throat. It felt good. I hadn’t realized how thirsty I was until I took that first sip
“So, can I ask why you brought me here?”
Chloe shrugged. “I thought it would be nice for you to get to know everyone.”
“This is everyone?” I asked, looking around.
There were a lot of people in the bar, but it was far more relaxed than what I was used to. The bar that Chaos frequented was always rowdy and there always seemed to be fights. Because of the activity the bar always seemed much more crowded than it actually was. There were people here drinking, but none of them were acting like asses. It was refreshing to say the least.
Chloe walked away for a while and I knew I should have been walking around mingling, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I felt insecure and even a little scared. I’d been thrown into this situation without so much as a warning. I was still trying to ground myself and figure out what I was supposed to be doing.
A hand on my hip suddenly brought me out of my trance. I spun around, hand raised and ready to slap whoever was touching me out of pure instinct. As I turned, my eyes settled on the face of the man who I’d gotten sick on only a few hours prior. I gasped, quickly dropping my hand.
“Ryder?”
He offered me a charming smiled and I could have melted. “Who told you my name?”
“I asked Chloe and she told me,” I whispered, almost breathless.
He chuckled and nodded. “I’m flattered you had enough interest to ask. I’m sorry if I startled you just now.,” he hummed.
I suddenly felt weak in the knees and I couldn’t stop the nervous laughter that was bubbling up from my throat. This man made me feel like a babbling high school girl. I didn’t stand a chance against him. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled.
“You play pool?” he asked.
A grin came across my face and suddenly I felt confident again. This was my element. "I've been playing pool since I was old enough to see over the table," I said with a smirk.
He whistled and walked over to the wall, pulling a cue down and handing it to me. "You want to go, then?"
I took the cue, the smile never falling from my lips. "Hell yeah!"
Ryder was a pretty good player. He handled the stick the way I imagined he handled his women. His movements were controlled and graceful, something I didn’t really expect from a biker. Everything he did had an air of sensuality to it, and it made me shiver. I kept my eyes on him, watching his every move. I never wanted to take my eyes off him.
Ryder definitely knew his way around a pool table, but as good as he was, I was better. I loved pool; it was how I'd earned my money as a child. I would take on all the gruff men who thought they were better than me, take then down a notch, and rob them blind at the same time.
I won the first two games and when the third came around he paused and sighed, looking at me and shaking his head.
"Alright. Let's make the last game interesting,” he offered mischievously.
I looked at him and cocked a brow, scoffing a little. "You want to make a bet? After you lost twice?" I asked, clicking my tongue. "Seems like a dumb move."
"Hear me out."
"I'm all ears,” I said.
"If you win, I'll cover your bar tab for a month."
I hummed and rubbed my chin. "Alright. You got me interested."
"But if I win, you let me take you out for a Coke.”
I cocked a brow and leaned on my stick, looking him up and down. A small crowd had gathered around us and were watching us intently, waiting for my answer. It felt like a rash thing to do, given that I was just rescued by Ryder after being beat up by someone I referred to as my boyfriend. But I suppose that it would be pretty obvious that I would no longer want anything to do with that guy anyway. Finally, I grinned and offered my hand.
"You're on!"
We shook on it and the crowd cheered. It was the first time that guilt worked its way into my chest and squeezed my heart. Without being asked, these people were welcoming me into their lives. They treated me like one of them, even though I'd been sent here to destroy everything they'd worked so hard to build.
I'm not sure if it was that thought that threw my focus, or the fact that I kind of wanted to lose. A date with this man sounded heavenly, but even though I wanted a date, I wasn’t going to let myself lose on purpose. Not a chance. I had way too much pride for that.
As the game went on, however, Ryder started to let his true colors shine. Either I was really distracted or he’d been holding back the first two games. When all of the balls were pocketed, I was left stunned and gaping at him. Had that really just happened? He leaned on the pool table and offered me a little grin.
“Looks like you owe me a date,” he said in a way that made my toes tingle.
Chapter Seven
As the next few days passed, I found myself wandering from the house of the kindly elderly woman who had taken me in. It wasn’t that I was ungrateful, but I found myself really drawn to Chloe. My stand-offish nature had made it hard for me to make friends growing up, but Chloe was such an easy person to talk to. Besides, she liked to talk, which made getting information from her easy.
For the sake of my mom and the few others I loved from back home, my plans to sabotage Damien’s group were still on. However, my attempts were halfhearted. I needed to continue to gather information. Fang was going to expect the something soon.
Chloe and I were walking through the Flea Market and I had my hands stuffed in my jeans as she picked up various animal skulls, and looked at coffee tables.
“What are we doing here?” I asked casually, looking around at all the knick knacks.
“Oh. They always sell vintage clothes and fabrics at these things.”
“What in the world do you do with vintage clothes and fabrics?”
She laughed a little and just shook her head back and forth. “I’m a clothing designer. I sew for a few vintage lines and they’re going to be holding a fashion show in the next month or so,” she paused and glanced at me. “You know, you might be a good model. We’d just have to teach you how to walk.”
My cheeks turned bright red and I started to shake my head furiously. “Oh no. I don’t think so.”
Chloe laughed. “Well, think about it at any rate, okay? I think you’d do well.”
“I guess I can think about it,” I said with some hesitation.
Chloe smiled as she started to pick out bright fabrics and dresses. They were all beautiful and things that I could possibly see myself wearing. I’d never allowed myself to think about wearing things as pretty as what Chloe was pulling off the rack. She caught me looking and I had to turn my head quickly, blushing a little and chewing on my lip.
“So, you’re going on your date with Ryder this weekend. That’s only two days away. What were you planning on wearing?”
“Oh, um-” I looked down at the jersey t-shirt and jeans I was wearing. Chloe had been kind enough to take me out shopping and buy me a few outfits, but I hadn’t bought anything date-worthy. I hadn’t thought abou
t it. “This, I suppose?”
“That won’t do,” she said, shaking her head. “I have something that will do just fine. I’ll give it to you when we go home.”
I nodded and while I was excited to see what she came up with, leaving my date outfit in the hands of someone else was also a bit nerve wracking. We ended up leaving a bit earlier than we’d originally planned and went straight back to the house.
“Come on,” she said, tugging me into her room.
She disappeared into the closet and I waited patiently until she returned holding a short, black dress with cut outs at the chest. It fell just above my knees, and hugged my body in all the right places. I really liked the way it fit and when Chloe brought me to the full length mirror, I was shocked.
My long hair curled just a little thanks to the humidity and my face was flushed from the embarrassment of having such a short dress on. It gave my cheeks a rosy glow and I was surprised that I really liked the way I looked.
My eyes widened and Chloe smiled, draping her arm over my shoulder. “You like it?”
“ It’s wonderful,” I whispered, my voice cracking just a little.
She smiled and gripped my shoulder. “You can have it. Wear it on your date with Ryder.”
I turned to look at her, eyes wide. “Don’t you want it back when I’m done?” I asked almost shyly.
She laughed and shook her head. “Nah. It looks better on you anyway.”
Shame filled me, knowing I was lying to this kind woman about everything. I was actively trying to destroy her and her whole family, and all she was doing was showing me an immense amount of kindness. I had to force the tears back as I wrapped my arms around her and swallowed thickly.
“Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. That’s what friends are for.”
Friends. For the first time in my life I had friends. If only they knew who I really was.
Chapter Eight
My date was only two days away and the more I waited, the more excited I got. I wanted to spend as much time with Ryder as possible, but I didn’t want to seem desperate. I said hello to him when I passed by his shop, but I tried not to stick around too long. I didn’t want to be a pain in his ass.
He was the mechanic for Damien’s gang, and from what I heard he was amazing with his hands. I could only hope that statement held up in the bedroom as well. I was slipping into my normal attire when my phone started to ring. I glanced down at the name and my heart jumped into my throat. I answered it tentatively.
“Fang.”
“What have you found out?”
My chest became tight and I swallowed. “I’ve been here like a week, Fang! They haven’t completely opened up to me.”
“They’re housing you and they haven’t told you shit?? You haven’t seen shit?”
“Housing me and telling me their secrets aren’t the same!”
“Have you gotten close to Damien? He’s the one you need to kill.”
“Kill? You didn’t tell me anything like that!”
“Either you need to get him and his little wife alone where we can take them out, or you have to do it!”
I closed my eyes and blew out a breath. “I need more time.”
“You better get your ass in gear. You don’t want me to decide that I don’t need you or your mom around,” he snapped before hanging up.
I winced but set the phone down, taking a deep breath as I shoved the phone into my pocket and started for the door. I needed some fresh air. Fang was getting to me and I couldn’t afford to break and blow my cover.
It had just stopped raining and the sky was a beautiful mix of reds, oranges, and purples. Despite the fact that I’d spent quite a bit of time in Tennessee, I didn’t think I’d ever get used to the scenery. It would always be breathtaking to me.
“It’s lovely, isn’t it?”
The sudden voice behind me made me jump. I spun around, wide eyed and ready to fight. Ryder stood just behind me and cocked his brow. “You’re always ready to throw a punch,” he mused.
“Yeah. Got picked on a lot when I was young,” I said.
“I can’t see why,” he said, staring at me in a way that made me nervous.
“I was a weird kid. Quiet, kind of kept to myself,” I said, looking up at him.
He nodded and stuck his hands in my pocket. “I guess I can see that,” he said softly.
I nodded and fell silent, unsure of what to say next. Luckily he broke the silence. “You want to see something cool?”
I blinked but nodded. “Sure,” I answered.
He chuckled and nodded for me to follow him. “Come on.”
He brought me to his garage and pointed toward a bike. “You see that?”
It was a beautiful piece of art. All of the metal was chrome and everything else was matte black. I’d never really learned to ride bikes, but I could still appreciate their beauty.
“Oh wow! Is that yours?”
“Yeah. That’s Athena.”
“Athena. Like the goddess of war?”
“She sees a lot of fights. I figured giving her a powerful name couldn’t hurt,” he said with a grin.
I nodded and reached out to touch the leather seat. “I really like it.”
“You want to go for a ride?” he asked.
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” I said, my fear of bikes nearly edging out the excitement of being pressed up against him on the back.
He grinned and grabbed my hand. “Come on. Get on.”
I hesitated but finally climbed on the bike. He slipped in behind me and turned the key, revving the engine. My heart started beating faster as terror ran through me. I wasn’t really sure this was what I wanted. The idea of flying down the road on this motorcycle was horrifying. Luckily, he didn’t give me much of a chance to consider it.
We took off down the road and I couldn’t help the scream that forced its way through my lips. I was pressed against his chest, gripping a little bar that sat just above the gas gauge. His body protected mine and soon the fear ebbed away.
As we drove along the open road, I could feel my fear and worry melting away. I leaned into him, trusting him to take care of me and keep me safe. When the ride came to an end, he pulled up to the house I was staying at and offered me a smile.
“This your stop?”
I chuckled and slid off the bike, nodding. “Sure is.”
He held his hand out and I took it without hesitation. Once he had my hand he dragged me close and pressed a long, tender kiss to my lips. I was too shocked to return it, but when he pulled away, he just smiled.
“See you Saturday.”
He took off and left me wanting more.
Chapter Nine
The day of our date couldn’t come fast enough. I was desperate to spend more time with Ryder and it didn’t even matter what we did. Anything would have been wonderful as long as I was with him. I was sitting on the edge of the small twin bed I’d been sleeping in, fiddling anxiously with my phone and waiting for Ryder to text or call.
Instead, there was a loud knock at the door and I jumped up, running out of my room and throwing the door open. The old woman was out and I was alone. Ryder stood in the door wearing jeans that clung to all the right places and a white button down shirt. The first few buttons on his shirt were undone and it left me breathless.
“Oh-” I said stupidly, unable to form a complete sentence.
He smiled and looked me up and down. “That dress is perfect. It fits you like a glove.”
I blushed and tucked some hair behind my ear, regaining my composure. “You don’t look half bad yourself,” I murmured.
He chuckled and took my hand, pulling me toward his bike. “Where are we going?” I asked.
“I can’t tell you or it would ruin the surprise.”
“Ruin the surprise?” I asked, cocking a brow. “You got something big planned?”
“You could say that,” he said mysteriously.
We got on the bik
e and he drove for well over a half hour. When he finally parked, we were at a mall and I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. “A mall? Aren’t we a little over dressed?”
“Not at all. Besides, we’re not going to the mall”
He led me to the doors of a place attached to the mall that was called Dave and Buster’s. I was a bit suspicious but followed him inside. Once we came through the doors the sounds of the arcade overwhelmed me and I had to stop for a minute, looking around.
“An arcade?”
He grinned and pulled me inside. “You didn’t seem like the fancy restaurant and a movie type of girl.”
The grin that spread over my face lit up the room and I threw my arms around him. “This looks amazing!” I gasped.
He handed me a card that had our “tokens” on it and grinned. “We shouldn’t waste any time.”
I giggled and ran right over to the air hockey table, waving him over. It turned out that we had the same competitive nature and it didn’t stop at pool. We played game after game, collecting massive amounts of tickets and trading wins in everything from shooting games to pinball. No matter what we played, we had a blast and I loved to see him laugh.
We ate junk food all night and when it was finally time to cash in our tickets, we bought nothing but candy and took it with us to the hotel across the street, which just happened to be the Opry Hotel. The inside was grand, complete with a river running through it. There were lights strung up and fountains dancing with colors, and all of the foliage was green. It was like something out of a fairy tale.
We managed to catch the last boat of the night and when he put his arm around me, I melted into him.
“This was a really amazing night,” I whispered.
“It was, but there are some things I still want to know about you,” he said, looking down at me.
“Like what?” I asked, not liking where this might lead.
