He continues to laugh hysterically.
“It was you, wasn’t it?” I push down harder with my foot, unable to control the rage circling inside me. “You put her up to this, didn’t you? That girl from the strip club, Nicole.”
“Is that why she’s not with you, bro? Has she left your sorry ass?” He continues to laugh, and it takes everything I have not to break this fucker’s neck.
No longer able to control it, my anger is at a boiling point as I reach down, grab his shirt, and drag him up from the floor. I push him back until he falls flat against the hood of his car.
“Do it, Ryder. Fucking finish this now,” he taunts.
I pull him closer to my face before I thrust him back against the hood. “Fucking asshole,” I grate out. “Tell me. Was it you? Did you put her up to this?”
But it was useless. His eyes could barely focus on me, and I’m not sure he even knows what the hell is happening. I cock back my clenched fist, ready to beat the fuck outta him for what he’s done.
“I warned you, asshole. I warned you to leave us the fuck alone. But you just couldn’t, could you?”
He shields his face with his arm, bruises covering them, the prominent ones at the crook of his arm where his veins are most noticeable.
“You fucking disgust me,” I sneer, releasing my hold on him and stepping back. I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, my chest heaving.
“You’re not worth it,” I yell at him. Placing my hands behind my neck, I grip it tightly, hoping it might release some of the tension. I step back slowly, turning to see a group of onlookers. Their faces shocked, but their heads drop the minute I walk toward them. They scatter quickly, and I head into the store, pulling out my cell phone. I scroll through, dialing the number as soon as I see it. I hold the cell phone to my ear, grabbing a basket and filling it with anything I think we might need.
“Hello,” the voice blares through the receiver.
“I need your help, man,” I exhale loudly. “Things are fucked up between me and pip.”
“She hates me, though, man; did you forget that small detail?”
“Marco, I’m serious…”
His voice quietens and has a tone of seriousness. “Okay, talk to me…”
Kailee
It’s late afternoon before Ryder texts again. Thankfully, my day at school passed quickly, and as the three of us emerge from school, I notice the car parked right outside the main school entrance.
“Looks like you have a ride, girl.” Lina nudges my arm like I hadn’t already seen him.
I smile widely at her. “Looks that way.”
“Are you sure you want to go with him? If you need to buy more time, you can always stay with me tonight,” Lina offers.
“I’m good. I have to face him,” I say with a gulp.
“You really do have feelings for him, don’t you?” Lina asks, her eyes narrowed and a grin tugging at her lips.
“I just hope things can work between us. A relationship, at my age, wasn’t something I’d planned on. But neither was meeting him.” I lean in, kissing them both on the cheek before walking over to the car. He leans across the seat, pushing open the door.
“Get in,” he orders, adjusting his position until he’s back in behind the wheel. I slide in, closing the door behind me. Everything about him hits me the second I close the door—his musky smell of aftershave mixed with cigarettes—and I can’t help but inhale deeply. I rest my schoolbag on my knee, pushing my hands underneath my legs. I pull my lips between my teeth, and a nervous energy flows through me as I allow my eyes to glance at him. His face is hardened, black circles are under his eyes, and he looks sad. Like really sad, miserable even. A pang of guilt hits me, and I can’t hold back.
“You look a mess,” I blurt out. His head turns quickly, and his dark, narrowed eyes meet mine.
“Not the first to fucking tell me that,” he drawls. “I saw that sorry assed motherfucker today.” His stare is fixed on me, and I can’t help but feel a flush of heat rush through me. He’s making me so damn nervous. His whole dark expression, his demeanor—it’s somehow different to how he’s been before.
“Who?” I ask, my voice hoarse and forced.
“Jax,” he growls. “If he wasn’t my brother, I’d have no trouble putting a fucking bullet in that asshole’s skull.”
“What is it, Ryder? What did he say to you?”
“The piece of shit was fucking high and stunk of alcohol. He practically admitted that he was the one behind the whole ‘pregnancy’ bullshit.”
“How?” I ask, confused as hell.
“He put her up to it. I just know it.”
“What? He said that?” I screech. “Because that is beyond messed up.”
“So we’re having this out. Once and for all. Marco is expecting us. And, yeah, I get you’re not his biggest fan, but he’s arranged for her to be there, and I intend to get to the fucking bottom of this.”
“I don’t want any trouble, Ryder. Promise me.”
He exhales loudly, and his shoulders sag. “Don’t make promises I can’t keep,” he says with a loose shake of his head.
“If what Jax insinuated is true, it’s not the girl's fault. Jax is manipulative and a great liar,” I say with a lift of my brow. “I should know…”
“Best behavior.” He holds up two fingers against his forehead. “Scouts fucking honor.”
I laugh. “I’m pretty sure the scouts wouldn’t approve of you cussing.” I widen my eyes and watch as his face softens into a laugh.
“Fuck.” He exhales a deep breath as though he’s been holding it for the longest time. “I’ve missed you. I hated not having you with me.”
“So much has happened, Ryder. So much shit has been thrown at me, so many feelings I’ve never had to deal with before. I was confused. I needed time to process everything.” I place my palm against his upper thigh. “I’m sorry.”
“No, I’m sorry. So fucking sorry that my stupid decisions have caused all this bullshit. I feel like I have to constantly prove that I’m not that guy. Not that murderous criminal you think I am, deep down in the back of your mind. I’m not saying I haven’t done bad things. Because, fuck, I have. I bet most of the rumors you heard about me and my brother are true. But that’s not me anymore. I don’t want to be that version of me when I’m with you. It’s like I was fighting my way through life, not knowing what fucking part of me was missing. And that’s you. I was missing my heart, and then I found you. You gave me something I’d never fucking experienced. Feelings I didn’t even know existed, feelings that made every other feeling pale in comparison.”
I sit, desperate to reply, to say something. But I’m at a loss for words. The man who told me that he doesn’t do romantic gestures just declared how much I mean to him.
“Fuck, pip, say something. Don’t leave me here hanging.” His eyes bore into me, and I do the only thing I can because right now, words won’t express the way his declaration has affected me. I grab his hand and press his palm flat against the thudding in my chest, against the ferocious beat of my heart.
“This is because of you,” I whisper. “Only you, Ryder.”
“Good because you’re mine. Even before you realized it.” I let my eyes flutter shut, his hands roam from my chest up to my neck as he clutches and pulls me toward him. Our breaths are ragged, and I let my head fall forward, resting against his. My tummy flutters, and my heart swells as he presses his lips against mine. I’ve had nothing but sadness in my life since my mom died, but Ryder has finally given me hope that I can be happy, despite all that has happened.
Ryder
We pull up outside the strip club, and the sweat on my brow multiplies by the second. I have to get this girl to own up, to let Kailee know it’s all lies. I’d called ahead letting Marco know that we were coming, and most of all, to check that the girl behind the bar would be there too.
“Follow me, pip.” I grab her wrist and drag her behind me. I stop at the door; the sec
urity guys dip their head a little before letting us in without so much of a word.
“Regular here then?” Kailee asks, tugging on my hand a little.
“Not anymore.” I grin widely, Kailee casts her gaze around the room, taking in the cheap and tacky décor. The whole place smells of cigars and sex. In fact, it reeks of it.
“Tasteful,” she mutters, and I shake my head, a small laugh escaping me. We walk through into the main room where girls are already working the pole.
“Let’s find Marco,” I say, squeezing her hand gently as we stalk across the main room and over to the back office. I knock on the door three times, pressing my ear against it to wait for his response.
“Come in,” he yells. Pushing the door open, I step through and see him in a large leather chair, his feet resting on the dark wooden desk.
“Ryder, man, am I glad to see you.” He exhales loudly. I stand and watch how he drops his feet to the floor, stepping out and around from his desk. I pull Kailee close to me, resting her back against my chest as I lean my full weight against the wall.
“Shit is happening.” He sighs heavily, rolling his eyes. “But first, let’s sort out this whole bullshit story Nicole has been spouting.” He reaches over, picking up the handset of the desk phone. Punching in a few numbers, he rests it between his ear and shoulder.
“Send her in,” he demands before dropping the receiver back down.
“Okay,” he says with a nod. “I don’t fucking know why she would say what she’s said, but let’s keep it nonphysical,” he says warily. He signals for us to move closer. I make my way around the desk, standing beside Marco.
“Goes without saying, so sit down and shut the fuck up.” I grin at him. I rest my hands on Kailee’s waist, moving her slightly to the side. Blocking her from the entrance, I protect her with my body.
Floorboards creak as the sound of footsteps intensifies. A sudden knock on the door before it opens, and the girl steps in. Immediately, her eyes are wide, and she turns back to the door, trying to make her escape.
“Nicole,” Marco bellows. The security guy she came with is standing in front of the door, and honestly, he’s pretty much the size of the door itself. I’m not sure even I would try to get past him. “Take a seat,” Marco instructs kindly. Her eyes flicker back and forth between us standing against the wall and Marco.
“W-w-what’s this about?” she asks with a stutter, slowly sliding into the seat opposite Marco.
“You know exactly what this is about,” I growl, stepping forward and resting my hands flat against the desk. “My brother. He made you do this, right?”
“No,” she chokes out. “It’s true. I really am pregnant.” She starts to sob quietly her hands covering her face.
“It’s not fucking possible,” I say lifting my hand and slamming my clenched fist down on the desk. She jumps, covering her face completely with her hands. Marco’s hand lands heavily on my chest, trying to push me back and away.
“Just back up, buddy,” he says.
I let out a huge huff but do as he suggests.
“Sweetheart, speak to me. Has he threatened you? Did Jax do something to frighten you into saying this?” I can tell he’s trying the soft approach, which is the opposite of my style. I want to reach over and shake some sense into the stupid girl. Make her tell us the truth.
“If it is, I can offer you protection. I promise if you tell us what happened, we can help,” Marco continues. He steps up, walking around and resting back on the edge of the desk right in front of her.
“He threatened to hurt my baby,” she blurts out. “He told me if I didn’t, he would come after me and kill her. I can’t let anything happen to her. The minute he finds out you know the truth, he will come for us.” The panic in her voice is chilling, and the anger inside me rises like a motherfucking volcano.
“I’m sorry.” She looks up at me through her wet eyelashes. “I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused you. Believe me when I say I didn’t feel like I had a choice.”
“Bullshit, you didn’t,” I retort. “You should have said something to Marco and stopped this whole thing before it started.”
“I’m sorry.” She continues to sob, and I’m suddenly snapped back by the hand resting on the top of my arm.
“Leave it, Ryder. She’s sorry, and we know the truth now. That’s all that matters,” Kailee whispers, and I turn to look into her eye. I move my hand until I’m cradling her face, running my thumb over her lips.
“I’m just glad you know the truth,” I murmur; distant voices in the background can’t pull me from this moment. “No more leaving,” I warn, lifting my brows.
“Never,” she chokes out. Her arms wrap around my body, and her head rests on my chest.
“Ryder,” Marco calls to me. I spin around to see them walking toward the door. “Let me sort this out. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Gotcha,” I say with a nod. “In fact, Marco…” I call after him as he makes his way out. “Make it ten.” I grin, and he laughs as he closes the door behind him.
Having her body pressed against me is making my dick twitch. I need to touch her, be inside her, as much as my body needs the air that I breathe.
“Your body. Here. Pressed against me is driving me fucking insane,” I breathe out loudly. Her body moves against me as she laughs a little. Fuck, she’s so beautiful, and she’s all mine.
Stepping back, I separate from the warmth of her body. I twist the lock on the door and grab the chair, wedging it under the handle. I turn to see her biting the corner of her lip; her eyes fill with lust and desire, a mirror to my own.
“I need to be inside you,” I growl as I take her in my arms. I lean into her, nibbling and sucking her neck, moans escaping her.
“I need you too,” she exclaims. My hand instantly goes inside her panties, desperate to touch her in all the places I know she likes to be touched.
“Fuck, you’re so wet for me, pip,” I murmur, bringing her leg up and resting it on the edge of the table. She spreads for me, and I start circling her clit. She pushes down her pants to give me better access. She removes them completely, her arms wrapped around my neck. I push my finger inside, continuing to massage her clit with the pad of my thumb. Her moans are contained but like fucking music to my ears. Her body writhes against me as I fuck her with my fingers.
“I don’t know how much longer I can fucking wait, pip.” I exhale a ragged breath. “I need to bury my cock in you. Right now.”
I drop my head, kissing her desperately as my hands work up to the back of her neck. I push her down onto the table, her bare ass in the air. “Gonna make this hard and fast, pip,” I groan, my voice strained and raspy. Unfastening my button, I push down my boxers and grab my cock. I line up at her entrance, pulling on the cheek of her ass to reveal her wet pussy. I moan loudly before surging forward, pushing into her and filling and stretching her completely. I move frantically, burying myself inside her over and over again. With each harsh thrust, she lets out the sweetest cry of ecstasy, and I feel her tightening around me. I keep moving, thrusting harder and faster, pressing my hands down on the flat of her back.
“You’re so close, pip; I feel your pussy tightening around my cock. I’m going to send you over the fucking edge. Hold on,” I warn, reaching down and circling her clit until her body stiffens. Within seconds, her tight pussy clenches around me, and it’s all I need to instigate my own release. I thrust once, twice, and feel the intense wave of pleasure as I pulsate, coming deep inside her. I crash down on top of her, claiming a kiss, and sealing the fate that this girl is mine. That I own every part of her body, including her heart.
We quickly dress, remove the chair, and unlock the door. I sit down with Kailee on my knee, and she wraps her arms around my neck, burying her head into my shoulder. I’d be lying if I didn’t say it feels good. So fucking good.
Startling me from my thoughts, Marco pushes open the door, marching in and flopping into his chair dramatical
ly.
“That fucking brother of yours is causing me more trouble than I care to mention.” He pushes his hand through his bright white hair, exhaling heavily. The look that flashes in his eyes is not familiar to me.
“Bad?”
“Bad enough.” He sighs. “Honestly, Ryder. You know me. If this was anyone else, I would have this fucking problem sorted by now.” And I knew exactly what he was talking about. He would never get his hands dirty, but he wouldn’t normally take shit from anyone.
“I’ve been patient with him,” he murmurs. “I’m just not sure how long my patience will last.”
“What happened, man?” I ask, needing the details.
“He showed up at the mansion last night. With a handful of heavies.”
I wasn’t surprised because nothing about him surprises me anymore.
“What the fuck did he want?” I ask, Kailee frozen, as she sits on my lap waiting for him to reply.
“Revenge,” he says with a smirk, and I feel Kailee shudder. “He’s treading on thin fucking ice, Ryder. He’s fucked up, a real fucking mess.” I reach up with my right hand, rubbing and squeezing my forehead. I hate that motherfucker, but ultimately, he’s my brother, and that’s a tie I can’t cut so easily.
“He’s not my problem,” I say shrugging my shoulders. “Deal with it how you fucking want, Marco.”
“If only it was that easy.” He sighs, a saddened smile spreading on his face. “We’ve been friends for so damn long. I hate to see him this way. So vengeful and full of hatred. He said he knows I was behind you finding Kailee.”
“Didn’t hear it from me,” I bite out, dismissing him with a shake of my head.
“Well” —he waves his hands in front of him— “I got him removed and warned him never to turn up at my gate again. Told him he needs to sort himself out.”
I shrug. “It didn’t make any difference coming from me. Hopefully, he’ll listen to you.”
“Anyway” —he throws his hands up in the air— “I have something for you.” He smiles widely before turning and reaching into the filing cabinet. He grabs a small booklet, placing it on the desk and sliding it closer to me.
The edge of life: Official cover - coming soon Page 29
