by Kay Marie
“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 him 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.
Chapter Seventeen
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.
“Felt like a good idea,” he smirks. He lets go of me and moves to sit on his bed. “Why didn’t you tell me your dad is the Pakhan of the Bratva?”
“We kind of haven’t gotten to the “talking about our families” conversation,” I tell him, sitting next to him. I pull my feet onto the bed and tuck them under, sitting cross-legged. “Why was he here?”
“Bull reached out to him when we first got word the cartel had been sited. Your dad wasn’t worried about them until your bakery got shot. We were trying to discuss a game plan on how to handle the cartel together,” Ryan explains to me. “I also told him you and I are back together. He asked the two of us to have dinner with him and your mom soon.”
“Well, that will be fun.” I smile.
“I thought so. I love your mom. I just need to get to know your dad. With him being Pakhan, I’m sure it will happen sooner rather than later,” he says. “Want to explain to me what you told people after I left? You told your dad it was a mutual decision?”
“I didn’t want my family to hate you, because I didn’t hate you. I was hurt and confused, but I never stopped loving you.” I freeze. I didn’t mean to let the last part slip out. Ryan smirks at me but doesn’t comment on it. We’re both quiet for a few minutes. Quiet moments between the two of us have always been peaceful, never awkward.
“Thank you,” he says, breaking the silence. “For doing that.”
“Don’t get me wrong. It was as much for me as it was for you. I never wanted to explain or answer questions I didn’t have the answer to,” I tell him. His smirk grows into a full smile and he chuckles.
“I don’t doubt it for a second,” he says.
“We better get back out there so Minx and Rivet don’t come searching for me.” I giggle. Ryan pulls me in for a quick kiss and we head back out to the main room.
Chapter Eighteen
Buster
The week flies by. I still had to work every day and it killed me to leave Cali. We’ve been spending a lot of time together. Some days, it’s like nothing ever changed and other days we learn new things about each other. Either way, I’ve been soaking up every second I have with her. She has still been sleeping at Minx’s house while I’m staying in my room at the clubhouse. It’s torture not sleeping next to her, but we’re trying to take things slow.
Tonight, we’re going to her parents’ house for dinner. Her dad should be giving us an update on when A Novel Bunch will be reopening. This week would be a good time for it to reopen. It’s the beginning of November and being open for the holidays would be good for business. Cali has been hanging out with Minx and Emma all day, so I decide to shoot her a text.
To Cali: Hey Sólnyshka, you about ready to head over to your parents’ house?
She doesn’t respond right away, probably still taking her time getting ready. I’m sitting on the couch with a couple of the brothers, not paying attention to a damn thing they say. Shade and Clutch are arguing about American vs foreign-made cars. They have this argument at least once a month.
Minx and Emma walk into the clubhouse and as I’m about to ask them where Cali is, she walks in right behind them. She gorgeous as always. She’s wearing a sweater dress that is similar to a hoodie, only long like a dress. It fits her body perfect, hugging it in all the right places. She curled her hair and has on a touch of makeup. I stand as she walks closer.
“Well hey there, beautiful,” I say to her with a smirk. She flashes me a smile and stays out of arms reach. I would much rather take her back to my house and have my way with her. I am trying my damnedest to respect her wishes to take things slow. We kiss, but kissing only makes me want her even more. I crave all of her. I take a step forward and pull her into my arms. “My Sunshine. Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah,” she sighs out. I kiss the tip of her nose and let her go and she grabs my hand.
“Are you okay? Nervous?” I laugh. She looks up at me with doe eyes.
“No, I’m not, but it has been a while since I’ve gone to a dinner where Papa was there,” she tells me.
“It’ll be alright. We can stay for however long you want,” I assure her. We say goodbye to everyone and head out to my car. Bull was okay with us going off on our own since we were going straight to the Pakhan’s house. It’s a twenty-minute drive. Fifteen if I go a little faster than normal. I open the passenger side door for her, watch her climb in, and close the door. I walk to the driver’s side and hop in. I fire up the beast and off we go. I may play it cool around everyone else, but inside, my nerves are going fucking crazy.
Cali’s mom always welcomed me with open arms before I just up and left. Her dad, while I never saw him much, was always a pretty quiet guy when he was around. Her brothers were pretty cool, but five years is a long time.
Cali turns on the radio to some country station. I have never been one to listen to country, even growing up, but it’s something I would always put up with for her. She sings with whatever song is on. All I can focus on is the sound of her voice. She sounds like an angel. I’ve missed moments like this. We don’t talk the whole drive to her parents’ house. I let her sing as much as she wants and relish the moment.
As soon as we pull into her p
arents’ driveway, she stops singing. I park the car, hop out and hurry to her side before she can get out. I open her door and offer my hand to help her out. She grabs my hand and a shock goes through it. There’s always been some kind of crazy connection between the two of us and shit like that proves it. She holds my hand as we walk up to the door. Before she opens it, she turns to me.
“You sure you want to do this?”
“You sure you aren’t nervous,” I ask. She shrugs.
“Maybe I am a little,” she admits. I chuckle.
“Babe, how many times do I have to tell you it’s gonna be alright?” I squeeze her hand. “I’m gonna be by your side the whole time. If for any reason you want to leave, say the word.”
“Thank you for being so supportive,” she says. She stands on her tiptoes and kisses my cheek. She opens the door and leads the way inside, still holding my hand like it’s a lifeline.
“Hello! Mama? Papa?” she calls as we walk inside.
“Ah, Calina, milaya. How are you?” Her mom, Klara, pulls her into a hug, causing her to let go of my hand. “Have you been taking it easy since the bakery has been closed?”
“Yes, Mama, I have. I’ve been spending a lot of time with friends,” Cali tells her.
“Oh good! And Ryan!” She pulls me in, hugging me tightly. “We sure have missed you around here. How have you been? Are you home for good?”
“I’ve been good. Better now that I’ve been back with Cali, and yes, I’m back for good,” I reply. A huge smile crosses both Klara and Cali’s faces.
“Well, it’s good to have you back. Maybe that means we’ll be seeing more of the two of you?” She gives me a pointed look.
“Is that Calina?” Her dad, Andrei, shouts.
“Yes! Calina and Ryan are here,” Klara responds to him. “Come, come.”
We follow her into their living room where Andrei is sitting. Klara sits in a chair next to his, while Cali motions for us to sit on the couch.
