RYDER (Slater Brothers 4) (14 page)

Five years ago…

“Just sit her down and
tell
her about Ryder.” Aideen demanded. “She won’t go crazy like you think she will.”

“But she
will
.” I groaned and adjusted my phone against my ear. “Bee doesn’t like people, and she especially doesn’t like
me
bein’ with people. Men in particular.”

Aideen clicked her tongue. “She’s goin’ to have to take the stick out of her arse and get
over
it. She can’t stay closed off forever, and she can’t expect you never to have a relationship. You’ve been datin’ Ryder over eleven weeks now, Branna, the longer you leave it the worse it will be when you do eventually tell her. You
love
‘im so it’s time to introduce them.”

“Shhhh!” I hissed. “Don’t say that out loud!”

Aideen laughed. “No one can hear me, you freak.”

I relaxed. “Just don’t say it out loud, I’m still overwhelmed that I have feelin’s like
that
for ‘im. We’ve only been together a few months.”

“You’re spendin’ a shit load of time with ‘im on the sly, what did you
expect
to feel for ‘im?”

I frowned. “I don’t know, but love definitely wasn’t it.”

“Well, you love ‘im,” Aideen said firmly, “and that’s not just goin’ to go away because you’re scared. It will only grow and develop into an even deeper lover the longer you’re with him.”

“I know,” I groaned. “I
know
that it’s time for Bee to meet ‘im but just don’t know if
now
is the right time. That Nico kid in school has been a huge bother for her, then she was jumped by that girl a couple of weeks ago and I just don’t know if I should throw this curve ball at her. She is stressed as it is, Ado.”

“Bring her to Darkness to cheer ‘er up,” Aideen suggested. “She’s eighteen now. Bring her out for her first official drink and have some fun. Slip Ryder being your boyfriend into the conversation somewhere after her fifth or sixth drink. She’ll take the news much easier then.”

I blinked. “That’s actually a good idea.”

“I’ve been known to have them,” she grinned.

I smirked. “They’re few and far between.”

“You’re such a bitch,” Aideen quipped and laughed.

“But of course,” I teased then sobered. “What time will you be at the club?”

“Sorry, babe, I can’t make it tonight,” Aideen grumbled. “I’m in work at seven tomorrow mornin’ which means I’ll have to be up at six to shower. Me class is going on an outin’ and we leave at eight.”

I groaned. “You mentioned that, but I didn’t think it was
this
week. Shite.”

How can I do this without my partner in crime?

“I’ll be there in spirit,” Aideen quickly said. “Don’t back out of it.”

“I won’t,” I sighed, “but I’ll be more nervous without you there.”

“You got this, Bran.”

I bloody well hoped so.

After I got off the phone with Aideen, I ventured out of my room and went down the hall to Bronagh’s. I knocked on her door and entered her space when she shouted out for me to do so. I was glad to find she wasn’t watching television, but was reading a book on her Kindle instead.

“What are you readin’?” I asked as I approached her.

“
Life Interrupted
by Yessi Smith,” she replied, not glancing away from the screen.

I smiled at how engrossed she was. “Is it good?”

Bronagh nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, but I really want to physically harm this one character, he defines the word psychopath.”

I chuckled. “Sounds intense.”

“It is,” she agreed, “but I like intense.”

I stood idle by her bed for a few moments and it made my sister smile as she switched her attention to me.

“Ask whatever it is you want to ask me,” she said, her eyes laughing at me.

I licked my lips. “Do you want to come out with me tonight?”

Bronagh blinked. “Like, to the cinema?”

I shook my head. “Clubbin’.”

She widened her eyes. “You want to bring
me
clubbin’?”

“Yep,” I chirped. “You’re eighteen now, you’re legal. I want to have some fun with you. I want to cheer you up to after all that’s happened with that Nico shite and the fight you were in.”

“Thanks, but I’m not exactly a social person, sis, do you think a club is the best place for me?”

“You’ve gotta start somewhere, kid.”

Bronagh mulled it over and I saw in her eyes that she wanted to reject my invitation, but she took one look at me and sighed in defeat. “Fine.”

Thank you, Jesus.

I whooped. “Atta girl.”

“What will I wear?” she asked and pushed her bed covers from her body.

“Go and get showered,” I encouraged. “I’ll go and to pick out somethin’ for us to wear, okay?”

My sister reluctantly nodded before she left the room and headed for the bathroom. When I heard the door closed, I snuck down the hallway and re-entered my room and grabbed my phone. I dialled Ryder’s number and pressed the phone to my ear.

“Hey sweetness,” he answered on the second ring.

“Hey sweetness,” I heard his brothers mimic him in the background.

Amusement filled me.

“Your brothers are children.”

“I’m aware of it, and so are they,” Ryder said then cursed at his brothers to keep it down.

“What are you doin’ tonight?” I asked on a chuckle.

“Darkness,” Ryder replied. “Dominic has a fight.”

Oh,
I inwardly squealed,
this was perfect.

“Brilliant,” I gushed. “I’m goin’ there tonight, too.”

“With who?” Ryder questioned, his voice was deep and it had me rubbing my thighs together.

I licked my suddenly dry lips and answered, “Me sister.”

Silence.

“You’re going to introduce us?” he asked after a few moments.

I gnawed on my lower lip. “Yeah, I want ‘er to meet you.”

“Shit,” he breathed. “I’m nervous now, thanks.”

I unexpectedly laughed. “Think about how
I
feel! I’m scared shitless, I’ve never done this with ‘er before.”

“We’ve got this,” Ryder assured me. “I’ll be extra sweet and won’t invade her space like you said, I’ll let her warm up to me in her own way.”

I let out a relieved breath. “That will help.”

“Don’t worry, Bran, she’ll love me.”

I hoped so, because I loved him, and it would kill me if Bronagh didn’t accept him.

Dominic Slater is Nico. The little bastard who had been hassling my little sister in school, and had caused nothing but problems for her over the last few months was my boyfriend’s little brother. I had an atrocious moment were I let my raging emotions take over my body and I did something really bad. Deplorable really. I punched Dominic in the face, in front of his other brothers, and Ryder broke up with me because of it.

I wasn’t proud of my actions, but I didn’t exactly regret them either, which didn’t help my situation in the slightest.

It was
not
how I expected my night to go. I shook my head as recapped what happened and before I could feel real emotion, I downed the remainder on my Vodka and Coke. I swayed a little and laughed at myself, wondering how many drinks I had consumed but couldn’t think of a number.

I was pretty sure it was close to double digits though.

“Are you okay?” I asked Bronagh as the lights of the club came on signalling everyone to get the hell out and go home.

She nodded and laughed for no reason.

“You’re drruuunnnkkkkk,” I sang, giggling.

She placed a hand on her forehead. “It’s
so
warm in here, I’m roastin’.”

I took her hand in mine and tugged her towards the exit of the club. We laughed as we stumbled up the stairs. I felt good until the cool fresh air hit me. One-second I remember talking to The Destroyer kid that Dominic/Nico fought on the platform in Darkness then the next I was heaving and slumping down with my eyes closed. I groaned when I felt myself being lifted into the air.

“Bee?” I mumbled.

“Not Bee.”

I forced my eyes open and looked up.

I curled my lips upward in disgust. “Put. Me. Down.”

Ryder glanced down at me and said, “Make me.”

I tried to lift my hand to do just that, but I couldn’t, I could only lean my head back against his arm and moan as my head spun.

“You drank too fucking much,” my
ex
-boyfriend growled. “I’ve been watching you all night, you knocked back glass after glass.”

I humourlessly laughed. “I had an eventful night, I needed to take the edge off.”

“Fucking
hell
, Branna,” he angrily replied, his grip on me tightening.

“Why do you even care?” I hissed and tried to swat at him again, but failed. “You broke up with me,
remember
?”

“I remember,” he replied on a grunt. “And I didn’t mean it.”

“Sounded to me like you meant it.” I countered.

I was met with silence as Ryder walked, holding me against his chest like I weighed nothing. I grunted and groaned when a car door was opened and I was placed in the back seat.

“Alec,” Ryder grumbled. “You drive.”

“This is becoming a pattern,” Alec muttered.

“Just do it,” Ryder hissed.

“Jesus, okay. Should I find something for the backseat in case she gets sick?” Alec asked, and I felt like his wary eyes were on me.

“No,” Ryder replied to his brother as he got into the car and pulled me onto his lap. “We don’t live far away, I’ll hold her on my lap. Dominic has Bronagh.”

I heard male grumbling then a quick, “I call shot gun.”

It was Kane who spoke.

“The fuck?” Damien snapped. “Why do
I
have to sit between lover boys and the drunken sisters?”

“Because
I
called shot gun,” Kane quipped. “Are you deaf, little brother?”

“Fuck you,” Damien growled to Kane, making him laugh.

Reluctantly, Damien climbed into the middle of the backseat and adjusted himself when Dominic climbed in on the other side of him with my sister against his chest.

“If
either
of them puke on me, I’m dishing out dick shots.” Damien warned his brothers.

I laughed on Ryder’s lap and said, “Dick shots. I want to
drink
one of those.”

This caused all of the brothers to rumble with laughter.

“Dirty girl,” Ryder’s sexy voice murmured in my ear. “You can drink
my
dick shot anytime you like.”

I growled. “I’ll bite your dick
off
if you don’t get away from me.”

He snorted. “You’re lying on me, sweetness, not much I can do about getting away from you right now while we’re driving, is there?”

I tried to sit up but light-headedness prevented me from doing so.

“You shouldn’t have drank so much,” Ryder grumbled as he pressed his palm flat against my back and began to stroke up and down. The action soothed me instantly.

I closed my eyes as I leaned back against him. “You shouldn’t have broken up with me. It hurt, you know?”

I felt his lips on my bare shoulder.

“I didn’t mean it,” he murmured. “I take it back.”

“Too late,” I stated. “I’m already over you and lookin’ forward to me first single night out. I’ll be on the rebound so it’s sure to be a
fun
night.”

Ryder’s hold on me tightened. “I’ll spank your ass red and raw if you even dare.”

I hissed. “You’d like that, you perverted bastard.”

“You’d like it too, you perverted bastard.”

My temper flared when Ryder’s brothers laughed,
again
.

“Stop listenin’ to what we’re sayin’!” I snapped.

“What do you want us to do?” Dominic sarcastically asked. “Plug our ears?”

“Don’t
you
speak to me you little prick,” I growled like a predator. “You’ve been makin’ me sister’s life hell in school for
no
fuckin’ reason. She is a good kid, she never does anythin’ to hurt anyone and yet
you
targeted her! If you think the punch I gave you was bad, just wait until I get me hands on you now, you little wanker!”

“Well, fuck me,” Kane whistled from the front of the car. “I’d be scared if I were you, little brother. She’s going to kick your ass
back
to New York from the sound of things.”

“I can deal,” Dominic snorted, clearly not giving a damn that I was furious with him.

I screeched and extended my hands to grab him, but Damien being in the way made it difficult. I tried to push his head down so I could reach Dominic, but it only caused him to yelp and shout for me to stop.

“You sound like a little bitch,” Alec laughed from the driver’s seat.

Damien sat upright, lifted a hand to his head and rubbed where I shoved at him.

“Fuck you, asshole,” he growled. “Her nails were out.”

Ryder’s arms clamped around mine, pinning them to my body.

“Let. Go.”

“No,” came his immediate response. “I’m not letting you hurt my little brothers.”

“I don’t want to hurt both of them,” I spat. “Just
one
of them, the one that is about to be dick
less
.”

“Ryder,” Dominic snickered. “Control your woman.”

Oh,
hell
no.