Текст книги "Two Worlds Colliding"

Автор книги: Jani Kay

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Текущая страница: 6 (всего у книги 12 страниц)

Chapter 16 ~ Ryder

Fuck. It was hard to keep my eyes off her ass. The way she leaned over the pool table was designed to make me so hard that I lost all concentration on the game. Whoever said that women didn't know what they were doing when they challenged men to a game of pool hadn’t seen Jade and Lexi work the room.

The two cousins had a talk in the bathroom; the place women always disappeared to in pairs or groups. Someday I wanted to be a fly on the fucking wall, and just see for myself what the hell chicks got up to in there. Anyway, they went in rather annoyed with one another and came out twenty-five minutes later, looking hot as hell and laughing as if nothing had happened before they’d disappeared into that mysterious place.

Jade and I had been in my room for well over an hour, and if I had my way, we’d never have left the bed. But it was Cobra’s homecoming barbeque, and I had to be respectful of my pres and be part of it. Besides, all that fucking made me hungry, and I knew the women would’ve gone all out to put on a good spread.

So after kissing the shit out of Jade, I eventually let her leave the room so we could go find food. Now that she’d agreed to be only mine, I was a happy man.

We decided to get out of the heat and play a few games of pool. It started as a joke– the cousins had challenged Razor and I to a game. We’d winked at one another, thinking we’d let them win the first few games before beating them. It turned out these girls were a formidable team. I could see the other guys were impressed as fuck.

“Are you boys a little afraid we’re going to clean up the table?” Lexi asked, quirking an eyebrow at Razor, who was so cunt-struck he was just the worst partner I’d ever had. I sighed. What a pathetic pair we made.

Ratbag answered before anyone else. “Never. Ain't no Sheilas ever beat Ryder and Razor.”

“Well, then, watch history being made tonight,” Jade said, with a sweet butter-won't-melt-in-my-mouth kind of smile, as she sank the next ball into the pocket. I whistled beneath my breath. Princess had mad skills. Looking at her, I’d assume she wouldn’t have a fucking clue how to even hold a cue, never mind play like a fucking pro. Her and Lexi were winning and not just because they were using their sexual charms, but because they actually really knew how to play the goddamn game.

Jade leaned over the table, and in those shorts, her legs seemed to go on forever. And fuck me, if every guy in the room wasn’t salivating as they gawked at her, probably fantasizing about being between those sexy pins. Note to self: Forbid Jade to wear shorts to the compound again. Fuck, Hammer and Ratbag were perving so hard on my woman, I wanted to fucking punch them. I gave them a warning glare to back off, which they understood and grinned sheepishly at being caught in the act.

Finally, it was my turn to play. The balls had been set up in such a way that I had to concentrate really hard to get the angle right, but I was determined to sink this number nine. Just as I was about to hit the ball, Jade leaned over to pick up the chalk she had ‘accidentally’ dropped, teasing me with her perfect tits. Her eyes locked with mine for a split second, and fuck, I missed.

Razor smirked. “Ryder. Fuck, man, you could do that move in your sleep. Stop staring at your bitch and play the fucking game.”

We should have quit while we were ahead. Each game, we doubled the bets. Each game, we got further behind. By now, half of the club was inside the bar, howling with laughter that Razor and I were getting our asses kicked by two women.

Razor and I were just about to win our first game when Ox came storming in to the clubhouse. Hi expression was murderous. His face was flushed, and thick veins were popping on his forehead. Was he furious about Razor and Lexi? When Ox was angry, anybody who valued their life thought twice before they challenged him—it would be a seriously dumb mistake.

“Ox? What’s up, brother?” I wanted to diffuse any problems before it got ugly. Today was not the day for fights about pussy.

“Fucking cops at the gate. They have a search warrant. And one of them is acting like a raving lunatic, threatening to kill me if I don’t open the fucking gates.”

Cobra was the first to react.

“Jesus. Fuck. Can’t they just leave us alone for one day? I’ll go talk to them.”

Mia stepped in front of Cobra. “No honey, please. You’re not . . . ah, God . . . please let somebody else handle this?” Her voice was filled with panic. I couldn’t blame her after what they’d been through.

I put an arm on Cobra’s shoulder in an attempt to settle him down. “Hey, time I stepped up to the VP challenge. Let me talk to the fuckers. OK?”

He was still staring at Mia’s face when he nodded. Guess she got to him.

“We’re coming with ya.” Razor, Hammer and Ox fell in behind me as I turned to leave.

I stopped Ratbag from following. “Look after the Sheilas, bro,” I ordered. “Keep them safe.”

Ratbag swallowed hard. Realizing that he’d been given the most important job of all, he nodded his head. A deep frown marred his brow. I guessed that the enormity of the responsibility was sinking in, yet I knew I could trust Ratbag to do as asked.

Marching to the gate, I was mad as hell. We were having a family barbeque, for fuck’s sake. Why did the fuckers think they needed to come and ruin the party? It was sunset, and we’d had a peaceful day so far, everyone enjoying the day, being together as one big happy family. Until this intrusion. Fuck.

The big motherfucker with his hands on the gate, his knuckles white because he was gripping so tightly, caught my eye first. He was a brute of a man, and I was used to big guys like Ox.

He wasn’t dressed in uniform. Instead he wore black jeans and a black T-shirt. A beanie covered his head and his jaw was set in stone as he glared at me, hatred burning in his eyes. As I drew closer, I noticed the tattoo on the inside of his muscled forearm. Underneath the scales of justice were the words: “Justice for all.”

Angry cop. Fuck.

“Open this gate. Now,” he commanded, a sneer on his face as he held up his badge.

I sucked in a breath when I read his name. Very fucking angry cop. Harrison fucking Summers. Jade’s brother.

Shit just got real.

Chapter 17 ~ Ryder

I couldn’t signal to Ratbag to hide Jade and Lexi in the safe place. Jesus, why hadn’t I thought of that before coming out? I should’ve guessed it was a matter of time before her brother came to the compound to snoop.

Did he know that Jade and Lexi were here?

Hammer caught my eye, and by the frown on his face I knew he’d worked out that this was connected to Jade. He’d helped me look up information on Jade and her cop brother online after Jade had told me the story about the incident, so he’d recognize his name.

I nodded ever so slightly. Hammer was the smart one, like my brother, Max, who was usually two steps ahead of everyone else. He turned on his heels and walked slowly back to the clubhouse. I knew it took every inch of control for him not to run. But if he did, it would raise alarm bells. Acting as if he was just bored was far smarter. But inside, my guts were churning.

Hurry the fuck up, Hammer. Get Jade and Lexi to the safe place. I was struggling to keep my exterior cool and relaxed. As if this was nothing unusual. I had to buy time.

“So, what do you want to see?” I baited.

“Just open the fucking gates, asshole. We’ll talk inside,” he growled, even baring his teeth as a feral animal would to show his intent of ripping anything that stood in his way apart.

Ox groaned behind me. He was struggling to remain calm. I knew he was just dying to lay into the angry cop. If I weren’t careful, we’d have a fucking fistfight on our hands. Well, maybe that wasn’t such a bad idea . . . Only problem was, we were outnumbered three to one and besides, that would just alert them into thinking we had something to hide, and make them even more determined to snoop around the compound.

“Yeah? I don’t give a fuck what kinda badge you wearing. If you’re on my territory, you don’t talk to me like that without getting your fucking nose broken.” I squinted and stared him down. Harrison’s hand went to his nose instinctively. That’s when I noticed it was already screwed. He must’ve had it broken before.

Jesus. A cop with a death wish. There was nothing worse. They were the kind of vigilantes that took the law into their own hands—shooting first, and questioning after. I had to stay calm for Jade’s sake. As much as I wanted to punch the fucker in the face and make his nose bleed, I had to rein it in.

Harrison shook the bars in front of him. “I’m counting to three. If you don’t open the fucking gate, we are shooting it open.” As if that was a signal, the uniformed cops lifted their guns. Jesus, Harrison wasn’t playing a game of chicken. He had balls of fucking steel. I had to admire that about a man, even if he was on the other team.

I nodded to Razor. He knew the drill. Pretending to be so nervous that he forgot the code and kept punching in the wrong numbers. Razor hated playing scared, because he was a really mean motherfucker. Ever since he and Cobra saved me all those years ago, I’d never seen Razor scared of anything.

Harrison saw straight through the ruse. “Quit stalling,” he barked at Razor. Razor rolled his eyes back in his head, clenching his jaw as he aggressively punched in the right numbers. Fuck, Razor wanted to go to town on the cops. He was even wearing his custom shoes with the razorblades imbedded into the soles. We’d have a fucking bloodbath on our hands.

“Razor, chill,” I reminded him. That was the great thing about being brothers. We only needed a word to convey a whole message. Razor shook his head, like a wet dog would, as if ridding himself of his thoughts. He had just as much at stake here, even though he wasn’t aware that Harrison Summers was related to the girl he was sweet on. I hadn’t told him that part yet. Fuck, I hadn’t known before earlier today that he was soft on that bitch.

Why the fuck was Harrison Summers here?

Was it coincidence, or did he know his sister and cousin were here? I just hoped that none of the brothers or their bitches would say anything out of place. None of them were aware of this situation. Not even Cobra or Mia. Fuck.

Once the gates opened, Harrison strode forward, pushing Razor out of the way with one hand. Fucker was strong. Razor growled, ready to retaliate, but I shook my head, showing him to back off—for now, at least.

“Where is she?” Harrison growled, indicating with a nod toward the clubhouse. The cops immediately raised their weapons and stalked the clubhouse.

I held up my hands. “She? Who are you talking about?” Jesus, he was here as Jade’s brother, here to protect her. But she was my woman. I wanted to protect her, too. This was all kinds of fucked up.

“Jade. My little sister. I’m taking her home with me.”

My mouth went dry. Fuck, he’d just commanded up ten fucking cops and a search warrant to help him fetch his sister? He didn’t mess around. He meant fucking business.

“And Lexi, my cousin. I know she works here. Well tonight, that changes.”

I gripped Razor’s T-shirt and fisted it tightly, holding him back. I wasn’t sure how much longer I’d be able to keep everything under control. Praying that Hammer had gotten Jade and Lexi to the safe place, I watched the cops burst into the clubhouse. Only a few steps behind, I wanted to see if the girls were gone.

The boys were playing pool, some hanging by the bar, others around the dartboard, as if nothing unusual was happening. A few women were chatting away on the couches, holding their kids on their laps.

Thank fuck. All those drills in the past had paid off. Everyone was acting as if this was just any Sunday night at the clubhouse. I swallowed hard. Fuck, I loved these people.

Harrison nodded toward the rooms. “Open every door. We won’t rest till we find the girls. I know they’re here. The sooner they come out, the better for everyone. I’ll tear this place to fucking pieces if I have to.”

I believed him. Rage was radiating in waves from every pore in his body.

I just hoped that Ratbag got it right.

Chapter 18 ~ Ryder

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest.

“Hello, cousin. Fancy seeing you here.” Lexi’s sultry voice behind me sent goosebumps scattering across my skin. Jesus fucking Christ. Why was she still here?

“Lexi,” Harrison growled, “Where’s Jade? Is she still in the bathroom?” His gaze went to the door from which Lexi had just emerged.

“Nah, she went home ages ago. Jade and me had a huge fight. As usual. She stormed out of here, saying she’d never go anywhere with me again. Sorry, Cuz,” she looked at him from under her lashes, all apologetically, as if she knew she’d done wrong.

“Jade’s left? How come I didn’t know that? This place is under surveillance 24/7.” Smirking, he grinned at me. “Yeah, just in case you didn’t know,” he said, a clear warning in his tone.

“Yeah, I convinced her to come to the barbeque with me. You know, after what happened with Marcus, I thought she should get out a bit. So I dragged her here. Then we had a fight, and she went home. Probably sulking in her room now.”

Harrison dialed a number on his phone. Smart fucker. My hands were clammy as I fisted them by my sides, my heart racing, pumping adrenaline through my body.

“Jade? Where the fuck are you?” he barked down the phone.

I watched the expression on his face soften as he heard her voice. Yes, I wanted to know too. Where the fuck was Jade? Ratbag was nowhere to be seen.

Harrison closed his phone and instructed his second-in-charge to call back his troops.

One of the women piped up. “Oh yeah, Ratbag took Jade home ages ago. She said she had a stomachache.”

I swallowed hard. Ratbag must’ve taken her out the secret back way. While I was relieved that she was safe and that we’d avoided a bloodbath here tonight, I didn’t want her at home and so far away from me.

“Lexi, you’re coming home with me. Get your stuff. Let’s go.”

“OK. But only because I was ready to go anyway. I got a bit too much sun today, and I’m tired. But Harrison?”

He cocked his head. “Yeah?”

“I’m a grown woman. And I work here. It’s my job to be here. This is how I earn my rent. You have to respect that. OK?”

“Find another job, Lexi. You aren’t coming back here, sweetheart.” He turned to me. “Consider this Lexi’s resignation. She just quit her fucking bar job.”

Harrison placed his gun back into its holster and took her by the arm. “Jade’s in her room, reading, as you predicted. I’ll have a talk with her tomorrow about coming here. Neither you nor Jade will put a foot in this place again. Are we clear, little cousin?”

Lexi nodded. “Let me just get my stuff,” she said as she wriggled free of Harrison’s hand on her and went behind the bar to get her purse.

I saw Razor go after her. I had to distract Harrison.

“You said your sister is safely at home?” I quirked an eyebrow, keeping my voice as neutral as possible.

“Yeah. And she’s never coming here again. Of that, I will make one hundred percent certain.”

Watching the last of the cops filter out of the clubhouse, I smirked. “Well, you guys can stop snooping and watching us. We can take care of our own.”

“Yeah? Like the raid by the LA Demons? Getting him shot?” He nodded his head toward Cobra. “You think you’re safe? I’ve got news for you. You delve into criminal activities, you’re never safe. I’ll give my last breath to ensure that. Consider this a friendly warning. Next time I come here, I will rip this fucking place apart. Got that?”

My fists balled by my sides. Self-righteous prick. “I hope our paths don’t cross again anytime soon. I don’t know if I can reel it in enough not to punch your smug face and make you bleed,” I retorted. Fuck this shit.

Why the hell did Jade have to have a brother who was a fucking cop? Especially one out for vengeance? But that wasn’t going to stop me.

No, it only made me more determined to fight for her. Our worlds may have been colliding, but I knew what I wanted: Jade.

I wasn’t letting anything tear us apart. None of this bullshit was going to stand in my way because I had no other choice—Jade was the woman for me. I knew that now. I didn’t want to be in this world if it was without her.

So bring it on. I was ready to fight for my Princess till my last breath.

Fuck yeah.

Chapter 19 ~ Jade

“Sis. Would your planning to move out have anything to do with the Scorpio Stinger MC? And in particular a man named Ryder Knox?”

I sucked in a breath. Jesus. How did he know?

“Where did you get that idea?” I was trying to buy time. I had to find out how much my brother knew before I gave him an answer. Maybe he was just guessing. Growing up in a house with an attorney for a father and a cop for a brother had schooled me well in the art of interrogation. And now that I was a qualified lawyer myself, I used those tricks to my own advantage. Always answer a question with a question. It worked every time.

“I have my informants. Plus, I know you’ve been on the back of his bike. Dad told me about the night with Marcus. I must say, as much as I hate bikers, I kind of owe him one for saving you from that scumbag.” Harrison’s jaw and fists were clenched tightly. His protective instincts were in high gear. I had to use this to my advantage.

“Yeah, can you believe what Marcus did? So when Ryder appeared out of nowhere, it was like my savior arrived on a shiny metal horse. At the time, it was the best option.” I shrugged, trying to play it down. I didn't want Harrison sniffing around Ryder.

“OK, I get that. But you should’ve taken a taxi straight home. Not gone off for the night with a biker boy. After The Incident, I didn't think you’d ever do such a thing, Jade.” His voice was stern, and a deep frown furrowed his brow. I hated seeing him so glum.

“Harrison, that was a long time ago. We have to let go of those bad memories and move on with our lives. We can't let what happened ten years ago still cloud our lives and our future.”

He groaned as he sank back in the chair and closed his eyes. I knew his pain was still there, but he had to let the scab grow over it so that it could finally heal. Keeping the wound raw only meant it would never get any better.

I placed my hand on his arm, stroking gently. “The bikers who killed Amy and the others were all apprehended and served their sentences. They have done their time. But you, living like this—you’re the one still serving time.”

His eyes flew open and he sat forward, grabbing my wrist and twisting till it hurt.

“Don’t say that, Sis. I can't ever let it go. That would mean I’ve let Amy and her memory down.” He paused for a beat, clearly lost in his thoughts. Raw pain flickered in his eyes. He swallowed hard before he continued, his voice sadder than I'd heard it in a long time. “I never told you this, because you were too young: Amy was seven weeks pregnant. We were going to tell our parents a week later. I was going to marry her.”

“Oh God, Harrison, why haven’t you ever told me before? Now I understand your pain so much better. Her death was a terrible thing. But the baby—” I slapped my hand over my mouth. Finally I was getting why Harrison carried so much hatred toward bikers and MC clubs, and refused to let it go.

His shoulders slumped as he leaned forward, his head in his hands. “All of that was taken from me. By bikers with illegal guns. I can never let that go. I will hunt fuckers like them down, and stop that from happening to anyone else,” he ranted, his pain in his eyes.

“That’s noble of you, Harrison. I get where you’re coming from. But Amy—she would never have wanted you to suffer this much and for this long. She’d want you to be happy—even without her. That’s how much she loved you.”

He ran a hand through his hair, despair evident on his face. “There isn’t a day that passes that I don’t think about her, about what could’ve been . . . you’re probably right in saying that Amy would’ve wanted me to move on, but it’s not that simple.”

I rubbed slowly up and down his arm. “You’re not going to like what I’m going to say to you now. But just hear me out.” I took a deep breath. Giving my older brother advice wasn’t something I’d done before—especially about matters of the heart. But seeing him still hurting this badly, made my heart squeeze. “Maybe there is someone else out there for you. Someone who can bring you happiness.”

Waiting with bated breath for his reaction, my heart pounded in my ears. Had I gone too far?

Harrison shook his head. “I doubt I can even allow myself to love again. It’s just too painful. And if something ever happened to you, I don’t think I’d be able to cope with that. That’s why you have to promise me to stay away from the biker guy. It can't work out—you’re from two completely different worlds. I don’t want to see you get hurt, but even worse, if he so much as damages a hair on your head, I’ll be after him. And it won't be pretty.”

“You’re my big brother, and you care about me—I get that. But you can't stop me from seeing who I want to. I'm a big girl now. If I want to see Ryder . . .”

“So you are seeing him then!” he barked.

Damn. I walked straight into that one. Harrison outwitted me after all by catching me off-guard. He grabbed my upper arms and shook me. “Jade. Have you forgotten what kind of people they are? That they kill innocent people? How could you?”

“It’s not like that,” I retorted, annoyed that he was jumping to conclusions before knowing the story. “I’ve known Ryder for a while now. Yes, his background is different to mine, but that doesn’t make him a bad person. It merely means we are different in some ways. But we are both humans, with the same wants and desires. Besides, I’m not dating him, so calm down.”

“Calm down? Shit, Jade, I’ve got news for you. Ryder Knox and his little gang are on my radar. The shooting that went down a few months ago? That was based on illegal guns being shipped around. The same kind of guns that killed Amy and my friends back then, and that still kill innocent people every day now. I will bring those motherfuckers down, even if it costs me my life.”

I jumped up, my hands on my hips, and stared at my brother through narrowed eyes. “For a smart man, you’re so damn stubborn. Like Ryder said, even the law gives him more credit than we do, by believing he is innocent till proven guilty,” I huffed.

Harrison shook his head. “Fuck me. It’s worse than I’d thought. What? You’re quoting a biker now? Jesus, Jade, what’s gotten into you? I think I need to hunt that fucker down and put an end to this shit before it gets out of hand. You’re going nowhere near Biker Boy again. Are we clear? I’ll arrest him, and throw his fucking ass into jail if you don’t listen to me.”

“On what grounds?”

”You don’t realize I have a whole fucking file on the Scorpio Stinger MC and their rivals. I can dig up dirt and make it stick. And I will if you don’t stay away. You have no fucking idea what you’re getting into. These bikers are criminals. They deal in illegal guns, and drugs, and extortion.” A vein ticked in his neck. His lips were drawn into a thin line as he stared at me through narrowed eyes. It’s not pretty. And I won't allow you to be any part of that shit. Do. You. Understand?”

Blood rushed to my head and anger swirled in my gut. “Just because Ryder had a tough upbringing doesn’t make him a goddamn criminal. You can't generalize like that.”

Harrison’s fists clenched and unclenched. The frown between his eyes deepened. “OK. I wasn’t going to tell you this . . .” He closed his eyes for a few seconds. When he opened them, they were hard and calculating. “Ryder killed a man. His own father, no less, when he was only a kid of eleven.” His voice had a hard edge I couldn’t ignore. ”That just smells like trouble. He was in juvie for years. That’s how he got tangled up with the Scorpio Stinger MC. And now he’s their VP. Come-on Sis, even you know what all of that means.”

Harrison wouldn’t lie to me.

All the blood drained from my face as I went cold.

“Yeah, I can see Ryder omitted to tell you about his childhood. Killing a man is a big deal. And he did it in cold blood, and had no remorse after. That makes him a psycho killer. Dangerous. Like fuck am I letting him anywhere near my little sister.”

“Harrison!”

“Do you hear me Jade? Over my fucking dead body are you hooking up with a biker. I’ll kill him with my bare hands if he touches you.”