Chapter 13
Ryker pulledup in front of my house and parked on the street. We said our goodbyes, and when I tried to open the passenger door to get out, the handle stuck.
“I can’t get it,” I said. “You might have to come around and open it.”
“No, just wiggle it,” Ryker said and he leaned across me to grab the handle. He fiddled with it for a moment and the door clicked.
“Oh, okay,” I said and realized he hadn’t moved back to the driver’s seat. He was still stretched across my lap, inches from my face. All I had to do was move down and kiss him, he was so close.
I wanted it, I really wanted to do it, but I was scared. It wasn’t even about the Kings, it was about me and my own insecurities.
His lips were so gorgeous though, they were full and sensual and I could imagine them moving all over my body and going to town on my pussy as he buried himself between my thighs.
So I did it. I tilted my face down and made contact. He couldn’t have been the most comfortable at first, but the moment our mouths met, he came to life.
He pushed himself up so he was pulling me towards him and he cradled my face in his hands as he filled my mouth with his tongue and my head with his presence.
There was just so much of Ryker, I couldn’t find a single spot where he hadn’t taken up residence. His scent, the growling he made in his throat when he held my face and slid his tongue around mine, the way he looked in the light of the streetlamps, like a goth bad boy who could kill your enemies and kiss your wounds until they healed.
I was falling deeper and deeper into the sensations when suddenly they were broken.
My eyes snapped open to see the truck door open and Ryker get pulled back.
“Hey man, what the fuck!” he exclaimed as Kingston dragged him out by the collar and slammed him against the cab.
“Who the fuck do you think you are?!” Kingston roared and pulled his fist back to strike. “How fucking dare you force yourself on her! That’s my girl, you fucking piece of shit!”
He punched Ryker, but only hit the palm of Ryker’s hand as Ryker blocked it.
I screamed, “Stop it! He wasn’t forcing me!” as I scooted across the seat and spilled out the driver’s side. “Kingston, stop it!”
Kingston didn’t stop, though. He didn’t seem to hear me at all.
Ryker’s hand gripped Kingston’s fist and the two of them struggled against each other for dominance. Slowly, steadily, Ryker pushed Kingston’s fist downward until Kingston had to unclench to let go.
This enraged him, giving into the other guy, so he swung up with his other hand and caught Ryker on the edge of his jaw with his knuckles.
“What the fuck!” Ryker exclaimed and edge away, holding his face. “You’re gonna sucker punch me, dude? What are you, a little bitch?”
“Fuck you!” Kingston said with force. “You’re lucky I don’t fuck you up for pushing yourself on Evie.”
“He wasn’t pushing himself!” I cried out and grabbed Kingston’s bicep as he pulled his fist back again. He hung there with his arm motionless in midair for a moment as my words sunk in.
“You wanted him to fucking kiss you?” he asked, his voice ice cold now. When he turned his gaze to me, I trembled at what I saw there.
I panicked inside, I thought about telling him I didn’t want the kiss. Maybe getting him to beat Ryker down so I could save whatever small shred of honor I had at the moment. But I couldn’t lie to Kingston, not like that. I’d never been able to lie to him at all, especially about something so meaningful as kissing another man.
“I did,” I said as I took a deep breath and steadied my voice. I wanted him to know I was okay, and that this was my decision. I wanted him to see how strong I was now, how much I needed him, but not because I was frail and confused like I had been before the shooting and stopping my pills. “He’s on our side, Kingston. You have to listen to him, he’s against the Organization as much as we are.”
“You told him about that?” Kingston glowered.
“She did,” Ryker answered for me. There was already a dark blue bruise growing on his jawline and I fought the urge to reach out and touch it, to kiss it and make him feel better. “She told me that she and I are basically in the same boat. You might not understand how it feels when you’re poor and have nowhere to turn.”
“You think I don’t know?” Kingston said with contempt. “You think I don’t understand what it’s like to be poor and forced into the Dirty Kingdom? Fuck you, you know nothing about my life.”
“Kingston is my neighbor,” I told Ryker. “He’s not exactly rolling in cash either. His father set him up to fight. He and my stepfather are the ones who—”
I realized I hadn’t told Ryker everything, not even close. I hadn’t told him about what had been done to me or how I’d already tried to kill Reg. He probably thought my desire to kill those who now owned me was just big talk from a small girl. Little did he know that I’d tried to do it once, and next time I’d make sure it worked.