The Beginning—A Duet: Ryder & Two Worlds Colliding (35 page)

“Where the hell has Jade gone to? What the fuck have you done, bitch?” Ryder growled in my face. The smile I’d worn just a moment ago slid off my face. Ryder was about to throttle me with his bare hands. Even Razor had a stunned expression.

The thought of not telling Ryder where Jade was crossed my mind. I mean, if I hadn’t turned and looked at that exact moment I would’ve missed it. Then when Ryder found her later, fucking Cowboy in her semi drink state, he’d lose it and—

“Answer me, bitch. I need to get to Jade now. And if something has happened to her, you’re going to fucking regret it.” He stared at me through narrowed eyes, a smirk on his face. “You better hope that fucking cowboy isn’t trying to fuck
my girl
.”

“I . . . I saw her go off with Cowboy.” I swallowed hard and pointed in the direction of the stairs I’d seen them climbing only minutes ago. “He took her up there.”

Ryder growled, a feral snarl on his face. He looked as if he was about to rip somebody apart.
Rather Cowboy than me
. If he found Jade in a compromising position, with Cowboy’s dick inside her, he might change his mind about her anyway. I was clutching at last straws here, hoping that Ryder would get over his mad obsession with Jade and see
me
instead. Maybe it was because he thought she was so proper and naïve that it brought out the protective caveman in him. But when he realized she was just a woman, like the rest of us, he’d change his mind about her.

Ryder turned and ran toward the staircase. I was hoping he’d find Jade either with Cowboy’s dick in her mouth or him riding her. Either way, I knew it’d be a deal breaker for an alpha male like Ryder. These kinds of men did not allow other cocks to invade their territory.

“Lexi, I'm fucking waiting for an answer. Are you coming with me or not?” His gaze traveled down my body and then back up slowly again until he met my eyes. Did he notice how happy I was when I thought Ryder was coming for me? Maybe not. I still had time to play Razor while I waited for Ryder to find Jade. His next words shocked me. His voice was hard and cold. “Or are you more interested in Ryder, huh?”

R
yder and I had never really liked the same chicks. His tastes were quite different to mine. But that didn’t stop the chicks I wanted to fuck from fawning all over Ryder. Yes, the fucker was good looking. I wasn’t a goddamn oil painting like Knox was, but I had a lot going for me. I was strong and fit . . . and deceptively fast. And I knew what to do with my cock. Once I had a bitch in the bedroom, they couldn’t get enough.

Lexi was breaking my fucking heart. She was the first girl I genuinely thought had old lady potential. But I saw the way she looked at Ryder. Her nipples had hardened when he stormed toward her, she’d been that excited to see him. I wasn’t the smartest guy in the MC club, but I had uncanny animalistic instincts when it came to sex. Knowing that the girl I wanted was standing there wet for another man, was driving me insane. If I didn’t love Ryder as a brother, I might just have taken my rage out on him.

I laughed. Ryder didn’t want Lexi. He was fucking besotted with Jade. His eyes darted around wildly as he looked for his bitch, like a crazy man. He couldn’t give a fuck about Lexi, only
she
didn’t see that. She actually believed she had a chance with him.

“What’s so funny?” she asked, a look of utter disappointment on her face.

“Wish I could see cowboy’s face when Ryder gets hold of him. He’s going to wish he never saw the lovely Jade. And he’s going to regret he laid a finger on her. Ryder’s never been about a bitch like he is about Jade.” I let that sink in before I delivered the punch line. “Ryder will never look at another woman like he looks at his Princess.”

She sucked in a breath. “How would you know?” she asked, pouting her lips.

“Deal with it Lexi. The sooner you do, the sooner you’ll realize what’s standing right in front of you. If I thought you stood any chance with Ryder, I would’ve backed right off to give you that chance. But you
don’t
. He’s a gonner where Jade’s concerned.”

“Well, what has she got that I don’t?” She snapped, not liking my revelation.

“That’s the fucking point, babe. The heart wants what the heart wants. Ryder wants Jade. I want you. It's just the way it is.”

“You . . . you want me?” She turned her head and really looked at me as if she was seeing me for the first time. “Why?”

“I wish I knew the answer to that. And honestly, after seeing your behavior tonight, I wish I didn’t. You’re more fucking trouble than I need. But fuck, I’ve never backed down from shit in my life, and I’m not about to start now.”

She laughed. Leaning back against the railing, I took in all of her. The tattoo sleeve up her arm, the skimpy top and skirt so short it was barely legal, the toned and shaped impossibly long legs in fuck-me red heels. Her short black hair and big ripe lips.

Yep, Lexi Clarke was trouble. And I was definitely temporarily insane. Because I wanted her more than ever, even knowing that she wasn’t really that in to me. But she’d change her mind. I’d always stayed in the background, especially with twin older brothers who’d dominated the scene. I'd grown up in Cobra and Demon’s shadow, always the follower, even after Demon disappeared.

Strangely it was Ryder who brought me out from under the twin’s shadow when he came to the club. He hung out with me as if I was his equal, and let me train him and get him fit and strong, trusting me. He was the first person to ever give me credit for anything. That’s why I had respect for Ryder I had for few other men.

But when I wanted something,
really
wanted it, nothing would get in my way. I'd wait my chance and then move in to take what was mine. It was a skill I'd learned as a youngster and had polished over the years.

Lexi brushed hair that had stuck to the dampness of her skin out of her face. “Look, I'm going to be honest with you. I'm a
no bullshit
kinda girl. Yes, I want Ryder. I'm not going to insult you by pretending otherwise. And I’ve wanted him
before
I even knew he was mixed up with my cousin. Who would’ve thought he knew her? I mean, seriously, what were the chances?”

I laughed, admiring her for her openness and honesty. Not many women had such strong convictions or knew what they wanted. Neither would they admit it so bluntly to a man who’d just told her he wanted her. But it was exactly because she was unconventional that I liked her as much as I did. Other women paled in comparison to how interesting I found Lexi.

“Can I at least buy you a drink?” I asked.

“Why not? I was wondering when you were going to get to that. What’s a woman to do to get a drink around here other than cause chaos?”

I left her by the railing while I got our drinks, but never took my gaze off her for longer than a few seconds. She looked up the stairway to where Ryder had followed Jade and Cowboy. Man, I'd love to be a fly on that wall. In all likelihood Ryder was punching Cowboy up hard and good.

She turned back toward me and as I took the drinks back to her, careful not to spill or bump into anyone. Fuck if my heart didn’t do a fucking flip in my chest when she grinned at me. Removing a glass from my hand, she turned and leaned over the railing, taking a long sip from her drink.

“So you really don’t think I have a chance with Ryder? Are you saying that because you are certain of his feelings for her, or because you’re hoping that’s going to get you inside my panties?”

I coughed, nearly choking on my drink. No woman I knew had ever been as straight up as Lexi. Did she have a filter between her brain and mouth? It didn’t appear so.

“Nobody stands a chance with either of them. They’re fucking crazy for one another.” I grinned at her. “But don’t break your pretty little head about him, babe.”

“Why’s that Razor?” she asked playfully. Fuck, she was flirting with me.

I ran a finger up her arm. “Because my cock is bigger than his. And once you’ve had mine, you’ll never want another one.” It was her turn to nearly choke on her drink.

“Jesus. Cocky much?” She raised an eyebrow. “How am I to believe that? Did you have a measurement contest or something?”

“Just ask any of the boys. I have the biggest cock in the club. I can show you if you want?” I teased.

Her eyes widened. “You’re not even kidding are you?”

I laughed. She was fucking adorable. “I never kid about serious matters. And size matters. But more than that, I’ve been wanting to slide my incredible dick into you for the longest time.” I took a sip of my drink, feeling the burn all the way to my stomach. I wasn’t a man to mince words. “Give me a chance, Lexi. Be my girl and let me make you happy.”

She didn’t reply. I ran my hand up her spine, applying just enough pressure to make her let out a deep sigh. My fingertips massaged the base of her neck. “I want you, Lexi. I want to fuck you, babe, like you’ve never been fucked before. I'm not the most handsome guy . . . I do have a mirror. But I'm loyal and what you see is what you get. I don’t have pretenses or play games. I work hard, and I take care of business. I protect and look after what is
mine
. If you were my woman, I’d take care of you in every way that matters.”

She laughed softly. “That’s a very tempting offer, Razor Malone. I've never had a man take care of me like that. I could just be persuaded.”

For a moment I saw right through her. She’d let me see her softer side. For some reason Lexi believed she always had to be strong and invincible. I knew she’d grown up with only her dad to care for her. Her mother had died when she was a baby. She always played the tough chick, much like I always played the tough guy. It took one to recognize one. We were so alike, never showing our vulnerability to the outside world. We pretended we were tougher than we really were just because we didn’t want the world to fuck with us.

I got it.

I
was still pondering Razor’s words when Ryder and Jade came down the stairs and pushed through the crowd toward us. The way both of them beamed was enough to make me realize that Ryder was well and truly taken. My little cousin had won. When she was around, it was as if nobody else existed for Ryder. He had eyes only for Jade.

My heart pinched in my chest for a moment. It hurt like hell that he’d rejected me, and that he wanted another woman, even if she was my fucking cousin. I wasn’t going to pretend otherwise. I placed my palm over my heart, rubbing at the spot.

Razor clasped my arm, giving it a squeeze. It was bizarre, but he was the only other person who really knew how I felt about Ryder. Yet he hadn’t run or thrown a temper tantrum. His hand rested supportively in the small of my back as Ryder and Jade came to stand in front of us. Ryder had the goofiest grin on his face as if he’d just won the lottery and Jade was glowing, her arm hooked into Ryder’s.

“You’re kinda off the hook, Sheila,” Ryder said, teasing me with the Australian slang he’d learned from Ratbag, “it's your lucky day.”

“Is that right?” I murmured, definitely not agreeing with that statement.

Rebecca and Ratbag got up from the table where they’d been chatting and came to join us. “You found your woman. That’s cool brother.” Ratbag grinned at Ryder while slapping his back.

“Jade, are you okay, honey?” Rebecca asked with concern in her voice, looking Jade in the eye as she pressed her shoulder reassuringly. Another pang of jealousy speared my heart. Rebecca was way closer to Jade than she ever was to me. I always felt like the odd person out, never fitting the mold.

“I'm fine. Ryder saved me from—” Her cheeks were flushed as she gazed back at Ryder.

“Talk about lucky. I nearly killed a fucking cowboy tonight. Five minutes later . . . this would not have ended well.” His eyes bored into me, the accusation still clear in his tone.

Razor took a step closer to Ryder. “Hang on, brother. Lexi didn’t force Jade to go with Cowboy. Quit blaming her.”

I sucked in a breath. No man had ever stepped up to defend me.
Ever
. Razor pulled me to his chest, his arm wrapped around my shoulder. His signal was clear.

Ryder raised an eyebrow. “Anyway, we just came to tell you that Jade’s leaving with me. Didn’t want Rebecca to worry.”

“That’s cool. Bruce said he’d take me home. I'm ready to go now too. I've had enough for one night,” Rebecca said, smiling at Ratbag. She refused to call him by the name Ryder had given him. As fellow Australians, they could talk for hours on end, and it was obvious that Ratbag had a hell of a crush on Rebecca.

“It’ll be my pleasure, Becca. Anything for a lady.” Ratbag’s grin nearly split his face.

Rebecca kissed Jade’s cheek, then mine. “Okay, see you later,” she greeted in the typical Aussie way.

Ryder kissed Jade in front of everybody, making his possession clear.

“Get a room you two,” Razor laughed.

Ryder wiggled his eyebrows. “We already have,” he said, flashing a white plastic card at us, “We’re just on our way.” Jade blushed even deeper. What the hell did Ryder see in her? It still puzzled me that he was so taken with her.

A minute later and Razor and I were alone again. He let me go and stood with his eyes scrunched up, staring at my face. “I'm not a patient man, Lexi. You still haven’t answered my questions.

Surprised by the loss I felt the second he let me go, I licked my lips. My throat had gone dry and for once I was at a loss for a smartass reply. This was it. If I refused Razor, he might walk out of here and never give me a second glance.

I’d felt safe in Razors arms, against his chest, feeling his heartbeat against my shoulder. I'd never felt like that with any man before. Sure, I'd felt lust and want and need.
But never safe
.
Never protected
. It shocked the hell out of me.

I’d not realized until that moment that Razor gave me exactly what I truly craved. A sense of belonging. Because somehow that’s what I felt while I’d stood in his embrace—warm and secure, and for the first time in a long time it wasn’t lust that drove my decisions. I wanted to feel like that again. Cherished for who I was, warts and all. Razor gave me that.