“Yaaasss?” Becca purred with her sultry voice.
“What do I wear to a fight?” I asked. “And quick, because Ryker will be back here any minute.”
“All right. Okay. Usually, you just wear casual clothes, but since we want to piss Ryker off, let’s go with… cut-offs and a tight tank. It’s casual, but with added skank.”
I scoffed. “Becca, you’re awful at this.”
“I know. But, trust me. And don’t wear heels, because if we need to run, you’ll get left behind.”
“All right, so casual tennis shoes it is. Anything else?”
“Yeah! Heavy on the makeup.”
I laughed, propping my phone onto my shoulder to hold it to my ear. “No. I will go easy on the makeup, but maybe a little heavy around the eyes.”
“Okay then, that’ll do it. Make those green eyes pop!”
“I’ll see you later?”
“I’ll see you soon.”
Hanging up my phone, I walked back into my wardrobe and pulled out my white denim tight shorts and a black little tank top that hugged me in all the right places, all while pushing my boobs up, showing the perfect amount of cleavage. Becca better be right about this.
After I had shoved on my clothes, flat-ironed my hair until it was dead straight, and done my makeup, I quickly checked my MySpace to see what was going on there before logging out. Walking out of my room, I went down the steps two at a time to find Pauline still working on the gardens. She stopped, removing her gloves and walking toward me, worry lines etched into her face.
“Hi!” I said, pulling her in for a quick hug. “Could you tell Mom and Dad that I’ll be staying at Indie’s tonight and I’ll catch a ride to school with her in the morning?”
She nodded, throwing the garden gloves over her shoulder. “Go on then, love. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I dashed for the driveway just in time to see Ryker’s pickup pull in.
Timing.
Slipping into the passenger seat, I smile weakly at him. “Hi.”
He smiles a full beaming smile at me, and I think I’m done for.
We pulled up to his house and he yanked up the emergency break, turning in his seat. “Wanna meet my aunt?”
My eyes went wide before I swallowed and nodded. “Sure… on a complete friendship level, right?”
He laughed, shaking his head. “Bry, you don’t have to worry about me giving mixed signals… trust me. All I want from you is your hot little pussy. That’s all.”
I scoffed. “Ever the romantic.”
“Always, baby,” he answered, as he got out of the truck. I stepped out, closing the car door just as he was circling.
He took my hand in his and pulled me toward the front door. “Come on, she doesn’t bite.”
I sure hoped not.
After meeting his aunt, Corletta, I learned a few things about Ryker that he probably didn’t want me knowing. One, he liked to cook and he was good at it. Onion rings were his favorite, because he thought the fact it was shaped in a ring made it taste better. I argued that scientifically that meant jack shit, but the man was fixed in his ways and stubborn as shit. I also learned he could sing just as good as his brother. He and Ryder had done Rock, Paper, Scissors on who was lead singer when they formed the band. Ryker said he wasn’t bothered and that he was happy wherever he went, but apparently, Ryder wanted the lead role.
Corletta was sweet and so gentle with Ryker. You could see the adoration she held for the boys by the proud twinkle in her eye. She was a judge, but the woman was far from scary. She had been an attorney for quite some time, but had just stepped into her role as chief judge in our San Diego region a few years ago.
I flicked through the magazine that sat on Ryker’s bedside table while I waited for him to get out of the shower. I still didn’t know why he made me come so early, and I forgot to eat, again. We would definitely be stopping at a burger joint on our way to the fight.
His bathroom door opened then slammed shut. I looked up to see him standing there with a towel wrapped around his waist. His hair sat messily on top of his head as little drops of water dripped over the most impressive six-pack I had ever seen. His tattoos were everywhere too, all over his arms, neck, and back. His chest at the moment was bare, though I could imagine him getting that filled as soon as possible.
“Hey,” I whispered, my cheeks heating from my ogling.
He ran his tongue over his bottom lip, the glistening of moisture gleaming under the light from his bedroom. “Rolling Stone?” he asked, pointing to the magazine in my hand.
I laughed, placing the magazine back on his bedside table. “Yeah, what can I say? I’ve been a little more interested in that sort of stuff for the past week.”
He cocked his head, a slow smirk coming onto his mouth before his fingers gripped around the front of his towel, and in an instant, it was gone.
Dust.
Eighty-fucking-sixed.
Gone-burger.
Along with all of my previous thoughts.
My tongue swiped across my bottom lip, his eyes darkening before he began walking toward me, his shaft hard and taut. Fuck, even his cock was beautiful.
“You have a really beautiful cock,” I said, tilting my head at it.
He laughed, gripping his strong hand around it roughly and jerking it forward. His eyes slanted as another smirk played on his mouth. “Can’t say he has ever disappointed.”
I nodded, licking my lips again. Tucking my legs under my ass, I sat forward and took hold of it in my hand, swiping my thumb across the tip and smudging the clear liquid that slowly snuck out of him.
“I’ve never done this before—as you know,” I said, actually embarrassed from my lack of experience in this department.
He ran his long fingers through my hair, pilling it all on top of my head. “Even better.”
I pulled my bottom lip into my mouth before opening and running my tongue in circles over his helmet. He threw his head back, his grip on my hair tightening, so I took that as a go. I had watched porn before—thanks to Indie. I knew what I had to do. I just had never tried it. I slid my mouth over him, my hand wrapping at the base of his dick, with my grip a little tight. I pushed him deep into my mouth until I could taste the salty, soapy taste of his cum hitting the back of my throat. It wasn’t uncomfortable, so I decided to take him deeper.
I took him as deep as I could, though I still couldn’t fit all of him, before backing up, and my cheeks pulled in with the suction I was creating. My head bobbed slowly as I paid the head extra attention, flicking my tongue over it and circling the rim of his tip with my tongue. A hiss escaped his mouth that ignited something deep inside me. I had come to realize Ryker had a switch to my playful side on any occasion.
Picking up my pace, I bobbed my head up and down while I started to jack the hand that was wrapped around his base up and down, following the motion of my mouth. His hips started to thrust against my mouth, his breathing deep and shallow. I bared my teeth from the tip of him before sliding down his shaft. He groaned tightly as hot liquid shot to the back of my mouth in pulses, slipping down my throat with ease. I didn’t plan to swallow any of it, but most of it had already gone down, so I bit the bullet and went with it.
He smiled, swiping his thumb across my lips.
Pushing up, I stood to my feet and laughed. “That wasn’t meant to happen.”
“You sure you haven’t done that before?” he asked, his eyebrow cocked.
“What? Suck dick? Never. Indie would make us watch porn when we were younger. She wanted to be as experienced as possible when that time came.”
“Good,” he said, walking to his drawers and pulling out some briefs before slipping into them. “I’d have to kill him otherwise.” He smirked, his dimples digging into his cheeks. But somehow, I knew he wasn’t joking.
***
I raised the drink to my mouth and smirked. I wished Becca was here, but apparently she was going to meet us at the event, so instead, I’
m sitting beside Tommy’s flavor of the night in Ryker’s garage. I think her name was Sandra? Sandy? Fuck if I knew. Again, I’d be a terrible male. I’d be like… Ryker.
“You like System of a Down, don’t you?” Tommy smirked from behind his drum set.
I nodded, watching Ryder pick up the mic as Leo sat behind the base.
“The shit we do for you,” Ryder shook his head.
I laughed. “You do it for my dad.”
Ryder nodded. He loved my dad, and my dad him. My dad loved all the guys, but I think he liked Ryder most. Sadly, my mom and dad only had me. They tried to have more children, but it just wasn’t in their cards. My dad tried and tried to do boy things with me. My mom came home one day when I was twelve to my dad teaching me how to load a rifle. She drew the line after that and bought every single pink thing she could find, just to make a statement to my dad that I was a girl.
Ryker threw the guitar strap over his shoulder, and I watched the girl next to me clap her hands.
Yeah, that clap better had been for Tommy.
Running my eyes up and down Ryker, I had to appreciate what the good lord blessed us women with. He was this delicious set of bad boy, charm, and seduction wrapped in tattoos. His hair was messy as always, and his piercing blue eyes struck out so much they looked like contacts. His jaw was strong and his cheekbones high. He and Ryder were identical, but Ryker had more of an edge to him. You knew just by looking at him that he would push you, your body, and your mind. Ryder was nice, but he was quiet, reserved, and… well… boring for my taste. I hoped he found someone crazy one day to open up his shell a bit more. The dark and mysterious thing was hot, but then it could easily get boring.
Ryker stood there with his loose jeans, Air Force 1 high tops, and his loose T-shirt. He smirked at me. “Ready?”
“Ready to watch you fall flat, yes,” I answered smartly.
His eyes narrowed. “Jeez, baby. Your lack of faith in me is so hot.”
I giggled, and the chick shuffled next to me. “Are you his girl?” she whispered.
I laughed, taking another pull of my drink. “Almost, but not really.”
“I heard that,” he called out from behind his guitar.
“Good!” I stated. “Show me what you’ve got, boys. System of a Down is hard enough to play, let alone it being ‘BYOB.’”
Ryker smirked as he picked at the guitar, his fingers going rapidly into the song and not missing a strum, all while keeping his eyes locked on mine. My body flushed.
Holy fucking shit.
Tommy joined him with the drums, and his strumming picked up before they all came in with Ryder. I fell back into my chair, swallowing audibly and shaking my head. Well, shit. Ryker winked at me while not skipping a chord. Right now, in this very moment, I want to know what it felt like riding him while he was playing that guitar—it was that hot.
They continued the song, and when they finished up, I launched myself off the couch and clapped. “Bravo, boys!”
Ryker fake-bowed and placed the guitar back on the stand as they all laughed.
“You’re not that bad,” I said to Ryker with a shrug. He paused, launching himself at me and wrapping his arms around my legs, throwing me over his shoulder and smacking my ass. “I’ll give you bad. Come on, we gotta bounce.” I was used to Ryker’s playful side by now, so I let him carry me to the truck. When he placed me back down on the driveway, Tommy shook his head at me in shock.
“What, Tommy?” I asked, deadpan.
He laughed. “Oh no, nothing. Just that you two could not be more wrong and right for each other if you tried.”
I smiled, pausing while I thought over his words as he got into the driver’s seat. He was right though; we were exactly that, and I couldn’t have put it better myself if I tried.
We brake in front of a big industrial building and I swallowed. This was going to be just great. Ryker gripped my hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. We parked and I turned to face him. The darkness blinded me from any vision, but the dim streetlight that sat outside the building casted light shadows over his chiseled face.
“Don’t worry,” he said, bringing my hand to his mouth. “I’m undefeated at the moment.”
I breathed out and slouched into my seat. “There’s the thing though. Undefeated can always be defeated, Ryker.”
“Not today,” he answered, pushing the back door open.
“I hope not,” I whispered, as I pushed open my door and jumped out of the truck, my feet hitting the asphalt.
I’m collecting my shit after the fight when Bryleigh storms into my dressing room. I KO’d my opponent in the first round, so we hadn’t been here long. I threw my shirt on and nudged my head at her. “What’s up?”
“It’s Becca. She called and said something’s happened. We have to meet her at the Jockerby Highway turn off.”
“Jockerby Highway? What the fuck’s she doing out there at this time?”
She shook her head, gripping onto her phone. Her eyes widened. “I don’t know, Ryker. But she doesn’t sound right.”
I rolled my eyes, because Becca was probably high. I picked up my duffel bag and grasped onto Bryleigh’s hand, pulling her back down the corridor. “Where’s Leo?”
“They’re all at the truck waiting. I told them I’d come get you, because I can run faster.”
I picked my pace up as thoughts that something could actually be wrong with Becca came crashing into me. She was a pain in the ass, but she’d been riding with us since middle school; she was like a sister to me.
I pushed out the emergency exit just as Tommy started the truck. Bryleigh piled in and I followed. Leo was jiggling his knee out of frustration next to me, so I tapped him.
“She’ll be fine, bro. What do we know?” I asked, slipping my watch onto my wrist.
Leo shrugged, his eyebrows drawing together in worry. “She called Bry, not me.”
That was strange. I mean, I knew those two had become close, but to not pick up the phone and call Leo was out of character for her. She and Leo were the closest people on earth.
“I really hope she’s not angry at me for bringing you all. She didn’t say not to bring you, so I just assumed—” Bryleigh mumbled off before I cut in.
“Baby? Stop, shhh,” I whispered, running my thumb over her lips. Her shoulders drooped and her head relaxed into my hand. My chest tightened at the motion. I pulled away, tucking her under my arm and kissing the top of her head.
Christ, what the fuck was going on with me?
Tommy pulled down the road leading to the highway where Becca was. The trees drew closer as the road began to narrow.
“What the fuck was she doing out here?” I whispered.
We took a left turn that took you to the highway turn off right before you’re about to enter onto the state highway. When we saw her car pulled to the side of the road with her headlights on and engine still running, the air shifted. Tommy pulled in tightly behind Becca’s car and Bryleigh pushed her door open, ready to get out.
I grasped onto her arm, halting her movement. “Can you wait here until I’ve sorted out what’s going on?” Her eyebrows drew together as a disgusted look pulled across her face. She yanked her arm out of my grasp and jumped out of the truck anyway.
“Of course not,” I muttered, following suit.
Leo was already rushing toward Becca’s car, peeping into the windows. When he got to the front of the car, his body froze and he dropped to his knees.
“Leo?” We rushed toward him, and when we rounded the car, Bryleigh screamed, her hand flying up to her mouth. I pulled her into me, covering her eyes with my hand and kissing her head.
“Becca?” Leo whispered, as Becca rocked back and forth in the front of her car, staring absently at the mangled mess of what I assumed was once a person. “Becca, baby, what happened?” Her head was shaking. Jolting spasms were wracking her little body as she stared at the bloody mess that was laid out on the road.
It was a horr
ific scene, one I never imagined seeing. I knew that the police, fire department, and medic teams must see some horrific scenes, but you never really register just how bad it can be until it was sitting right in front of you, just how messy it could be. There were body parts lying out in the open for us to view that no human eye should see—ever.
“I—I—I didn’t see him, Leo. He—he…”
“Shhhh.” Leo pulled her into his embrace and ran his hand over her head. It suddenly dawned on me why she never called Leo. She didn’t want him involved with the police, which pissed me off, because she sure as fuck didn’t think twice about calling Bryleigh. Becca didn’t care if Bryliegh was investigated, and she knew we would follow her, so it worked well for her.
“How fast were you going, Becca?” I asked, pulling my eyes away from the body.
“Too fast,” she whispered. “I was supposed to meet someone and I was late.” Hiccups wracked her body, her hand flying to her mouth to hold down a gag. She curled over, clutching her stomach.
“Keep it down!” Tommy said, pulling Becca up from the road when he could see she was about to spew.
“What am I going to do?” Her red eyes were almost closed with grief.
Leo shook his head, looking up at me and Ryder. I knew that look, and I knew what he was asking of us.
I brought my fist to my mouth and bit down. “Are you fucking kidding me?” I whispered angrily.
“Would you do it for Bryleigh?” Leo asked, his chest heaving and his eyes feral.
I shook my head. “That’s fucking different.”
“How’s that different?” He shot back.
“Well, let’s start with the fact Bry wouldn’t be speeding down a dark highway going to buy fucking drugs!” I roared, and Becca flinched. “You need to sort your fucking shit out, Becca. This!” I threw my hands up. “You’ve made us all accessories to manslaughter.” Fuck! I spun around and pulled Bryleigh into me again. Her sobs halted. Turning around, she put her back to my front.
I wiped the tears off her cheek, and she nodded her head at Becca. “I’ll do it, Becca. I won’t say anything, but don’t think I’m okay with this at all. He has a family and people that love him. We are not moving him. I want him to be found.”