Chapter Thirty-Nine
My nerves cause my hands to shake as I put on a swipe of lip gloss. I look in the mirror, running my hands over the simple black dress.
There is a deep V, showing off the scar Ryker gave me, a testament to his claim on me. The dress sparkles against the overhead lights, and I can’t help but smile. For weeks, Ryker has been telling me that he views me as a Queen, and for once, I actually see it.
I’ve filled out more, adding a little curve to my figure. This is the first time in a long time that I haven’t had to worry about where my next meal was coming from and whether or not someone has done something to it.
A soft knock at the door pulls my attention away from the mirror. Walking over to it, I pull my long hair over my shoulder and adjust the dress one last time before I open it wide.
Ryker stands before me, hands tucked into his pockets and examines me from head to toe.
“Ryker, hi,” I say awkwardly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Mhh..” He moans, gripping my hand and twirling me, “You look… wow.”
A blush creeps up my neck, feeling exposed under his heated gaze. Ryker has seen me naked dozens of times at this point, but something about being in a tight-fitted dress and having his eyes on every inch of my body, makes me self-conscious.
I haven’t ever been this heavy. I know it’s healthy. Eating regular meals, running on the treadmill, and fighting lessons with Lincoln in the home gym have helped regulate my weight, but Manzo drilled into my head that I need to look a certain way to please him and morphed my brain into something I hate.
Ryker presses my back into his front, running his fingertips down my arm.
“What are you doing?” I ask breathlessly, the feeling of his touch nearly overwhelming.
Without answering, he gently places a blindfold over my eyes, tying it tightly into place. He grabs my hand and leads me out of the room. Once we come to a stop, he leans down to whisper in my ear.
“Do you trust me?” he asks, his voice low and sultry. I nod, and I feel his breath against the back of my neck. “I’ve got you,” he says as we hesitantly walk down the steps.
He pulls me a few more feet after we’ve reached the bottom. My nerves pick up as I hear hushed voices.
Ryker rips off the blindfold, and I blink rapidly at the change in light. “Surprise!!” everyone yells as I take in the room.
The crew stands around the living room, grins beaming back at me. I gasp, looking at the balloons and streamers that have been scattered around the room. A banner hangs above the fireplace, its sparkles glinting in the light.
A slow grin spreads across my face, and tears burn behind my eyes. I blink and sniffle as I turn and face Ryker. “Was this you? ”
A small smile tugs at the corner of his lips as he nods. “I wanted you to have the birthday you never got to have.”
I open and shut my mouth, trying to come up with words. Thank you doesn’t feel like enough. Someone slips a party hat on me and giggles, distracting me from Ryker. I adjust the hat on my head, a warm smile slowly forming against my lips when Vivian embraces me in a tight hug.
“Happy Birthday.” She leads me towards the table that is piled with food. Hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, and dip, fruit, and vegetables all surround a beautiful black cake with black and purple tulips trailing up the side. Vivian hands me a plate, before scooping a spoonful of strawberries and blueberries onto hers.
Once everyone has gotten their share of food, we head back into the dining room. We haven’t used it much; most of our meals are scattered. Most mornings, we manage to eat breakfast together, but there is always a person missing, either out on an errand or sleeping in from their late night.
It’s nice to have everyone I care about in one room, laughing and shoveling their faces with as much food as they can eat. I’ve never felt this loved, and I can’t help the lump that forms in my throat as I look around the table. Maggie is laughing at something Ace is saying, Lincoln and Jeremy are fighting over a cookie while Vivian and Nolan eye the cake with a wicked gleam, and Ryker watches me with nothing but love swarming behind what I used to believe were black voids. But there he is, staring right back at me with the softest smile I’ve ever seen, a stark contrast to the hard man behind it.
I excuse myself to go to the bathroom about halfway through the meal, and on my way back, Vivian is waiting for me in the hallway. She looks between me and the door. “Look, I wanted to talk about what happened at the induction. I shouldn’t have blamed you. I know you did that to protect me, but… ”
“I didn’t tell anyone,” I say, interrupting her. I walk past her, heading towards the dining room. “Ryker put Jeremy as your guard because I asked him to keep Jeremy out of the dangerous stuff. Protecting you is safer than being in the streets where Manzo can pick him off.”
She hurries to try and catch up to me as I round the corner. “So, Ryker doesn’t know about the gifts?”
I shake my head, stopping outside the dining room and lowering my voice. “You have to know that going into hiding is for the best. Who knows when Manzo will make good on his threats.”
“But school,” she counters.
I go to run my hands through my hair, but the party hat I forgot I was wearing stops me. “Look, you are going to do whatever you want. I told you what you should do, but you have Jeremy for protection either way. I would make your choice soon before Ryker makes it for you.”
As I walk into the room, I find Ryker watching me as I sit in my seat. I avert my gaze, the guilt of keeping something as big as the safety of his sister a secret eating me alive. I take a few bites of fruit, but my appetite has vanished.
As everyone chats amongst themselves, the urge to cry intensifies. What is happening to me? I look up at the ceiling, trying to calm my breathing.
“Are you coming tonight?” Maggie asks with a smile on her face.
I look at her, trying to figure out who she’s talking to. When I realize she’s talking to me, I furrow my brows.
“Going where?” “The opening. ”
“I don’t think so,” I mutter at the same time Ryker says, “She is.”
Maggie looks between us, her eyes narrowing. It’s no secret that Ryker and I have been sleeping together, but the nature of our relationship has stayed between us. Maggie lifts her chin, and I shake my head, telling her to back off.
Over the years, our bond has grown close. Sometimes, we can look at each other and understand the unspoken words. This is one of those times, and I’m grateful for it.
She blows out a breath and slides her plate away from herself. “We would love it if you came,” she says.
I nod once, focusing on the plate in front of me. I twist off the green leaves of the strawberry and set both down on my plate before moving to the next one.
Once everyone is done eating, Vivian and Nolan practically jump out of their seats, racing towards the cake. Everyone laughs as we clear the table. Vivian cuts a big piece, sliding it in front of me before grabbing her slice and nailing Nolan in the back of his head with it. The look in his eyes makes me laugh as Vivian squeals and runs up the stairs with Nolan chasing after her.
I look up at the clock, internally groaning. “We would need to leave now to get everything set up.” I look at Ryker, and he nods, extending his hand as he stands.
I take it, and he helps me to my feet and pulls me into the hall. His eyes trace the lines on my face, almost like he’s memorizing them. “You, Maggie, and Vivian will meet me there in about two hours. I have some things to take care of.”
I nod, “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
He smiles softly, “I think you deserve a birthday where you can enjoy yourself with the people you care about. ”
“With the people I love. ” I correct him with a smile.
His eyes widen for a second before he wraps his arms around me, pulling me close. “Say that again.” He whispers in my ear.
I look up, meeting his eyes. “Say what?” “Tell me you love me again.”
I blink up at him, dumbfounded by my own words. “I love you,” I whisper. Even though I didn’t mean to say it, I have no regrets because I do, in fact, love Ryker Domincio.
He cups my face, gently kissing me. “I have confidence that no matter what, we will be okay. You are my everything, Bianca. My queen, my warrior, my future bride.” My eyes widen at his last statement, but he pulls out a long wooden box from his back pocket before I can react. I stare down at it for a moment before raising my eyebrow. “Open it.”
I slowly remove the black ribbon from the top and crack the lid open. Inside, is the most beautiful knife I’ve ever seen. The black and red handle has “My Angel” carved into one side, while the other has Ryker’s family crest.
I gently run my fingers along the engraving, knowing now more than ever that I told him was true. I don’t just love this man. More than ever, this man has become my everything, the thing that makes me whole. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that this will be the man that ruins me.