Chapter Twenty-Six
RYAN
We decided to make it a guys’ night, so it’s the four of us heading out together like the old times.
It should be a great time, something we’ve needed for a while.
Not only are the boys back together for a fun night of drinking, but now we’re a hot commodity.
We should be getting more attention and better service in the VIP area of the bar we’re headed to in downtown LA.
Just in case, we asked Declan to come with us, along with a couple of his security team, so we have a little entourage tonight.
I feel important as we step out of the Hummer and onto the red carpet.
There are no paps, which is good, but the people in the queue for the club instantly recognize us and cheer and scream as soon as they see us.
I wave and smile as they pull out their cells and start snapping, and it’s nice to know that after all this time, after all the shit we’ve gone through as a band, we’re finally getting somewhere in our music careers.
“This is fucking epic,” Nate says as we’re ushered toward the VIP stairs.
“You’re not kidding,” Matt replies.
Danger smirks, and we head up to where our night will begin.
It feels weird being here without Lunar, but this is a guys’ night, and she understands that sometimes we’ve just got to have a night for the boys. And that is why we love her so much. She gets us and doesn’t complain.
“What’s Lunar doing tonight?” I ask Danger.
Danger shrugs. “I think she said something about a The Summer I Turned Pretty marathon while on Zoom with Skye.”
“Skye?” I ask.
“Her clubgirl friend from the Satan’s Savages MC in Australia. Apparently, she’s left the club now, too, and has gone to live on a farm with her brother or something, I don’t know. I can’t keep up. Plus, I kinda tuned out after she mentioned Conrad.”
“Aww… but Jeremiah’s so hot,” I tease.
“Okay, so, one… you know who Jeremiah is? That’s disturbing. And two… you feeling better?” Danger asks, and I shrug.
“Yeah, yeah. Not really. Can’t get her out of my head.”
“Maybe that tells you something?”
“Yeah, that I should never have gotten in so deep in the first place.”
Danger exhales. “Ryan, shit! Do you hear yourself?”
“What was that? Let’s get some drinks, shoot some pool, and forget about women. Yeah, I’m down for that,” I mock, and Danger nods as we reach the top of the stairs.
We head into the VIP area, and it’s not very busy for a Friday night. But I guess we are what you would consider early, so I think the in-crowd is yet to arrive.
“Doubles?” Nate asks, gesturing with his head toward the empty pool table. I nod, and he and Matt walk over to the table to set up.
“You sure you’re up for this, Ryan?” Danger asks, and I purse my lips.
“Danger, I need to relax. Can you help me with that or not?”
“Sure, but with your surgery and the recent visit to the hospital, I don’t think you should drink alcohol.”
I’ve already thought of this, and I agree. “Yeah, I’ll just stick to soda water tonight.”
Danger smiles genuinely, like he’s relieved I wasn’t going to be reckless again. “Good man. I’ll order. You head over to the pool table.”
Nodding, I walk over to Nate and Matt, who are already arguing over something, but then again, they wouldn’t be Nate and Matt if they weren’t arguing about some shit.
“No, really, I’m the better breaker,” Matt says.
“Yeah, you love breaking balls,” Nate replies, making me chuckle.
“Yeah, yeah, you just love balls. Period!” Matt counters.
“At least I have some,” Nate quips.
“Yeah, at least I have some, and they’re not blue like yours.”
“Umm… one word… Ava!”
Matt scoffs. “Ava, really? Was she your last lay? Dude, that was months ago. So yes, that proves my theory that you do indeed have blue balls. I win that round. Therefore, I break.”
Nate’s mouth drops open, and he blinks a few times as I shake my head.
“Ryan, dude, that doesn’t count, right?” Nate asks.
I shrug. “His logic seems sound to me. Sorry, dude. And really, Ava was your last lay?” I ask, and Nate screws his face up, throwing the blue chalk at me.
“Screw you, fucker. You’re meant to be on my side,” Nate grumbles.
“Since when?” I scoff.
“Since you said fuck you to love.”
“What do you mean?” I furrow my brows.
“Well, Tillie’s moping around like someone killed her pussy. I’m guessing that’s you. I never get the full story, but I’m pretty sure you guys have broken up, and that’s why we’re out. So we can look for the ladies together tonight, then, yeah?”
I shake my head. “I don’t think I’m up to looking for another girl just yet, but you go ahead and wet your dick, Nate. Go sort out those blue balls,” I tease.
“Fuck you, Matt. Now everyone thinks I have blue balls,” Nate yells at his brother.
“Who has blue balls?” Danger asks as he comes over with all the drinks on a single tray.
“I don’t have blue balls,” Nate screams out just as the music stops.
His voice carries through the VIP lounge, and everyone looks right at him.
His eyes open wide, and the entire room bursts out laughing before the music starts up again.
He groans, picks up his drink, and guzzles it down quickly while I laugh.
Danger looks at me, and even though I’m laughing, even though I may look like I’m having a good time, there’s a pit in my stomach and an ache in my chest that makes me feel completely nauseous.
I feel like shit! And even though a night out with my boys is what’s needed, I feel like I could also be at home, cuddled up in bed, wallowing into my pillow, and feel much better about it.
We start playing pool when the VIP room gets busier.
A swarm of females pushes their way in. No one I recognize, but they look like they might be models of some kind.
I don’t follow the modeling circuit, but they are stunning.
Nate and Matt are drooling as Danger and I keep more to ourselves in the back area.
A couple of the women leave their group to chat with us.
A blonde makes her way to me, and while she’s beautiful, I have no urge to do anything other than talk to her.
“Hey, are you havin’ a good night?” she asks in her Southern twang. She doesn’t sound like a bimbo, even though her looks would make me think otherwise.
I guess you can’t judge a book and all that.
“Yeah, not too bad. What are you ladies up to tonight?”
She shrugs. “Nothin’ much, just having a few drinks after our competition today.”
I figure I should try to make some conversation and not be a complete asshole. “Competition?”
She nods. “Pageant. We’re beauty queens.”
I nod matter-of-factly. “Oh, right. How’d you go?”
She shrugs. “Meh… came in fifth and won Miss Congeniality.”
“Oh, like Sandra Bullock?”
She giggles. “Yeah, kinda like that, but without the undercover police work.”
I finally crack a smile and nod. “Who won?”
She rolls her eyes and tilts her head to the brunette hanging off Nate’s shoulder. “Miss California. Her daddy is sleepin’ with one of the judges…” Her head tilts, and she finishes with, “Conveniently.”
“Right, so she legit won then.”
She nods. “Oh yeah, legit! You should hear her talent. Singin’, not tone deaf at all.” She has a big smirk, and I smirk right back, knowing how rigged these types of competitions are.
“Why do you do them if they’re so…” I pause, wanting to choose my words carefully.
“Rigged?” she says, finishing my sentence for me.
I nod, and she smiles. “It’s fun. I know I’ll never win.
I don’t come from a pageant family, and I have no affiliations with judges, so I’ll never get anywhere, but it is fun.
I like to dress up and look pretty now and then.
In my everyday life, I’m just a country girl workin’ on a farm with her hands in cow shit every day. It’s nice to be a girl, you know?”
“Let me guess, Miss Texas?”
“Was it my Southern twang that gave me away?”
“Lil’ bit.” I use my fingers as a measurement.
She nods. “Yes, sir, it tends to do that. Can I be honest with ya?”
“Sure thing, Miss Texas.”
“I’ve never met a rock star before. Would you mind terribly if I took a picture with ya’ll?”
“Why peaches and cream, I’ve never met a Southern belle before. Get on over here,” I say, and she giggles. Miss Texas moves closer, sitting on my lap as she pulls out her cell phone and takes selfies of us together.
“So, peaches, what’s your actual name?” I ask as she continues to snap pictures of us.
She sighs and rolls her eyes. “Well, my daddy calls me Delilah-May, but I hate that, so my friends pretty much call me Lilah.”
“Well, Lilah, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Ryan.”
She giggles. “I know who you are, Mr. Recoil man. I may be from the South, but I still like rock and roll.”
“You’re my kinda girl, peaches.”
She giggles and leans to take more selfies with me. I can’t help but notice Danger looking over at me and frowning. I ignore the twisting in my stomach and push it aside. Lilah is a nice girl, and I’m not going to let him get in the way of me forming a friendship.
Lilah and I happily chat when a ruckus forms at the top of the VIP stairs. I glance over and notice Debt Money and his crew coming in, including Melody and Harmony, the two girls who caused all the trouble for us last time. I tense up, looking over at Danger, who stands, his muscles clenching.
Lilah looks at me. “Hm… I’m sensin’ you guys don’t get along too well?”
“No, not overly.”
Danger steps up next to me, and I glance up to look at him. He practically has smoke billowing from his ears. “Danger, how do you wanna play this?”
“I don’t wanna get in another fight, but I don’t want to get walked all over again either,” he says as Declan steps up beside us.
“Is that Debt Money?” he asks.
“Yeah,” I simply reply.
“Well, this time, you have us. He won’t get near you guys. Don’t worry,” Declan tells us.
Debt Money spots us straight away. A slow grin creeps up on his face.
I grab Lilah’s waist and slowly lift her up and off my lap as I stand. “Lilah, maybe go stand with the girls for a bit.”