Chapter Fourteen
Ryker
C ade didn’t explain what Harley was struggling with. He just said that she needed some reassurance and not to worry about it. The bastard is always so close-lipped. I can’t help that I’m nosey and want to know everything.
Now we are in the club’s main room waiting for Harley to come downstairs so we can leave. The sound of heels on the wooden steps of the stairs draws my attention.
All the ladies, including Lex, come into the room, but none of them matter when my redheaded goddess walks around the corner. She is my dream girl. My little flame. The love of my fucking life. Her crimson dress flows softly to the ground, and with the high slit we get a view of her toned leg and the black strappy heels she has on. Her hair is pulled back at the top into some chunky braids and then flows down her back in beautiful curls.
She is only wearing very minimal makeup, so the small smattering of freckles on her face is glowing as I approach her. Stopping an inch away from her, I just stare at her until her cheeks tint pink and she clears her throat.
Harley murmurs, “You guys all look really fucking good.”
“You look beautiful, Harley. Speechlessly so,” Grayson all but purrs from my right.
Cade comes up on my left and leans down, placing a soft kiss on her shoulder where a scar sits and whispers, “I’m so fucking proud of you. You are gorgeous.”
Harley beams at his praise and then glances back up at me. “Are you alright, Ry?”
Blinking, I remember that I still have yet to say anything. “I don’t think I can form any words. Give me some time.”
I reach down and readjust myself as discreetly as I can considering her father is in the fucking room, but Harley catches it, and her eyes go comically wide.
“We should get going,” I announce, glancing at Cade and Grayson before holding my arm out for Harley.
We head over to the main doors where Rage meets us and gives Harley a soft smile.
“You look just as beautiful as your mom,” he beams. Harley smiles back and quickly blinks back tears. “Have fun tonight. This is just a night for you four to be the young adults you are turning into. Just remember that there is so much more to life than all the horrible things we see and deal with.”
Arriving at prom’s location, it takes us a while to find a parking spot because of how packed it is here. Lex decided to drive her own car and follow us since she would be going to her home at the end of the night and not back to the club. She parks next to us, and we all head inside together, Grayson and I flanking Harley with Cade behind us.
After handing over our tickets, we step into the ballroom the school rented which is decorated like a winter wonderland. It looks like winter threw up everywhere… in a good way. Everything is whites and blues with soft fairy lights and large snowflakes hanging from the beams above. We find a spot to stand, and Harley nervously fidgets with her fingers.
Grayson takes her hands in his and leans down to meet her eyes. “Are you alright?”
She nods but then shakes her head. “I don’t know. I mean, I’ve never done something like this. What do we, uh, what do we do?” She grimaces.
“Come dance with me,” Grayson says, tugging on her hands.
Harley’s mouth pops open in surprise, but she allows him to pull her to the dance floor. We ended up being about a half hour late, so there are still plenty of people sitting at tables eating the dinner the school provided, and a lot of people have moved to the center floor to dance.
Cade and I lean back against the wall and give them a chance to dance alone. “Did you see the scars?” Cade asks so low I almost don’t hear him.
I nod, sucking in a breath. “Yeah. I felt them once, but she went so tense I didn’t ask anything. This is the first time I have fully seen them.”
“When we are able to get Tammy in our clutches, we are going to make her suffer the same fate,” Cade growls.
“As much as I would love to do that, we can’t take away Harley’s revenge.”
“We won’t be. Don’t worry,” Cade says ominously.
I watch Grayson and Harley dance close together, both of them smiling and enjoying being with one another. My heart warms, seeing them glow in each other’s presence. A new ache settles in my chest, a possessive need to have them both. To care for them and take them as mine.
Shaking my head at myself, I try to shake those thoughts away. Luckily, I am distracted when I see one of Steph’s minions and her date approach Grayson and Harley.
Slowly walking out towards them, I start to pick up on the girl making comments about Harley’s scars on her back.
I’ve never considered hitting a woman before, but I am really fucking close to doing it the more she talks. Grayson leans closer to her and says something that makes her lips pinch shut just as I approach them on the girl’s date’s side.
He doesn’t see me as he opens his dumbass fucking mouth.
“Let me guess, kinky? Do you like a little pain with your pleasure? I wouldn’t mind joining in the next time you get freaky with some dude. You must have a spectacular cunt if they are still willing to fuck you after seeing all those scars. You should be careful how many more you allow them to add. Eventually, no one will want you. You’ll be used up,” he chuckles, the sound cruel and heartless.
A place I haven’t felt the need to fall into in months immediately takes over, and the darkness within me comes out to play with the toy standing in front of me.
Everything goes black as I raise my fist and punch the cocky douche right in the side of the head.
Harley
His words don’t bother me as much as they probably should. I’m going to let the credit for that go to Cade as I can still feel the ghost of his lips on my back. He somehow knew exactly what I needed and gave it to me along with so much more.
Coming out of that bathroom, putting on the dress, and letting the girls do my hair, I never felt so beautiful and confident.
Brielle had noticed the sudden change in me and said, “Those boys are so good for you, honey. The way you move together, see each other, understand each other, it’s not something you see that often anymore. I’m so proud of you, and I know your mama is, too.”
It had brought tears to my eyes that I had to quickly blink away when Raven yelled at us that crying was no longer allowed for me, otherwise I’d be going to prom all puffy. We all laughed, and the rest of the time together felt amazing.
It only got better when I saw my guys all dressed up. Each one dressed to match who they are individually while also looking insanely hot. I’ll admit, I’ve been walking around with wet panties since I came downstairs and saw all three of them standing there like fucking models.
But prom is weird and admittedly not something I’m used to. I’ve enjoyed dancing with Grayson, but as more people begin to file onto the dance floor, it feels like too much.
I’m guessing I can thank Tammy for that. Being locked away for so many years brings on all sorts of new issues. Grayson noticed right away, but before he could say anything, one of Steph’s fucking friends walked over. Apparently, Steph was too fucking scared to come say shit to my face, so she sent over someone else. I can see her standing on the opposite side of the room smirking in my direction.
I’m fully prepared to not let any of this ruin our night and just turn around and walk away, but that idea goes out the window as a manic laugh sounds behind me and then a fist is flying through the air and lands against the side of the guy’s head.
He drops to ground, knocked out cold. All around us, teens gasp in shock.
“Ryker?” I blow out a surprised breath, but he doesn’t even glance at me.
He just bends down and scoops up the guy like he weighs nothing, tossing him over his shoulder and strutting out of the ballroom.
Cade approaches and we all glance at each other before quickly following in the same direction as Ryker. Biting my lip, I fight off the laughter that wants to tumble out of me at the sight.
We file out, heading down a hallway and out of a back exit door. When we stumble out after Ryker, we find he has tossed the guy to the ground and is leaning over him. Luckily, no one is in this back parking lot right now, although I have a feeling Ryker wouldn’t care even if someone was.
I step forward, but Cade latches onto my wrist. “This isn’t just Ryker mad, he’s in his dark place. Where he could kill someone and not even realize it. Give him a few minutes and then I’ll intervene.”
When the guy comes to, Ryker drops down to straddle his chest and grins manically in his face as he forcefully grips his chin.
“ Do you like a little pain with your pleasure ?” Ryker mocks in his face. “Well, unfortunately for you I only offer one of the two. One is reserved for my girl. So that leaves just pain for you.”
Wrapping his hands around his throat, he begins to squeeze as the guy fights and scratches where he can reach, trying to get Ryker off of him.
“If you are going to act like an entitled prick, at least be prepared to fight.” Ry tilts his head at him. “Or wait, you probably only ever try shit like that with girls or people you deem weaker than you.” Shaking his head, Ry tsks in disappointment.
My gaze runs over Ryker's taut muscles stretching under his suit. A shiver of desire runs through me as I bite my lip to stop myself from smiling. I know we have to stop this at some point, but him doing this for me is insanely hot, and I just want to savor it for a moment.
“Ryker,” Cade hisses, finally stepping closer to them to intervene.
Ryker releases his neck and chuckles darkly. "Don't worry, brother. I just wanted to leave a little message.”
He jumps to his feet and then roughly flips the guy onto his stomach. Pulling a knife from his pants pocket, he slices down the center of the guy's shirt. When he starts flailing again, Ryker digs the tip of the blade into his skin, drawing blood.
“The more you fight and move around, the more errors I will make. Which means I’ll have to keep restarting over and over again…” he taunts.
The guy stays still as Ryker brings the knife down and begins carving. When he starts yelling and trying to get away from Ryker, Ry tuts and makes cuts over the word he was creating and moves to a new spot to start over.
By the time the guy gives up and stops moving, Ryker has half carved the word about four times and scratched it. Cutting down deep enough each time so it will scar. When he finally finishes, he stands up and I see the word for the first time. Cunt. Carved into his back multiple times but only one is really legible.
Ryker squats in front of him and wipes his knife off on his cheeks. “There you go. Now you can go join the kink party. I’m sure there are some kinky bastards out there that wouldn’t mind adding to your collection.”
Gripping his hair, he wrenches his head back and looks into his teary eyes.
“Speak to my girl like that ever again, and next time I will carve your dick into a sculpture of a cunt,” he seethes. Dropping him to the ground, Ryker faces me and grins. “Want to go dance?”
I shake my head. “I think I’ve experienced prom enough. Let’s call it? Plus, you aren’t super suitable to go back in there.” I raise a brow at him.
Luckily, the black hides most of it, but there are drops of blood on his neck and hands. Grayson and Ryker run back inside to go to the bathroom and get Ry cleaned up while Cade and I walk around the building and towards the front parking lot to the truck.
Rounding the corner, we find Stone leaning against the building. I raise a brow at him and ask, “If you watched him do that, why didn’t you stop him?”
“I’m here to protect you guys. Not that fucker.” He straightens, getting ready to walk with us towards the parking lot when he says, “And I’m assuming it was happening for you?” I nod while Cade grunts out a yes. A barely-there smile forms on Stone’s lips, surprising me. “I would’ve killed him.” He shrugs and then walks ahead of us.
A few minutes after we get in the truck, Gray and Ry join us. Ryker climbs in the back seat with me and takes my hand, intertwining our fingers together.
Searching his face, I ask, “Are you okay?”
Ryker smiles and raises my hand to place a kiss on the back of it. “Yeah, I really am. I felt the darkness, but I was somehow able to stop myself from fully letting it consume me like I have in the past.”
Cade scoffs from the driver seat. “It still consumed you. No matter how badly I would have liked to also torture him, a solid punch to the face should’ve been the end of it. Noah and Rage are going to be pissed because there's no way to hide that we were involved.”
“Well, agree to disagree,” Ryker snarks. “Anyway, it felt more controlled. It wasn’t just falling into a trap door and not being able to climb out without help like it has been in the past. It felt like a trap door but with a ladder.”
“What do you want to do, Harley?” Grayson asks, turning in the passenger seat to look at me. “Do you want to go home?”
Pinching my lips together, I shake my head. “Can we get food? I’m kind of hungry.”
Grayson grins at me. “Of course. What do you want?”
“Pizza,” I respond immediately, causing all three of them to chuckle.
“Of course. I’m pretty sure you’re becoming an addict to pizza,” Ryker remarks, laughing softly.
I roll my eyes as Cade drives away from the school and towards an empty parking lot in town that is lined with food trucks and has rows of tables in the middle of the lot. It’s a truck we have gotten pizza from before, and it’s the best thing that I have ever tasted.
Getting out of the car, we walk into the lot and head towards the pizza truck. The wind blows, and I wrap my arms around myself, rubbing my bare biceps and wishing I had brought a jacket. A second later a warm, thick suit jacket is wrapped around my shoulders.
Glancing to my right, I grin at Grayson and push my arms through the large jacket and wrap it tightly around myself. “Thank you,” I say, placing a kiss on his cheek.
His face tints red, and he shrugs. Ryker sighs from behind us and crosses his arms with a pout on his lips.
“Why are you pouting?” I ask, biting my lip and trying not to smile.
“Because this shithead keeps getting ahead of me and putting you in his clothes.”
We step up to the truck where one person is ordering in front of us. I turn towards Ryker and wrap my arms around his waist. “Do you want me to wear your clothes when we get home?” I tease.
Ryker runs his hands up and down my back, a wicked glint in his dark eyes. “As much as I want you in my clothes, I would prefer it if you were naked when we got home.”
My face heats, and my mouth pops slightly open. Ryker laughs and pulls me firmly against him so our bodies are lined up and my face is tucked into his neck. He pushes harder against me, and I feel the firm bulge digging into my lower stomach.
Swallowing, I can’t help but think about what it would be like to have more with him… with all of them. I think I want more. I want to connect with them on another level and feel their bodies against mine.
I want all of Ryker. I want all of Grayson. I want all of Cayden.
When it’s our turn to order, Ryker insists on us trying as many different flavors as we can, so he orders a slice of eight different pizzas. Everything from vegetarian to chicken with bacon, pepperoni, barbecue, and more.
We stuff our faces and just spend time laughing and visiting with each other. I learn about some of the shit Ryker dragged the other two into doing with him when they were younger and how they can’t wait to become prospects after graduation. Honestly, I’d be so proud to see them be full members of the club. They’ve earned it.
On the ride home, Ryker sits in the back with me but he pulls me into the middle seat and keeps his hand resting on my bare thigh under the slit of the dress.
Goosebumps break out on my skin as he gently rubs his thumb back and forth. Glancing up at him, I find his eyes already intently watching me as he runs his tongue over his lower lip, and I know tonight is going to be different.