THIRTY #3
“I love you, remember that, yeah? So fucking much. You can kick my ass all over the house when this is over. You can punish me for months. I’ll pay any price, sweetheart.
Whatever I say or do out there, it’s not your Ryan saying it.
” Another kiss on her wrist, and he let her hand go.
“No matter what I say in a minute, you know the truth: you own my heart, my loyalty, my dick.”
He had no clue what was coming, but Lisa totally blew him away when she burst through the door, almost knocking the house mouse flying.
“You can go to hell, Ryan Gold, and take a boatload of your whores with you. It was a big mistake coming here, a mistake I won’t make a second time.” Then she flounced off down the hallway, swishing her hips in such a way that his eyes were transfixed.
Even in the depths of a crisis, Splice would take the time to admire his woman’s incredible form. He was angry, not dead. Who was the one acting here?
His heart was going wild with how hard he loved her, and Splice had to fight not to smile as he walked after her, a pace behind.
Her little show wasn’t over; she stopped in the middle of the room next to Nina and glared at the table where his uncle was sitting with Mouse, but it wasn’t Vince she was staring at. It was three of the sweet bottoms.
“You’re welcome to my sloppy seconds,” she told them, a sexy little bite to her tone that nearly made Splice groan out loud. Holy fuck, he wanted to roleplay this exact scene. Lisa was a damn wet dream come to life.
His ideal partner.
His equal and a woman he intended to keep on a pedestal for the rest of forever.
“After I just heard what he’s been up to for the past few days, I feel sick and wouldn’t have him gift-wrapped in diamonds.”
Splice was lucky to know that she loved him; otherwise, he would have believed every word she said.
“Babe, time to go,” he announced nonchalantly. That was when she swung around to glare at him. His heart fell right into her hands.
My goddess, you’re incredible.
“I hope each of your whores gives you a different STD and your dick rots off.” Then she swished around and grabbed Nina’s arm, who had been standing there with a look of shock on her face. “Come on, Nina, I need to get tested ASAP and leave this crap town behind for good.”
And with that fanfare, his beloved woman, dragging Nina behind her, flounced out.
Putting on a sigh, Splice pulled out a chair and plopped down, straightening his legs. “Get me a drink. A big one.” He told one of the sweet bottoms, who was beaming at him, to be the chosen one again.
Without giving away anything on his face, Splice sent Mouse the subtlest of hints to get going, and Mouse nodded back, climbing to his feet. It was his signal to make sure Lisa got home and to stay with her until this was over. It was all prearranged.
“I gotta go pick up my kids from the sitter,” Mouse announced and left.
Splice’s phone vibrated in his pocket a minute later, and he had to swallow his grin.
My goddess: And the Oscar for Best Screen Actress goes to... I bet you didn’t know I was in a bunch of college drama productions, huh? Check out my acting! Be safe. And come home to me soon. I miss you madly, Ryan. Xoxo
His heart tripled in beats, but his face showed none of his riotous joy to know his woman was still on his side.
“Vince, take a walk with me? I need some air.”
“Sure, son.” He agreed, standing. “Is Lisa alright? That can’t have been easy for you.
” Vince asked, and Splice had to keep the smile on his face, or he’d go apeshit and attack his uncle for pretending he gave a fuck about Lisa’s wellbeing.
The bastard traitor would soon find out the hate Splice was feeling sluicing through his veins.
Acting his ass off, he shrugged. “I guess she will be.”
“Are you sure this is what you want? She seems pretty keen on you, son. It all might blow over soon; you might get your memories back, despite what the doctor said.”
He shrugged again.
“You were into her once upon a time. You won’t remember it, but you even told me over Thanksgiving how happy you were with her.”
“Time’s change, Vince. I had a taste of other women, saw what I was missing out on,” he forced a smirk. “Why have one meal when you can eat the whole fucking buffet, yeah?”
Vince laughed and clapped Splice on the shoulder as they approached a corrugated metal shed.
“What would you do?” he asked his uncle, trying to make him think he valued his opinion.
Like fuck he did. He just wanted to keep him talking for a minute longer.
“I’d probably cut her loose, too. I mean, nice girl and all, son,” he tacked on quickly, and Splice watched the man smile and realized it was the same smile he’d used for years.
Fake as fucking fuck.
Why hadn’t he realized before now?
Had Vince been faking it this whole time? Pretending he was loyal to the MC? Was he faking being the protective uncle who was always on his side?
His unwavering trust in Vince was why he noticed nothing unusual. Vince had convincingly infiltrated the MC without patching in, making himself indispensable and bringing business deals to their table year after year. It was no surprise that no one suspected him of shady shit.
But now Splice’s eyes were wide the fuck open.
And he had to see this through to the end, even as his gut curdled the closer he got to the shed. He pulled open the unlocked door.
“I just have to grab something,” Splice said, “then we can get out of here. I need a few days off. Fancy going fishing?”
“Absolutely. Time away will do you some good; we can go to my cabin.” Vince agreed, beaming. Again, he clapped Splice on the shoulder as Splice ushered his uncle inside. “You did the right thing, son.”
“I’m about to do the right thing.” He agreed ominously. And didn’t follow Vince in right away; he was a step behind.
Long enough for Ruin to appear from around the corner, to yank Vince into his muscular arms from behind, to wrap his hand over Vince’s mouth, using a cloth coated in chloroform.
Vince didn’t see it coming, and he possessed the reflexes of a dying fish, so he hardly reacted before he was slumped to the floor.
Ruin stood over Vince like a demon straight from hell as he tossed the cloth into a nearby trash can. “I’m glad I never liked this sketchy motherfucker.” Ruin said, rust in his voice, and Splice cocked an eyebrow. “Really?”
“His smile never reached his eyes. I grew up with a brother just like that.”
Ruin had killed his maniac elder brother, so yeah, he probably had the scoop on reading shady bastards better than anyone else.
“You need help in here; let me know. I’ll do it gladly. I’m gonna stay nearby.” Ruin wasn’t much for talking or touching anyone other than his old lady, but he placed a gentle hand on Splice’s shoulder.
Once alone with his unconscious uncle, Splice dragged the old man to a chair he’d placed there earlier, tying him up.
He thought he was waiting for answers.
But if only he’d been pre-warned...