He laughs as if he’s enjoying this while sitting back in his seat. I close my eyes and hang my head, trying to prepare myself for another day at work, another day of endless meetings and phone calls, but all I hear and see is Ashlyn. It’s really as pathetic as my father makes it sound.
My door opens, and Kelly walks in. Her usual red lipstick gone, she is wearing a pair of denim shorts and a black t-shirt with flip-flops. I go to ask her what the hell she is wearing when she speaks. “Good morning, Mr. O’Kane.” She looks over at my father who has turned around in his chair to look at her. “Mr. O’Kane.” She nods to him.
“Kelly,” I say, refusing to say good morning. Nothing about my days are good.
“What are you doing here, Kelly?” my father asks, and I frown at his question. Why wouldn’t she be here?
“I’m here to pick up Mr. O’Kane’s laundry,” she states before she bends down and grabs a pair of gray slacks. She then walks over to my couch and picks up a suit jacket. “I will drop these off at the dry cleaners for you, sir,” she assures me. “And then I will run by your apartment while I’m out and grab you clothes for …”
“No,” my father says, standing.
She comes to a quick stop, and her eyes shoot from my father to me. “Excuse me?” I ask.
He turns to face me, narrowing his green eyes down at me. “You are going home today.”
I shake my head. “I have work—”
“You need sleep and preferably in your bed,” he snaps, interrupting me before turning to face Kelly. “You may go, Ms. Blake.”
She bites her bottom lip nervously as she tries to decide what to do, but when my father refuses to look away from her, she cracks under his pressure and rushes out. He turns back to face me.
I stand. “You had no right …”
“Do you even know what day it is?” he asks.
“Uh, Thursday,” I say with a snort. Of course, I know what day it is.
“It’s Saturday, Ryder. You have your assistant coming in to do your bitch work on a Saturday.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I am not running a bed and breakfast here. I’m running a billion-dollar company. I’m giving you one chance to take your ass home. I don’t care if you spend your weekend drowning in a bottle or in the fetal position, but you are not staying here,” he states.
“Dad …”“Get your shit together. And when I see you here on Monday, your ass had better be ready to work!” With that, he turns around, yanks my door open, and then slams it shut.
ASHLYN
I sit on the counter with an untouched box of pizza next to me; today was long at the gallery. And considering it was a Saturday made it seem to go by slower than usual. I look over at the front door of the apartment when I hear the doorknob jiggle. After a few long seconds, it turns and slams open.
I watch as Becca and Jaycent come barging in with their lips locked until they hit a wall. He yanks her head to the side by her hair, and she moans into his mouth. She starts untucking his shirt, and his hands leave her hair only to grab her ass. He picks her up, and her legs wrap around his waist.
I start to cough, letting them know they are not alone. She pulls away from him and jumps down. “Oh, God.” She looks at me. “I’m so sorry, Ash. I didn’t think you were home,” she says in a rush.
Jaycent starts tucking his shirt back in and clears his throat. “We didn’t mean for you to see all that,” he says unable to meet my eyes.
“Don’t apologize. At least one of us is getting laid,” I say. I don’t care what they do. I just didn’t want to see them go all that way.
Becca gives an awkward laugh and then stops when Jaycent looks down at
her. “So,” she says, rocking back on her heels, “what are your plans for tonight?”
“Nothing,” I respond and take a drink of my beer.
She frowns. “It’s Saturday.”
“And?” I ask. I thought we had established this this morning when she asked me what I wanted to do tonight, and I said nothing.
“You know what?” Jaycent says, clapping his hands. “You girls should go out tonight. A girls’ night.”
“No thanks,” I say and pick up a small piece of pizza.
“Come on.” Becca sticks her bottom lip out, giving me that cute little puppy dog face she has. “It’ll be fun. I haven’t had the chance to take you out on the town. You’ll love it.”
“Okay,” I say, sighing to myself. Going out is the last thing I want to do tonight, but I know she is trying to cheer me up. I hate to tell her smoke and alcohol aren’t going to help.
Becca jumps up and down excitedly. “Yay. You’re gonna have so much fun.” I give her a fake smile and a head nod.
She turns to look over at Jaycent, and I see that look in her eye return that she had a moment ago when they barged into the apartment.
“For Christ’s sake, just go do it,” I tell them, hiding a smile.
Jaycent laughs and Becca’s cheeks turn red with embarrassment. “Give me
five minutes,” she tells him, kissing him on the cheek and taking off down
the hall. “Be ready in an hour,” she hollers at me.
“Can I talk to you for a second?”
My brows lift in surprise. “Sure.” I put down the pizza and beer and then rub my hands on my sweatpants.
He enters the kitchen and comes to stand across from me. His eyes meet mine, and I immediately look away. Jaycent and I aren’t that close, but anyone who looks close enough can see that I’m still hurting over losing Ryder. “I just wanna say I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t do anything,” I tell him.
“That’s exactly it. I didn’t do anything!” he growls. “I should have stopped
Ryder. I should have told him that when Bradley came over, we all had a late lunch then took a nap before watching a movie in the living room. But instead, I stayed back in Becca’s bedroom when I heard Becca call out his name in surprise.”
“You did what was right,” I assure him. It wasn’t anything that he needed to get involved in.
He shakes his head. “I’ve never been known as a coward, Ashlyn. But that night I was.”
“No, you weren’t. If you had done something, he would have been mad at all of us.”
He runs a hand down his face and sighs, looking down at the floor.
“Do you love her?” I ask.
He looks up at me. “Do you love him?”
“I’m not sure I know what love is,” I decide to say. I lost two men. Only an idiot can manage that.
His shoulders slump, and he runs a hand through his hair again. “You can’t
compare what Becca and I have to what you and Ryder have,” he argues.
“We have nothing,” I say softly.
“That’s bullshit!” he growls.
I straighten my back. “Jaycent—”
“I don’t wanna hear your excuses, Ashlyn,” he interrupts me. “I know what I saw. I may not know you, but I know my best friend. He’s been in my life since we were four. I’ve never seen him look at a woman like he does you. I’ve never seen him be so … attentive to anyone as he is with you. Trust me; I’ll be the first one to admit that Ryder can be a fucking dick. But he also has a lot to give. And I know he was willing to give it to you.”
I shake my head. He’s wrong. He doesn’t know Ryder as well as he thinks he does. Just like I didn’t know Bradley as well as I thought I did. “I don’t understand how I got here,” I tell him.
He places his hand on my knee. “People never see love coming.”
I look at him. “No offense, but I don’t see you as a hopeless romantic.”
He laughs at that statement. “No one ever does.” And then he smiles. “I thought I was in love with a woman for a long time.” I frown at his words. “Becca,” he clarifies. “Then one day. She gave me the chance to show her just how much I’ve loved her. And I was wrong.” His smile widens. “I realized that I loved her from afar. Out of reach. When I was able to ho
ld her. Touch her. Kiss her. What I felt for her didn’t even compare to what lengths my love for her will go.” Then his face goes serious. “I’ve known Becca all her life, Ashlyn. And I’ve loved her for a long time. But I was seven years older than she was. When I finally had my chance, she went off to college. Far away from me. But I believed in fate. And I’ve always been the guy who believes in love.”
My head drops, and I stare down at my hands in my lap. “Love can’t happen in three weeks, Jaycent.”
“Says who?”
I look back up at him with an “are you kidding me” look. “Everyone.”
“Well, everyone is wrong,” he says simply, and I snort. “Every day, Becca does something new, and I fall in love with it.” He smiles. “You’re holding yourself back because you’re afraid of what? That he won’t love you the same?”
“I don’t love him,” I say, lying.
“Just because you say it out loud doesn’t make it true.” Then he turns and walks off to go have some quality time with Becca before we go.
I sit on the countertop still contemplating what Jaycent said to me when my phone rings next to me. I answer when I see it’s Thomas.
“Hello?”
“Hey, girl,” he says with a huff.
“What’s wrong?” I ask him. Jumping off the countertop, I know I need to start getting ready if I want to look presentable.
“Are you free tonight?” he asks. “It’s Saturday night, and I need to get out of the house.”
“Becca and I are going out. You are more than welcome to join us,” I tell him as I walk into my room.
“A girls’ night?” he asks excitedly. His mood instantly changing. “I could use one of those.”
I pass by Harry as he sleeps on my bed and head to the bathroom. “Okay. Can you meet us at our apartment in about an hour?”
“Absolutely!”
**
“Where are we headed?” I ask Becca as I sit between her and Thomas in the back of a black Escalade. The same one I used to ride in with Ryder. It’s crazy, but I swear I can smell him. A sweet and spicy package that not only makes my panties wet but my chest ache.
I washed my hair and slapped on some makeup before putting a dress on, and I don’t feel any better than I did earlier. It didn’t give me any newfound confidence. Or make me feel empowered.
“Ryder and Dad sold some property last year to a man, and he opened a club on it.”
“Great,” I say dryly. Just when I thought I could get out and not think about him. He’s following me around like a black cloud.
“Tonight’s its grand opening,” she says excitedly.
“Oh, I love grand openings.” Thomas claps his hands just as excited as she is.
I roll my eyes. Thirty minutes later, we pull up to a curb, and we all pile out. It’s sitting in the middle of an industrial site in New Jersey. I can stand at the front door and see a Hudson River behind it. “I wonder how many drunks will walk right off the street and into the water?” I say with laughter. They both look at me as if I’m crazy.
“That would be terrible,” Becca says with wide eyes.
“They need to put a rail up,” Thomas adds.
I sigh. “I was just kidding,” I lie. I was hoping I would be the unlucky drunk.
They both look at one another, and Thomas places his hand on her arm. “It was nice of you to get her out tonight. She needs to get out more,” he says softly as if I can’t hear him.
I refrain from rolling my eyes, but I do blow some wild strands from my face and out of my eyes. “Let’s get inside. I need a drink,” I say, turning to the door.
We walk up to the front door, no line yet. We came early, and a man stands at the entrance. His arms over his large chest and legs wide. He has an earpiece in his ear. But instead of wearing a security shirt, he has on a black button-down, sleeves rolled up exposing his muscular forearms. Black slacks with Chucks. “Hello,” he says to all of us.
“Hello,” Becca says, handing him her ID excitedly.
“Well, hello there,” Thomas says with a wink.
He chuckles as he looks down at her ID, using a small flashlight in his left hand. He frowns down at her. “Is there a problem?” she asks with worry in her voice.
“O’Kane?” he questions, handing her back her ID. “Are you any relation to Ryder O’Kane?”
Please Lord, drop the sky on me now.
“Oh, yes,” she says, releasing a long breath. “He’s my brother.”
He smiles, and even his smile is threatening. I don’t think he means it to be, but it comes off as don’t fuck with me. He reaches out this right hand. “I am Jet Waters. Welcome to Seven Deadly Sins.”
“Thank you,” she says happily. I stand back, regretting this night for the hundredth time since she asked me to come out. “This is my friend, Ashlyn, and our other friend Thomas.”
He shakes hands with Thomas, and I reach mine out of respect and shake it. “Miller,” he says into his ear piece. “Come to the front. I have a group I need you to show to the balcony suite.”
“Oh no, you don’t have to do that,” Becca says.
“I do,” he says and then another guy appears. Guessing it’s Miller. He slaps him on his back. “Their tab is on me tonight.”
“No really …”
“I insist,” he urges, placing his hand on his chest.
She gives him a weak smile and nods. “Thank you.”
“It’s my pleasure.”
I open my purse and start to dig for my ID. “No need,” he says to me. “You guys have fun, and if you have any problems, let me or Miller know.”
“Thanks you,” Thomas says excitedly.”
I wrap my arm around Becca’s shoulders, and she’s tense. “What’s wrong?” I ask her.
She shakes her head, but I think I have an idea. She has told me before that she doesn’t like this kind of treatment. The kind where others give her special advantages due to her last name.
The man who went by Miller walks up a set of stairs covered in black carpet. We make it to the top and walk around a black railing. Two black couches with white throw pillows sits on either side of a black coffee table. “Here you go.”
We sit down, and he raises his hand. Seconds later, a woman with black hair comes running over. He bends down and speaks into her ear. We can’t hear much over the music. When she pulls away, she’s nodding and smiling. He walks away.
“Hello everyone,” she calls out. “What can I get you?”
“Tequila shots all around,” Becca answers.
Thomas leans back in his couch and places his arms on the back, smiling. Then he looks at me and frowns. “What’s wrong with you?”
“She’s had a shit week,” Becca says.
I snort. “You’ve had a shit week.”
Thomas crosses one leg over the other and smiles. “Well, sister, we got all night, so start filling me in.”
“It’s nothing,” Becca tells him.
“Nothing?” I snort and look at Thomas. “She found out her mother was paying her boyfriend to be with her.”
“She what?” Thomas asks wide-eyed, looking at her.
“She and Ryder broke up, and Bradley proposed to her,” she says, pointing over at me.
His head snaps to me. “You broke up with the king? And who the hell is Bradley?” He knows that my sex life is shitty at the moment, but I never filled him in on all the details. I doubted that he wanted to hear all my problems.
“The king?” Becca asks, pulling her lips back in disgust. “He’s no king.”
Thomas nods his head. “Oh, he is, honey.” He removes his arm from the couch and leans forward, putting them on his knees, and puts his chin in his hand. “Spill. Who is this other guy?”
I sigh heavily. “It doesn’t matter. They’re both gone, and I would rather not discuss it.” I look back and forth between them. Thomas opens his mouth, and I add, “Please?”
He closes his mouth and gives me a curt nod. The wai
tress returns and sets our first round of shots on the table.
They both lift theirs in toast, but before they can say anything, I pick mine up and slam it back. Then, without saying a word, Becca slides me hers, and I take it without question. Then Thomas does the same. Next time the waitress comes by, Becca orders two rounds.
CHAPTER FIVE
RYDER
I sit behind my desk. I never left as my father told me to. Thankfully, he stayed in his office all day making phone calls and avoided going home like always. Not sure why it’s okay for him to do it but not me. The sun has finally gone down, and I have my lights off as I did earlier. I heard my father leave an hour ago without even saying bye. So maybe he has realized I’m a lost cause.
I hear my door open, and I guess I was wrong. “Go away,” I growl, hugging a bottle of whiskey. My father had said he didn’t care if I spent my entire weekend drowning in a bottle of booze, and that thought sounded appealing.
The light flips on, and I groan as I close my eyes. “Your father said I needed to come pick you up.”
I look up and peel one eye open to see Milton standing there. “Go away,” I repeat.
He shakes his head. “I’m not leaving unless you come with me.”
I sigh but manage to get up, bringing the bottle with me. We make our way downstairs, and I crawl into the back of my Escalade. “I saw your sister tonight,” he tells me.
“Oh, yeah?” I ask. “What’s she up to?” Not really caring but the normal, non-brokenhearted Ryder would care.
“She and Ashlyn needed a ride.”
At the sound of her name, I take another drink from the bottle. “To where?” I ask, already regretting it. I shouldn’t care where she was going.
“They were going to Seven Deadly Sins.”
I know that place. Well, I’ve never been there, but I sold the property to the guy who owns the bar. It’s not in the best part of town. “Just the two of them?” I ask, wondering if they went alone. Maybe Jaycent went with them.
“No,” he answers as he switches lanes. “They had a man with them …” He pauses. “I think his name was—”
Selfless (Selfish Series Book 3) Page 5