Ride or Die

by Marie, Kay

  "Felt like a good idea," he smirks. He lets go of me and moves to sit on his bed. "Why didn't you tell me your dad is the Pakhan of the Bratva?"

  "We kind of haven't gotten to the “talking about our families” conversation," I tell him, sitting next to him. I pull my feet onto the bed and tuck them under, sitting cross-legged. "Why was he here?"

  "Bull reached out to him when we first got word the cartel had been sited. Your dad wasn't worried about them until your bakery got shot. We were trying to discuss a game plan on how to handle the cartel together," Ryan explains to me. "I also told him you and I are back together. He asked the two of us to have dinner with him and your mom soon."

  "Well, that will be fun." I smile.

  "I thought so. I love your mom. I just need to get to know your dad. With him being Pakhan, I'm sure it will happen sooner rather than later," he says. "Want to explain to me what you told people after I left? You told your dad it was a mutual decision?"

  "I didn't want my family to hate you, because I didn't hate you. I was hurt and confused, but I never stopped loving you." I freeze. I didn't mean to let the last part slip out. Ryan smirks at me but doesn't comment on it. We're both quiet for a few minutes. Quiet moments between the two of us have always been peaceful, never awkward.

  "Thank you," he says, breaking the silence. "For doing that."

  "Don't get me wrong. It was as much for me as it was for you. I never wanted to explain or answer questions I didn’t have the answer to," I tell him. His smirk grows into a full smile and he chuckles.

  "I don't doubt it for a second," he says.

  "We better get back out there so Minx and Rivet don't come searching for me." I giggle. Ryan pulls me in for a quick kiss and we head back out to the main room.

  18

  Buster

  The week flies by. I still had to work every day and it killed me to leave Cali. We've been spending a lot of time together. Some days, it's like nothing ever changed and other days we learn new things about each other. Either way, I've been soaking up every second I have with her. She has still been sleeping at Minx's house while I'm staying in my room at the clubhouse. It's torture not sleeping next to her, but we're trying to take things slow.

  Tonight, we're going to her parents' house for dinner. Her dad should be giving us an update on when A Novel Bunch will be reopening. This week would be a good time for it to reopen. It's the beginning of November and being open for the holidays would be good for business. Cali has been hanging out with Minx and Emma all day, so I decide to shoot her a text.

  To Cali: Hey Sólnyshka, you about ready to head over to your parents' house?

  She doesn't respond right away, probably still taking her time getting ready. I'm sitting on the couch with a couple of the brothers, not paying attention to a damn thing they say. Shade and Clutch are arguing about American vs foreign-made cars. They have this argument at least once a month.

  Minx and Emma walk into the clubhouse and as I'm about to ask them where Cali is, she walks in right behind them. She gorgeous as always. She's wearing a sweater dress that is similar to a hoodie, only long like a dress. It fits her body perfect, hugging it in all the right places. She curled her hair and has on a touch of makeup. I stand as she walks closer.

  "Well hey there, beautiful," I say to her with a smirk. She flashes me a smile and stays out of arms reach. I would much rather take her back to my house and have my way with her. I am trying my damnedest to respect her wishes to take things slow. We kiss, but kissing only makes me want her even more. I crave all of her. I take a step forward and pull her into my arms. "My Sunshine. Are you ready to go?"

  "Yeah," she sighs out. I kiss the tip of her nose and let her go and she grabs my hand.

  "Are you okay? Nervous?" I laugh. She looks up at me with doe eyes.

  "No, I'm not, but it has been a while since I've gone to a dinner where Papa was there," she tells me.

  "It'll be alright. We can stay for however long you want," I assure her. We say goodbye to everyone and head out to my car. Bull was okay with us going off on our own since we were going straight to the Pakhan's house. It's a twenty-minute drive. Fifteen if I go a little faster than normal. I open the passenger side door for her, watch her climb in, and close the door. I walk to the driver's side and hop in. I fire up the beast and off we go. I may play it cool around everyone else, but inside, my nerves are going fucking crazy.

  Cali's mom always welcomed me with open arms before I just up and left. Her dad, while I never saw him much, was always a pretty quiet guy when he was around. Her brothers were pretty cool, but five years is a long time.

  Cali turns on the radio to some country station. I have never been one to listen to country, even growing up, but it's something I would always put up with for her. She sings with whatever song is on. All I can focus on is the sound of her voice. She sounds like an angel. I've missed moments like this. We don't talk the whole drive to her parents' house. I let her sing as much as she wants and relish the moment.

  As soon as we pull into her parents' driveway, she stops singing. I park the car, hop out and hurry to her side before she can get out. I open her door and offer my hand to help her out. She grabs my hand and a shock goes through it. There's always been some kind of crazy connection between the two of us and shit like that proves it. She holds my hand as we walk up to the door. Before she opens it, she turns to me.

  "You sure you want to do this?"

  "You sure you aren't nervous," I ask. She shrugs.

  "Maybe I am a little," she admits. I chuckle.

  "Babe, how many times do I have to tell you it's gonna be alright?" I squeeze her hand. "I'm gonna be by your side the whole time. If for any reason you want to leave, say the word."

  "Thank you for being so supportive," she says. She stands on her tiptoes and kisses my cheek. She opens the door and leads the way inside, still holding my hand like it's a lifeline.

  "Hello! Mama? Papa?" she calls as we walk inside.

  "Ah, Calina, milaya. How are you?" Her mom, Klara, pulls her into a hug, causing her to let go of my hand. "Have you been taking it easy since the bakery has been closed?"

  "Yes, Mama, I have. I've been spending a lot of time with friends," Cali tells her.

  "Oh good! And Ryan!" She pulls me in, hugging me tightly. "We sure have missed you around here. How have you been? Are you home for good?"

  "I've been good. Better now that I've been back with Cali, and yes, I'm back for good," I reply. A huge smile crosses both Klara and Cali's faces.

  "Well, it's good to have you back. Maybe that means we'll be seeing more of the two of you?" She gives me a pointed look.

  "Is that Calina?" Her dad, Andrei, shouts.

  "Yes! Calina and Ryan are here," Klara responds to him. "Come, come."

  We follow her into their living room where Andrei is sitting. Klara sits in a chair next to his, while Cali motions for us to sit on the couch.

  "Where are Viktor and Gleb," Cali asks her parents.

  "They're out on business. They send their love and will be in touch with you soon," Andrei tells her. She nods her head in understanding. "Speaking of business. I have some news on your bakery."

  "Will we be able to reopen soon," Cali questions.

  "Yes, the repairs have gone as planned. Why don't you take another week and plan a grand reopening," Andrei suggests.

  "That sounds like a good idea," I tell her. Andrei and I briefly talked about this when we had our meeting with Bull. We'd like to get her to take another week off so we can try to figure out what the cartel is planning. Cali’s eyes bore into me like she's trying to see inside my mind.

  "Your employees will still be paid if that's what you're worried about," Andrei says. She looks back to him.

  "Thank you, Papa. I'll tell my employees. I appreciate all your help," she tells him.

  "Anything for you, printsessa," he replies. "Now, how about we eat?"

  We all stand. Klara and Cali walking into the
dining room together, Klara grinning from ear to ear. Andrei and I walk side by side behind them.

  "I trust you to take care of her, Ryan." He pats me on my back.

  "Thank you for trusting me, sir. It means a lot," I tell him. We take our seats at the table. Andrei and Klara are at either end, while Cali and I sit on the same side to be close to each other. If Viktor and Gleb were here, they would sit opposite of us. We've had dinners like this when we were younger but Andrei was usually gone away on business. Now I know that business was Pakhan business.

  The food is already out on the table but there's steam coming from it, showing it's pretty fresh. Taking a closer look, it's beef stroganoff. Klara used to make this for us at least once a week when we were kids.

  "Klara, did you make this on purpose?" I smirk and Cali giggles. She must have had the same thought.

  "I have no idea what you're talking about, Ryan," she replies without looking at me. There's a small smile on her face.

  "Mama, you knew this was always his favorite," Cali says.

  "Oh, was it? I don't recall," Klara gives us a sly smile.

  "It's also Papa's favorite meal, right, Papa?" Cali looks to Andrei and he smiles at her. Showing how much he adores her.

  "That's right, milaya." He keeps it short. We all are eating, keeping the conversation light as we do. We talk about ideas for Cali's grand reopening and holiday changes for the menu. Her face lights up when she talks about the bakery. It’s her life. I hope we can get this cartel issue dealt with sooner rather than later.

  We finish dinner and before Klara can offer us dessert, Cali is telling them we need to leave. We say our goodbyes and promise to come back again next weekend. When we get to the clubhouse, she gets out of the car before I have a chance to open her door for her.

  "Is everything okay? Do you need me to walk you back to Minx's?" I tuck a stray hair behind her.

  "Everything is fine. I was hoping we could spend some time together, just the two of us." She looks at me from under her lashes. We’ve spent a lot of time together this week, but a lot of time was with our friends too.

  "I would like that." I pull her close and kiss her forehead. Together, we walk inside. There are some brothers and cut bunnies in here, but not as many as usual. It’s pretty chill for a Saturday night. Lexus is sitting at the bar. As soon as she sees Cali under my arm, she gives her a look of disgust. Cali isn’t paying attention and thankfully doesn’t even see Lexus.

  “Hey, Buster,” Lexus draws out as we walk by. Cali tenses under my arm. “Come find me when you’re ready to have some real fun.”

  Lexus and Porscha cackle. Cali stops walking and turns to face them.

  “Why don’t you stop being a miserable bitch and quit trying to chase after a man who is clearly in a happy relationship.” She says it as sweet as sugar but the words still have a nice bite to them. I try to hide my laugh. Lexus scoffs and walks out of the clubhouse with Porscha on her heels.

  “That’s my girl.” I pull her into my side and kiss her forehead again. I smile to myself. She’s going to fit in perfectly around here.

  19

  Buster

  When we finally make it into my room, I turn on a movie. I sit on the edge of my bed and slide my shoes off. Cali had taken hers off as soon as we got in the room and is sitting on the bed, against the headboard.

  "Do you need anything before the movie starts?" I glance at her over my shoulder. She shakes her head, a small smile playing on her lips.

  "Just you." She pats the spot next to her. I scoot back until I'm sitting right next to her. She takes the chance to cuddle right against my side. She throws one of her legs across mine, causing her dress to ride up her thigh more. A small groan falls from my mouth and she looks at me.

  "Are you okay," she asks. My dick strains against my jeans. Something about this moment takes me back to when we were younger. Back to the first time we had sex together. That night had gone pretty similar to this.

  "Yeah, I remembered something. I'm good," I tell her. She grins at me but leaves it alone. I'm having a hard time actually paying attention to the movie. All I want is to run my hands all over her body. The thought alone causes my dick to throb. She slides her hand up my shirt, running her hand across my abs. I grab her wrist, stopping her.

  "Babe, I'm trying to be good right now but you're making it hard." I cock an eyebrow at her and she grins.

  "What if I don't want you to be good?" Her bright blue eyes are shining up at me. I let out a growl and pull her onto my lap so she's straddling me.

  "Don't say shit like that if you don't mean it, Sólnyshka." My cock throbs again. Cali smirks at me and grinds herself against me.

  "But I do mean it," she purrs. She leans down and peppers my neck in soft kisses. I grab her hips, holding her still and roll my hips against her. She moans. Right in my ear. When our eyes lock, I catch a glimpse of a fire in hers. I cup her face in my hands.

  "If we do this, there is no going back, Cali. We do this, and you're mine," I say. "I'm not going anywhere. This is it."

  Her eyes sober for a split second before the fire is back. It's only been a couple of weeks but I won't go any further with her and her not be mine. I was an idiot to leave all those years ago. Somehow, fate brought us back together and I'm not letting her go again.

  She nods her head. "I'm okay with that."

  As soon as the last word leaves her mouth, I pull her face to mine, pressing our lips together. I slide my tongue across her lips, causing her to open her mouth slightly. I run a hand through her hair, grabbing it and deepening our kiss.

  She moans into my mouth and I feel it down to my dick. Cali pulls away, breaking the kiss and bites my bottom lip. She sits on her knees, pulling her dress over her head and tossing it onto the floor. I can't take my eyes off of her. She's wearing black lace underwear with a matching bra.

  "You're so fucking beautiful." I lean up and kiss her stomach, wrapping my arms around her waist and pull her a little closer so I can kiss on her tits. I unclasp her bra with one hand and she pulls it off, throwing it toward her dress. Her tits are fuller than they were when we were together last. Leaning in, I suck one of her nipples into my mouth, swirling my tongue around it. I give it a light bite making her gasp before moving to the next and do the same.

  "Ryan," she sighs, her breathing picking up. "I need you."

  I let her go, only to take off my own shirt. She stares at me, admiring at all my tattoos, I'm sure. I got a few while I was in Arizona. She runs her fingers across a few of them.

  "I love them," she tells me, staring into my eyes. I give her a light kiss on the lips. I grab her and flip her over so her back is on the bed and I'm leaning over her. I get off the bed and take my jeans off. Cali's eyes never leave me. When I climb back on the bed, she holds her hand up, stopping me.

  "What?"

  "You forgot something." Her eyes move down my body to my boxer briefs. I look down and back to her, smirking.

  "Oh yeah," I ask. She nods her head in response. To please her, I take them off and climb back in bed. "Your turn."

  I pull her lace panties down. She pulls her legs out of them and I toss them to the side. I kiss the inside of her leg. Starting at her knee, slowly kissing my way up. I stop at her thigh. I bite it before sucking on it, trying to leave a little mark. She moans as I do it.

  "Ryan," she half moans, half whines out my name. I stop, looking at her thigh. I smile to myself. I left a nice little hickey. I kiss up her thigh to her pussy. It's already coated with her arousal. I slide a finger inside her, earning another moan from her.

  "Fuck, babe, you're already so wet for me." I slide my finger out, this time sliding two fingers in. I suck on her clit and move my fingers a little faster. Her walls are gripping my fingers and I stop.

  "Why?" She whines, making me chuckle.

  "Don't worry, I'm not done with you yet," I tell her. I kiss up her stomach, quicker than I did her leg. Stopping at her collar bone and giving her a light
nibble. I lick up her neck, kissing right below her ear. I stop and reach over to my nightstand to grab a condom. I look at Cali.

  "You still have time to change your mind," I tell her. She shakes her head.

  "I'm not changing my mind. I want this. I want you." I crash my lips onto hers. This woman has had my heart since she walked into our fourth grade class. I've been an idiot and couldn't own up to it until it was almost too late. I break the kiss, tear open the condom and slide it on. I tease her with the tip and she groans in frustration.

  "Ryan, if you don't," she says, but I slide my cock into her dripping wet pussy and she loses her words. "Oh my god!"

  I still for a second. She wraps her legs around my hips. I let go of her arms and they go straight to my back. I slowly move my hips, pulling halfway out and pushing back in. She digs her nails into my back, turning me on even more. I bite down and suck on one of her tits to keep from fucking her too hard and she digs her nails in deeper. Only when I let up on her tit, does she let up on my back. I move a little faster and a little harder.

  "Oh, yes!" Cali moans. I kiss her, our tongues dancing together. Her walls contract around my dick, telling me she's there, ready to cum. My balls tighten.

  "Cum for me, Sólnyshka," I say in her ear. She explodes around me, shouting my name. I follow with my release right after. "Oh, shit, Cali."

  We're both panting, out of breath. I'm leaning on my elbows so I don't crush her with my weight.

  "God, I missed you." I give her a kiss. She holds my face in her hand.

  "I missed you, too," she says quietly. "Shower?"

  "Some things never change." I laugh and she giggles.

  We used to shower together a lot back in the day. I slowly pull out of her and stand. I pull the condom off and tie it in a knot. I toss it in my little trash bin, turn back around and pick Cali up, carrying her into the bathroom. I set her down and turn the water on. I push her against the wall, kissing her hard. She moans into my mouth and my dick is already getting hard again. I pull back before I fuck her right there against the bathroom wall. We get in the shower. The water dripping down her skin is going to make it really hard to keep my hands to myself.