by Janie Marie
Jane’s face burned as Than tossed her an amused look.
“Anything else, my lord?” Than asked sarcastically.
“I’m thinking,” Ryder said with a chuckle as he removed his shoes. “Oh, if she has to piss, you or Damon goes with her. Not Sin. I mean it.”
“I’m not peeing with them,” she said, surprised he’d even suggest a guy go with her.
His look was tired now. “Babe, just because I’m a badass here, doesn’t mean some fucker out there knows to stay away from you.”
“There will be lots of drunk and high men in the crowd,” Than added. “Women too. It’s no trouble to keep you safe. There’s always a chance Dylan could show up—he used to fight until Ryder beat his ass last month. We owe you after letting one of our own out of sight.”
Dread slid down her spine, and Ryder flipped Than off before pulling her closer. “Hey,” he murmured as her pulse hummed in her ears. “Look at me, Sweet Jane.” He tilted her face up. “This is why you’re being left in good hands, all right? No fucking around like you can take care of yourself alone. I know you’re my little fighter, but you’re not stronger than a guy like him and many of the guys here.”
Releasing a harsh breath, she nodded. Her heart was beating so fast that she covered it with her hand. “Oh, I’m such a baby.”
Tingles slid down her neck, but Ryder must’ve thought she needed more than that as he tugged her shirt enough to slip his hand under and press against his spot. “You can be a baby about this. For a while, at least.” He smiled against her hair as he caressed her skin. “You know, I think if you ordered them to, the Devils and Wolves would teach you how to defend yourself.”
Jane couldn’t imagine learning how to fight, but the thought of her new friends teaching her some moves sounded fun. “Why not you?”
“I’ll teach you some, but I won’t be able to go hard on you the way you’ll need me to. I’ll baby you and end up taking off your clothes.”
“Of course.” She closed her eyes, sighing as she let those tingles fully embrace her. “Please don’t become distracted by me.” Her throat closed a bit as she realized she was about to watch him in a fight where someone would really try to hurt him to win money. “Focus on the guy you’re fighting.” A door shut, and Jane noticed Than had left.
“My focus is always halfway on you,” Ryder said as he lifted her onto his lap. He pulled her back against his chest and hugged her. “It’s always been that way for me. From the first moment I saw you.”
“Why are you so cute and perfect, and I’m such a little hoe? Now, I’m realizing I’m a bad guy.”
He snickered, kissing her neck. “A bad guy? Well, maybe a little. You got some street cred with our car sex and your new crew. So, a bit of a bad girl. I’m keeping you anyway.”
She smiled, wiping under her eye. “Do you really think Dylan will show up?”
“If he does, I’m beating the fuck out of him.” He put a hand over her tummy. “Don’t let that fucker ruin your life. You’ve got me, David, Tercero, and Luc. You’ve got my other brothers and your guys at Helldonna. All of us will protect you or help you get strong enough to fend for yourself until we can get there.”
“Doesn’t that make me weak? That I need you?”
“No,” he said without hesitation. “Accepting help is smart, not a weakness. Do you really think fighting off a guy who is more than twice your size is a piece of cake?”
She shook her head. “I’ll probably just panic if I see him.”
“Well, we’ll work on that.” He kissed her shoulder. “Just help me out by doing what you can to be safe, and here, that means you stay with one of the guys. My brothers don’t know about this, so they won’t be here. David knows I fight, but he doesn’t know more than that. So, embrace this queen thing you got here. I don’t care if they call you that because of Luc or myself, you’re a queen and that’s all that matters.”
“I didn’t think you would be into the queen thing.” She leaned against him, sighing as he kept caressing her stomach.
“Well, I’m not as cocky about it as Luc, but I’m not giving up my title—I am the King Reaper.” He tilted her face toward his and gave her a long kiss before standing, revealing he was in a pair of black tight fighting shorts and a black shirt that was just as tight. He pulled on a pair of black jogger pants and pocketed a set of gloves. He might as well be a superhero. “Time to show off my Sweet Jane.”
As she got up, a giddy feeling filled her. She was with her amazing boyfriend, and he was showing her off. He had no shame in letting everyone know she was his, no hesitation to make sure she was comfortable or else he’d take her somewhere else, and he didn’t care she was a prude who was a freak when only he, David, and Tercero were looking.
“I love you,” she told him.
“And I love you.” He cradled her face between his hands and kissed her. “Now, come on. I wanna make sure you’re really okay with a pack of wolves.”
Twenty-Three
Jane’s mouth went dry as she watched Ryder prowl around his opponent. The shadows from the few fluorescent lights cloaked most of his body and even his face, though his sexy-as-all-sin lips and jawline were visible as a predator-like smirk lifted his lips.
“Your boy’s a beast,” Sin commented beside her.
She didn’t reply; she didn’t have to. The whole building knew Ryder was a beautiful monster, they’d seen him gracefully dance around his larger opponent, they’d cried out when he’d thrown the most devastating punches she’d ever seen before. The sounds alone had her stomach twisting, but the confidence radiating off Ryder was like a drug she couldn’t get enough of, and she found herself screaming for him to destroy the behemoth of a man he was fighting.
“He already knows he can beat him,” Damon told her quietly. “He knows as soon as he faces them.”
“What?” Jane couldn’t tear her eyes from Ryder as he almost looked like he was toying with the guy now. He just kept slipping jabs right to the guy’s face.
Damon moved his mouth closer to her ear. “He’s dragging it out for show. He knew the moment he saw the guy he would kill him; so he’s taking the hits he wants to take and placing hits where he knows the fucker will keep standing. This is the last round, though. He’s deciding whether to win by knockout or submission.”
Her mouth slightly hung open as she watched Ryder’s eyes flick up her way. He smiled at her, giving her a wink before focusing on his fight.
A low chuckle rumbled within Damon. “I think that means he’s ready to end this.”
Sure enough, Ryder went on the attack. It was both horrifying and magnificent. The speed, power, and grace of each step, each blow he unleashed, completely blew her mind. He had held back the entire fight.
The roar of the crowd was deafening, and Jane barely registered they were chanting something: “Time’s up.”
“What do they mean?” she yelled at Damon.
He was grinning as he answered, “This is why they call him the King Reaper. He has decided his opponent’s time is up. He was only waiting.”
Her heart sprinted. “He’s going to kill him?”
At her right, Sin laughed and slung his arm around her. “Watch.”
Jane didn’t know if they were just sick and liked watching someone killed, but she wasn’t going to let this happen. “Stop him!”
“Stop him?” Sin tightened his hold when she tried to run.
It was too late; Ryder unleashed an onslaught of punches that the guy failed to block. Blood sprayed on the mat, and with a devastating uppercut, the man went down, stiff before he even hit the mat.
Jane covered her mouth as the crowd roared. The celebration rolled off Ryder’s back like water, and he turned to see her reaction. The smile he’d started to give her faltered at the shock on her face.
“He’s not dead, Jane,” Damon told her, pointing at the man who was already regaining consciousness.
A detached mask spread over Ryder’s face, and she
realized she’d made a mistake. He had expected her to be afraid of him so he hid this part of himself from her, and her reaction had confirmed his fears. He thought he was going to lose her.
Jane quickly dropped her hands and began pushing her way through the horde. Even though he saw her coming, he stayed still. “Move,” she yelled at a group of men and women. They laughed at her, not moving.
When Jane glanced at Ryder, he didn’t move to help her. So, she glared at the men and their ‘dates’ and repeated herself, “Move.”
“We got a Reaper fangirl,” one of the guys said laughing.
There were so many people pressing up against the cage Ryder was in that she knew she’d never reach him without help.
Infuriated because the big guys were now ignoring her but also not allowing her through, Jane turned, quickly spotting Damon and Sin. “Get me to him.”
A dark smile touched Damon’s lips, and he moved toward her. Sin was behind him, grinning wickedly as he shoved people aside.
“My queen,” Damon greeted her.
It might be silly, but she was going to own her title. “I need to get to him,” she said. “Make it happen.”
Sin laughed heartily, enough to grab the attention of the group blocking her way to the gate. They turned, spotting Jane before darting their widening gazes to Sin and Damon.
“You’re blocking her way,” Damon told them.
It wasn’t the men who responded.
A woman, probably a few years older than Jane, sneered at them before settling her eyes on Jane. “Sorry, little girl, I’m not missing a chance at meeting the King Reaper. Ask your daddies to take you back to the toy store.”
“I’m not that kind of daddy,” Sin said with disgust. “Imagine me as a father, Jane.”
The laughter behind her signaled more than Sin and Damon had come. The whole crew was behind her. Wolves and Devils are what Ryder had called them, and he’d said they were hers.
Jane’s gaze darted to where Ryder stood, getting his tape cut as they prepared to announce him the winner. His eyes were on her, but his expression was empty.
She huffed, pushing back the nervousness about confronting anyone and glared at the woman in front of her. “You’re looking at the King Reaper’s queen, old lady. I suggest you ask your grandsons to take you to the pharmacy because you’re fucking delusional if you think you have a chance with my man. Now, move.”
Sin put his hands on her shoulders. “Yes, Little Moon! Get your adorable ass up there.”
As soon as he removed his hands, Jane stepped forward, grinning when the group moved out of her way.
Finally, her deadly boy showed some life and opened the gate with a smile on his face. “There’s my girl.”
She climbed the steps and threw herself at him, laughing when he scooped her up and pulled her legs around his waist. “Always your girl,” she whispered, closing her arms around his neck.
He squeezed her ass, brushing his lips across hers. “Longer.” Then he kissed her in a way that can only be described as the King Reaper kissing his queen.
Keeping his smile hidden, Ryder watched from his spot as Jane giggled at the center of the crew she’d made for herself. Sin was, of course, too close for his liking, but Jane really liked having the bastard beside her. So, even knowing Sin was attracted to her, Ryder let go of his possessiveness. Jane had chosen him as the number one man in her life; he knew it now.
Yes, she hadn’t chosen only him, but what he had with her was more than he’d ever hoped for. He knew she was seeing at least Tercero behind his back, but he rather liked the idea of her being happy and loved when neither he nor David could be with her. Luc was no doubt involved, and he couldn’t quite figure out why Jane had feelings for him, but she must see something worth loving. How could he deny her when she glowed so pretty?
Ryder sipped his water as Than exhaled a stream of smoke.
“Here,” Than said, holding the blunt out for him.
“I’m good.” He sipped his water again.
Than chuckled. “Are you this calm when she’s in David’s arms?”
“Sometimes,” he said, watching Sin twirl Jane. Her hair fanned out before coming to rest across her face. She giggled as Sin spun her again, but this time she skirted away then held her arms out and kicked out her leg, spinning herself in the most elegant movement he’d ever seen before. She beamed, finishing off her twirl with a bow.
“By that lovestruck look on your face,” Than said, “you didn’t know she could dance like that.”
No, he didn’t.
“Did she tell you she ordered us to train her?” Than asked as Sin and the others clapped for her, making her eyes widened. She hadn’t meant to show anyone she could dance, Ryder realized.
“No, no, girl,” Sin was telling her. “That was fucking amazing.”
But her eyes slid over to where some women were dancing to the music blaring through the warehouse. Their style fit the music, but Jane had looked like a ballerina about to perform her own ballet.
Her gaze dropped, and he watched his angel close herself off. It didn’t help that the girls who had come with the group were dancing like the other women. She was an absolute oddball doing a ballet move to the rock music playing, but he loved every bit of her. “I take it you all agreed to help her?”
“Of course,” Than said. “She’ll be a deadly warrior queen by the time we’re finished with her.”
My warrior goddess, he thought but sighed as he watched her struggle to regain the confidence she had whenever she was free and surrounded by people she trusted.
It was hard to let her go like this, knowing she was comparing herself to everyone else and finding faults in everything about herself. He’d seen her do it most of her life; afraid to be his Sweet Jane. But she was trying to find herself. That’s what she had been doing behind his back, and as much as he wanted to wrap her in his arms and scare everyone for even looking at her and show her how amazing she was to him, he needed to let her do things on her own. Well, if her own meant bossing around her guard dogs.
Taking another sip of his water, this time, hazel eyes met his. Her insecurities were always going to hold her back if she let them. He shifted his weight, leaning back to show her he wasn’t going to rescue her, but he did smile and make a twirling motion with his finger. “Dance for me, Sweet Jane,” he said, knowing she couldn’t hear him, but she would know what he way saying.
Than copied Ryder’s position on the bleachers. “I don’t think she was ready for you to see that.”
“I know she wasn’t,” he said, still watching her. She looked so small now, not his smiling goddess who could make him laugh and act like a fool.
Someone bumped her, and she stumbled forward. His fist balled, ready to attack the idiot who wasn’t watching where they were dancing, but he breathed out and kept himself in place.
She finally smiled at him, but she didn’t start dancing or even come toward him. No, she had spotted something behind him, and the wickedest little grin he’d ever seen her wear appeared.
Than leaned over and whispered in his ear the moment Jane turned, grabbing Damon’s hand. “Damon has been playing boyfriend.”
“What?” Ryder narrowed his eyes on Damon as the fucker smiled at whatever Jane was telling him. She was dancing . . . with Damon.
Than chuckled, adding, “He thinks I don’t know.”
“Know what?” Ryder snapped, his rage igniting when she began doing the sexiest little dance for Damon. She had turned her back to him, wrapping his arms around her as she kept one hand behind his neck.
“Well, I should’ve known I’d see this nonsense,” said a female voice Ryder recognized.
He looked over, spotting Justine, Than’s older sister, as she sat beside him. She taught at Helldonna, but she looked anything but a responsible teacher now. Heavy eyeliner, cherry lips, and a tight leather dress had transformed her into a fucking knockout.
She smiled at him. “They told me you won
tonight—congrats.”
Than nudged Ryder’s arm, and his words echoed in his head: he thinks I don’t know.
“I win every fight,” Ryder said as his gaze swept back to Jane and Damon.
Justine chuckled, but it was a sad sound. “Do I have to ask for a dance?”
Ryder knew she was asking him, but he didn’t want to dance with anyone but his girl. His girl who was making him look like a fool. Hazel eyes flashed to him, widening when she spotted Justine. Her lips moved quickly, telling Damon, “Abort.”
Damon’s gaze darted toward him. To Justine. Possessively.
Gotcha.
Standing, Ryder held out a hand. “Yeah, let’s dance.”
Though Justine’s smile was bright, her eyes were dull. But she took his hand and let him lead her to the floor.
Ryder saw the panic and hurt in Jane’s eyes as she tried to pull away from Damon. His girl was going to learn one thing tonight; he didn’t do jealousy games. “You know,” Ryder said to Justine as he pulled her in front of him, “I think I’d rather dance with my girlfriend.”
Than’s sister frowned before crimson painted her cheeks. “Oh, you’re cute, Ryder, but I—”
He laughed, pushing her away from him so he could snatch Jane from Damon. “This is my girlfriend. Damon keeps her safe for me while we’re apart. Maybe you can ask him for a dance?”
Justine looked between him and Jane, then Damon.
“No need to ask,” Damon said, grabbing Justine by the wrist and gently pulling her closer.
Ryder chuckled, pulling Jane with him now. She hung onto his arm as he pushed his way through the wall of grinding bodies.
“Where are we going?” she yelled at him.
He was only taking her away from Justine and Damon. So, he stopped in the middle of the dancers and turned to her. “If you want to play matchmaker,” he told her, pulling her closer, “make sure you’re not pressing your ass against another man’s dick.”