Bad Boys of Romance - A Biker Anthology

by Kasey Millstead

  “Is this shit really necessary?” I asked standing behind the guys.

  Without warning the smaller of the two turned, fist raised and threw a punch at my face. At that moment, all the fights I’d been in since I struck out on my own were going to come in handy. I was able to duck, forcing him to swing into midair. What I didn’t take into account was the beefier guy being able to move as quickly as he did, landing a shot directly to my ribs.

  “Shit,” I grunted, grabbing a hold of my side. It was a pretty good possibility that they were bruised, but that really wasn’t what I had to worry about. If I didn’t get the upper hand, these two were going to kick my ass.

  “Tony. Brandon. Knock it the hell off,” the bartender screamed, as I came up swinging, cutting my fist across the face of the beefy dude. Just as fast two arms wrapped around my body, in an attempt to pin them down. I was able to use the leverage and throw my body weight back enough to kick the guy in front of me in the stomach, sending him flying to his ass.

  Unfortunately that threw us both off balance and we ended up crashing into a table, and onto the floor. I heard the glass break below me as my head slammed to the floor, but it wasn’t until I felt the trickle of blood down the side of my face did I realize that it had cut a spot near my eyebrow. The adrenaline deadening the pain.

  It was only a brief moment to wipe away the blood, yet it was enough for one of them to get their arms around me again, while his buddy kicked his foot into my ribs.

  “Tony!” the bartender screamed, as she tried to grab the smaller guy around the waist to keep him from kicking me again.

  It was enough to give me the chance to flip my fist back into Brandon’s face. Not a full punch, just enough to get him off of me. Getting to my feet, I ignored the blood dripping from the cut above my eye. Pulling my arm back, I let my fist slam into his nose.

  “Motherfucker,” he screamed. Blood flying everywhere, I was pretty sure it was broken. An arm slipped around my throat, pulling me back and just as quickly it was gone. When I turned I saw the reason why. Kaden had the other guy in a head lock.

  “You assholes again? How many more times are we gonna do this before you to idiots get the hint?” He shoved his hand into the guy’s face, dropping him to the floor with a broken nose to match his buddies.

  “Son of a bitch,” Brandon cursed, covering his face with his hands in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

  “We’re not leaving until we get what we came for,” Tony said with a muffled voice.

  “Oh you’re leaving alright,” the bartender announced. “That is unless you want me to let these two beat the shit out of you some more while we wait for the cops to come.” She looked back and forth between the two of them. “Now listen very closely, this is the last time you screw with my business. The next time you show your face through that door, I’ll have the police here to pick you up.”

  “Should I show them the door?” Kaden asked.

  “Definitely,” she said watching as both of the idiots were forcibly removed from the bar by Kaden.

  With the distraction now gone, the pain in my ribs and head were becoming more uncomfortable. Miraculously there was a chair still standing that I sank down into. That was when I noticed the rest of the people in the bar standing around and watching. Why oh why was this shit always happening to me? Most of the time I had no problem staying out of other’s people’s shit. Then there were those times that my conscience roared to life and put me in situations like this. Places that I didn’t need to be.

  Taking a deep breath at the frustration with myself, the pain seared through my side. “Shit.”

  “Oh my god. I’m so sorry,” the bartender came running over with a towel in her hand and pressed it to the cut over my eye to stop the bleeding.

  Not wanting to draw in more air than I needed, I simply nodded.

  “You alright man?” Kaden asked walking over to where I was sitting.

  “I’ve been better. Who were those assholes?”

  “They were the dipshits I bought the bar from a few years ago. It was—” the bartender started to say.

  “Wait…you’re Ryan?” I stumbled over my words. I expected the owner to be a guy as I’m sure everyone else did as well. The woman standing in front of me did not fit the stereotype of a bar owner. Although by now I should have learned my lesson about stereotypes. Most of the time, they weren’t true. Especially in my case.

  “That’s me, but with two n’s at the end,” she said, sounding slightly exasperated. “I not surprised you thought I’d be a guy, most people do. I’m used to it by now.”

  She tilted my head back and removed the towel from my head. Pushing her fingers around the cut, caused me to flinch, sending a sharp pain through my ribs. I gritted my teeth to keep from yelling out.

  “This is going to need stitches,” she said. Standing, she turned to face the rest of the room. “Alright everyone, go back to your dinners. We’ll have this mess cleaned up in no time.” Turning towards the bar, she looked over at a taller blond behind the bar. “Jimmy, can you grab a couple of guys to help you get this cleaned up while I take…” She looked down, waiting for me to fill in my name.

  “Ryder.”

  “…Ryder to the hospital?” She looked around at Kaden. “Do you think you could help me get him into my truck?”

  “No problem,” Kaden said, taking a step towards me.

  “I’m fine,” I said getting to my feet. “I just need to…” The room began to spin and I grabbed the back of the chair for support.

  “Yeah, real fine,” Ryann said, grabbing a hold of my arm. “You’re coming with me.”

  A hospital bill was not something I had the money for at the moment. “Just take me back to the motel to lie down. I’ll be fine.”

  “Come on you’re going to the hospital.” She leaned over to whisper in my ear. “Don’t worry about the bill, I’m taking care of it.”

  It was like she could read my mind. I wasn’t sure if that made me more comfortable or uncomfortable. Either way, I nodded knowing that I probably did need medical attention. Kaden and Ryann helped me out to Ryann’s truck. This was the second time that I’d needed help with something and Kaden had to help me out. I didn’t trust very easy, so it was interesting to find myself willing to accept help from strangers once again.

  Chapter 3

  The waiting room was crowded, but since the cut was still bleeding they took me back fairly quickly. Which was good because I was starting to feel a little fuzzy. The doctor performed a few tests and determined that, not only did I have bruised ribs, but I also had a mild concussion as well.

  Just fucking great.

  “You’ll need someone to stay with you for the next twenty-four hours,” the nurse said, while filling out my discharge paperwork. The doctor had already stitched up the cut and left the room. I wasn’t going to argue with her about staying with someone. If I told her that I was staying in a motel by myself, she probably would stop me from leaving and admit me.

  “Do you have someone to drive you home?” she asked.

  “Yeah. There’s someone in the waiting room. They drove me here earlier.”

  “Good. You also shouldn’t be driving for the next twenty-four hours either.”

  “Not a problem,” I agreed, squinting against the bright lights. At the moment all I wanted was to get out of there and sleep.

  She handed me the forms to sign and a paper that had all of the instructions for the next few days. Thankfully they used the type of stitches that would dissolve so I wouldn’t have to come back later to have them removed. As I got up from the exam table, the nurse helped to steady me when I was having difficulty getting my bearings. She forced me to sit in a wheelchair, saying something about hospital policy. I could only guess, based on my looks that she thought I would argue, but I was too tired to give a shit. The sooner she got me to the waiting room the sooner I could get back to my room and lie down. Pushing through the double doors, I saw Ryann and Kaden wait
ing for me. Immediately they came over.

  “How is he?” Ryann asked the nurse, who looked at me for confirmation that she could reveal any information. I nodded not wanting to waste energy on speaking.

  “He has a mild concussion and bruised ribs. He’ll need to be monitored for the next twenty-four hours for additional symptoms. If you see anything on the list of things I’ve given him, bring him back in.”Except, I hadn’t wanted the nurse to tell her that part. I just knew what was going to come next.

  “We’ll take good care of him,” Ryann agreed. “Kaden, do you think you could pull up the truck?”

  “Yeah, no problem.”

  She handed her keys to Kaden and looked back at the nurse. “He’ll be staying with me.”

  I could see Ryann’s black Chevy 2500 pull up right outside the exit. “I’ll wheel him out to the car,” offered the nurse. I was sure she told me her name, but for the life of me I couldn’t remember what it was. Whatever her name, she wheeled the chair out through the exit to the waiting truck. I was still having trouble standing, so Kaden hopped out and came around to help me in the truck. Once we were all in and pulled away from the hospital, I looked back at Ryann, even though it made me dizzy to turn my head that fast, I did everything I could not to let it show.

  “You guys can just drop me off at the motel. I’ll be fine, I just need some sleep.”

  Ryann scoffed. “Um…no. You heard what the nurse said, you need someone to stay with you.”

  “I did, but I’ll be fine.”

  “The answer is no.” She leaned up from the back. “Kaden why don’t you stop by the bar and grab your truck, then meet me at my house?”

  “Sure.” He shrugged. “There’s no point in arguing with her.”

  “Yeah, I’m starting to figure that out,” I said tuning back around to lean my head on the cool glass of the door. The numbing medication was starting to wear off and my head was beginning to throb. Before I could continue the argument about where I was staying, my eyes drifted shut and I fell asleep.

  When I woke up again, it was to Kaden and Ryann helping me up a set of stairs that definitely did not lead to my motel room. “Where are we?” I asked, my words sounded slightly slurred.

  “My house,” answered Ryann. “I told you in the car you weren’t staying alone. You couldn’t even stay awake long enough to argue with me. So forget the grief you’re about to give me. Keep your mouth closed and we’ll have you set up in the guest room in no time.”

  I wanted to argue with her, but it just felt like too much effort. All I wanted was to sleep and from what it sounded like, that option was only a few more steps away. We moved down the hall to the first room on the right. Ryann opened the door, letting me pass by, using Kaden as support. Ryann pulled down the covers and they helped me into the bed.

  “Go to sleep,” Ryann said. “I’ll check on you later.”

  Unable to keep my eyes open any longer, I closed them and let myself drift off to sleep. I could deal with everything else later.

  I hear pounding on the door.

  “Open the door Jonathon. You have some explaining to do.”

  Looking over at the clock, I realize that it’s the middle of the night. Groaning, I throw my legs over the side of the bed. I keep my door locked so my brother can’t get in. After what I found, I don’t trust him at all. Trudging over, I flip the lock, but before I have a chance to reach for the handle the door comes crashing open. It almost came crashing into my face, but I am able to jump out of the way in time.

  “What is this?” my father roars at me, holding up a sheet of paper that looks very familiar.

  I take the document out of his hands and instantly recognize what it is. “This is the paperwork I gave you earlier to prove my suspicions about David.”

  “Oh really?” he sneers. “Then how come the more I dig into this the more the evidence points to you and not your brother.”

  That isn’t right, I’d checked and double checked to make sure I was right. David is the one, not me. I can’t do that to my family

  “I’m not sure. He must have done something to change it.”

  “I don’t think so. You’re always looking for a way to bring him down, to make yourself look better than you are. This is just another example of that. Except this time you actually caused our family a world of pain and suffering.”

  “Dad, I would never do something like that.”

  He takes a step towards me. “Don’t lie to me. You’ve always wanted to be better than your brother, but you could never measure up and you never will. Yet you concoct this scheme to get your brother in trouble. You have always been the trouble maker.”

  “Dad I swear to you on my life that I didn’t do it.”

  “Right. And I’m supposed to believe a sniveling little rat like you, who only ever looks out for himself. You could never be half the man David is.”

  “David is the cause of all of this. I’ve worked my butt off for you—”

  A hand wraps round my throat cutting off my air, as I feel the wall slam against my back. A pain sears down my side and I can’t get a breath. Eyes the color of my own look at me with hatred and a desire for murder flashing in them. My whole body starts to shake, only making the pain stronger.

  “Ryder,” a voice yelled next to me, startling me out of the dream.

  My eyes snapped open, searching around the room. There was nothing familiar about it, but that was normal for me. Where the hell am I? I sat up, realizing instantly that was a bad idea. My head spun so fast, I felt like I drank an entire bottle of cheap whiskey. Then again, the pain in my ribs whenever I took a breath far outweighed any discomfort from my head.

  “Lay back down, you’re going to make it worse.”

  My eyes looked for the source of the voice. A beautiful brunette was sitting next to me on the bed. Her blue eyes were full of concern.

  “Where am I?” I asked, completely confused as to how I got there and why the hell I felt like shit.

  “My place. You don’t remember the fight.”

  “Not exactly. If I did, do you think I’d be asking?” I knew I sounded like a dick, but I couldn’t control my reaction when I was in pain.

  “You don’t need to be an asshole. I’m trying to help.”

  “Then don’t give me ridiculous answers.”

  “Whatever. You have a mild concussion, which I’m going to use as the excuse as to why you’re being a dick at the moment, and a set of bruised ribs.”

  I closed my eyes at the frustration. My brain was so fuzzy. “And what did I do to deserve those, this time? The last thing I remember was my bike breaking down and Kaden giving me a lift. He dropped me off at the motel, I showered, changed, and went to grab something to eat.”

  “At least you remember something. You came into my bar for dinner when those two assholes showed up again. When things got loud you tried to intervene and the jerks threw the first punch. Eventually you got the upper hand, but not before the damage was done. Kaden and I took you to the hospital when you were having trouble standing up and breathing.”

  I had a few little flashes of what she was talking about but nothing concrete. “Well that sounds like it makes sense, except for the me getting involved part.”

  “And what’s that supposed to mean?” Her voice got a bit louder.

  The sound made my head throb even more. I cradled my head in my hands. “Please don’t yell.”

  She sighed. “Why don’t you go back to sleep. We’ll talk more in the morning when your heads clear.”

  Figuring the pain would go away with sleep, I agreed and laid back down. My eyes closed and I was back into a dreamless sleep in no time.

  When I awoke next, the sun was up and I was alone in the room. Flashes of the night before paraded across my mind. Parts of the fight, a visit to the hospital and then Ryann waking me up in the middle of the night. Surprisingly, I could remember her name when most everything else was one big blur. But for some reason I was able to rem
ember my dream, maybe because it wasn’t exactly a dream. Just the thought of the last time I saw my father made my blood run cold. The look in his eyes before he let me go and I fled the house for the last time still haunted me. It had been a long time since the memory assaulted me at night, but the concussion probably had something to do with that. Groaning, I threw my legs over the side of the bed, I needed to go find Ryann and get the hell out of there. I could hide in my room until the part came in and just order delivery.

  I looked down and my shirt was missing, but I still had on my pants from the night before. A search around the room produced nothing. Frustrated, I left the room and went to look for Ryann.

  Chapter 4

  The smell of coffee led me downstairs to the kitchen where Ryann was sitting at the small table with a cup of coffee in front of her and another waiting at the empty seat across from her. Her eyes roamed from the top of my chest down to my abs, flinching when she took in the bruises on my side. Letting her eyes wander back up, she looked me in the eye.

  “I heard you up, so I poured you a cup of coffee. I assume you drink it?” she said , gesturing to the cup already sitting on the table.

  “Yeah,” I said, dropping into the chair. “What happened to my shirt?”

  “It was covered in blood, so I took it off you to wash it. Unfortunately, it didn’t come out. I’ll get you a new one.”

  “It’s fine. I just need you to take me back to the motel.”

  She scoffed. “That’s not gonna happen. You’re stuck with me for the next twenty-four hours.”

  “Wh—” I started to yell before I realized how much it made my head pound. Lowering my voice I tried again. “What?”