Wildcard: Volume Two (Wilcard, #2)

by Missy Johnson

  Fuck me.

  The lift doors finally open and I practically fall inside, pressing the close door button repeatedly as the whole top floor of the Conservation Hotel stares at me. I groan and lean against the back of the small lift, my head spinning.

  Well, that didn’t go according to plan.

  Chapter Two

  Ryder

  “Why the fuck did you let me drink so much?” I mumble.

  My head is throbbing. I literally can’t even lift it off the couch that I’m sprawled across.

  Josh laughs, and I hear him sink into the seat next to me. “Like I could stop you,” he protests. “Besides, since when you do struggle to hold your drink?”

  Since I’d been so preoccupied with Scar the past four weeks.

  “Fuck you,” I mumble instead.

  “Here.”

  I open my eyes and gratefully take the coffee Charlotte is holding out for me.

  “Things didn’t go too well with Lissa?” she asks, trying not to smile.

  I groan as I remember the outburst. God, I don’t even want to think about it.

  “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

  “So, now isn’t a good time to tell you you’re on TMZ?” She giggles, covering her mouth. Her bright eyes are laughing at me.

  “What?” My head pounds as I struggle to sit up. I take the laptop she’s holding out for me, and I sigh. Of course someone had snapped a photo on their phone. The photo shows Lissa mid-scream in all her naked glory while I stand at the doors to the lift with my head lowered, my hand covering my face.

  The headline reads ‘Another One Bites the Dust.’

  “You have to explain,” Charlotte begs me.

  “I couldn’t do it. And when I tried to leave...mid-blowjob, she went fucking nuts.”

  “You left her mid blowjob?” Charlotte screeches. “Couldn’t you have faked it or something?”

  “Faked it how?” I protest. “Should I have pretended to shoot semen into her mouth? Gee, sorry, honey, you must have swallowed it already. She was ditzy, but not that ditzy.”

  “Surely you’ve faked an orgasm before,” she scoffs. She glances at Josh in support, who is being strangely quiet. He shrugs helplessly. “And plenty of guys orgasm without ejaculating. Josh does it on occasion.”

  Oh, God. I cover my eyes, unable to look at my friend.

  Way, way, way too much information.

  “Char,” Josh growls, his face turning a deep shade of red.

  “What?” She huffs. “Why don’t guys talk about this shit? No wonder you’re all so fucked up.”

  She storms off, leaving Josh and I alone for a very awkward minute until my taxi arrives. We both look relieved as the horn blasts outside.

  “I’ll speak to you soon,” I say, slapping him on the back. He follows me to the door. I get halfway down the path and turn back. “Good luck with your match tomorrow, blankshooter!”

  ***

  I arrive at the airport just in time to make my flight. After checking in, I’m spotted by a group of fans demanding autographs. I take the paper they’re holding out for me and groan.

  It’s the same photo from the TMZ website, only this headline reads ‘Another Day, Another Woman.’ I sign it and pose for a couple of photos before sprinting to the boarding gate, only to realize the plane is running late.

  With a sigh, I fall into the nearest seat and catch my breath. My phone rings. I see it’s Matt, and press answer.

  “You’re not there to fuck your way through the US.”

  “I’m pretty sure I’ve already done that,” I chuckle. “Besides, my private life is my business.”

  “Until you make it public,” he retorts. “Sometimes I wonder if you say things to wind me up, or if you’re genuinely that dense.”

  “It won’t happen again,” I mutter. I’m so not in the mood for a lecture.

  “It always happens again. What happened to the girl you flew over here? The one with the kid? She seemed nice.”

  “It didn’t work out,” I reply, my voice tight.

  Why does everything come back to Her?

  ***

  I throw my keys onto the small space above the minibar and take off my jacket. My phone vibrates in my pocket, and for the briefest moment I find myself wishing it were her. I pull it out and see that it’s Mum.

  I groan, because I’ve just realized she has no idea where I am.

  Fucking great.

  In the haste of wanting to surprise Scarlett, it had completely slipped my mind to let Mum and Dad know where I was going. I could almost hear Scarlett’s voice in my ear, chastising me for not telling them, as I dialed Mum’s mobile.

  “Where are you?” she says, annoyed. “I sent Hailey around with some groceries and she said you weren’t there.”

  “Right,” I begin. “Matt set me up with some sponsorship crap over in the states. I’ll be here for three weeks.”

  “Oh. Well, that’s good,” she says.

  I laugh, because I know she’s only happy I’m off my arse and actually doing something productive. “Thanks, Mum. I’ll call you in a few days, okay?”

  I hang up and order some room service. I’m not hungry, but I have to eat something. I give the girl my order and I’m told it will be up in twenty minutes.

  I’m fucking wrecked. Two huge nights on the piss and my body is making me pay for it. I curl up on the couch and wait for my dinner so I can go to bed.

  Chapter Three

  Ryder

  The knock on the door startles me. I laugh, because it’s been over an hour since I’d ordered, and although I’d forgotten about it, I’m angry because I don’t like being made to wait.

  How long does it take to fry some fucking fish?

  I open the door and wander back inside without looking up.

  “Just leave it on the table,” I mutter.

  “Ryder.”

  I freeze. I had to be hearing things, because that sounded a fucking awful lot like her. I turn around slowly. She’s standing in front of me. The first thing that enters my head is where’s my fucking fish, which is crazy, because I’m still not hungry.

  “What the fuck do you want?” I ask. My voice is cold and I don’t make eye contact with her.

  “I-I want to explain,” she pleads. Her fingers are trembling. I look away. No. I refuse to let her drag me back in.

  “You don’t contact me at all in the past forty-six hours and I’m suddenly supposed to drop everything because you want to explain?” I laugh. I take a step towards her, because I can’t deny the part of me that needs to hear what she has to say. “How did you find out where I was?” I ask.

  She blushes. “I called Professor Howes. He gave me your dad’s number, so I called him.”

  “You spoke to my dad?” I say, surprised. How the hell did he know where I was?

  “Yes. He didn’t even realize you weren’t in the country, so he gave me your manager’s number.”

  Matt. I’ll fucking kill the bastard.

  “Is there anyone you haven’t spoken to?” I growl. “Wait, that’s right: me.”

  “I never wanted to hurt you,” she whispers. Her emerald eyes are pleading with me.

  I look away, because if I stay focused on her I just might break. “Who is the guy?” I ask. I’m so close to her, close enough to kiss those fuckable lips. I close my eyes and steady myself, because now is not the time.

  “Jake’s father.” Her voice cracks.

  “What does he want?” I ask.

  She doesn’t answer. Instead she bows her head, letting the tears roll down her pale cheeks. I laugh, because I no longer need an answer. That look says it all.

  “It’s not that simple.”

  “So why are you here?” I grit my teeth and force myself to look at her.

  “Because I needed to see you,” she says softly.

  She needed to see me? What about what I need? I laugh and shake my head. What am I supposed to do with this shit? She didn’t mean to hurt me?
Bullshit.

  “Please, Ryder, let me—”

  “Let you what?” I growl.

  I back her against the wall and glare at her. I can feel her heart race as shock overcomes her features. She’s scared of me. Before I can comprehend what I’m doing, I press my lips against hers. She gasps as my mouth devours hers.

  I rip at her shirt, popping open the buttons. She moans as I tear her bra off her chest. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I roughly pull her toward me. She obeys as I lift her mouth to mine, kissing me back with her sweet, soft lips.

  Dragging the shirt down over her shoulders, I toss it on the floor and lift her into my arms. She whimpers as my lips close around her nipple, gasping as I bite down. Hard.

  “God, Ryder,” she cries. Her hands are raking through my hair as my tongue circles her nipple, teasing her.

  I clear the small, round table and throw her on top of it. She groans as I unzip her skirt, shrugging it down over the curve of her hips. She sits up and kisses me as I unbuckle my jeans. I reach into my briefs and pull out my erect cock.

  My fist grabs at her lace panties as I rip them clear off her. She cries out, her arms closing around my neck as I thrust myself deep inside of her.

  “Ryder, oh God, yes.” She gasps when I fill her pussy. Her eyes are wide as they meet mine. She’s struggling to understand what the hell is going on—and to be honest, so am I.

  I roll her over because I don’t want to look at her. All I want to do right now is fuck her out of my head. Because in some strange, fucked-up way, I actually believe fucking her will make it easier for me to forget about her.

  She moans, letting me know that she’s enjoying the feeling of me inside of her. My heart pounds, because as much as I don’t want to admit that I like that she likes it, I do.

  I love that she likes the feel of my cock inside her.

  I lift her thigh and thrust myself further inside her. She’s just another pussy wanting to be fucked. That’s all. Nothing more.

  “Fuck,” I growl, releasing inside of her. I groan, and for a second the only thing I care about is how her tight pussy is milking me dry. Pulling out, I walk off. I’m annoyed at myself for enjoying it so much. I’m annoyed at her for enjoying it. Most of all, I’m furious at myself for fucking her without a fucking condom.

  “Are you on the pill?” I ask her. She nods, and relief rushes through me. I have no idea what I would’ve said if her answer had been no. “Good,” I mutter. “Now get the fuck out of my room.”

  “What?” She gasps.

  She’s shaking as she reaches for her skirt, pulling it over her slender hips, and I’m not sure if it’s because she’s upset or exhausted. Either way, I pretend not to care. Her lip is trembling, and for a second I think she might cry.

  My jaw clenches as I stare her in the eye. “You heard me. I guess now we’re even. We’ve both been fucked.” I don’t flinch as I address her.

  I turn around and walk into the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind me. I lean against the back of the door and listen to her soft crying. The door opens and shuts, and I’m greeted with silence.

  I wait until I’m sure she’s gone before I exit the room. Slumping down onto the couch, I hurl the remote at the wall. I’m pissed at everything and everyone, but most of all at myself.

  I wanted to hurt her. I wanted her to feel my pain. But none of it made me feel any better. I felt worse because the last half an hour had done nothing to erase my feelings for her.

  You’re an arse, Ryder. I’d achieved nothing except ruining any chance I might have still had with her. I didn’t know the full story, and now I probably never would. All because I’m a jealous, selfish wanker who is scared shitless of getting hurt.

  And to top it all off, I still didn’t have my damn fish.

  Chapter Four

  Scarlett

  I wrap my jacket tightly around my chest as I walk inside and lock the door.

  I shiver, my heart beating loudly in my chest. I hate being here alone. The silence scares me. It always has. I turn on the lights and the TV and walk down the hall to Jake’s room. Flicking on his light, I sit down on his empty bed. Terry stares up at me from his cage. I unlatch it and carefully reach inside, pulling him up onto my lap. I smile as he snuggles into my arms.

  Bastard. I hate him for what he just did to me, and I hate myself for not explaining things to him. I’m a mess of emotions right now and I’m half a second from completely falling apart.

  No. You will not give either of them the satisfaction of breaking you.

  In an odd way, my own words give me the strength to pull myself together. I place Terry back in his cage and turn off the lights.

  My phone beeps. I check it, trying to convince myself that I’m not hoping it’s Ryder. It’s Penny. I feel guilty about the disappointment I’m feeling, and disappointed that I actually want to hear from him.

  Her: He’s fast asleep. Hope you’re okay x

  Me: Thanks for everything. I’ll pick him up tomorrow, after lunch.

  Penny is my closest friend. She’s the only person who truly knows me, and the person I care most about in this world after Jake. Seven years older than me, she’s married with a son, Max, and a daughter, Lucy. Separated in age by only a few weeks, Jake and Max have been inseparable since starting Kingstown Elementary together two years ago.

  Our friendship blossomed over sleepovers and play dates. They are always the first to help out when Jake is sick. I honestly don’t know how I would’ve survived the past two years without them.

  My bedroom is next to Jake’s. I walk in and pull the door closed. Sitting down on the edge of my bed, I’m shaking as I check my phone again. I’m still thinking about Ryder—which isn’t unusual, because he’s all I think about. I curl up on the bed and pull the covers around me, trying to process the last few days.

  If he wanted to hurt me, he’d done it. Congratulations on breaking my heart.

  I’d been so close to telling him everything. I should have told him. I should have made him listen. I should have made him understand just how much I hate the father of my son.

  ***

  The incessant banging on the front window wakes me. I glance at the clock and see it’s two in the morning. I jump up, still fully clothed as I run for the door. My first thought is Jake. My second is Ryder.

  Neither of them are right.

  Tony smirks at me as he pushes his way inside. His short, dark hair is messy, like it needs a good wash, and the anger hiding in his piercing blue eyes scares me. I stiffen, and step back as I try and hide my fear. With his broad shoulders and muscular frame, he towers over me in height and size. It wouldn’t take much for him to overpower me.

  “Get the fuck out of my house or I swear to God . . .” I swallow as my words abandon me.

  “You’ll what? Call the police?” He laughs. “I’ll leave when I get what you owe me.”

  “I don’t owe you shit,” I spit. “And I already told you: I’m not with him. You’re not going to get a cent out of him.” I laugh, even though the words drive through my heart. I’m not with him.

  His eyes narrow as he steps toward me. If there is one thing Tony doesn’t handle, it’s being laughed at. I don’t move as I stare him down, refusing to give him what he wants: the knowledge that he’s gotten under my skin.

  “Fix it, Scarlett. You know what I’m capable of. Or do I need to remind you?”

  No, you assfucker. I remind myself every fucking day what a sick asshole you are.

  I watch him as he walks over to the door. I follow him out, because I want to be sure he’s gone when I lock it. He turns around and smiles at me. My blood runs cold.

  “Don’t fuck with me, okay? Ten thousand and I’m gone.”

  I shut the door in his face and turn around. I’m overwhelmed, because I have no idea what to do next. If I could somehow come up with the money and get him out of my life, I’d do it in a second. I laugh, because although the idea of getting ten grand is ridiculous
, it’s actually more realistic than Tony keeping his word.

  Wiping my tears, I’m determined to resolve this, if only for the sake of keeping Jake away from that scum. I have so many regrets, but letting Tony back into my life two years ago is by far my biggest. But my mom had just died; I was completely alone and he was there for me.

  Or so I’d thought.

  I was sure he still has the videos, and he’d have no problem going back to jail if it means ruining my life too. That’s what makes this so fucked-up. How could I compete against that? He’s an ass who cares about nothing but himself and he knows I’ll do anything he asks me if it means protecting my son.

  Everyone does things they regret, and I’m no exception.

  Chapter Five

  Ryder

  “You’re not following through with the stroke. That’s why the ball isn’t going where you want it to.” I sigh, frustrated. This damn kid just refuses to listen to me.

  “Uh-huh. Because I hear you’re the expert on stray balls,” she smirks, her hand on her hip.

  I shake my head. What does that even mean?

  I’ve been at this stupid camp for less than three hours and I’ve already come to a conclusion: teenagers are the fucking worst. They think they know everything, and Little Miss Attitude here is no exception.

  And I also hate Mondays.

  “You shouldn’t believe everything you read,” I mutter. Déjà vu sets in. Didn’t I have this same conversation with Scarlett?

  Fuck. Scarlett.

  Why had I gone there last night? I’d wanted to punish her, but all I ended up doing was proving to myself what an idiot I am. And it had done nothing to dull my feelings for her.

  I slammed a ball into the net. Is she seriously thinking about getting back with this guy who had shown no interest in Jake his whole life?

  “Aren’t you supposed to be mentoring me? I only agreed to this stupid camp because my coach insisted I could learn something from the best. The only thing you could teach me is how to fuck up my career,” she giggles.