After several yawns from each of them, they retired back inside and got ready for bed. She slipped on some pajama pants and a camisole and tucked herself deep under the covers of his king sized bed. He climbed in a few short moments later and pulled her closer to him. They slept intertwined and glued to each other. She was starting to wonder if she was just as much a security blanket for him as he was for her. He seemed to need her the way no one else had ever needed her before. Jett was never as attached and clingy as Ryder.
Stormy had butterflies in her stomach as she slowly faded into unconsciousness. In half a day, she’d be reunited with her best friend. She couldn’t wait to talk to her about everything and get her take on things. Brooklyn had a brutal honesty about her that Stormy found absolutely refreshing.
Friday morning was a rush and a blur as they got ready to head out to the airport to pick up Brooklyn. Stormy waited by the baggage carousel as she waded through the sea of tall, skinny blondes and tried to pick out Brooklyn’ familiar face.
“Is that her? No,” Stormy said to herself. “Wait, I think that’s her. Wait. Nope.”
“Relax,” Ryder said as he rubbed her back. “She’ll be here. Just wait.”
“I wish you knew what she looked like,” she lamented. “I need an extra set of eyes right now. Believe me when I say she’ll blend right in here.”
“Is that her?” Ryder said as he pointed across the area. “She’s staring at you pretty hard.”
“Yep!” Stormy exclaimed as she ran like a crazy person towards Brooklyn and threw her arms around her. She couldn’t contain the squeals of excitement that escaped her mouth as they hugged and bounced like a couple of school girls. A person would’ve thought they hadn’t seen each other in years.
Stormy was right that Brooklyn blended right in. She was freshly spray-tanned and wore skinny jeans that showcased her mile long legs. Her creamy sheer button-down tank top and her brown, leather thong sandals finished off her outfit. Brooklyn’ sleek, platinum blonde hair was in a perfectly smooth and shiny angled bob and her lips had the shiniest red gloss Stormy had ever seen. Brooklyn always liked to make a stunning first impression wherever she went.
“Brooklyn, meet Ryder,” she said. “This was the guy in my driveway the other night.”
“I see,” Brooklyn said as she stared him square in the face. “Nice to meet you.”
Brooklyn then smiled and her entire face lit up.
“Thanks so much for flying me out here,” she said. “You really didn’t have to do that, but thank you.”
Ryder offered a courteous grin. “It’s not a problem at all. Whatever makes Stormy feel happy and comfortable, I’m going to do it.”
Brooklyn raised her eyebrows at Stormy, indicating that she was pleasantly surprised, and Stormy couldn’t wait to be alone with Brooklyn so they could dissect and analyze everything.
Ryder dropped them off outside of his condo about an hour later.
“You have keys, right?” he asked Stormy.
She pulled them out of her pocket and dangled them in front of his face.
“I’ll be back in a few hours,” he said. “Just be ready to go when I get back.”
Stormy kissed him goodbye as she and Brooklyn climbed out of the Audi and headed inside.
“Where are we going in a few hours?” Brooklyn asked.
“You, me, Ryder and Zander are going out tonight,” she said. She tried her hardest to be casual about it. “Some biker bar. You know how those places are. We’ll have fun!”
“Wait,” Brooklyn said as she stopped dead in her tracks. “This isn’t some double date thing, right? You know I hate being set up.”
“Oh, no, no, no,” Stormy half-lied. “This is not a double date at all. We just didn’t want you to feel like the third wheel or anything so we’re dragging Zander along to make it an even number. Don’t read into it too much.”
“Better not be,” Brooklyn snuffed. “I came here to hang out with you, not to be some California biker dude’s flavor of the weekend.”
“You’re going to love their place,” Stormy said as she changed the subject. “It’s amazing.”
They traveled up the elevator to Ryder’s floor and shuffled their feet down the hall to his door. Stormy watched Brooklyn’ reaction as she opened the door to the condo. Brooklyn was from a modest, working class family too, and she knew she’d never seen anything like it before.
“Oh, my, God,” Brooklyn said in a disgustingly impressed manner. “Is this real life?”
“Yep.” Stormy beamed.
“Are you sure two guys live here because this place is pristine,” she said as she walked around. “Like I went to my brother’s place once, and I couldn’t get the smell out of my hair for days. This is incredible.”
“That’s Zander’s side and that’s Ryder’s side,” Stormy said as she pointed. “Living room and kitchen. That’s pretty much it.”
“That view,” Brooklyn sighed as she walked towards the floor to ceiling windows in the living room. “And there’s a balcony?”
She slid the door open and stepped outside and placed her hands on the railing. The breeze blew through her sleek, flaxen locks as she looked down below at the passing cars.
“I could get very used to this,” she said as she smiled.
“I knew you’d love it here,” Stormy remarked. She knew Brooklyn too well, and she couldn’t wait to see her reaction to Zander later. “Just wait until you see Ryder’s bathroom. It’s like a freaking palace.”
Stormy led Brooklyn to Ryder’s suite and gave her the full tour. They collapsed side by side on his bed in the quiet condo.
“So, thoughts?” Stormy asked. “I know you’ve been taking in every little thing since you stepped off the plane. I’ve been dying to pick your brain.”
Brooklyn popped up. She loved sharing her opinion on anything and everything.
“Okay, for starters,” she began. “Ryder seems great. Almost too great, but that’s all I’m going to say because I really don’t know him that well yet. The fact that he flew me out here to make you happy speaks volumes. Not a lot of guys would do that.”
Stormy beamed. She loved that Ryder was already making a good impression on Brooklyn. Brooklyn was a hard girl to impress.
“Second, this city,” she continued. “I’ve only been here a few hours and already I’m in love. It weirdly feels like home, but it could just be that I’m on vacation and everything is new and exciting.”
“Nah, I think it’s just the fact that L.A. is pretty amazing,” Stormy replied. “This place makes Coleville look like a boring little one-horse town.”
“Coleville is a boring little one-horse town,” Brooklyn said as she rolled her eyes. “That’s why we love it so much.”
“I don’t understand this loyalty you have to Coleville,” Stormy said. “What’s so great about it?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I guess I’ve just never really had a reason to leave, and it’s home.”
“We can talk again after you’ve spent a couple days out here,” Stormy replied. “I guarantee you’ll change your mind.”
“I still think it’s freaking crazy that you just up and moved out here,” Brooklyn sighed. “What did you do about your car? Your house? What did your parents say?”
“My car is at my parents’ house. Some construction guy is renting my house for the next year. And my parents were pissed, but I’m twenty-three so there’s not much they could do to stop me,” she said. “I’m trying to move on.”
“Good for you,” Brooklyn said. “I’m glad you got it all figured out – logistics and everything.”
“Ryder helped,” she said.
“That makes sense,” Brooklyn teased.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Stormy asked.
“I just don’t think you would’ve done this on your own,” Brooklyn replied. “You’re sort of a fraidy-cat.”
Stormy playfully pushed Brooklyn, though she knew she was right.
>
“So what do you think of Ryder so far?” Stormy pried. She was dying to know and knew that Brooklyn had more of an opinion than she shared a few seconds ago.
“I knew you were going to ask me that,” Brooklyn said. “So far, I think he seems like a pretty alright guy.”
“Just alright?”
“I mean, it’s cool that he wants to take care of you and stuff, and it was super nice of him to fly me out, but don’t you think it’s all just so weird?” Brooklyn stated. “Like who does that? Let alone what powerful, biker gang VP just sweeps some naïve little Midwestern girl off her feet like some knight in shining armor and moves her away from her friends and family so he can take care of her?”
Stormy didn’t like what Brooklyn was saying one bit. She refused to believe it.
“All I’m saying is that this sort of stuff doesn’t happen in real life,” Brooklyn continued. “Just be careful. Don’t let your guard down too much, and don’t become too dependent on him. You just don’t know people that well until you’ve been with them for a while. Just take things slow. Promise me that.”
“We are taking things slow,” Stormy said. “At least physically.”
“Okay, that’s good,” Brooklyn said. Her tone sounded more condescending than sympathetic.
Stormy was quiet, and Brooklyn knew she’d upset her.
“You asked for my honest opinion,” Brooklyn said. “I gave it to you.”
“I just want you to like him,” she said. “I was just hoping you’d see in him what I see in him.”
“Give it a little more time,” Brooklyn said. “I’ve only been around him an hour or so. I really don’t know him. It’s not really even fair for me to give you my opinion on him yet anyway. We’ll talk again on Sunday, okay?”
Stormy nodded. She hoped Brooklyn was wrong about him and that he didn’t have ulterior motives, but she did have some valid points. When Stormy stepped back from the entire thing, it did seem a little too good to be true.
“I didn’t just come out here to be with him,” Stormy said. “He wants my help finding out who killed Jett.”
“Oh, you’re still going to help him with that?” Brooklyn asked. “I thought you were trying to get out of that lifestyle? You going to be his old lady or something?”
Stormy nodded.
“Be careful. Seriously,” she said. “This isn’t some small time biker gang.”
“Ryder would never let anything happen to me,” she said.
CHAPTER 19
Dinner was at seven that night. The girls got dressed to the nines and danced around in Ryder’s massive bathroom while Brooklyn blasted music from her iPad.
“Girls, you about done?” Ryder called through the door. “We need to leave soon.”
“Almost,” Stormy yelled back. “Give us two more minutes.”
Ryder waited patiently outside the door until the girls emerged followed by a cloud of hairspray and perfume and walked out towards the door. Zander was leaning against the kitchen island texting on his phone when he heard the girls’ heels clicking on the concrete floors. He looked up, then back down on his phone. Within a half second he looked up again and stared at Brooklyn.
Brooklyn, in true Brooklyn fashion, completely snubbed him and pretended not to care that he was checking her out. Stormy couldn’t wipe the smirk on her face off fast enough. She had a feeling she was going to win the bet that night with Ryder.
“Brooklyn,” Ryder said. “This is Zander. Zander this is Brooklyn.”
Zander seemed mesmerized by Brooklyn’s long, slender physique and platinum blonde hair. Her lips were slicked with glossy red lip gloss and her long eyelashes were full and curled. She wore a slinky black dress and nude pumps and looked like she stepped of the pages of a tabloid magazine. Brooklyn was LA, whether or not she’d ever admit it.
“Shall we go?” Ryder said, interrupting the silence.
The three of them followed Ryder down the hall, towards the elevator, and down to the parking garage where the bikes were waiting. Stormy climbed on behind Ryder, and Brooklyn reluctantly climbed on behind Zander. They held on tight as the men rode across town to the Crow’s Nest, their bar of choice.
They walked into the bar and all eyes were on them. They found a corner booth and Zander took a seat directly across from Brooklyn. She rolled her eyes at Stormy every time she caught Zander stealing a glance at her.
“I’ve never seen Zander this quiet before,” Ryder said to Stormy as they walked to the bar to order drinks.
“I think that means you’re losing our little wager,” Stormy said back.
They came back carrying four beers. The moment the drinks were on the table, everyone got busy sipping and slurping away, and the conversation picked up a little.
“Excuse me ma’am,” a server said to Brooklyn as he checked on the table. “I’m supposed to ask if you are on a date this evening.”
Brooklyn flashed her mega-watt, blindingly white smile. “Why, no, I’m not.”
He sat down a pink, fruity looking drink in front of her.
“This is from that gentleman at the bar,” he nodded towards the bar on the other side of the room where a balding, middle-aged guy who was dressed in tight rock star jeans and a logoed t-shirt, like something a cheesy high school kid would wear, waved and winked at her. He looked grossly out of place at that biker bar, and was more than likely not a local.
Never one to turn down a free drink, especially when they were fifteen bucks a pop, Brooklyn winked and smiled back and mouthed “thank you”.
She raised the glass to her lips when all of a sudden Zander reached out and grabbed it away from her.
“What was that all about?!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing?”
“You don’t know that guy,” he said. “Have you ever heard of roofies?”
“Yes, I’ve heard of roofies,” Brooklyn snorted. She grabbed the glass back from him and went to take a sip again, and again he reached for it and jerked it away from her.
“Trust me,” he said. “You’re better off not drinking it. If you want another drink, I’ll buy it for you. What do you want?”
“You don’t have to buy me a drink,” she huffed.
Stormy and Ryder watched in awe at their interaction. They were both bullheaded, and it was cheap entertainment.
Zander said nothing and got up from the table to go to the bar. They all watched as he said something to the balding, middle aged man who raised his hands up as if to apologize. Zander came back with a fresh, new fruity pink drink and sat it in front of her.
“Freaking dumb ass girls,” he said to Ryder as he rolled his eyes and then turned back to Brooklyn. “You’ll thank me someday.”
Brooklyn looked at Zander in a whole different light after that.
“Thanks,” she said as she took a slow sip of her drink. “So, Zander, how long have you been living with Ryder?”
“I don’t keep track,” he said with a shrug. “A long time.”
“About eight years,” Ryder responded.
Brooklyn nonchalantly scooted her chair a little closer to Zander and leaned into him. “Stormy told me you’re the secretary of the Hellfire club?”
“Yeah,” he replied.
“Best damn secretary a club could want,” Ryder responded. “My right hand man.”
Stormy nudged Ryder. “Let him speak for himself. How will they ever get to know each other with Chatty Cathy over here?”
“Okay, okay,” Ryder laughed.
“What about you?” Zander asked. “What do you do?”
“I manage a call center,” she said with a proud smile. “It’s not glamorous, but I enjoy it. I like to be in charge.”
“I can tell,” Zander said with a smile.
Their eyes were locked and something magical was happening, Stormy was sure of it.
“Do you want to get some air?” Zander asked her. “It’s sort of stuffy in here. And the peanut gallery over there is starting to get on my nerves.”
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He looked over at Stormy and Ryder who pretended to quickly look away, as if they weren’t watching them the entire time.
“Sounds like a plan,” Brooklyn said as she scooted her chair out from the table and grabbed her clutch.
Zander followed her with his hand on her lower back as they went out front.
Ryder’s face twisted as he watched them. “Hm.”
“What?” Stormy asked with a smirk.
“You just might be right about those two,” he said.
“Told you.” She nudged her elbow into his rib cage.
“Oof,” he said. “Looks like someone might be getting her Pretty Woman moment on Monday after all.”
“What do you think of Brooklyn so far?” Stormy asked. She was yearning to know.
“I mean, we’ve just met, but so far she seems exactly like how you described her,” he said. “She seems very opinionated and independent.”
“That she is,” Stormy said as she took a sip of her sangria.
“Zander isn’t so much opinionated as he is independent,” Ryder said. “It’ll be interesting seeing how that plays out between them. Why do you feel the need to hook them up anyway? They live in two different states for crying out loud. She’d never be more than a one night stand to him. A fling.”
“I’m trying to convince Brooklyn to move out here with me,” Stormy replied. “I don’t care what happens between her and Zander, I just want to show her that there are people out here to hang out with and have fun with. I want to show her life beyond Coleville, just like you showed me.”
“Stormy, Stormy, Stormy,” he said as he rubbed her back and sighed. “You can do things on your own you know. You don’t always need a security blanket. When will you realize that?”
Stormy leaned away from him, offended. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to embark on this new chapter in my life with a familiar face around.”
Resisting Ryder Page 14