Page 20 of Selfless

“Hello?”

“Hey, girl,” he says with a huff.

“What’s wrong?” I ask him. Jumping off the countertop, I know I need to start getting ready if I want to look presentable.

“Are you free tonight?” he asks. “It’s Saturday night, and I need to get out of the house.”

“Becca and I are going out. You are more than welcome to join us,” I tell him as I walk into my room.

“A girls’ night?” he asks excitedly. His mood instantly changing. “I could use one of those.”

I pass by Harry as he sleeps on my bed and head to the bathroom. “Okay. Can you meet us at our apartment in about an hour?”

“Absolutely!”

**

“Where are we headed?” I ask Becca as I sit between her and Thomas in the back of a black Escalade. The same one I used to ride in with Ryder. It’s crazy, but I swear I can smell him. A sweet and spicy package that not only makes my panties wet but my chest ache.

I washed my hair and slapped on some makeup before putting a dress on, and I don’t feel any better than I did earlier. It didn’t give me any newfound confidence. Or make me feel empowered.

“Ryder and Dad sold some property last year to a man, and he opened a club on it.”

“Great,” I say dryly. Just when I thought I could get out and not think about him. He’s following me around like a black cloud.

“Tonight’s its grand opening,” she says excitedly.

“Oh, I love grand openings.” Thomas claps his hands just as excited as she is.

I roll my eyes. Thirty minutes later, we pull up to a curb, and we all pile out. It’s sitting in the middle of an industrial site in New Jersey. I can stand at the front door and see a Hudson River behind it. “I wonder how many drunks will walk right off the street and into the water?” I say with laughter. They both look at me as if I’m crazy.

“That would be terrible,” Becca says with wide eyes.

“They need to put a rail up,” Thomas adds.

I sigh. “I was just kidding,” I lie. I was hoping I would be the unlucky drunk.

They both look at one another, and Thomas places his hand on her arm. “It was nice of you to get her out tonight. She needs to get out more,” he says softly as if I can’t hear him.

I refrain from rolling my eyes, but I do blow some wild strands from my face and out of my eyes. “Let’s get inside. I need a drink,” I say, turning to the door.

We walk up to the front door, no line yet. We came early, and a man stands at the entrance. His arms over his large chest and legs wide. He has an earpiece in his ear. But instead of wearing a security shirt, he has on a black button-down, sleeves rolled up exposing his muscular forearms. Black slacks with Chucks. “Hello,” he says to all of us.

“Hello,” Becca says, handing him her ID excitedly.

“Well, hello there,” Thomas says with a wink.

He chuckles as he looks down at her ID, using a small flashlight in his left hand. He frowns down at her. “Is there a problem?” she asks with worry in her voice.

“O’Kane?” he questions, handing her back her ID. “Are you any relation to Ryder O’Kane?”

Please Lord, drop the sky on me now.

“Oh, yes,” she says, releasing a long breath. “He’s my brother.”

He smiles, and even his smile is threatening. I don’t think he means it to be, but it comes off as don’t fuck with me. He reaches out this right hand. “I am Jet Waters. Welcome to Seven Deadly Sins.”

“Thank you,” she says happily. I stand back, regretting this night for the hundredth time since she asked me to come out. “This is my friend, Ashlyn, and our other friend Thomas.”

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