Page 46 of Ryder

They took a seat on the couch and flipped through the channels while they waited.

As soon as we sat on the edge of my bed, side by side, I turned to Kena and blurted, “Ryder wants me to move in with him.” No point in beating around the bush. I waited for her reaction. Worry. Sadness. Confusion. These were some of the examples of emotions I’d expected, but I certainly didn’t anticipate that she’d be smiling. “What’s so funny?”

I thought you were going to tell me you’re pregnant.

“Oh my God! No!” I gasped, yelling louder than I meant to. “Don’t even say that.” I couldn’t even imagine if that was true. Instead of bringing bad karma my way, I redirected the conversation back to my original statement, but it took me several seconds to relax my face from a horrified expression.

“So how do you feel about me moving out?” I braced myself to deal with whatever happened. If she didn’t want me to leave, I wouldn’t.

Well, now that you brought it up, Jagger wants to move in here. We were waiting to tell you until we found the right time, but it looks like you found it for us.

“Oh, well, yeah. It looks like it’ll all work out for the best, then.” Why, after finding out that our situations were perfectly synced up, did I start crying?

Kena hugged me tightly before asking,Why are you upset?

There was no hesitation before I started rambling uncontrollably. “Because we won’t be living together anymore. Because we won’t be able to just hang out in our pajamas, stuff our faces with junk food and watch corny horror movies. Because—” I sniffed. “—I won’t have anywhere to go when Ryder drives me nuts.” We both laughed at my last reason, and although Kena never made a sound, the grin on her beautiful face was huge and her chest shook in amusement.

Then we’ll kick the men out when one of us has an argument and we’ll hang out. Sisters before misters.Kena often found ways to make me feel better, even though that was rightly my job because I was her big sis. Regardless, we hashed out a few minor details, like when the moving was all going to take place, what furniture would be staying and which pieces would be moved. Kena had to make room for Jagger’s things just like Ryder did for mine.

After about a half hour, we joined the men. They were in the same exact position, leaning back on the sofa with their legs spread. The typical way men sit.

As soon as Ryder saw me approach, his expression changed. Apparently, I looked drained. “Wait here,” he instructed, pushing me to sit down. Moments later he had my overnight bag in his hand.

“You stayin’ here?” he asked Jagger.

“Yeah, man.”

“Okay, we’re going home, then.”

Home. What a strange but wonderful thought that Ryder had not only accepted me in his life but that we were going to be living together. Apparently starting right away.

After throwing my bag on the back of his bike, he handed me a helmet. “I don’t think I can ride on that tonight.” I must’ve really been out of it since I’d never even heard him pull up. Normally I’d heard the roar of his engine a mile away.

“Yeah, what was I thinkin’? You look like hell.”

“Gee, thanks,” I said sarcastically. “You sure know how to kick a woman when she’s down.” I didn’t even possess enough energy to be angry at him.

“Sorry, that’s not what I meant at all. I just meant. . . .”

“Go get Jagger’s keys,” I instructed, halfheartedly pointing toward the house.

He jogged off, returning soon after and helping me into Jagger’s truck. A half hour later he was practically carrying me into his house, shooing Brutus out of the way so he didn’t trip over him.

As soon as Ryder undressed me and tucked me into bed, I closed my eyes, but before he could leave the room, I asked him to stay. “Please lie with me.”

A brief silence ensued before he asked, “What if I fall asleep?” At some point we had to try and sleep in the same bed again.

“Please stay.”

The bed dipped beside me as I drifted off to sleep.

Ryder

I had an idea why Marek had called the impromptu meeting, but I wouldn’t be 100 percent sure until he started talking. I glanced around the room and saw every man present looked tense, ready to blow if we had to continue to wait and exact our revenge on the rest of the Reapers.

Two less Reapers in the world, the ones we’d most recently dealt with, helped to ease my mind, a sentiment shared by every single member sitting around our wooden meeting table, but the annihilation of the entire club would feel much better.

“Tell us we’re not gonna wait one second longer,” Hawke barked, leaning forward and staring at Marek. “Because that’ll be bullshit. We need to do something, Prez.”

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