“Hey sweetness,” he answered on the second ring.
“Hey sweetness,” I heard his brothers mimic him in the background.
Amusement filled me.
“Your brothers are children.”
“I’m aware of it, and so are they,” Ryder said then cursed at his brothers to keep it down.
“What are you doin’ tonight?” I asked on a chuckle.
“Darkness,” Ryder replied. “Dominic has a fight.”
Oh, I inwardly squealed, this was perfect.
“Brilliant,” I gushed. “I’m goin’ there tonight, too.”
“With who?” Ryder questioned, his voice was deep and it had me rubbing my thighs together.
I licked my suddenly dry lips and answered, “Me sister.”
Silence.
“You’re going to introduce us?” he asked after a few moments.
I gnawed on my lower lip. “Yeah, I want ‘er to meet you.”
“Shit,” he breathed. “I’m nervous now, thanks.”
I unexpectedly laughed. “Think about how I feel! I’m scared shitless, I’ve never done this with ‘er before.”
“We’ve got this,” Ryder assured me. “I’ll be extra sweet and won’t invade her space like you said, I’ll let her warm up to me in her own way.”
I let out a relieved breath. “That will help.”
“Don’t worry, Bran, she’ll love me.”
I hoped so, because I loved him, and it would kill me if Bronagh didn’t accept him.
Dominic Slater is Nico. The little bastard who had been hassling my little sister in school, and had caused nothing but problems for her over the last few months was my boyfriend’s little brother. I had an atrocious moment were I let my raging emotions take over my body and I did something really bad. Deplorable really. I punched Dominic in the face, in front of his other brothers, and Ryder broke up with me because of it.
I wasn’t proud of my actions, but I didn’t exactly regret them either, which didn’t help my situation in the slightest.
It was not how I expected my night to go. I shook my head as recapped what happened and before I could feel real emotion, I downed the remainder on my Vodka and Coke. I swayed a little and laughed at myself, wondering how many drinks I had consumed but couldn’t think of a number.
I was pretty sure it was close to double digits though.
“Are you okay?” I asked Bronagh as the lights of the club came on signalling everyone to get the hell out and go home.
She nodded and laughed for no reason.
“You’re drruuunnnkkkkk,” I sang, giggling.
She placed a hand on her forehead. “It’s so warm in here, I’m roastin’.”
I took her hand in mine and tugged her towards the exit of the club. We laughed as we stumbled up the stairs. I felt good until the cool fresh air hit me. One-second I remember talking to The Destroyer kid that Dominic/Nico fought on the platform in Darkness then the next I was heaving and slumping down with my eyes closed. I groaned when I felt myself being lifted into the air.
“Bee?” I mumbled.
“Not Bee.”
I forced my eyes open and looked up.
I curled my lips upward in disgust. “Put. Me. Down.”
Ryder glanced down at me and said, “Make me.”
I tried to lift my hand to do just that, but I couldn’t, I could only lean my head back against his arm and moan as my head spun.
“You drank too fucking much,” my ex-boyfriend growled. “I’ve been watching you all night, you knocked back glass after glass.”
I humourlessly laughed. “I had an eventful night, I needed to take the edge off.”
“Fucking hell, Branna,” he angrily replied, his grip on me tightening.
“Why do you even care?” I hissed and tried to swat at him again, but failed. “You broke up with me, remember?”
“I remember,” he replied on a grunt. “And I didn’t mean it.”
“Sounded to me like you meant it.” I countered.
I was met with silence as Ryder walked, holding me against his chest like I weighed nothing. I grunted and groaned when a car door was opened and I was placed in the back seat.
“Alec,” Ryder grumbled. “You drive.”
“This is becoming a pattern,” Alec muttered.
“Just do it,” Ryder hissed.
“Jesus, okay. Should I find something for the backseat in case she gets sick?” Alec asked, and I felt like his wary eyes were on me.
“No,” Ryder replied to his brother as he got into the car and pulled me onto his lap. “We don’t live far away, I’ll hold her on my lap. Dominic has Bronagh.”
I heard male grumbling then a quick, “I call shot gun.”
It was Kane who spoke.
“The fuck?” Damien snapped. “Why do I have to sit between lover boys and the drunken sisters?”
“Because I called shot gun,” Kane quipped. “Are you deaf, little brother?”
“Fuck you,” Damien growled to Kane, making him laugh.
Reluctantly, Damien climbed into the middle of the backseat and adjusted himself when Dominic climbed in on the other side of him with my sister against his chest.
“If either of them puke on me, I’m dishing out dick shots.” Damien warned his brothers.
I laughed on Ryder’s lap and said, “Dick shots. I want to drink one of those.”