Resisting Ryder

CHAPTER 1




“Wh-who are you?” Stormy stammered. Her heart raced as she waited for the man standing at her front door to speak.

She couldn’t believe Jett was standing in front of her in the flesh, only she knew it wasn’t him. She had just buried him that morning, in the rain, on that insufferable, cold June day. This version of Jett looked a little bit older, a little bit more ripped, and a little bit different. There was something behind his eyes that she’d never seen in another human being before, and yet at the same time his eyes felt like home.

He had Jett’s same chocolate brown hair, and his hazel eyes were framed by the same dark lashes that Jett had. He stood about Jett’s height, slightly taller, and had a few extra pounds of muscle on him, but if she squinted just right, the man standing before her was Jett.

“Ryder,” he said. Even his voice was soothing like Jett’s. “Ryder Jacks.”

Stormy was confused as she tried to wrap her head around who this person was. Was she dreaming? Was he a relative? Did he think she inherited money? Why wasn’t he at the funeral? A million questions swirled around in her mind as she braced herself against the door.

“I’m sorry,” she said as she managed to swallow the lump in her throat. “Are you a relative? A cousin?”

“I’m Jett’s brother,” he said. “May I come in?”

Stormy swung the door open wide and motioned towards the living room. Ryder stepped in and took a look around at the humble little trailer she called home. They hadn’t even begun to decorate it much before Jett was murdered in a bad drug deal and their cozy little life had come to a screeching halt.

His heavy shoes clomped on the beat up faux wood floors as he shuffled his way to the living room and sat down.

“You don’t happen to have anything to drink do you?” he asked. “Beer? Liquor?”

Stormy narrowed her eyes as she hesitated for a moment. She didn’t know this guy yet he had just walked into her house and asked for alcohol.

“Wine,” she said. “I have some wine. That’s it.”

“Wine works,” he said as he sighed and leaned back onto the couch. He seemed to have something heavy weighing on his mind but had no qualms about making himself right at home.

When Stormy returned with two wine goblets filled almost to the top with red wine, Ryder sat up. He sipped his wine, then gulped it, then chugged it until nothing was left. She looked at his black leather jacket and tried to read the logo on the arm. It was a little skull and crossbones with “Hellfire MC” stitched beneath it. She vaguely remembered Jett talking about a rival motorcycle club – hell something – but she wasn’t sure.

“I’m normally not a drinker,” he said. “I swear.”

Stormy wasn’t convinced.

“It’s fine,” she said. “I needed a drink too.”

“Honest, I’m not,” he insisted. “This is just really weird for me. It’s weird being here. Back in this town.”

Stormy nodded and sipped more of her wine. She had so many questions but didn’t know where to even begin. One second she wanted to wrap her arms around him and pretend he was Jett, but the next second she was wary of Ryder and his intentions. It didn’t feel real to be sitting with a person, Jett’s brother no less, that she didn’t even know existed.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t even know you existed. I’m still kind of in shock.”

“Really? Jett never said anything me?” he asked.

“No. He pretty much implied that he was an only child. Or I guess I just assumed.”

“That’s really, really weird,” he said as he scratched above his eyebrow and then folded his hands in his lap. He leaned forward before cocking his head. “I guess I get it.”

“Well, I don’t get it,” Stormy snipped. “I’d love if you could fill me in. I’m really confused right now.”

“Stormy,” he laughed. When he smiled, all she saw was Jett’s smile, right down to the shape of his perfect, white teeth. “There’s so much more than I could ever begin to tell you. Our family is so complicated. More than you could ever begin to imagine.”

“I want to know everything,” she demanded.

“There’s a reason he didn’t tell you everything,” Ryder retorted. “I should probably respect my brother’s wishes, don’t you think? Maybe he didn’t tell you things as his way of protecting you?”

“Maybe,” Stormy said as she shrunk back in her seat. Her eyes felt hot as the tears began to well up. “Guess I’ll never know, will I?”