Unchain My Heart
Chapter One — Ryder
“Relax, Ryder. She doesn’t bite.” Bill laughed, but his voice was nervous.
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. “It’s not every day I get to meet my half-sister for the first time. Until a few weeks ago I didn't even know she existed, and now I'm going to come face to face with her. That’s a big fucking deal, Bill.”
He was cool with me calling him Bill. There was no way I was going to call a virtual stranger Dad just because his loins sired me. He’d dragged me to a fancy restaurant that he part owned because he supposedly felt more at ease in a familiar environment. Luckily I hadn’t worn my cut or I would probably have been bounced right out of there.
My gaze fell on the tall brunette who’d entered the restaurant and was homed in on us. My mouth dropped open. Was this my sister? She was beautiful. Elegant and perfectly poised, she could’ve been a model for some fancy fashion house. She was dressed as smartly as the other diners sitting at the tables, not a hair out of place, contrasting with my faded jeans and T-shirt and biker boots, making me feel even more like a fish out of fucking water.
She didn't smile as she strode toward us. Her eyes were guarded beneath long black lashes and her mouth set in a thin determined line. Coming to stand in front of Bill, she virtually ignored me. She didn't attempt to kiss him or anything I’d imagined a daughter who hadn’t seen her father for a while would do.
“Father,” she said coolly as she reached our table and we both rose to our feet. Bill awkwardly tried to kiss her, but she turned her cheek and his lips barely got to touch her skin.
She looked at her watch. “Look, I don’t have a lot of time. You said there was something extremely important you needed to tell me.” Her gaze traveled to me and she turned her nose up slightly as she appraised me. She took in my long hair tied into a ponytail before shifting her eyes to my face and narrowing them as she stared at my piercings. Yeah, I was used to that from snooty bitches. Even Jade had that reaction when she’d first met me. A smirk curled around my lips as I sat down.
I could see she was curious as hell as to why I was here. But I’d let Bill do the talking. After all, it was his party. Both of them took their seats and stared at one another uncomfortably. I waved the waitress over. Man, I needed a beer. My throat was dry as hell.
“Anything to drink?” I asked after I ordered a pint.
“Yes, I think I need a drink. Martini, no olives,” she shot at the waitress.
Bill ordered whiskey. A triple. I could see why he needed it.
“Eva, I want you to meet Ryder. That’s why I asked you to come today. And because I miss you, of course.” Bill’s eyes clouded with sadness, his mouth turned downward. For a moment I felt sorry for the guy. To lose a wife to cancer and a daughter by her own choice must have been quite hard on him.
She turned to me. Her steel-blue eyes were remarkable—and just like mine. A small smile twisted her lips as her gaze openly traveled up my arms, lingering on the tattoo of the cobra running the full length of my arm.
The waitress placed our drinks on the table, a drop of clear liquid sloshing over the side of Eva’s martini. Even fancy restaurant staff fucked up. The girl apologized and offered to bring Eva a new drink, but she declined, far more interested in me than earlier.
Is Eva into bad boys?
“A new sign-up? Band or solo?” she asked.
“Neither,” I grunted, taking a sip of my beer. Shit, it tasted good.
“Oh. Sorry. I thought you were a rocker. You certainly look like one.”
“Honey, this is Ryder Knox. He’s your half-brother. The one I told you about when I told Mom everything. I managed to track him down, after all these years.” Bill’s voice tapered off as she gasped, her eyes wide.
“He . . . he’s my brother?” She looked at me as if I’d grown two heads.
“Yeah. Your father’s indiscretion caught up with him,” I drawled, amused by the surprise on her face.
“I thought you should meet. You haven’t known one another as kids, but maybe . . .”
She turned to face Bill. “Why didn't you tell me over the phone that you were bringing him? You said it had something to do with Mom. Now this?” She held up her hands, gesturing to me.
“Would you still have agreed to come? I didn't think you would,” Bill said softly.
Hell, I wasn’t sure I wanted her in my life either. I totally got it. “Listen, sweetheart, if it’s okay with you, we can both walk out of here and pretend the other doesn’t exist. That’s fine by me. I didn't know about you till a few weeks ago. Clearly you don’t need more family. I'm just fine with that, ‘cause I already have one.”
“Relax, Ryder. She doesn’t bite.” Bill laughed, but his voice was nervous.
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. “It’s not every day I get to meet my half-sister for the first time. Until a few weeks ago I didn't even know she existed, and now I'm going to come face to face with her. That’s a big fucking deal, Bill.”
He was cool with me calling him Bill. There was no way I was going to call a virtual stranger Dad just because his loins sired me. He’d dragged me to a fancy restaurant that he part owned because he supposedly felt more at ease in a familiar environment. Luckily I hadn’t worn my cut or I would probably have been bounced right out of there.
My gaze fell on the tall brunette who’d entered the restaurant and was homed in on us. My mouth dropped open. Was this my sister? She was beautiful. Elegant and perfectly poised, she could’ve been a model for some fancy fashion house. She was dressed as smartly as the other diners sitting at the tables, not a hair out of place, contrasting with my faded jeans and T-shirt and biker boots, making me feel even more like a fish out of fucking water.
She didn't smile as she strode toward us. Her eyes were guarded beneath long black lashes and her mouth set in a thin determined line. Coming to stand in front of Bill, she virtually ignored me. She didn't attempt to kiss him or anything I’d imagined a daughter who hadn’t seen her father for a while would do.
“Father,” she said coolly as she reached our table and we both rose to our feet. Bill awkwardly tried to kiss her, but she turned her cheek and his lips barely got to touch her skin.
She looked at her watch. “Look, I don’t have a lot of time. You said there was something extremely important you needed to tell me.” Her gaze traveled to me and she turned her nose up slightly as she appraised me. She took in my long hair tied into a ponytail before shifting her eyes to my face and narrowing them as she stared at my piercings. Yeah, I was used to that from snooty bitches. Even Jade had that reaction when she’d first met me. A smirk curled around my lips as I sat down.
I could see she was curious as hell as to why I was here. But I’d let Bill do the talking. After all, it was his party. Both of them took their seats and stared at one another uncomfortably. I waved the waitress over. Man, I needed a beer. My throat was dry as hell.
“Anything to drink?” I asked after I ordered a pint.
“Yes, I think I need a drink. Martini, no olives,” she shot at the waitress.
Bill ordered whiskey. A triple. I could see why he needed it.
“Eva, I want you to meet Ryder. That’s why I asked you to come today. And because I miss you, of course.” Bill’s eyes clouded with sadness, his mouth turned downward. For a moment I felt sorry for the guy. To lose a wife to cancer and a daughter by her own choice must have been quite hard on him.
She turned to me. Her steel-blue eyes were remarkable—and just like mine. A small smile twisted her lips as her gaze openly traveled up my arms, lingering on the tattoo of the cobra running the full length of my arm.
The waitress placed our drinks on the table, a drop of clear liquid sloshing over the side of Eva’s martini. Even fancy restaurant staff fucked up. The girl apologized and offered to bring Eva a new drink, but she declined, far more interested in me than earlier.
Is Eva into bad boys?
“A new sign-up? Band or solo?” she asked.
“Neither,” I grunted, taking a sip of my beer. Shit, it tasted good.
“Oh. Sorry. I thought you were a rocker. You certainly look like one.”
“Honey, this is Ryder Knox. He’s your half-brother. The one I told you about when I told Mom everything. I managed to track him down, after all these years.” Bill’s voice tapered off as she gasped, her eyes wide.
“He . . . he’s my brother?” She looked at me as if I’d grown two heads.
“Yeah. Your father’s indiscretion caught up with him,” I drawled, amused by the surprise on her face.
“I thought you should meet. You haven’t known one another as kids, but maybe . . .”
She turned to face Bill. “Why didn't you tell me over the phone that you were bringing him? You said it had something to do with Mom. Now this?” She held up her hands, gesturing to me.
“Would you still have agreed to come? I didn't think you would,” Bill said softly.
Hell, I wasn’t sure I wanted her in my life either. I totally got it. “Listen, sweetheart, if it’s okay with you, we can both walk out of here and pretend the other doesn’t exist. That’s fine by me. I didn't know about you till a few weeks ago. Clearly you don’t need more family. I'm just fine with that, ‘cause I already have one.”