My girl had been looking forward to her birthday since just after I'd met her. I wanted to make it up to her, do something to wipe the worry from her face and put the wide smile back in place.
I'd never done anything remotely romantic for a woman. I mean, other than to fuck them fast and hard, I had no use for them. But fuck, for Jade, I’d move the moon and the stars to make her happy.
Rebecca. If anyone knew what Jade liked, it would be her cousin. She was still visiting L.A, and since Max had asked me to keep an eye out for her I’d gotten to know her a little. It was mind-blowing how similar she and Jade were in many ways, although they’d grown up in different countries and only saw one another every few years.
Since the night at the club when I’d followed the girls and called Razor and Ratbag for backup, Ratbag had volunteered to look out for Rebecca when I was busy. Being a fellow Australian, he felt it was his duty. But I had suspicions that Ratbag was more than a little in love with Rebecca. Poor fucker—he didn’t stand a chance of winning her if my brother, Max, was going to make her his lady. Not a chance in hell. But I didn’t have the heart to tell him that, so instead I let him follow Rebecca like a lost puppy.
I found her number on my phone and dialed. She answered within three rings. “Rebecca, hey, can you talk for a minute?” I asked, feeling a bit foolish about calling her for girlfriend advice.
“Hey, Ryder.” Her voice was sleepy. Granted, it was only six thirty in the morning.
“Um, sorry for calling so early. I couldn’t sleep, so I’ve been up forever and forgot that other people were sleeping.”
She yawned before she spoke. “It must be pretty important if you couldn’t sleep.” The concern in her voice was palpable. “Is Jade okay?” I chuckled. “Yeah, she’s fast asleep in my bed. I need . . . advice.” I paused for a breath. “Your cousin Harrison is one mean son-of-a-bitch. Jade was so disappointed by the way he behaved at her party.”
“Yes, I was surprised by his behavior. I never knew he could get so damn aggressive. If he were my brother, I’d hate him treating me like a kid. He needs to realize she’s a woman with her own life.”
“Yeah. I think he wants me dead, actually. Six-feet under, and far from his little sister.” I chuckled wryly.
“Look, Ryder, I’ll be honest. It’ll take a miracle to change Harrison’s opinion about bikers. As long as you are part of the Scorpio Stinger MC he’s never going to approve of you dating his sister.”
I coughed. Even though I knew all this, it was hard as fuck to hear. What about the long-term plans I wanted to make for Jade and I?
Her voice became soft. “I can understand his hurt. But I also know he’s wrong about you. You’re . . . an acquired taste, for sure, but you have a heart of gold. And you love Jade. That much is clear.”
“Don’t go thinking I’m all soft, Rebecca,” I growled. “I’m not. I’ll kill a man in the wink of an eye if I need to.”
She swallowed, hard. “Don’t say shit like that, Ryder. I may just side with Harrison.”
I laughed, hard and bitter. “You’re just as naïve as Jade. You don’t think Harrison or Maxwell would do the same? If they needed to?”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to think of stuff like that before breakfast.” She sighed. “What was so pressing that you had to call me so early? It wasn’t to shoot the breeze about Harrison.”
“Correct. I want to make it up to Jade. Any ideas?”
She laughed. “Now that kind of stuff I can deal with. What did you have in mind?”
“What the hell do you think I know about what makes a woman happy other than fucking her? Fuck, if I knew what to do I wouldn’t be calling you.”
“Are you always so brutally honest?”
“Yeah. I am. No point in beating around the bush. I say what I mean. End of story. That way everyone is clear.”
Rebecca laughed. “You’re just as upfront as Maxwell. I find it . . . intriguing.”
“Well, any ideas? You know what bitches like.”
“Ryder, stop calling women bitches. It can be very offensive. Has Jade not told you that?”
“Jesus. Now you’re lecturing me? You haven’t answered my damn question either.”
“Well, why don’t you take her away for a while? Just the two of you. Get out of L.A.”
I thought about it for a few seconds. “Yeah, that sounds like a great plan. There’s so much crap going on at the moment. At the club . . . the L.A. Demons . . . with Harrison.” I sighed, raking my fingers through my hair as a plan came to me.