He pushed his chest out. “I called Mia. She’s organized it all.”
“Wow. You surprise me every day, Ryder.”
“I just want to see you happy, Sparrow. And well-fed. Hospital food sucks.”
I laughed. “Best diet in the universe. But I don’t want to be on it again, okay?”
He got out of the car and came around to open my door and help me out. He leaned over and kissed me. “You can be damn sure of that, babe. I'm going to take real good care of you. In every way.” He wiggled his eyebrows as he squeezed my ass.
Mom and Dad were out on the patio, relaxing with a glass of wine each and staring over the ocean. I kissed them both, painfully aware that they now knew that I’d been living here and not at an apartment with a friend. I let out a slow breath, relief washing over me that I didn’t have to pretend or lie any longer.
Dad shook Ryder’s hand and Mom gave him a hug. Wow. Am I hallucinating? Maybe I was still in hospital on those damn drugs and this was just an illusion?
I heard voices behind me and turned to see Harrison and Eva. Shit, those drugs were strong . . . this was surely a dream . . . one I hoped wasn’t going to turn into a nightmare.
They had just arrived, Harrison steering Eva with his hand on the small of her back, then circling his arm around her waist as they came to stand in front of me. That was a sign of possession if ever I saw it.
“Jade. I'm so happy to see you.” Eva kissed both my cheeks, smiling. I really liked her. She handed me the bunch of flowers she was holding. “From both of us.”
My mouth formed an O. I was speechless, something that didn’t happen too often. Harrison and Eva? How did I not know anything about this?
Harrison lifted his chin at Ryder and kissed my cheek. There was something different about him. The aggression he always carried with him was somehow missing. He looked at ease; the dark circles and bags under his eyes had faded and he was offering me a sheepish, lopsided grin.
Ryder lifted his brow, his lips thin as he saw my brother touching his sister in such an intimate way. “Summers. Something you need to tell me?” he growled.
“It's really none of your business, Knox,” Harrison replied, his voice calm and even.
“Like hell it isn’t. I didn’t invite you over. I only invited my sister to meet Jade’s parents. Now she brings you . . . like a date?” The muscles in Ryder’s arms flexed as he clenched and unclenched his fists a few times.
Eva stepped between the two men. “Ryder, I'm truly happy to have you as my brother. But I'm a grown woman—I date who I want to. I invited Harrison. You said it was fine to bring someone.”
Ryder narrowed his eyes and nodded his head in Harrison’s direction.“I didn’t mean him. I had no idea . . . why didn’t you tell me, Eva?”
Harrison answered for her. “We thought this would be the perfect time to tell everyone that we . . . are seeing one another.”
Mom stepped closer to greet Harrison and meet Eva. Her eyes were wide as she put the pieces of the puzzle together. “Harrison . . . this is a . . . surprise.” She turned to Eva, appraising her.
“Owen, come meet Eva,” Mom called over her shoulder.
Dad placed his empty wine glass on the table and shuffled closer, resting his arm around Mom’s shoulder as he held out his hand to Eva. “Hello, Eva. Dark hair runs in the family, does it?” He turned to Harrison. “Great catch son, she’s a beauty.”
What? They accepted Eva just like that? And all this time I’d been afraid of introducing Ryder to them because of Harrison’s reaction? I sighed—I’d always believed they’d judge my biker as harshly as what my brother did, but it appeared I was completely wrong.
Chapter Sixty-Eight — Ryder
Seething, I glared at Summers. This was meant to be about Jade and I today. I had a few announcements of my own I wanted to make, hence why I'd invited Eva to meet Jade’s parents. Had she told me she planned on bringing him, I would probably have talked her out of it. His presence wasn’t going to stop me from saying what I wanted to.
My blood boiled. What a two-faced bastard. Causing shit between Jade and me, yet here he was with my sister. The fucking tables had turned.
Is he good enough for Eva?
In my opinion, Summers was bitter and twisted and fucked—damaged beyond repair. All his actions had proven that. Why would Eva waste her time on a man like him, who lived for revenge? She deserved better.
Jade, Sylvia and Eva had gone to the kitchen to bring out the food. Harrison was busy on a call to his partner, Savage, and had taken it inside, where the conversation couldn’t be overheard.