Beneath A Rogue Moon: The Brotherhood of Ruin, page 6
Which was fine by Ryce. Like them, he was here to drink, and he’d hunkered down at his usual corner table undisturbed. He knew his appearance tended to keep other men at a distance, and sure enough, no one had so much as looked at him as they walked past.
Jessie wasn’t working tonight, but Ryce knew all the other employees by name, and Tyra kept the drinks coming without being asked. She’d just set down a fresh bourbon and soda—his third—when the door opened, and Jessie walked in…with Kayla trailing behind her.
Ryce froze, his breath catching as he watched the women head to the bar. Tyra and Kayla smiled and chatted the way women did when they were introduced. When Jessie still didn’t notice his presence, Ryce was almost beginning to relax—until Tyra pointed in his direction, and all three of them were suddenly staring at him.
Jessie grinned and waved, but Kayla tensed up like a cat being pursued by a Rottweiler.
You go ahead, Kayla murmured to Jessie. I’ll be fine here.
You don’t even want to say hi?
I don’t think he likes me.
The women had no idea that Ryce could hear them, of course. He couldn’t avoid it even if he wanted to. Nevertheless, he kept his expression flat. The last time he’d seen her face, he’d been seething with rage that some son of a bitch had kissed her forcefully without permission. He’d been seconds away from baring his claws and fangs, jumping over the railing, and ripping the bastard to shreds. Consequences be damned.
But before he could make that mistake, Kayla proved that she could handle the situation herself. So much so that Ryce wondered if it wasn’t the first time something like that had happened to her.
He’s that way with everyone, Jessie was telling Kayla. He comes off a little harsh, but I promise he’s all bark and no bite.
Kayla shot her a skeptical glance, but Jessie wasn’t taking no for an answer, hooking a hand through her elbow.
Come on, just say hi, and I’ll buy the first round.
And then they were coming toward him, Kayla dragging her feet as if she were going in for a root canal. A guy with any manners would stand, but Ryce didn’t want to give Kayla any reason to stick around.
“Hey, stranger,” Jessie said, oblivious. “I was starting to worry about you. I left you a couple of messages this weekend, but you never got back to me.”
Ryce downed his drink in one go as Jessie slid into the seat across from him. Kayla stayed standing.
“I was busy,” he said.
“Busy doing what?”
“Work.” Even as Ryce spoke, his gaze found its way to Kayla, and something passed between them—a dangerous, uncomfortable zing of electricity. Probably warning her away from her doom.
“That’s cool,” Jessie chirped. “I was busy too. It’s the first week of the new semester. But I should be free this Saturday night if you’re interested.”
“I’m…” Ryce was having trouble coming up with words, and an awkward silence hung over the table until he finally managed to snap out of his weird fugue. “—busy. Sorry.”
“It’s fine. Hey, look who I ran into on campus. Your new neighbor. Remember Kayla? I was giving her a ride home when she told me she’d never been to a bar. Can you believe that? She’s never even had a beer! So I just had to bring her by.”
Kayla looked like she was about to perish from embarrassment, and Ryce almost felt sorry for her. “I don’t think she wants to be here, Jess.”
To his surprise, that got Kayla’s attention. She stared directly at him, her eyes sparking defiantly as if a switch had been flipped.
“I’m fine,” she said, pulling out the other chair and sitting so close her knee almost brushed against his.
Jessie laughed. “I think Kayla doesn’t like being told what to do.”
Ryce adjusted his impression of her, taking into account the way her family spoke to her and her father’s muttered threats when he was leaving. He didn’t blame Kayla for being sick of getting ordered around, denied a say in her own life—but he wanted to warn her to choose her rebellions wisely. His own life could serve as a hell of a cautionary tale.
Still, he wasn’t here to save her—or get to know her.
“You okay, Ryce?” Jessie was staring at him with concern.
“Fine,” he said hastily. “Just thinking about…work.”
He could tell Jessie wasn’t buying it, but she was too polite to get into it in front of Kayla. “Uh-huh. Well, I’m going to go check with Dennis to see if he cut the paychecks yet. Are you cool hanging out here for a few minutes, Kayla?”
Kayla tensed again, the knuckles on her hand turning white. But she managed a smile that was almost convincing. “Sure, no problem.”’
Ryce waited until Jessie was out of hearing distance. “Listen, don’t feel obligated to sit here. I know you’d probably rather wait at the bar.”
She took a breath as if she’d been forced to testify against her will. “What makes you think you’re the expert on what I like? We’re strangers. You don’t know the first thing about me. It’s obvious you have a problem with me, though. So if you want me to leave, say so, and I will.”
Shit. Ryce hadn’t anticipated this flash of anger, not from someone who caved to everything her family dished out. Maybe she was right—but Ryce trusted his instincts, and his instincts told him that Kayla Holland was more vulnerable than she wanted people to know.
“I should apologize about the last time we spoke. When I—“
“—screamed at me?” Kayla glared at him.
She wasn’t going to make this easy.
“Yeah, that. It wasn’t you. It was just…just a bad day. But that’s not an excuse for being…a dick.” He could have sugar-coated it. But those same instincts told him not to bother. Kayla struck him as the sort of woman who could sniff out bullshit a mile away.
“Don’t worry about it,” she said after a moment, some of the venom fading from her voice. “It’s not the first time a guy yelled at me to get out of his sight. Though it might be the first time anyone actually apologized afterward.”
Ryce had no response to that. A man who’d threaten a woman like Kayla didn’t deserve to take up space in any world.
His mind went back to the dirtbag who’d pawed her in the parking lot, and he had to ball his hands into fists to hide the claws that extended of their own accord. He cleared his throat and cast around for a way to change the subject. Small talk wasn’t exactly his specialty.
“Is that the Oregon Hills lager?” he said, nodding at her beer. “Jessie says it’s pretty good.”
Kayla looked down at the untouched glass. “I actually don’t have any idea,” she said softly. “Jessie ordered for us both. I don’t drink. I mean, I haven’t ever…oh, what the hell.”
She put the glass to her lips, took a tentative sip, and then shuddered. “Oh God, that’s terrible. It tastes like…like dog piss or…I mean, people seriously like that?”
Ryce suppressed a smile. He’d say one thing for Kayla—she continued to surprise him. “I guess it’s an acquired taste.”
“But why would anyone want to acquire it?” She set the glass down and pushed it toward him. “It’s all yours.”
“Want to try my drink instead?”
She frowned. “Are you making fun of me?”
That was the last thing he intended. “Definitely not. Just thought you might like the opportunity to try a new experience. If you don’t, that’s fine too.”
Kayla considered for a moment, then surprised him by reaching over the table. She picked up his glass, shooting him a look over the rim. “Just promise not to laugh.”
“I swear.”
Kayla took a sniff and grimaced before sipping delicately. With a serious expression, she licked her lips. Ryce found himself holding his breath until she finally nodded and set down the glass.
“Surprisingly, not terrible,” she said. “It burns going down—but I kind of liked that. It’s got a caramel spice thing going on. What is it?”
Ryce wished he’d sprung for the good stuff. “It’s a bourbon and soda—just a well drink.” I’ve got better stuff at home, he almost added, which showed he really needed to get his head out of his ass.
“Do you always drink that?”
This week? Way more than he should. “Sometimes. Usually, I stick to beer, though.”
“Well, thanks for letting me try it. I have a feeling this is the last time I’ll have a chance to do anything like this for a while. If my sister knew I was drinking—hell, if she even knew I was in this bar—I’d be back in Blunt by morning.”
“Blunt?”
“Sorry.” Kayla wrinkled her nose. “Blunt’s my hometown, in Idaho. It’s a horrible place. I’d do anything not to go back there.” She picked up her beer, then set it down again. “Are you from Vidalia originally?”
She had no idea how complicated the question was.
“Kind of,” Ryce settled on saying.
“What do you mean, kind of? Either you’re from a place, or you’re not.”
Ryce cast about for a response that wouldn’t seem rude. “It’s just that I don’t like to talk much about my past.”
Kayla nodded as if it was a perfectly reasonable answer. “How about the present? Do you talk about that?”
“It depends.”
“You and Jessie were talking about work. What do you do?”
Damn it. Ryce had escaped the frying pan only to find himself in the fire. “You don’t want to know.”
“Once more—you don’t know what I want,” Kayla snapped, and there it was again—that thin but powerful edge, the anger that showed itself when she was provoked.
Ryce raised his hands in apology, but the truth was that Kayla’s temper was kind of admirable, especially in someone who had evidently been taken for granted since birth. It left him wanting to know more.
And that couldn’t happen.
Everything about Kayla that intrigued him—her sweetness and innocence and fresh-faced beauty contrasted with her hidden iron core, the smoldering fire that was ever on the edge of burning out of control—all of it would be destroyed if she got close to him.
Ryce knew he had to put a stop to it now before it got any harder.
“You wanna know? Fine,” he said coldly. “I’m a freelance problem solver.”
“A what, now?”
Ryce glanced down at the table, unable to meet her eyes as he told a version of the truth. “People come to me with problems, the kind that can’t be solved by cops or lawyers. I make them go away.”
It took a long time—too long—for Kayla to get it. But when she did, Ryce saw how her eyes shuttered, the guileless hope replaced by something bitter.
“And how do you do that?” she demanded in a tone that matched his own. “How do you make them go away?”
“By making whoever caused the problem fix it…or disappear.”
“You’re saying you’re a…what, some kind of enforcer?”
Ryce flinched, her guess coming far too close to the truth. “What I’m saying is that I’m not a good man. Definitely not the kind of guy you should be talking to in a bar. So do yourself a favor, Kayla—forget all about me.”
Chapter
Nine
KAYLA
“Do you mind if I have a piece of gum?” My words—the first I’d said since getting back into Jessie’s Celica—came out thin and reedy. I sounded scared…because I was.
“Sure. You doing okay?” Jessie asked as she handed me the pack sitting in the console.
“Actually…do you mind if I have two?”
Jessie gave me a sidelong glance. “Now I’m worried. Two sticks of gum usually means you threw up or ate garlic before a date. And I’m pretty sure you didn’t do either.”
“I’m worried about that beer,” I admitted. “If my sister smells it on me—well, it wouldn’t be good.”
Jessie laughed, then clapped a hand over her mouth guiltily. “I’m sorry. I’m not making fun of you, honest—but honey, it would take a lot more than a couple sips to raise the alarm, even with your sister’s…” She paused, clearly trying to choose her words carefully. “...attention to detail.”
Now it was my turn to laugh. “You can come out and say it—Lexi is a total bitch, and she has been as long as I can remember.”
Jessie visibly relaxed. “Oh, good—I mean, not that she treats you that way, but I’m glad I didn’t offend you. It’s gotta be tough putting up with the constant judgement.”
“You get used to it.” For once, my family wasn’t at the top of my grievance list. I hesitated before getting up the nerve to ask, “Is Ryce your boyfriend?”
“My boyfriend?” Jessie looked amused. “No way. I’m not really into commitment right now. Neither is he, far as I know.”
Her answer surprised me and deepened my curiosity—so much that I was willing to risk embarrassing myself further. “So… what is your relationship? I mean, I got the feeling you’re more than, you know, just friends.”
“Oh, we’re friends, all right. I know I can count on Ryce in a pinch, not that I’ve ever needed to. And I’d do the same for him. I genuinely enjoy his company.” Jessie shrugged. “And sometimes we hook up when we’re both horny and available.”
“Available—meaning, not seeing someone else?”
I knew I should stop badgering her. It wasn’t any of my business, but given that the only relationships I’d witnessed first-hand were based on church-approved courting, I couldn’t help my fascination.
Jessie waved the question away. “Nah. I hook up with other guys, and I’d bet money Ryce sees other people too. He’d probably even tell me who if I asked...if I cared,” she amended, shooting me a smile.
“And you don’t get jealous?”
“Nope.”
“And he doesn’t either? I mean…would you even know?”
Jessie pulled a face. “Uh…trust me, the man doesn’t care. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not some sort of fuckboy. He just doesn’t take sex too seriously. But why all the questions? Are you into him?”
“No!” I said, way too fast.
“Because I have to admit I was kind of surprised to find you still hanging out at his table when I came back.”
“He’s not my type,” I said a little too quickly. But it was true. At least, true-ish.
Ryce was incredibly hot, and his life sounded a lot more intriguing than I was comfortable admitting, but that didn’t mean I was looking to start a relationship with him. I might not have Jessie’s experience in matters of the heart, but I knew the difference between lust and true attraction.
Besides, Ryce didn’t want anything to do with me. That brush-off in the bar made it pretty damn clear.
I’m not a good man. Do yourself a favor, Kayla—forget all about me.
“Bullshit!” Jessie barked with laughter was saying. “I know for a fact Ryce is everyone’s type. Sometimes, I even catch the loggers looking his way.”
That I didn’t doubt. The man might be a violent criminal, but there was something undeniably magnetic about him.
Still, that didn’t change a thing.
“I’m not looking for a relationship,” I told her. If anything, I was actively avoiding one, at least while I was under Lexi’s thumb. Once I had the chance to establish my own life, that might change, but I wasn’t in any hurry.
“Tell you what,” Jessie said. “Maybe you should take a page from my book and try a hookup—just a little anonymous fun, no strings attached.”
My nose wrinkled at the suggestion. “I don’t think I’m the hookup type. Someday I’ll find the guy I want to settle down with, but not now.”
“Settle down?” Jessie glanced my way. “You really are thinking ahead, aren’t you? So what kind of man would you consider husband material?”
I was a little taken aback by the question. It wasn’t something I’d given a whole lot of thought to. It would’ve been a whole lot easier to answer what I wasn’t looking for—namely, anyone like Dad or Tony...or, God forbid, Pierce.
“Kind,” I answered eventually. “Gentle. Understanding. Stable would be nice and, you know, secure.”
Jessie burst out laughing as if I’d said something hilarious. “Yeah, that’s definitely not Ryce. Oh well, can’t blame me for trying.”
“Wait,” I said, horrified. “When you suggested a hookup, you didn’t mean with—with—“ I couldn’t even bring myself to say his name.
Jessie patted my knee. “Don’t worry, sugar. Your secret little crush is safe with me.”
Wow. Now I really needed to change the subject, but for some reason, nothing came to mind. Not when the memory of Ryce’s smoldering stare was taking up all the room in my head.
“But Ryce isn’t, like…dangerous, is he?” I asked.
Jessie glanced at me in surprise. “Why? Did he say something while I was in the back?”
“No. Or yes…sort of—I asked him what he did for work, and he was a little…cryptic.”
Jessie sighed. “Oh, that. I’m kind of surprised he said anything at all, to be honest. I knew him for months before he’d say anything more specific than that he was a freelancer.”
“So what does he do?”
“He does small jobs for, well…some of the shadier characters in town. I don’t know the specifics. I don’t want to.”
That didn’t sound good at all. “But you must have a guess.”
Jessie hesitated before saying, “The rumor is that if someone needs convincing, there’s no one better at getting results than Ryce.”
Convincing. The emphasis Jessie put on the word sent shivers up my spine. “So he is dangerous.”
“Not to you,” Jessie quickly clarified. We’d arrived at the apartment complex, and my anxieties were already ratcheting up. “Or me, or frankly anyone innocent. Like unless you owe money to a loan shark, or you cut some guy out of his share, or… Look, Ryce has a moral code. He would never hurt someone like you. It’s just not in his nature.”
