Chapter 23 Her Delusion Of A Happy Ending
<< Ryker's POV >>
_
_
"Coffee." Miles, my best friend, announced as he stepped into the living room. He handed me a cup and I took it without a word.
I took a slow sip, the heat rolling down my throat.
I set the mug down on the table and grabbed my suit. "I'm heading out."
I spent the night at Miles's place. Too much was going on. That damn Grant Miller had been stirring up more trouble than I could handle.
Miles frowned. "Why? What about our plan? You still wanna deal with that, right?"
"I'm not backing down." I pushed off the couch where I'd been sitting all morning. "Just meeting her for breakfast."
"Who?"
"Vanessa. I called earlier, but she hung up."
Miles narrowed his eyes at me, brows creased in confusion. "So you figure if she hangs up, that means she wants to meet?"
"That's what it means, right?"
He chuckled. "You're taking this relationship thing way too seriously. Damn, man, you've changed. Can't believe you're actually a fiancé now."
"Yeah, neither can I." I checked my watch. "And to an annoying pain in the ass too. She's gorgeous, but borderline demonic."
Miles laughed. Together, we headed out to his cramped garage. "I'm still shocked, by the way. Imagine how the others will react when they find out. I thought you were joking last night."
I opened my car door, his words lingering. "It can't be that bad. They don't expect me to stay single forever, right?"
"Kind of."
I shot him a look.
Miles took a step back. "I hope you thought this through, Ryker. Knowing Grant and the others, if they can't get to you, they might go after her."
I didn't get in right away. I leaned on the door, watching Miles.
He shrugged. "Not my place to say, but...I kinda preferred it when it was just you."
"So just because I have a fiancée now, I'm a weakling and a different person?"
"No, not that." He said quickly.
I raised an eyebrow. "You mean the side of me willing to dig hoes with you?"
He paused, then whispered. "You don't do that anymore?"
"I don't..." I said, almost too quickly.
He gave me a pointed look, clearly not convinced.
Fine.
"Maybe I still am. But I'm taking a break." I smirked, a slight twist pulling at my lip. "Gotta act like a engaged man now, right?"
"You can't be serious about Vanessa if you still keep those girls on your speed dial."
"They're not on my speed dial, just saved contacts."
"Anyway, don't forget tomorrow night. We're hitting the underground. Been a while since you showed up, especially with all this marriage drama with the board and your dad. You gotta be there."
I pressed my lips tight, a heat rising that I couldn't shake.
One reason I left the house was to clear my head at Miles's and plan for the underground fight tomorrow.
Leading a racing gang, it wasn't surprising that smaller crews wanted to challenge me.
But this time, it wasn't some random rookies. It was Grant Miller, the biggest threat in the underground, coming after me.
Since the whole marriage thing, I'd stepped back from racing and the ring. My focus shifted to locking down a wife and dealing with Derek.
Still, Grant kept showing up in the underground, stirring shit just to get under my skin.
Last night, after that fight in my dad's study during Derek's engagement party, I left. Vanessa didn't know this. I'm sure she thought I was just staying away.
But I left because Miles called me. Grant had stabbed one of my guys in the thigh and shoved a note in the wound.
By the time I got there, the kid was already getting patched up. And the note said;
{The more time you waste, the more your people get hurt. Don't be a prick, rich-asshole. Be at the ring on Sunday night. Nine sharp. Face your fear.}
Funny how he thought he was my fear. Annoying how he thought he can get away with this. And more irritating that someone innocent had to suffer because of his hatred towards me.
This wasn't just a turf war anymore. It was personal. And Grant had just declared war on the wrong person.
I must've been staring too long, 'cause Miles waved his hand in front of my face. "You spaced out."
I cleared my throat, voice steady and cool. "Don't worry about that, I'll be there on Sunday. Grant wants a taste of death? I'll gladly serve it."
He clapped my shoulder. "Put Grant in his place and show him who's boss."
"He thinks I'm just some rich asshole." I shook my head. "Typical poor kid mentality."
"Sunday night it is. Just a day away from the big show." He grinned. "And hey... wouldn't it be something if you brought her along?"
Bring Vanessa to the underground?
Not sure I wanted her to see this side of me. The side that lives for danger and for blood spilled.
Car racing was a good sport, indeed. But in the underground? It was something else entirely.
Underground races bent rules, hurt people, all to prove a point. Not to mention that the racers never walk away clean.
After racing, there was the "second trial"—the ring fights. No rules. No procedures. Just fists, blood, and the very real chance of death.
Give up like a coward. Or die trying to win.
What if she sees that part of me and calls me a two-faced irresponsible citizen? And she hates me for it?
I shouldn't care about what she thought of me. I spent years training myself not to care about anything or anyone.
But somehow, that rule didn't apply to Vanessa. She was different. I was drawn to her in a way that made no damn sense. She was someone I was crazily attracted to.
If I wanted a shot with her, I had to behave like a good guy and less of an asshole. Keep this darker part of me buried where she couldn't see it.
I wasn't dumb enough to think one quick moment in the restroom meant anything to her or changed things between us.
She'd even called it a "terrible mistake." Said it shouldn't happen again.
She was still hung up on Derek, and she didn't even deny it when I threw it in her face.
Derek needed to be out of the picture. For good.
I don't care what storyline they had going on before their divorce, I'd ruin it.
Letting her slip through my fingers wasn't even in my top hundred worst-case scenarios. And wanting someone this badly? That didn't happen often. It was rare.
I craved her so badly that it made me selfish.
Selfish enough to want to drag her out of whatever fantasy she still had about a happy ending with Derek, and make her mine.
When I said 'mine', I meant 'mine alone'.
I didn't share. I never have, and I wasn't about to start now.
I glanced at Miles.
"I think it's best if she stays oblivious. The less she knows, the less she worries."
But for how long? Secrets don't stay buried forever. And when this one explodes, she'll probably hate me for real.