Unbeautifully (Undeniable, #2)(60)
Ripper held his hand up.
“Thanks for sharin’ ’cause, really, I give two f*cks about your crazy old lady, but I was only talkin’ brews that I got sittin’ on ice in the kitchen.”
Cox laughed. “Let’s do it.”
Once they both had a drink and were seated, Cox slapped his hand down on the table and grinned at Ripper. “Reason I’m here, brother, is Prez is gettin’ married next week.”
“So?”
“So? That’s your f*ckin’ prez and I know you been talkin’ to him. I know he hasn’t said jack shit about you comin’ home for the weddin’, but we both know Prez and you f*ckin’ know he wants you there.”
At the thought of seeing Danny again, Ripper’s stomach tightened in anticipation. Even so, he shook his head. “Naw, I already explained this shit to you—”
Cox’s fist came down hard on the table. “You didn’t explain shit! You said you were f*cked-up and left. You ain’t lookin’ all that f*cked-up to me, and I’m tellin’ you, it’s time to come the f*ck home.”
Ripper couldn’t help but grin. “Miss me, huh? Or does Kami miss me?”
For the first time since Cox and Kami got serious, Cox actually smiled at one of his Kami jabs.
“Brother,” Cox said. “Shit has smoothed out back home. Things are good between Prez and Foxy, and whatever the f*ck you think you’re goin’ through, you can come back home and go through it there. Where we are. Your f*ckin’ family. Havin’ your back.”
“So…everyone is good?” he asked slowly, only really caring about one person in particular.
Cox grimaced. “Prez and Foxy are good, but I’m pretty sure Hawk’s gone crazy, actin’ like an angry hermit and hatin’ on Jase somethin’ fierce for some reason that he’s refusin’ to share with the rest of us.”
Looked like Hawk was still hard up for D.
“Then,” Cox continued, “there was the bullshit with Danny and seriously, brother, I thought Deuce was gonna have her locked up, it was that bad.”
Ripper kept his gaze on his beer even as his entire body jerked to attention at the mention of Danny’s name.
“What was wrong with Danny?” he asked quietly, picking at the label on his beer.
Cox shook his head. “Who the f*ck knows? She just stopped talkin’, started gettin’ drunk and high and, get this, hangin’ out with Dirty. She was makin’ scenes left and right, cryin’ and screamin’ at everyone. Straight up, brother, I ain’t never seen a good girl go bad so f*ckin’ quick.”
Ripper swallowed thickly, feeling sick to his stomach.
“She good now?” he asked hoarsely.
Cox lifted his shoulder. “She’s better. She ain’t the same but she’s goin’ to college now and her and ZZ are all up in each other—”
Everything just stopped. Screeched to a motherf*cking, backbreaking halt. His heart included.
“What?” Ripper interrupted. “Danny and ZZ, what?”
Cox snorted. “Yeah, dude, Danny and ZZ. In love. Fuckin’ crazy, huh?”
Christ. Jesus f*cking Christ. No. NO. Aw god, no. He went from feeling sick to pretty sure he was going to vomit.
“Don’t even ask me how those two got together ’cause I don’t know, but Prez is dealin’ with it. He isn’t happy but he’s a whole lot happier than he was when Danny was actin’ nuts. He knows it was because of Z that she stopped flushin’ her whole f*ckin’ life down the shitter.”
No. No. No. Just…no.
“And ZZ’s been takin’ some pretty bad beat-downs, which is a whole lot of f*ckin’ awesome if you ask me.”
Ripper wasn’t listening anymore. He was too busy trying to remember how to breathe. He’d wanted Danny to move on, forget about him, to meet a guy who would be good to her, give her all the shit he couldn’t…he’d wanted…
How long had he been gone? Around a year? One motherf*cking year and she was already in bed with one of his brothers. In love? They were in-motherf*cking-love?
She’d lied. The bitch had to have straight up lied. She’d never loved him. He’d been a damn fool to think an eighteen-year-old with a foot still in the cradle had been capable of anything other than the selfish desire to fill the hole inside of her that her f*cked-up family had caused.
So, yeah. He’d gotten what he wanted. Only now he knew the truth.
He’d never had it to begin with.
“Ripper?”
He had to clear his throat several times before answering. “Yeah?”
“You’re comin’ back with me, right?”
They stared at each other.
“Why the f*ck not,” he choked out, then picked up his beer and downed the remaining contents in one long swallow.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
One week later…
“Danny,” ZZ whispered in my ear. “Wake up, baby. I f*ckin’ want you.”
Yawning, I stretched languidly, allowing ZZ to roll me onto my stomach. Spreading my legs apart, he situated himself behind me and began pushing inside.
I moaned softly as I stretched for him, enjoying the pleasurable burn as he fully seated himself. Spreading my legs farther apart, I dug my fingers into the pillows and arched my hips up, pushing back against him. One of his hands came down over my own, interlocking our fingers.