RYDER (Slater Brothers 4)(36)

“You shouldn’t have drank so much,” Ryder grumbled as he pressed his palm flat against my back and began to stroke up and down. The action soothed me instantly.

I closed my eyes as I leaned back against him. “You shouldn’t have broken up with me. It hurt, you know?”

I felt his lips on my bare shoulder.

“I didn’t mean it,” he murmured. “I take it back.”

“Too late,” I stated. “I’m already over you and lookin’ forward to me first single night out. I’ll be on the rebound so it’s sure to be a fun night.”

Ryder’s hold on me tightened. “I’ll spank your ass red and raw if you even dare.”

I hissed. “You’d like that, you perverted bastard.”

“You’d like it too, you perverted bastard.”

My temper flared when Ryder’s brothers laughed, again.

“Stop listenin’ to what we’re sayin’!” I snapped.

“What do you want us to do?” Dominic sarcastically asked. “Plug our ears?”

“Don’t you speak to me you little prick,” I growled like a predator. “You’ve been makin’ me sister’s life hell in school for no f*ckin’ reason. She is a good kid, she never does anythin’ to hurt anyone and yet you targeted her! If you think the punch I gave you was bad, just wait until I get me hands on you now, you little wanker!”

“Well, f*ck me,” Kane whistled from the front of the car. “I’d be scared if I were you, little brother. She’s going to kick your ass back to New York from the sound of things.”

“I can deal,” Dominic snorted, clearly not giving a damn that I was furious with him.

I screeched and extended my hands to grab him, but Damien being in the way made it difficult. I tried to push his head down so I could reach Dominic, but it only caused him to yelp and shout for me to stop.

“You sound like a little bitch,” Alec laughed from the driver’s seat.

Damien sat upright, lifted a hand to his head and rubbed where I shoved at him.

“Fuck you, *,” he growled. “Her nails were out.”

Ryder’s arms clamped around mine, pinning them to my body.

“Let. Go.”

“No,” came his immediate response. “I’m not letting you hurt my little brothers.”

“I don’t want to hurt both of them,” I spat. “Just one of them, the one that is about to be dickless.”

“Ryder,” Dominic snickered. “Control your woman.”

Oh, hell no.

“Oh, shit,” Ryder grumbled and applied more pressure to his hold on me when I went, what can only be described as, batshit crazy.

“I’m goin’ to kill you!” I bellowed.

Damien practically lay against Dominic and Bronagh as he watched me with widened eyes.

“This is both insanely hot and terrifying at the same time,” he muttered to his bully of a twin.

Dominic snickered, but I saw him nod in agreement. I was about to dish out some more insults his way, but I froze when I watched his focus turn from me, Damien and everyone else to Bronagh, and her alone. It shocked me how he looked at her; it was like she was his whole world. He lifted his hand and gently brushed her hair back out of her face. She lightly snored and it caused him to smile as he stared down at her, his eyes only blinking here and there, like he was trying to savour what she looked like when she was in his arms. I blinked when he leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead.

He likes her.

I continued to stare at him, but jumped when Ryder spoke in my ear.

“Yeah,” he whispered, loosening his hold on me. “He cares about her. He has a funny way of showing it, but he’s trying, Branna. He doesn’t understand what he’s feeling and it’s taking him longer than he would like to express to her that he likes her. She fights him tooth and nail at every turn, and it’s bred into him to push back when he is backed into a corner. When she is hostile, he becomes hostile, too. I think it’s a bad match, but he likes her, and he can’t help that.”

“He needs to back off of her.”

“I agree, and we can talk about it tomorrow. She’ll be sober, and in my home so we’ll lump them together and figure it all out, okay?”

I reluctantly nodded.

“Thank you, darling.”

I tensed. “I’m not your darlin’, Ryder.”

“Yeah, darling, you are.”

I hated that I wanted to smile.

Alec pulled to a stop in front of his house and said, “Welcome to casa—”

“Slater,” his brothers finished. “We know.”

“Assholes.” Alec grumbled.

I snorted and it made Ryder smile as we exited the car. He kept a firm hold on me because even though I was coherent, my legs were quite unsteady.

Bloody Vodka, my mind grumbled.

“‘Bout time you showed up!” A male voice shouted, followed by laughter and cars screeching to a stop.

I looked around and when I took in all the people that were ambling up the driveway to Ryder’s house, I pressed back against his chest. His arms came around me, and his face nuzzled against my neck.

“Don’t be frightened,” he said into my ear. “We’re throwing a party to celebrate Dominic’s win at Darkness.”