“Come on,” I said, getting to my feet. “Let’s go home and get some food. We can talk when we’re alone with Damien.”
They got to their feet, and Dominic looked at me, and said, “It’s gonna be okay, isn’t it, Ry?”
“Yeah, bud.” I forced a smile. “It is, I promise.”
I would do everything in my power to keep that promise to my brother because if I didn’t, it would mean the end of my family ... and I wasn’t going to let that happen. Not a fucking chance.
CHAPTER FIVE
Twenty-eight years old ...
“It’s busy tonight,” I shouted to Damien as he plonked down next to me.
He nodded, and leaned his head back against the seat. “Kane wants to go home already.”
I sighed. “We haven’t even been here long.”
“He wanted to leave before we even got here.” Damien shrugged. “You know him and crowds; they don’t go together.”
Truer words had never been spoken.
“Where’s Dominic?”
“Getting ready for his fight,” my brother answered. “Alec and Kane are with him.”
I nodded my head in understanding, then raised my brows when Damien got back to his feet. “Where are you going now?”
“I’m restless on Dominic’s behalf,” he answered. “I need to find a girl and kiss her. I’ll meet you ringside when he’s is fighting.”
With that said, he walked away and got lost in the crowd, making me laugh. I didn’t get up to go and find Dominic. Once he had Alec and Kane with him, I knew he was looked after. I looked down at my phone and scanned through my messages. I felt eyes on me, so I looked up, and when I noticed two incredibly attractive women standing in front of my booth, staring directly at me, I pushed my phone into my pocket and gave them my full attention. The woman with the stunning breasts stepped forward and smiled while her friend stepped behind her, hiding from my view.
“Hiya,” the woman shouted over the blaring music. “I’m Aideen, and this is Branna. We thought ye’ might like some company. Ye’ look a little lost sittin’ over ‘ere on your own.”
I raised my brow and looked at Branna over Aideen’s shoulder, and it became obvious to me and to Aideen that Branna didn’t want me to see her. Aideen scowled as she turned to face her friend and roughly pulled her out from her hiding spot. Branna stumbled to her friend’s side and knocked her knee against Aideen’s, causing her to wince. She was about to reach down and rub her bare knee, but once she saw I was watching her, she froze. Her eyes locked on mine, and I saw her swallow.
“Hello,” I said just as the music lowered for the moment before a new track began to play.
She waved at me, and said, “Hey.”
My lips twitched at the action. From what I could see, Branna was a ten, beyond hot, but pairing that with a cute little wave and hiding behind her friend made her just about the sexiest woman I had ever seen. She was nervous and clearly approached me because her friend made her, and I wasn’t used to that. The women who hit on me usually oozed confidence and sex appeal, and while Branna had sex appeal, I got the feeling she did know she had it.
“Would you like to join me?”
Branna said nothing; she just stared at me. For a moment, I wondered if I didn’t speak loud enough for her to hear me, but Aideen suddenly jabbed her elbow into Branna’s side and answered for her. “She’d love to,” she gushed.
Aideen put her hand on the base of Branna’s spine and pushed her to the side of the booth where I was sitting, and I wasn’t sure why, but she resisted. Her eyes were doe like, her lips were parted, and she turned her head towards Aideen and said something to her in a rushed breath that I couldn’t hear. Aideen didn’t reply to her. In fact, she completely ignored Branna. Again, Aideen nudged Branna into the booth and to avoid falling, she had to turn to the side and drop into a sitting position next to me. She didn’t look at me, she only looked at her friend, and I saw her entire body tense when Aideen took a step backwards.
“I’m goin’ to go and get us some drinks,” she stated. “You two get to know each other. I won’t be long.”
Branna gasped and sat up straight as she searched for her friend in the crowd, and when she couldn’t find her, she said, “Oh, my God.”
I smiled. This was amusing me greatly, but it interested me more than anything. It was obvious that Branna didn’t want to hit on me, so I was confused as to why she didn’t just get up at leave. When she plucked up the courage to look at me, she relaxed when she found me smiling. She didn’t looked scared, just nervous as hell.
“Are you okay?”
She shook her head, and said, “I didn’t know she was goin’ to abandon me like that. I’m so sorry. It was her idea to come over ‘ere, not mine.”
I figured as much. “I’m glad she thought of it.”
Branna blinked. “You are?”
“Of course,” I replied. “I probably would have never seen you otherwise. I’ve found over the past few weeks that this club is always wall-to-wall full. You’re such a tiny thing; it’d be easy to miss you in the sea of bodies. And that would be a true tragedy.”
The booth was dimly lit, but I could see Branna blush scarlet.
“Darling, you look like I’m going to eat you up.” I chuckled. “I won’t bite you, I promise. Not yet anyway.”
Her lips parted. She cleared her throat, twice, and said, “I’m sorry.”
“Why’re you sorry?”
She scratched my neck. “For bein’ so awkward.”
“It’s not awkward,” I said. “It’s nervousness, which is the part I don’t get.”
She shifted in her seat “What don’t ye’ get?”
I lifted my arm and stretched it out on the back of the seat behind her head before I leaned in closer. She smelled delicious. I wasn’t sure what perfume she had on, but it made me want to eat her up.
“I don’t get why a woman who looks as edible as you do is so shy.”
She leaned towards me ever so slightly, and I was sure she was unaware she had done so.
“I don’t usually do this.” She swallowed. “I’m not one to walk up to men and talk to them, which is why me friend physically pulled me over to ye’.”
I regarded her for a moment. “Usually, I’d call bullshit, but I think I believe you.”
She remained silent.
“What is your name?” I asked. “I didn’t hear your friend very well when she introduced you both.”
I heard Aideen perfectly when she spoke, but I wanted her to tell me her name. I wanted her to give it to me freely.
“Branna.”
I dipped my head closer, so close I could feel her panted breathed on my face.
“One more time, beautiful, I didn’t catch that.”
“Branna,” she said louder, licking her lips. “Me name is Branna.”
The way her tongue flicked in her mouth as she said her name caused my cock to harden.
“Branna,” I repeated.
“Yeah,” she replied, her chest rising and falling.
My gaze was on hers, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw her thighs clench together, and my mind screamed that she was effected by how close I was to her.
“I’m Ryder,” I said as I held my hand out of her.
Her small hand shook as she placed it in mine, and said, “It’s nice to meet you, Ryder.”
I held her hand and tugged her closer to me until our chests touched. “The pleasure is all mine, Branna.”
“If he says me name in that low, husky seductive tone one more time, I’m gonna to jump ‘im in front of all of these people.”