Wildcard: Volume Three

Chapter Twenty

Ryder

“I think you need to see this.”

I sit up and rub my eyes. Scarlett slaps a copy of the Daily Mail down on the bed and folds her arms over her chest. I’m half asleep and barely able to focus.

“Congratulations, Ryder. Front page, too.”

I scan the front page, expecting to see a story on Cally’s shock win in her first round of a major tournament. Instead, my eyes fixate on three photos: Scar, Tony, and me.

Oh shit.

I skim through the article, cleverly titled “The Falling of a Star.”

“…Ryder allegedly contacted Mr Larezzi and offered him a sum of two hundred thousand dollars to stay out of Ryder’s current girlfriend, Ms. Calera’s, life. Tony expressed his shame in accepting the money, stating he felt he didn’t have a choice. All he wanted was a chance to get to know his son, and Ryder was determined to make sure that didn’t happen…”

Fucking bitch.

“Who is she, Ryder?” Scar yells. “And how the fuck does she know so much about this?”

“What?” I ask, confused. I fail to see how this article suggests anything is going on between me and the author. Then I see the sticky note.

Oh, fuck.

Ryder,

Thought you might be interested in this. Call it payback for refusing to fuck me last week. I don’t like hearing no. Give me a call when you get rid of the slut and you’re ready to play again.

Anna xx

“It’s not what you think,” I start, pushing the covers back. “It says right there I knocked her back.” I point at the note, oblivious to how ridiculous I sound.

“Yes, but what were you doing with her in the first place?” she asks, throwing her hands up. “And I’m the one who can’t be trusted? Jesus, Ryder!”

“I was at her place telling her I couldn’t do a story,” I try to explain.

“And you couldn’t do that over the phone?”

“No. The story was in return for a favor. She helped me find Tony,” I explain quietly.

“Well, that worked out great for you, didn’t it?” Her tone is sarcastic. “I’m gonna catch a cab to the hospital,” she mumbles, grabbing her bag.

“Let me take you,” I say, throwing on a pair of jeans and a shirt.

“Please, just give me some space.”

I stand there clutching my jacket and watch her walk out. Cursing, I hurl the jacket across the room. Everything is going to shit. No matter what I do, it blows up in my face. I’m so fucking pissed at Anna. Why the hell would she do that—especially knowing what kind of person Tony is? She said it herself: the guy is bad news. Did I really hurt her pride that much?

I grab my phone and punch in her number.

“I thought I might hear from you,” she purrs into the phone. No hello or anything. It’s like she was sitting there waiting for me to call.

“I can’t believe you did that, Anna. You have no idea what the fuck you’re messing with,” I growl, anger boiling up inside of me. “What did you do, call him up and offer him more money? You’re that petty? You make me sick.”

“You promised me a story, Ryder,” she retorts. “How I got it is none of your business. But I am curious as to how your little girlfriend reacted.” She laughs. She actually laughs.

I shake my head. “Go to fucking hell.”