Renegade Hearts (Rebels of Sandland 1)

“An asshole,” Ryan finished for me.

“What did he mean when he said ‘I’ve already warned you to stay away?’ I thought you’d never met my dad?”

Ryan rubbed over his jaw in thought and then gave me a hooded, guarded look. “I came here once, with Danny. Your dad took an instant dislike to me. Can’t think why? After that, we decided to meet up at my place or anywhere away from here.”

“Danny never mentioned anything.”

“Why would he? Look… Em. Don’t try and read something into this. It’s nothing. Your dad didn’t like his son being mates with a poor kid, that’s all. I wasn’t from the right side of town and he could tell. Probably wanted to keep me away from his beautiful daughter too. But that’s never gonna happen. Not now.”

He smirked and stroked my cheek as he moved closer towards me and my heart and stomach did that little flip thing again.

“If he thinks for one minute I’m going to stay away from you, after that kiss, he’s got another thing coming.” He bent down and planted a kiss on my forehead. “I’ll see you soon, little Winters. Very, very soon.”

My brother, Connor, he’d always told me, “Leave them wanting more,” and usually I did. But not today. Today, I was the one who’d walked away feeling like I wanted, no, needed more. It was like I’d left a part of me behind when I left her. What fucking right did her father have to warn me off? It might’ve worked when I was younger, and he didn’t like me knocking about with Danny, but that didn’t wash anymore. Not where she was concerned. Daddy Winters needed to get used to the fact that his little girl wasn’t little anymore. She was so fucking beautiful and so fucking mine.

Reluctantly, I made my way back to the garage to start my shift. Not that I’d be much use this afternoon after what’d happened with Emily. I had a feeling I was gonna be spending the rest of the day reliving the moment when I made her mine. That, and getting lost in thoughts about the other ways I was gonna show her what she meant to me. I was done playing games. I wanted her more than anything, and if I wanted to make that happen, I had to step it up, be the guy she needed me to be.

I pulled onto the forecourt and saw Brandon chatting to Connor over the hood of an old Aston Martin we were fixing up.

“Not working today, slacker?” I said as I shut the door of my van and walked over to join them.

“Got half the day off,” Brandon shot back. “Although, God knows why I thought it’d be a good idea to spend it here with you fuckers.”

Brandon worked at a local gym. It was shit money, but he got unlimited use of the equipment and he could stare at girls running on the treadmills all day, so it worked out great for him. He made a ton more from the fighting though. He could make in one night what he earned in a month at the gym by doing one fight. Those events were a lifeline for all of us. I had my cars, Zak was a whizz at computers and Finn worked in a call centre, but without the parties our asses would be broke as fuck. It gave us the revenue we all needed to pursue other things. Not to mention the thrill we got from doing it was off the charts. We were still scoping out the next venue. Finn had his heart set on an old pumping station just outside of town. He said it was the perfect setting to channel his creative flow. Thing was, the cathedral of sewage was overrun with rats and shit. As awesome as it looked on the outside, the inside smelt like death and would probably lead to it too. We had to have some standards.

The three of us headed into the office. I could stretch to making Brandon a coffee and then he’d either have to help out or fuck off. We had work to do. Dad and Kieron were sitting at the front desk, going through paperwork and other stuff.

“Nice to see you decided to drop by,” Dad said, trying to sound sarcastic, but he knew I was the hardest worker here, and I knew he didn’t mean it.

“Thought I’d better show my face at some point.” I headed into the tiny room we called a kitchen and flicked the kettle on, setting the mugs out ready with everyone’s order. I didn’t need to ask what they all wanted, I made them hot drinks most days. As the kettle bubbled away, I stepped back out and froze when I saw Chase fucking Lockwood standing up at the desk, grinning like a loser. Brandon was flaring his nostrils and holding himself back for my dad’s sake. Connor was frowning and looking between Brandon and Lockwood, trying to gauge what the problem was and probably deciding whether he needed to duck out the way or join in.

“What the fuck do you want?” I couldn’t help myself. I didn’t want this punk here at my garage, looking down his nose at us like he was doing us a fucking favour using Dad to service his car, or rather, penis extension.

“Ryan, watch your language.” Dad turned round to give me a dirty look for dissing one of his customers, but when he saw the anger coming off me, he backed down. “Is there something going on here that I don’t know about?” He turned back to look at Lockwood, who just shrugged like the pussy he was.

“I don’t think your son likes me.” He smirked and fished his car key out of his back pocket. “But then, you don’t have to like me to valet my car and take my money, do you?”

This dude was begging for my fist to connect with his smug-ass face. And just to further his cause, he carried on…

“I need it ready for Friday. I have a hot date.” He looked past my dad, towards me again and sneered. “With Emily Winters, so I need it sparkling. Gotta impress my girl.”

I fucking lost it.

“Bullshit,” Brandon spat as I lurched across the office space and flung the little gate dividing the front customer area from our desks open. Brandon came to stand next to me and Connor stayed by the door, grinning and rubbing his hands together. He loved a good fight. Dad stood up from his chair.

“I don’t know what game you’re playing coming in here, son, talking shit about our Emily, but I suggest you leave. Your business isn’t welcome here.” The fact that Dad had called her “our Emily,” made me bristle with something… Pride, maybe? I don’t know. Dad had barely spoken to her, apart from when she collected her car that one time. But it felt good to know I had everyone behind me. Dad threw the keys back over to Lockwood and they fell on the floor. Guy couldn’t even catch like a man.

“Whatever. I’ll be sure to tell her you said hi when I see her.” He stooped down to pick up his keys, but Brandon kicked them away.

“She wouldn’t touch you with a ten foot pole, mate. I think you must be on something. Maybe it’s best you don’t drive? Wouldn’t want you to get pulled over for being under the influence of whatever it is you’re fucking smoking.” Brandon lent down and picked up the keys, tossing them in the air and catching them again. “And we’ll say hi to Emily for you when we see her later. Good luck with that date on Friday, you know, the one with your right hand.”

Connor laughed and Lockwood grinned and shook his head. I tensed, ready to shut his shit down once and for all.

“Whatever you want to tell yourself, man. I’m surprised Kian, your little lap dog, didn’t tell you. He was there when I asked her. He saw the whole thing.?

?

What the fuck?