Ride or Die (Rejects Paradise 4)

I stretch up onto my tippy-toes, ignoring the dull ache that still remains in my sore muscles. “But why would I want anything else when I have everything I need right here?”

Colton rolls his eyes, a scoff tearing from deep in his chest. “Don’t be cheesy.”

I pull back from him, meeting his eyes. “Promise me you won’t go and do anything?”

He grins back with a guilty sparkle hitting his hazel eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Colton,” I warn, raising a brow. “Whatever you have planned … don’t. I don’t want any elaborate gifts from you because I’ll never be able to do the same for you.”

“Like I said,” he tells me, his grin bigger than ever. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now go and see everyone so they can curse you out for doing them dirty.”

“Shit.”

Colton releases his hold on my waist, and I take a second to find myself without his support before finally walking into my mother’s arms. “How are you feeling?” she questions, wrapping me in a warm hug and giving me a gentle squeeze.

“How do you think I’m feeling?” I say, unable to hide the smile in my tone. “I know this party was all your doing.”

She shrugs her shoulders, not sorry at all. “What can I say? You’re my only child, and you reached a milestone. The Widows and Wolves can wait another day to declare war while my baby celebrates her birthday.”

“You realize how insane this is, right? I highly doubt my douchebag doctor is going to approve of a party the same day I get released from the hospital.”

Mom winks. “Don’t you worry about that,” she tells me, taking my shoulders and gently turning me to face the couch, which is currently set up with everything I could possibly need. “We have you sorted. So, go and sit that toosh down. I’ve instructed everyone to come and worship at your feet. Anything you want, it’s yours.”

I raise my brow as a grin tears across my face. I could get used to that.

Like the bossy, over-protective mother that she is, Mom pushes me right toward the couch before even getting a chance to say hello to anyone else, even the man who stands right by her side.

She gets me comfortable and fluffs a pillow at least twelve times before helping to slide it behind my back. She’s hardly even straightened out before Milo and Drix are there, stealing my attention.

Milo drops to his knee and bows his head. “My queen. How dareth you not tell me about your eighteenth dayeth of birth. I'm wounded.”

“Ugh,” Drix laughs, bumping him with her ass and watching him fumble to the side, making me realize that the two of them are already white girl wasted. “And here I thought you were the only queen around here.”

Milo laughs and hooks his finger through the belt loop on her jeans before giving her a hard tug and sending her crashing into the other half of the couch. “Please accept my sincerest apologies, milady. Do allow me to take out the trash for you.”

The two of them giggle like idiots as Charlie and Spencer watch on with grim, exhausted expressions, making me wonder just how long they’ve been putting up with these two lightweights.

Jess strolls over and boots the two drunken morons out of the way before leaning into me and giving me a big hug. “Happy birthday,” she tells me with a warm smile. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m alright,” I murmur just as music starts blaring through the speakers and the two drunken morons begin doing the WAP with more than practiced moves. I can’t help but laugh as Charlie and Spencer begin watching with interest, and just like that, a wide smile stretches across my face. “And I have a feeling it’s only going to get better.”

Cora and Casey get in on the action, leaving Colton watching on in horror while Roman gapes at his daughter, only now just realizing that maybe she isn’t the good little girl he’s always thought her to be. Mom watches on, for the first time being more than thrilled that her daughter is stuck on the couch.

It only takes her thirty seconds to look up at Roman with wide eyes, and without saying a word, he nods, and the parents quickly vacate the premises, leaving us to fuck around and have the time of our lives.Chapter 15One day turns to two and before I know it, a week has passed with me anxiously waiting on the couch, desperate to hear news on the Widows or the Wolves. The more time that passes, the more I become frustrated with the situation. Not knowing is killing me. I need to know when they plan to attack, and I need to make sure that my boys aren’t around when it happens.