“What happened then?” I hesitantly asked.
Ryder cringed. “A lot of bad shit.”
“I’m listenin’.”
“You’re so persistent,” he mumbled.
I shrugged. “If I’m goin’ to be with you, I need to know all of this. I can’t be with you and be blind to your history.”
Ryder gave me one sharp nod before he said, “Trent died.”
Oh, my God.
“And Marco was pissed. He wasn’t sad that his nephew was dead, just pissed off because it was a mess he had to clean up.”
I felt my insides churn.
“The heartless fuckin’ bastard.”
Ryder sadistically grinned. “Yeah, that describes Marco perfectly.”
“What did he do to Damien?” I asked, almost scared to know the answer.
“Nothing,” Ryder said firmly. “I made sure of that, and so did my brothers’.”
I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, and Ryder saw this.
“Marco knew I was planning on moving my family out of the compound and away from the life we had been living. Once my parents were gone, there was nothing keeping us there. Once Damien killed Trent that changed. Marco gave us an ultimatum, either Damien died in payment for Trent’s murder, or we worked off the debt.”
I blinked. “A life debt?”
Ryder nodded. “Marco sorted us into different jobs based on our individual skill set.”
I stared at him in horror. “This sounds unreal.”
“Trust me, darling, it’s more real than you can ever imagine.”
I moved closer to him and gripped his hands more firmly, letting him know that I was there for him if he needed me.
Ryder gave my hands a reassuring squeeze then said, “My attentiveness, and knack of moving around unnoticed, pushed me into drugs and weapons. It turns out I am very good at moving shipments and making deals for Marco. Kane became his enforcer, Dominic his fighter, and Alec his… buffer.”
“His buffer?” I questioned, my mind reeling.
Ryder laughed a little then. “Alec, as you know, is very friendly. With both sexes.”
He flicked his eyes to mine and waited for a reaction from me, and he raised his brows when he got one.
I laughed. “If you’re tryin’ to tell me he is bi-sexual, you don’t have to, I already know. I saw him kiss a lad, and a girl, a few weeks ago in Darkness, and he constantly goes on about attractive male and female celebrities. It wasn’t as if he was tryin’ to hide that he bats for both teams.”
Ryder smiled wide at me. “It doesn’t bother you then?”
I cocked a brow. “Why would it bother me?”
“Because some people aren’t accepting of it.”
“I’m not some people.”
“Yeah,” he murmured. “You’re pretty incredible.”
I grinned. “Nice try, but finish what you were sayin’ before you seduce me.”
Ryder’s smile faltered. “Yeah, okay, so Alec is basically an escort to anyone Marco gives him to.”
Anger surged through me.
I growled. “He isn’t a piece of fuckin’ meat!”
“To Marco he is, to Marco we all are.”
That infuriated me.
“So you all work these jobs to keep Damien safe, what does he do?”
“Nothing,” Ryder instantly replied. “It was part of the agreement that he doesn’t have a job.”
I nodded. “Okay, so why is this Dominic’s last job? And more importantly, when is your last job?”
“Mine was a few weeks back, so was Alec and Kane’s. We’ve been around the world doing jobs for Marco for a long time. We knew he never cared about Trent like an uncle should; he was just a pawn and his death at Damien’s hand worked out perfectly for him. He could control us, and make a lot of money off us, but we’re done. After Dominic’s last fight, we’re out.”
“Just like that?” I quizzed, not believing it could be that easy.
Ryder nodded. “He can’t force us to stay, we’ve done what he wants of us for years. The debt is re-paid. We’ve made him more money than Trent ever could have.”
I swallowed. “What if he tries to make you all stay workin’ for ‘im?”
The thought of Ryder leaving the country, leaving me, was too scary to think about.
“It won’t work out in his favour.” He stated. “We’re done, Branna. We want a life away from being under his thumb.”
That relieved me greatly.
“I’m glad,” I smiled, hoping I didn’t look as relieved as I felt. I didn’t want to freak him out by how devastated I would be if he ever left me.
Ryder took my face in his hands. “You are? After everything I just told you, you’re glad?”
I nodded. “I’m still tryin’ to wrap me head around it, but I understand you and your brothers’ so much better now, and I am so glad you’re gettin’ out of that life, because I don’t think I could take part in it if you didn’t.”
Ryder stood up and pulled me to my feet, then into his arms as he hugged me.
“I’m out,” he assured me. “And you’re mine. I told you my mentality is to protect what’s mine, and I can be very possessive.”
I hummed as he lowered his head and trailed kisses along my neck.
“How possessive?” I rasped.
He nipped at my skin. “Let me show you.”
“Ryder,” I breathed when he sucked on the spot below my ear.
His hold on my hips tightened.
“Wait, this isn’t fair,” I panted. “That’s a sensitive spot and—oh God.”
While I was speaking Ryder unzipped my dress and tugged on it until it fell to my ankles. He wasted no time in nudging my legs apart and putting his hands down my knickers where he instantly zeroed in on my pulsing clit.
“You were saying?” he rumbled as he lazily drew circles around the sensitive bud.
I gripped onto his shoulders and recited the Lord’s Prayer, but when he pinched my clit, my pleas to Heaven became audible.
“Jesus!” I cried out as I shamelessly rocked my hips and stroked my clit back and forth over Ryder’s fingers.
“Why do you talk to God so much when I touch you?” he mused, his fingers rubbing me to ecstasy faster. “He’s not going to save you from me, no one can stop me from making you scream when you come.”
His wicked words blended with the action of his fingers and sent me flying into ecstasy. I heard myself scream, and I heard Ryder’s name spill from my mouth, but it all sounded like background noise. My body was focused on the delicious pulses of bliss that filled me.