It was not how I expected my night to go. I shook my head as recapped what happened and before I could feel real emotion, I downed the remainder on my Vodka and Coke. I swayed a little and laughed at myself, wondering how many drinks I had consumed but couldn’t think of a number.

I was pretty sure it was close to double digits though.

“Are you okay?” I asked Bronagh as the lights of the club came on signalling everyone to get the hell out and go home.

She nodded and laughed for no reason.

“You’re drruuunnnkkkkk,” I sang, giggling.

She placed a hand on her forehead. “It’s so warm in here, I’m roastin’.”

I took her hand in mine and tugged her towards the exit of the club. We laughed as we stumbled up the stairs. I felt good until the cool fresh air hit me. One-second I remember talking to The Destroyer kid that Dominic/Nico fought on the platform in Darkness then the next I was heaving and slumping down with my eyes closed. I groaned when I felt myself being lifted into the air.

“Bee?” I mumbled.

“Not Bee.”

I forced my eyes open and looked up.

I curled my lips upward in disgust. “Put. Me. Down.”

Ryder glanced down at me and said, “Make me.”

I tried to lift my hand to do just that, but I couldn’t, I could only lean my head back against his arm and moan as my head spun.

“You drank too fucking much,” my ex-boyfriend growled. “I’ve been watching you all night, you knocked back glass after glass.”

I humourlessly laughed. “I had an eventful night, I needed to take the edge off.”

“Fucking hell, Branna,” he angrily replied, his grip on me tightening.

“Why do you even care?” I hissed and tried to swat at him again, but failed. “You broke up with me, remember?”

“I remember,” he replied on a grunt. “And I didn’t mean it.”

“Sounded to me like you meant it.” I countered.

I was met with silence as Ryder walked, holding me against his chest like I weighed nothing. I grunted and groaned when a car door was opened and I was placed in the back seat.

“Alec,” Ryder grumbled. “You drive.”

“This is becoming a pattern,” Alec muttered.

“Just do it,” Ryder hissed.

“Jesus, okay. Should I find something for the backseat in case she gets sick?” Alec asked, and I felt like his wary eyes were on me.

“No,” Ryder replied to his brother as he got into the car and pulled me onto his lap. “We don’t live far away, I’ll hold her on my lap. Dominic has Bronagh.”

I heard male grumbling then a quick, “I call shot gun.”

It was Kane who spoke.

“The fuck?” Damien snapped. “Why do I have to sit between lover boys and the drunken sisters?”

“Because I called shot gun,” Kane quipped. “Are you deaf, little brother?”

“Fuck you,” Damien growled to Kane, making him laugh.

Reluctantly, Damien climbed into the middle of the backseat and adjusted himself when Dominic climbed in on the other side of him with my sister against his chest.

“If either of them puke on me, I’m dishing out dick shots.” Damien warned his brothers.

I laughed on Ryder’s lap and said, “Dick shots. I want to drink one of those.”

This caused all of the brothers to rumble with laughter.

“Dirty girl,” Ryder’s sexy voice murmured in my ear. “You can drink my dick shot anytime you like.”

I growled. “I’ll bite your dick off if you don’t get away from me.”

He snorted. “You’re lying on me, sweetness, not much I can do about getting away from you right now while we’re driving, is there?”

I tried to sit up but light-headedness prevented me from doing so.

“You shouldn’t have drank so much,” Ryder grumbled as he pressed his palm flat against my back and began to stroke up and down. The action soothed me instantly.

I closed my eyes as I leaned back against him. “You shouldn’t have broken up with me. It hurt, you know?”

I felt his lips on my bare shoulder.

“I didn’t mean it,” he murmured. “I take it back.”

“Too late,” I stated. “I’m already over you and lookin’ forward to me first single night out. I’ll be on the rebound so it’s sure to be a fun night.”

Ryder’s hold on me tightened. “I’ll spank your ass red and raw if you even dare.”

I hissed. “You’d like that, you perverted bastard.”

“You’d like it too, you perverted bastard.”

My temper flared when Ryder’s brothers laughed, again.

“Stop listenin’ to what we’re sayin’!” I snapped.

“What do you want us to do?” Dominic sarcastically asked. “Plug our ears?”

“Don’t you speak to me you little prick,” I growled like a predator. “You’ve been makin’ me sister’s life hell in school for no fuckin’ reason. She is a good kid, she never does anythin’ to hurt anyone and yet you targeted her! If you think the punch I gave you was bad, just wait until I get me hands on you now, you little wanker!”

“Well, fuck me,” Kane whistled from the front of the car. “I’d be scared if I were you, little brother. She’s going to kick your ass back to New York from the sound of things.”

“I can deal,” Dominic snorted, clearly not giving a damn that I was furious with him.

I screeched and extended my hands to grab him, but Damien being in the way made it difficult. I tried to push his head down so I could reach Dominic, but it only caused him to yelp and shout for me to stop.

“You sound like a little bitch,” Alec laughed from the driver’s seat.

Damien sat upright, lifted a hand to his head and rubbed where I shoved at him.

“Fuck you, asshole,” he growled. “Her nails were out.”

Ryder’s arms clamped around mine, pinning them to my body.

“Let. Go.”

“No,” came his immediate response. “I’m not letting you hurt my little brothers.”

“I don’t want to hurt both of them,” I spat. “Just one of them, the one that is about to be dickless.”

“Ryder,” Dominic snickered. “Control your woman.”

Oh, hell no.

“Oh, shit,” Ryder grumbled and applied more pressure to his hold on me when I went, what can only be described as, batshit crazy.

“I’m goin’ to kill you!” I bellowed.

Damien practically lay against Dominic and Bronagh as he watched me with widened eyes.

“This is both insanely hot and terrifying at the same time,” he muttered to his bully of a twin.

Dominic snickered, but I saw him nod in agreement. I was about to dish out some more insults his way, but I froze when I watched his focus turn from me, Damien and everyone else to Bronagh, and her alone. It shocked me how he looked at her; it was like she was his whole world. He lifted his hand and gently brushed her hair back out of her face. She lightly snored and it caused him to smile as he stared down at her, his eyes only blinking here and there, like he was trying to savour what she looked like when she was in his arms. I blinked when he leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead.

He likes her.

I continued to stare at him, but jumped when Ryder spoke in my ear.

“Yeah,” he whispered, loosening his hold on me. “He cares about her. He has a funny way of showing it, but he’s trying, Branna. He doesn’t understand what he’s feeling and it’s taking him longer than he would like to express to her that he likes her. She fights him tooth and nail at every turn, and it’s bred into him to push back when he is backed into a corner. When she is hostile, he becomes hostile, too. I think it’s a bad match, but he likes her, and he can’t help that.”

“He needs to back off of her.”

“I agree, and we can talk about it tomorrow. She’ll be sober, and in my home so we’ll lump them together and figure it all out, okay?”

I reluctantly nodded.

“Thank you, darling.”

I tensed. “I’m not your darlin’, Ryder.”

“Yeah, darling, you are.”