Page 53 of Ryder's War

“Wow! Where did all that come from? Have you been drinking those shooters again?”

Shaking her head, Tiffany tossed the clueless woman a stern look. “No, I haven’t had but one drink. I’m just getting tired of being pushed around and told what to do all the damn time. For most of my adult life, I’ve felt like my back was against the wall and I only had one viable option. I’m beginning to think it’s all bullshit.”

“Let’s back up to the beginning of the conversation. Were you serious about shooting your way out of a bad situation?”

Not totally sure of anything except that she was sick and tired of Stuart calling all the shots, she nodded. “Sure, why not?”

“You can shoot a gun?”

“Well, one hopes they never have to shoot at an actual person, but I’ve logged in about a hundred hours on the firing range.”

“You own a handgun?”

Frowning, Tiffany wasn’t sure where this conversation was going. “I had an ex-boyfriend who was a cop. Since I have an abusive ex-husband, he insisted on teaching me some basic self-defense and shooting. He bought me a weapon and back-up weapon. At the time, I thought he was being overzealous, but now I’m starting to see things differently.”

Making a sound of amazement, Alyssa seemed slightly awed by that tidbit of information. “I can’t believe you ever let him go.”

“He was a real nice guy, but he wasn’t my one.”

“I wish I knew how to shoot,” she said dejectedly.

“Any guy here can probably teach you,” Tiffany told her, sure all she’d have to do is ask.

Leaning on the bar, Alyssa chewed her bottom lip as she thought over the offer. “I don’t know if I can make myself do something like that. I’ve always been against guns in general. Now that learning is a real option, I’m second-guessing why I thought it was such a great idea.”

“Maybe you could come with me once and just watch,”

Tiffany suggested. “If it’s not something that really interests you, you don’t have to go back.”

Perking up, excitement jumped onto her new friend’s face. “I think I’d like that. I’m really glad Ryder found you. He was one of the sweetest of the bunch. I always felt so relieved when he chose me.”

Tiffany jolted in her seat. “You’ve had sex with Ryder?” Why did that even surprise her? Feeling like an immediate idiot for even asking, she wasn’t all that surprised by Alyssa’s rather earnest reply.

“Well, most women here have. We’re whores, after all.”

“I don’t really approve of that word.” Then again, Tiffany didn’t approve of every woman in the room having been intimate with the man she loved either.

Shrugging, Alyssa replied with a touch of pain in her voice. “It’s a lot better than what some of the guys call us.” Alyssa searched her face for something. “You’re upset to hear I’ve been with Ryder, aren’t you?” The question hung between them like smoke—thick, toxic, impossible to wave away. There were times when truths changed everything, not because they were surprising, but because finally acknowledging them made denial impossible.

Looking down at her folded hands, Tiffany tried to work out her own feelings on the matter. Avoiding Alyssa’s eyes, she grabbed Lily’snonalcoholic drink. Taking a sip, she had to admit it was good. Silence hung in the air as Alyssa waited for her to sound off about her unexpected disclosure.

Suddenly, Tiffany’s mind filled with a half dozen unwanted questions. Had Ryder slept with the really belligerent whore she met the day Ace got shot? How about the one that kept throwing herself at Ven that same day? Was it socially acceptable in this alternate reality the brothers inhabited to sleep with the same whore your father had enjoyed? Did the brothers share whores, like in porno flicks? Had Ryder really slept with all of them over the years? How many more absolute skanks had he slept with on the road? Did he even use protection? Would he even have been sober enough to remember to practice safe sex?

The more she thought about it, the queasier she felt. It was overwhelming and simply too much on top of everything else going on at the moment.

Finally, she spat out hoarsely, “If I do have a problem, it’s mine and not yours. I’m going to get one of the prospects to take me home. I don’t feel very well.”

Alyssa’s voice turned sad as if she’d just lost her best friend. “Darkness said we’re all to stay here.”

Well, Tiffany was anything but sad. “Fuck Darkness, Ryder, and this whole place.” Yep, she was downright angry. It didn’t make sense to be angry at Alyssa or at Ryder, though. Neither of them was responsible for what went on before Ryder had ever met her, yet the undisputable fact was, Tiffany was mad as hell at the moment.

Grabbing her purse, she headed for the door. Peb stepped in front of her, right before she made it across the threshold. “We’re on lockdown. You’re new so you might not understand exactly what that means. By order of the club president, everyone stays put, and we don’t let anyone else in.”

Lying through her pearly white teeth, Tiffany groaned, “Ryder said if I started feeling sick, one of you could drive me home. My SUV is outside.”

Uncertainty stamped on every square inch of his face, Peb stated, “I’ll have to text him and make sure.”

“What am I, like five? Move out of my way. I’m not a prisoner. You know that, right?”

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