Page 37 of Blade

Blade

Leaving Emryn is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Even though Roscoe and Noah are keeping watch, as well as the Lady Pride, I know this was the opening Ryan was looking for to get his sister alone. After the meeting, Emmy and I went back to her place. Ryan wasn’t there, and that seemed to upset Emmy even more. Probably because if Ryan isn’t bothering her, that means he’s out in the community causing havoc.

What Emmy isn’t aware of is that the Pride has already put out word about a stranger in town called Ryan. Without wanting to embarrass my girl, we just explained that Ryan is a fast talker but not to be trusted. Saint and Thunder have Ryan on their radar, and that eases Emmy’s mind when I tell her.

Once I let Emryn know where I was going and why, she understood. She didn’t like it, but she was mainly concerned about something happening to me. I assured her that War and Demon would be with me, and we have an entire club to call on if we need assistance. Emmy wasn’t entirely convinced, but she understood that this is part of the brotherhood.

Ryan didn’t make it back to the cottage until dinnertime, and when he did, he said he was cooking for us. I see he’s changing tactics, and after the fight he had with his sister, he’s going to try to be the attentive brother. I wanted to go back to the club and have Emmy stay in my room while I’m away, but she refused.

“I’m not going to be chased out of my own home,” she said with her hands on her hips and a stern expression. She’s so adorable, I couldn’t help but kiss her senseless. And when she clung to me, I had no choice but to make slow, sweet love to her. Sex with Emryn keeps getting better and better. We belong, we fit, together.

War honked the horn outside. Emryn was still asleep in our bed. I dropped the note on the pillow beside her head and kissed her bare shoulder. She shifted under the blanket, with the cutest pout on her lips, and I forced myself to go. It’s only been a few hours since I left her, but all I can think of is how I wanted to stay.

“You with us, man?” Demon asks, nudging his arm against mine.

“Yeah.”

“Saint and Thunder won’t let you down, and Roscoe and Noah are on it,” Demon responds.

“Do you think Priest is pissed at me?” I ask.

“Nah, but he understands the situation better than any of us and it brings back shitty memories,” War points out. “He’s well aware that to get help, you gotta want help. Priest’s life was a mess, but when he opened his eyes to the truth, he did the right thing.”

“What if Ryan never gets to that place?”

“Then you prepare your woman for the worst and stand by her when she cries over the heartache of losing her brother. That’s all you can do,” Demon says. “Ask Steady. I can’t remember how many nights he held his woman together when her family disowned her.”

War scoffs and adds, “Their mother shot Quinn, for fuck’s sake. The woman tried to abandon Priest as a baby. Yet, they’re still standing tall and moving on with their lives.”

It’s warped that parents can be so cruel. It’s not something I can relate to because my parents are the complete opposite. Never did I wonder if my parents loved me, not even when I was grounded for doing something stupid. It pisses me off that Camille and Priest had such a horrible upbringing. Then again, War lost his parents at a young age, and so did Risk. Orion’s father is a lot like Emmy’s, solely focused on making money. Even Frankie got a raw deal. Her father died young, and her mother remarried a jerk, and when her mother died, her stepfather made her life miserable.

“Blade, you’ve got to put this aside. We’re on a job, and you need to concentrate. Jaws is a mean motherfucker and won’t come easy. Trust your brothers to look after Emryn, because we need your head in the game,” War says.

He’s right and I know it. I push thoughts of what can go wrong out of my mind.

Emryn

Ryan’s being extra nice. Years back, I would have thought he was being my sweet older brother looking after his kid sister, like a normal family. Call me jaded, but I’m well aware that Ryan is softening me up for his big ask. It’s usually for money and for more than I have to give. It’s hard to force a smile, but I do. So far, he’s cleaned up after himself, done the laundry, and vacuumed the house. Last night, Ryan made Blade and me dinner and worked hard at getting Blade on his side, complimenting him on anything and everything. He doesn’t realize that Blade isn’t into any of that. When he found out that Blade was going to be out of town for a couple of days, I could see his Cheshire cat grin.

I took my time showering and getting dressed, delaying the moment when Ryan would pounce. The waiting is torture because it’s like watching a train wreck. You can see it happening, but there’s nothing you can do about it. An argument is going to happen; it’s only a matter of time.

“So, you know my sister?” I hear Ryan as I come through to the living room. Ryan knows he’s sexy and good-looking and is laying on the charm with somebody.

“Emmy and I met a couple weeks back. I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d drop in,” Willow replies softly. I chatted with Willow at the party. She’s a refreshing, what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of person. I liked her right off the bat. We had a great chat that night and vowed to meet up for coffee, but I didn’t get the chance to call her with everything that’s happened.

“Willow, this is a nice surprise.”

She pulls me in for a hug. “I hope you don’t mind. I was going a little stir-crazy in the apartment. I finally finished editing a manuscript and needed to talk to a real person.” Willow giggles.

“I don’t know, I think I’d like to be lost in a world where there are dragons and magic, or adventure and mystery. You have the coolest job, getting to read all the great stories before they’re even out,” I tell her.

“I love what I do, but you make pictures come to life. And you preserve memories, and truly one day, when all is said and done, it’s those special moments that we cherish,” she says. “By the way, expect Roscoe to call. His sister is coming home in a couple of weeks for a special birthday, and we thought of a cool present for her, but could use your help.”

“Sure. Anything you need.”

While Willow and I are chatting, Ryan has busied himself in the kitchen, grabbing us each a coffee. He produces his boy-next-door grin as he hands us our mugs and says, “Cream and sugar are on the table. Why don’t we all sit?”

I see the way Ryan is watching Willow, and I don’t like it. He’s sizing up his prey, wondering if Willow is susceptible to his charm. Willow smiles, but she takes my hand and moves to the sofa with me.

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