Page 14 of Ride Long
Chapter 5
Sloane
The common roomwas full of women when Sam and I finally left thekitchen.
Looking them over, I wondered if it was the weekly book club meeting, but no one who ever read Tolstoy dressed in leopard print boobtubes.
Suddenly, I was the odd one out, though I’d always skewed a little to the side of any group I was in. I was the tomboy with my combat boots and sour disposition. I would rather sit with the guys and hash it out, but around here, the segregation between the sexes was as black and white asever.
Sam wandered into the center of the fray without a care in the world. These were her people much more than the men were. With the men, she’d rushed around trying to please them, and with the other women, she was just…present.
“Sloane, c’mon,” Sam said, waving meover.
At the mention of my name, the group stopped their chatter and looked up. Five pairs of eyes zeroed in on me in various shades of curiosity, and not all of them werefriendly.
“That’s Kelly, Shondra, Emily, Raquel, and Sierra,” she went on, introducing them all. Blonde hair, chestnut, blonde, red, and black. “This isSloane.”
Some of them smiled, but mostly, they pouted and glared, giving me the once-over. Probably determining the threatlevel.
Oh, shit, how do I relate to other women? Oh, that was right, I didn’t know how. What did they talk about? Makeup, boys, what bitch they had it in for this week… Uh, that bitch was probablyme.
Sitting beside Sam, I returned the appraising glares, making my own judgment and storing it for later. First impressions weren’t always an accurate indicator of someone’s personality. Their actions, rather than their words, would betray them in the end. Let’s see what these bitchesthought.
“You know how to make an entrance,” Raquel said, blatantly looking me over. I was sans-makeup, wearing a pair of jean shorts and a stonewashed T-shirt with a panther printed on the front, and my trusty pair of steel-capped combat boots. I was obviously not stripper enough for her tastes. At least I had smoothskin.
“The last time I saw a woman stand up to Harley it didn’t end well,” Shondra declared. Smiling sweetly at Sam, she added, “No offense,Sammy.”
Yeah, right. It wasn’t ending well for her on a daily basis by the looks of it. Some friends they were. I had to keep reminding myself that this place and these people weren’t good. They thrived on the power of fear and violence. Even the women were embroiled in their own psychological warfare, all scrambling for a place at the top of the pack. Somehow, I had to get to the pinnacle and staythere.
“I don’t let a man define my worth,” I said, staring Shondra down. “I’m the only person who has that right. Same foryou.”
“Feminist crap,” Emily scoffed. “The only worth around here is keeping our menhappy.”
“My gag reflex is worth its weight in gold,” Kelly said with agiggle.
“Deep throat often, do you?” Sierraasked.
“Everynight.”
“I bet your man grabs your hair and forces you to suck,” I declared, much to Sam’s shock. “If you want to or not.” The women fell silent and glanced at one another. “Next time you’ve got your man’s cock in your mouth, remember who’s got the ability to bitedown.”
“What’s she trying to say?” Emily asked. “We don’t know how to please ourmen?”
“What I’m saying is you’ve got more power over a man’s cock than you realize. If he’s your man, then he’s got no place forcing you to do anything. You’re there of your own free will, right? Thenyoufuckhim. You go down on him. You ride him. Put him in you. Then see who’s got thepower.”
Their expressions changed as they thought over what I’d just told them. Raquel got an especially devilish look on her face, and her tongue darted out to wet herlips.
“I couldn’t try it with Harley,” Sam whispered so the others wouldn’t hear. “I’m not like them.” Her cheeks reddened, making her bruise stand out evenmore.
“I wouldn’t advise it,” I replied, hating how the others laughed at her violent situation. “There’s a time and a place, Sam. Everything comesaround…”
Movement in the doorway pulled my attention. My gaze met Chaser’s, and a surge of heat flowed through my body. I wanted to run to him and throw myself into his arms, but I satstill.
He was standing in the common room, looking sexy as hell in his jeans and tight black T-shirt, watching us talk among ourselves. How long had he been there? Long enough to hear me talking about fucking that was forsure.
“Chaser,” I said, nodding. Bland, indifferent, frosty. Hopefullyconvincing.
He narrowed his eyes and turned his back, crossing the room. He was limping, favoring his right leg. When he disappeared, the maw that had opened in his absence, split open again. We’d been apart for less than a day, and I was already floundering withouthim.
