The mystery woman turns her head toward me and blinks rapidly, shock registering on her face before she composes herself and musters up a fake as fuck smile. I know that smile. Ryan's mom was a pro, so I recognize when I'm being played. I try not to let it get to me, but I fail miserably. When her big brown eyes land on mine, she doesn't let go. Latching on to me with her gaze, she stands a little straighter, forcing her tits to strain against the top even more than they were before.
My feet manage to carry me two steps closer to her before they falter, and I stand there in place. I'm so tired of the lost girls we have here. We've been needing fresh meat for a while now, and the way my dick is reacting to this new bitch is proof the situation is worse than I thought. In an attempt to force my dick to chill out, I drag my nails over the scruff on my face, trying to distract myself from how much I like the way this strange woman looks, but it doesn't work. Her eyes catch the move, and her mouth falls open slightly. I watch as her tongue peeks out before she tries to cover her reaction by dragging her teeth over her bottom lip and clearing her throat.
"Sorry for being back here. The kid, uh, Ryan, kind of dragged us," she says. Her voice is soft but purposefully so, with smoky, sultry undertones that I can fucking guarantee come out during sex.
"Dad, she's from Arizona!" Ryan shouts. I ignore him.
"Not a problem. You got a name, beautiful?"
"Ruby."
Fuck me. I even like her name. Within seconds, I'm at her side and staring my kid down like he's the competition. He still hasn't stopped talking even though she's barely listening.
"We always need hotties to clean up around here," Ryan says. My eyes widen and I redirect my attention to him. He doesn't look my way. Instead, he keeps focusing on Ruby. Is my kid . . .
He can't be doing what I think he's doing.
"Take the job, honey. I'm sure we can work out some form of . . . compensation . . . later." My nine-fucking-year-old son winks at Ruby like he's grown or some shit. Before I can stop myself, I reach out and grab my kid behind his neck and yank him off the bench. He hunches over and turns his face to me, giving me a downright dirty-looking glare. Little asshole.
"Shut up while you have the option," I bark loudly in his face. Fucking kid just stares back at me. Doesn't even blink or shriek back from how loud I'm being. Slowly, a shit-eating grin creeps to his lips. There's a twinkle in his eye that hasn't been there since the last time I busted him trying to light an M80.
"It's okay," she says quickly. Her body curves inward and her torso bends slightly toward my boy. Her eyes dart from me to him and back to me again. "I don't want any trouble. I'm just looking for a job, but if you're full up, it's fine."
"You got any skills?"
"I can clean, tend bar. I'll do whatever."
Somehow, by the grace of God or some shit, I manage to not ask her anything crude. I deserve a goddamn medal or something for it, too. The way she looks at me, all serious with a side of desperation, is like catnip for my dick or something.
"Clubhouse is filthy. Pay is shit. You'd be around a bunch of assholes all day."
I don't know a single thing about this woman, aside from her name, and I'm offering her a job. Rage would be taking a swing at me right now if he were out here. I could always sacrifice the kid to him when he finds out, since it was Ryan's idea after all.
"This is not the first club I've been with, but I'm hoping it's the last. I'm just looking to provide for my boy, get him a little normal."
I don't bother telling her that Forsaken is anything but normal for a kid. My attention falls to my own son before I catch sight of her son. He's got large brown eyes beneath a mop of light brown hair, pale skin, and a bridge of freckles across his nose. He looks too skinny to be healthy, and he seems skittish from the way he's desperately clinging to the waistband of his mom's jeans. I give him a half smile, hoping he'll let go of the damn woman for a second, but he doesn't budge.
"You can stay in our house, Ruby," Ryan offers.
"Son, shut your pie hole." I rack my brain but can't figure out what's gotten into him. Ryan's normally quiet until he's got something smart to say. But right now he's being talkative as hell, and it's making me suspicious.
"Thank you, honey, but we have a place to stay." Ruby keeps her voice light, but it feels forced, like she's hiding something.
"Where?"
"Excuse me?"
She blinks at my question as though she didn't hear it. I've spent enough time watching men lie to my face to know she's stalling.
"Where are you staying?"
"Oh, there's a motel down the road."
I know there's a motel down the road, but it's a shit hole. I tell her as much, but she doesn't give. Instead, she just says, "We've stayed in worse."
"You came in from Arizona? What're you doing with those assholes?"
"Just passing through. Ian wanted to come out to California." She reaches around and place a hand on her son's shoulder, giving him a comforting pat.
"Where'd you come from before Arizona?"