He shakes his head. “It was my job to protect them both, and I failed. I won’t fail ever again.”
I nod, now understanding why he is the way he is. “Thank you for telling me.”
He shrugs, that ice coming back as he tries to move away, to distance himself, a coping mechanism, so I grab his hand and link it with mine, not letting go as Kenzo excitedly hands me a small bag. Laughing, I open it with one hand, refusing to release Ryder’s. He needs to feel this, to be here, to not lock it away and sit back, protecting us, but to enjoy this like Kenzo. He went through the same upbringing, and when he told that story, I felt his pain and how much he wished he could show his mother he loved her. He doesn’t get to back away now, I will melt that ice one bit at a time.
Inside the bag is a new top. The following gifts are a lot of new clothes, and when there are no more boxes or bags, I sigh in relief. As amazing as it was, I’m still struggling to accept it, but I’ll deal with that.
I’m juggling the bags one-handed with Ryder’s hand still in mine. Fuck this. I clasp his hand tighter and press it to my breast. “There,” I mutter, as I manage to put down the bags with two hands.
When I look up, they are all staring at me. “What?” I ask, and suddenly they all roar with laughter.
“Assholes,” I grumble, as Ryder squeezes my breast.
I look to him to see those cold eyes sparkling and his grin wide and unrestrained. “Never change, love.”
“Shut up. Now feed me, you kidnappers, I’m hungry.”
Ryder leans closer, grabs the back of my head, and kisses my forehead, lingering there. “Of course,” he murmurs, before getting up and heading to the kitchen. Kenzo sweeps down, kisses me hard, and follows after him.
I’m left with Diesel and Garrett, and suddenly, Garrett looks uncomfortable, but he throws a box at me without looking. “Here.”
“What’s this? Did we miss one?” I inquire, confused.
“It’s from me,” he mutters, rubbing at his head.
I grin. “From you?”
“It’s an essential, I still hate you,” he snaps, making me laugh.
“Don’t worry, I hate you too.” I nod, and he smirks at me for a moment.
“Open it,” he demands.
I do as I’m told, and a huge grin covers my face. It’s a gun, better than my old shitty one. No, this one is fancy, and carved into the slide are the words “Vipers’ girl.” “There is no ammo in it at the moment.” He coughs.
“Didn’t want me to kill you?” I grin. “Accidentally, of course!” I flutter my lashes at him, and he barks out a laugh.
“I need to make sure you know how to properly shoot it. I’ll take you later.” He nods, and I perk up.
“Hell yes! Will you teach me some of your fancy fighting moves too?” I grin.
“No,” he snaps, frowning. “You might use them on me.”
“Or I might use them on D.” I grin, and Diesel shivers.
“Please do, Little Bird,” he murmurs.
“You two are messed up.” Garrett rolls his eyes, but there’s a smile on his lips.
Vipers’ girl indeed.
Ryder and Kenzo feed me enough to have me lying on the sofa, unable to move, and I end up napping there with my feet in Ryder’s lap as he strokes my toes, his other hand on his phone. My head is in Kenzo’s lap, and Diesel is lying on the floor next to me, his hand reaching up to grab mine. Garrett sits on the other sofa, but he doesn’t leave, which is a plus. When I wake up, everyone but Garrett is gone.
Stretching, I yawn and look around. “Shit, how long was I out?”
Garrett glances up from the blade he’s sharpening and puts it away, leaning back as he watches me. “A few hours, you needed it.” He gets to his feet and stretches, his shirt riding up to expose his abs, and I can’t help but stare.
He catches my ogling and must think I’m staring at his scars, because he shuts down, his eyes darkening. “You ready to try your new gun?” he offers, but he seems distant now.
“Sure.” I get up and slip my shoes on. “Do we need to drive there?”
He grunts and heads of out the front door, so I follow after him, my new gun in tow. He heads to the elevator, not speaking to me the whole way down, and I know I need to rectify this shit before he goes back to hating me fully, but as I go to talk, the elevator door opens and he strides out.
Sighing, I follow him, but I freeze when he leads me into what looks like a fucking shooting range. What the hell? What else are they hiding in this building?
“You have your own shooting range?” I scoff.
He shrugs as he sets up. “We have everything we need in the building—a gym, a restaurant, a shop. It’s a self-sufficient tank.”
I move his way, and he drops earmuffs on my head. “Have you ever shot a gun before?”
I nod. “Once or twice, Rich taught me, but…well, nowhere like this. We shot in the forest.”
“Rich?” he echoes, peering down at me.
“He owned Roxers,” I inform him, and then look away. “He—my dad owed him some money, and I got a job there to clear his debt, but, well, I loved it, and Rich took me under his wing. When I left home, I had nowhere to go, so he gave me a home, a place to stay. He helped me. Rich was a good man.”
“What happened?” he asks softly.
I gulp and stare at the gun. “He died.” I suck in a breath and look at him. “So, how do I do this?”
He shows me how to stand and the proper way to hold the gun before letting me fire off a few shots. He corrects my stance a few times before allowing me to continue firing until I’m grinning again. Stopping, I flick on the safety and take off my earmuffs, looking at him as he stands next to me. He avoids my gaze though. Apart from talking about Rich, he still seems pissed about the staring.
Alright then, guess it’s up to me to fix this. No way am I letting our truce break over a misunderstanding.
“You going to glare all night or fucking talk to me?” I snap, cocking out my hip.
He grinds his teeth but ignores me. “Dude, get some balls. What’s wrong?”
He snarls, “Sorry my scars disgust you, fucking princess. Time to go back upstairs.”
Pressing the gun to his chin, I narrow my eyes. “I don’t give a fuck what you think about your scars, Garrett, but you will listen to me. I love them, they make me feel better about mine. Each one was earned, and it shows you survived something most others wouldn’t. When I see them, I’m reminded how strong you are, and honestly, they don’t detract from your hotness, but add to it. I was staring earlier at your fucking abs, okay? Wondering if it would be weird if I licked them.”
He freezes, his eyes wide. “What?”
“You saw what you wanted to see in my eyes—disgust, because it would make it easier to keep pushing me away.” I sigh. “We have a truce, Garrett, so if you’re mad at me, just talk to me, okay?”
“Did you love him?” he inquires, throwing me off. I must look as confused as I feel because he clarifies, “Rich.”