"He didn't say anything else?" The hot older guy asked.
I shook my head. "Nothing important." He just called Dex trash, but I'd be an idiot to bring that up.
Luther blew out a deep breath that made his lips flutter in exasperation. "That son of a bitch."
Hot biker guy shook his head incredulously. "I heard he just split up with his old lady not too long ago."
"I heard the same," the president of the MC agreed. "But why the hell would he try and take Ris as an exchange? That doesn't sound like their style even if he's trying to piss us off doing it."
Now that question, I had no answer for. And all of a sudden, I felt guilty that I hadn't agreed. That I wouldn't do my part to assure Sonny's safety but...
"I’d do almost anything for Son, but I don't want to go with Liam," I tried to explain to them in a small voice.
"You're not goin' with anybody," Dex interjected quickly. "Not for Son, your dad, for nobody, Ritz. Ever."
I happened to be looking at Luther while Dex spoke and I could see his mouth twitch.
"This is Taylor’s shit. You shouldn't have gotten dragged into it," he said.
There went my guilt.
If I kept the truth to myself it would bother me forever.
"I did something stupid," I blabbed, looking up at the ceiling because any balls I had beforehand disappeared.
Just rip it off like a Band-Aid. Quick, quick, quick.
"I went to Busty's last week to talk to the Reapers to see if I could talk them out of going after Sonny. That jerk said it wasn't any of my business." I let out a weird breath continuing to damn myself. "He kissed me and I ran out of there."
Silence.
Complete, mind-numbing silence.
"I know it was stupid but I'm fine." Like that was going to help the situation but something was better than nothing. I hoped. Holding up my hands, I flipped them over. “See? Nothing happened.”
The first thing that came out of anyone's mouth was a long, drawn out, "Fuck." It might have been the hot guy or Luther.
The second thing that came out of someone's mouth was, "Get out."
Dex.
"Excuse me?" I asked, still looking up at the patterned ceiling.
"Get out, Ritz," he repeated.
What the hell? I lowered my gaze down, suddenly more confused than scared at his response. Dex had pulled the lid of his cap down tighter on his forehead, his fingertips white and pinched. "Why?"
"Get the fuck out," he snarled.
Ouch!
"Dex—"
"I said get the fuck out!" he yelled.
My heart started pounding so fast, I thought it was going to explode. My face went hot. My chest started to hurt. It was like my skin was being flayed.
I felt awful. So friggin' awful. Why the hell was he yelling at me like that?
So I snapped back for the first time in my life, because here was this stupid dick-brain of a man that I’d slowly started to like, started to feel something for, and he was going to act like a complete friggin’ dick? "Go fuck yourself, you...you...mean asshole!" And then I let out a breath that could probably rival a dragon minus the fire and bad breath. "Don't you talk to me like that."
I was embarrassed, so embarrassed that I felt a lump in my throat. I was mortified. No one had ever talked to me like that, and he was out of his mind if he thought he could get away with it.
Getting out of the chair like my joints were those of a senior, pissed and hurt, I shook my head but didn't bother looking at him. I didn't know how I'd feel if I saw his face. Right before pulling the door open with a little more force than was necessary, I muttered, "Dickface," under my breath.
The moment I was out of the office, my heartbeat tripled. The urge to throw up and cry was so overwhelming, I managed to stifle the gag and settle for sucking in a ragged breath that did nothing to keep my eyes from tearing up.
Those damn traitorous tears slipped out in sporadic pairs, streaming weak lines down my face before I wiped them off.
I wasn't going to cry.
You are not going to cry, Iris.
Wiping at my face again, I sucked in a breath that sounded strangled and weak but it worked.
The hallway seemed shorter than normal, and when I immediately spotted Blue, Slim, and a customer sitting on the couch, looking in my direction with pity in their eyes I wanted to bang my face against the nearest wall.
I couldn't catch a friggin' break.
Slapping a shaky smile onto my face I marched straight toward the exit, promising myself that I wouldn't burst into tears before I was out of sight. I wouldn't do it, damn it. I wouldn't.
"Iris!" It was Slim calling out after me as I stopped at the door, hands planted flat on the glass to push.
I looked him in the face, keeping hold of the reins that fisted my smile closely.
"Here," he said right before digging into his pocket and tossing something underhanded at me.
His car keys.
That made me want to cry even more. I gripped them in my hand, ready to toss them back, already shaking my head. "He'll get mad at you."
My sweet friend Slim shrugged, not worried at all. "He'll get over it." Tipping his chin up, he winked. "I can catch a ride home with Blue."
Blue opened her mouth but didn't say anything. Her gaze slid over to me and she nodded, solemnly. "Get outta here, Ris."
Ahh, crap. I had to wipe at my cheeks again to catch the tears that had slipped out like sneaky ninjas.
"Thanks, guys." My voice sounded all wobbly and raspy. I sniffled and gave them the best smile I could pull out of my battered emotions. "You guys are really good friends to me."
Not wanting to waste any more time at Pins, I waved at my two coworkers quickly and rushed out the door. Slim's Scion was parked in the furthest corner of the lot. Taking in a deep breath, I tried to steady my breathing as much as possible before pulling the car out of the lot.
I didn't know where I was going. It took me all of a second to decide that Sonny's was out of the question. My keys were at Dex's and I wasn't fond of the idea of trying to stage a break in. There was also no way in hell I'd go to Dex's. At that moment, the last thing I wanted to do was even think about that asshole.
Well, that was a lie, as soon as I thought of him, my blood pressure went up.
I mean, what the hell was his problem? To yell at me like that. To talk to me like that. Maybe he was used to being able to talk to people in that way. He hadn't exactly been kind to most people I'd seen him interact with but still. His little temper tantrum had gotten the best out of him—out of me, too.
I drove around for a while. I didn't know where I was going and half the time I didn't even know where I was. I'd have to fill up Slim's gas tank before I drove his car back to the shop later, or tomorrow, whatever my mind decided.
That was when I remembered that I'd left my purse and phone at Pins. That's how pissed—err, upset—I'd been. I never even went to the bathroom without my phone.
The only money I had on me was the twelve dollars and change I had left over from the deli in my back pocket. Well, that kind of screwed me over.
I finally found my way back to the side of town I was familiar with, closer to Sonny's house. With only a quarter of a tank left, I pulled into the parking lot of the mall and theater I'd been to before. There was no point in me driving around or sitting in the car, moping. I didn't want to replay The Dick's tone any more than I already had on the drive.
Friggin' asshole.
~ * ~ *
I'd finally, finally, gotten into the acting after staring at the big screen for two hours when I saw the figure standing at the foot of the stairs that led up the row. I'd snuck into the second movie after I'd seen that it was only nine, and there was no way in hell I was heading back to Pins earlier than I needed to.