But she’d been prepared to wait until he healed. Hadn’t she told him that? They could get through it. “Babe, I’m fine. Don’t put your life on hold for me.” Words she couldn’t forget hearing.
“The club whores are vipers in tight skirts. They will have been swarming like bees the moment they heard Splice had lost his memories.” Nina said. “Tomb told me as much today. That’s why I had to talk to you.”
“Don’t stop me if I get into a scrap,” Lisa said, seriously, and Nina burst out laughing.
“Fuckkkkk. I haven’t been in a fight in years. We only got our nails done three days ago. But I’ve got your back, girl. I’ll take the twenty on the left; you take the thirty on the right.”
“I’m mad enough to fight them all if any have dared to touch Ryan.” She said through her clenched teeth. “Let’s go.” She announced and climbed out, slamming the door behind her.
Whatever Lisa had been prepared for going into the Diablos’ sanctuary—every scene flitting through her mind, from the best to the worst—was devastating to see Ryan sitting at a round table with his uncle opposite him, Mouse sitting by Vince, and three girls bookended next to Ryan. One was cuddling his arm as if she had the right to touch him. Her eyes took in the scene and felt every sickening swish of her belly.
Was she too late?
Had Ryan—no, this wasSpliceshe was looking at, the infamous slut-puppy she joked he was. It wasn’t her Ryan. Had he already slept with another woman? He was sitting at an angle, his long legs stretched out in front of him. At ease with the situation. Looking as if he hadn’t missed her for a moment. He had a hand around his glass, talking to Vince.
“Hold my purse,” she said to Nina, pulling it off her shoulder. She handed it over without drawing her eyes from Ryan, who had yet to see her.
“Oh, shit, here we go.” Mumbled Nina.
Vince saw her first, and his smile wavered. “Oh, hey, honey. Can I get you a drink?”
“I’m not here socially, Vince, thanks, though.” She spoke, keeping her eyes on Ryan.
He took his sweet time raising his eyes, and that just pissed her off even more. And when he looked at her, oh, yeah, that dead glance punched her in the heart. It wasn’t her sweet boy Ryan Gold who would literally beg her to snuggle with him on the couch. It wasn’t the guy who would think nothing of going to the bakery at six a.m. to spoil her with pastries and a hot coffee. It wasn’t the man who fucked her and fucked her and would still fuck her again even when she tried to tap out from exhaustion. It wasn’t the biker who strode into her house and would immediately sweep her into his arms for a deep kiss and a long hug, as if he hadn’t seen her in months. It wasn’t the man who loved sneaking into her shower just to wash her hair. And then make her come. It wasn’t the man who made her laugh and smile more than any other man had.
If this man in front of her were her Ryan, she’d already be on his lap.
He would have already prowled his tall frame outside to meet her before her car had stopped. He was that attentive, as if he were tuned to her frequency.
And she saw none of Ryan on that beautiful face.
“Babe. What are you doing here?” he said tonelessly.
“Don’t be fucking rude, Splice. You know who Lisa is to you; show some respect.” Snapped Nina, and Lisa touched her friend’s arm.
“It’s okay, Nina; he’s got manners in there somewhere, maybe they fell out of his head, as the memories of me have. What am I doing here?” She repeated his question, and she saw him smirk. Vince cleared his throat, as if his uncle could sense the change in the air.
They’d by now garnered attention from other bikers, but Lisa didn’t care if she was about to make a scene. She was long past caring about putting her best foot forward. She was about to stick her foot up that woman’s ass if she kept hanging onto Ryan’s arm, and she sliced a glance between the women before meeting Ryan’s watchful stare again.
As mad as she was, she still felt unmoored without him.
Two days and no Ryan sleeping pressed into her back felt like some cosmic power was punishing her.
“I’m here to remind you who your girlfriend is.”
That caused a rousing round of woos from the peanut gallery, but Lisa only had eyes for the man in front of her. The same man who would have been up off his seat already with his hands on her.
Ryan’s eyes were hooded as he brought the glass to his lips and drained it in one.
“You want another one, Unc?” he asked the older man, ignoring her.
Vince looked between them like he could see the awkwardness leaching out like steam, and he tried to smile at Lisa.
“Maybe you two should talk privately, son?” Then, to Lisa, he said, “He’s still recovering, honey. Give him some time. We’ve all been worried about his accident.”
“I don’t think Splice wants to talk to you, babe.” Smirked the woman closest to Lisa, who had her hand tucked around his arm. “Maybe go home to your cats and leave him to us. We know how to take real good care of Splice, don’t we, girls?”
Lisa looked the petite woman up and down, and a burn began in her belly, spreading up into her eyes until her vision turned pure red. She didn’t raise her voice when she replied.
