Page 32 of Ryder
“Nothing important. The usual bullshit.”
It’s been a weird kind of day. I’ve spent time getting to know some of the women. Mainly Kit and Sia, who belong to Knox and Smokey. Sia and Smokey also have a daughter aged six, which meant we had enough in common to chat the morning away.
And for the last hour, I’ve been sat at the bar playing cards with Whiskey. “Didn’t anyone ever teach you to sign, Whiskey?” I ask, and he shakes his head.
Sia told me he lost his tongue when he was just a kid, which made no sense to me. He’s spent his entire life struggling to communicate when he could have been taught sign language to at least offer him some kind of strategy. “I know some, can I teach you?” He eyes me for a moment with suspicion, then he shrugs and gives a nod. I grin, placing my cards on the table. “Great.” And I set about teaching him some basics.
An hour passes when I notice Ryder pass us to step outside. He returns minutes later with Miss Hind following him. It shouldn’t bother me, seeing them together. But since Finn said those words, I’ve been feeling less confident and she is really pretty. “Siren, I got Harlee some extra tuition.” He smiles wide, like he’s holding the key to all the answers, but I don’t feel the same and his smile falters when he realises it.
“Oh my god, tell me that’s not Sass,” came a loud voice. Bear rushes her from behind and picks her up, spinning her around. It’s the first time I’ve seen her smile and it only makes her look more beautiful. I roll my eyes.
“Hey Bear, long time no see. How’s the kids?”
“Ochs, there’s too many of them now, we’re on baby number seven.”
“That poor wife of yours.” She laughs, shaking her head.
“Let me take you to the kitchen. The guys’ll be pleased to see you.” She goes off with Bear and Ryder follows, probably realising I’m pissed.
I watch Sarah working with Harlee from my seat at the bar. It seems that Harlee loves the one-on-one approach and is concentrating so hard as she chews on her pencil. It’s hard not to notice how Ryder is also hanging around her, occasionally speaking in her ear whenever Harlee is writing something down. The sense in me knows it’s nothing. He wouldn’t be sat with my daughter, chatting his ex up. But the jealous part of my brain hates it.
“You look like a sad puppy dog waiting to be rehomed.” Griff sits down beside me munching happily on an apple.
“I do not,” I snap, sulkily.
“You do so. She’s the mother of his child, he just wants to win her over so he can see Alfie.”
“How far would he go to do that?”
“How far would you go to see Harlee if she was taken from you? He wants Sass to see that he’s changed, he’s grown up and he’s sticking around.”
His words are not helping and I arch a brow. “And he thought he’d use my daughter to do that?”
“No, he promised you he’d get Harlee sorted so that she didn’t miss out on school.”
Harlee runs towards us waving a piece of paper. “Look what I did,” she bellows excitedly.
Griff picks her up and takes the paper from her so that we could look at it together. I look up as Ryder heads for his office, with Sarah hot on his heels.
Griff catches me watching and smiles, “It’s not what you think. He likes you.”
Ryder
It’s early evening when I finally sit down on the worn couch. I turn my eyes to where Neve is teaching Whiskey to sign. It’s one of my new favourite things to watch and as she throws her head back laughing, before repositioning Whiskey’s fingers, I find myself smiling.
I know she’s being off with me. She’s hardly spoken since I walked in with Sassy. But I ain’t gonna apologise for keeping Harlee learning. This morning Neve was complaining her daughter would miss school, and now she was mad I’d found a solution. Besides, it wasn’t my idea. I’d called Sassy first thing to explain the situation and she’d offered. The Griff had pointed out it was a good way to get into Sassy’s good books, so I took the chance, hoping it’ll lead to me being able to see Alfie.
“Neve,” I call, and she glances over her shoulder at me. “Come,” I add. She turns back to Whiskey, ignoring my command. I smile, there’s something about her defiance that turns me on. “Siren, don’t ignore me.”
“I’m busy,” she mutters, keeping her back to me. Whiskey raises his eyebrows in surprise. It isn’t often someone shows disrespect to his president.
“Two seconds to make it right or I’m doing it my way,” I warn.
I watch as some of the guys trudge in, followed by the club girl’s they’ve been to collect from the bar. They hang around the bikers and offer a good time for free rent and food. It’s a win-win situation. Viv spots me and makes a beeline. I smirk, wondering if this will get Neve listening to me. I let her slide into the space beside me and place her hand over my knee, raking her red nails there. “How’s my favourite president?” she purrs.
I grin, leaning my head back on the couch and closing my eyes. “All the better for seeing you, V.”
I don’t feel her presence until it’s too late. A cold drink hits my face and Viv screams, jumping away from me. I sit up and stare into Neve’s furious eyes. She’s holding a now empty glass. “Do not play games with me, Ryder,” she warns, angrily before stomping away.