Faith’s Temptation (Dueling Dragons MC Book 1) (6 page)

“Holy shit, Layla! Are you trying to make me trip and crack my head open?” I huff as she lets me go and I twirl around to face her.

“Oh, drop your attitude, princess. I wouldn’t have let anything happen to you. But I want to know how the hell you know Ryder. And why is he asking so many damn questions about you?” She looks me right in my eyes.

“Well, first off, he is the one pursuing
me
. I’m not pursuing him in any way,” I bark out at her, grab my smokes out of my apron, and light one up.

Layla turns away from the breeze to light her smoke. “Well, Miss Bratty, Ryder is my brother. My
little
brother to be exact. He has had a rough life, a life that most people would only think of in their worst nightmares.” She shakes her head at me. “Faith, I’m just trying to look out for you. You’re a good person, an innocent person. You don’t need to be wrapped up in what Ryder has going on. Trust me, okay?”

Seeing the concern in her face is really making me rethink all of these emotions I have been having surrounding Ryder. Just the thought of his voice gets my bundle of nerves going.

“Okay, I trust you. I’ll keep it all in mind. Besides, I’ve been hurt really bad in the past, and I’m not going to let it happen again. Trust me, he can try all he wants. I am not just going to crack from the pressure.”

Hopefully that put her mind at ease a little.

And mine.

Ryder

“GO FOR LAYLA,”
I hear my sister say into the phone.

“Hey, sis! What’s goin’ on?” I say back to her with a small chuckle.

“What the hell did you say to my new girl?” She almost yells into the phone, causing my laughter to get louder.

“Well, I told her I’ll catch her sooner or later. So, gimme some info on this chick. How old, where’s she from? You know, all the details.”

“First off, you don’t need to be worrying about who and what she’s about. You have other things to focus on.” There’s the Layla we all know and love. The mother hen. “Speaking of which, you in Arizona?”

“Yeah, we got back yesterday from Mexico,” I say, coughing a little to try and get her off the subject. Open phone line—we don’t need too much information said over the phones about club business.

“So, I take it we’ll see you soon then?” Layla banters back. She has really only been the one in my corner helping me with whatever I need handled.

“Yep, sure. We’ll be there. So, back to the subject of Faith?” I laugh into the phone knowing what’s about to come from the other side of the phone.

“Ryder James! I have told you I don’t know how many times....” I pull the phone away from my ear and let her yell about how I shouldn’t settle down, how I shouldn’t drag someone else into my lifestyle with me. “And, I swear to God and everything holy that if you knock someone up....”

And that’s where I stop her. “Whoa! No one ever brought up babies! Don’t get shit twisted.” I bellow a laugh into the phone.

“Well, the way you always seem to ask about these girls, I never know,” she counters back. “Ryder, I hate to cut this short, but I gotta get off here and tend to business. See you soon?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there. Tell Faith to be ready for me!” I snicker.

“Fuck you, Ryder! Love you,” she says before slamming the phone down.

“What’s so funny?” Ziggy asks from across the room where a stripper is giving him the dance of a lifetime.

“Oh, nothing really. Just find it funny that my sister is still trying to be a mother to me.” Layla’s always mothered me since my mom went crazy when I was a kid. She walked in on Pops fuckin’ some club whore and she ain’t ever been right since.

“So, what’s she getting on you about this time?” He smacks the ass of the girl dancing for him.

“I guess that new girl. She says she’s ‘off limits.’” I shake my head. “Can you believe my own sister’s tryin’ to cock-block me?” I reach for the shot glass sitting on the bar in front of me.

“Actually, I can see Layla doing something like that,” Ziggy busts out, grabbing a girl by her hips, pulling her down on to his lap.

“I’m serious. There’s just somethin’ that draws me to this Faith chick. I don’t know what it is.” I take the shot and stand up from the bar. “You gonna fuck that bitch, or just mess with her head?” I nod toward the Lolly who’s now twirling around the pole in the middle of the room.

“Yeah,” he spits, bobbing his head in sync with the ass in front of him. “Probably,” Zig slurs. “Wha da fuck you doin’? You drunk, motha fucka?” Zig has never really been able to handle his liquor. He usually makes an ass outta himself. Makes for pretty fun times when he does let loose.

I laugh so hard I have to prop myself up with a bar stool. “No, jackass. I’m going out to the truck and passing the fuck out. I plan on taking off early in the a.m., so be ready to ride.” I look over and he’s managed to get himself up and is dancing with the Lolly in the middle of the room now.
Dumbass, I don’t think he heard a thing I said.

Turning around, I look at Bull, the prospect bartending tonight. “Bull, keep an eye on fuck-face over there. Make sure he gets to his room, please.”

“Yeah, sure. Of course,” the tattooed from head-to-toe, blond, crystal blue-eyed white boy says.

I’ve never really been fond of Bull. He’s an arrogant little shit. But charter rules state you take in one prospect every year and, well, he came on last year after Ziggy found him drunk and tweaked out at the strip club.

I head to the bathroom. After taking the longest piss ever, I stumble outside and climb up into my truck. Yeah, I have an apartment here, but I don’t feel like listening to a bunch of assholes fuckin’ all night.

“Whoa!” I fall backward into the sleeper and land on the bed.
Bong.
My head bounces off the back of the sleeper. “Shit, that hurts!” I say as I rub my head.

After stripping and crawling under the blanket, I lay there and think about how amazing it would feel to have a normal life. Maybe even a normal relationship for once. “Ah, to hell with that shit,” I say out loud. “I’ll never get a chance at normal. Live by the cut, die by the cut,” I growl to myself as I close my eyes, trying to think of better times and a better life.

***

Boom. Boom. Boom.

“What the fuck?” I yell as my body jerks awake. Someone is banging on the side of my truck.

Jumping out of the small bed, I slip on my pants and open the curtains. “Morning fuck-face!” Ziggy says, meeting me at the glass with a shit-eating grin on his face.

I unlock the door and he jumps down to open the door. “What the fuck, asshole? Do you not believe in sleep?” I ask him as he starts to climb into the cab.

“Yeah, I believe in sleep. I just don’t need hours of ‘beauty sleep’ like some of you cocksuckers do.” He chuckles at the end and makes a girly face as he mouths the words ‘beauty sleep.’

I sit down on the bed and slip on some socks and a shirt. “You ready to make a straight shot through to Layla’s? I’d like to get up there as soon as I can.” I lean down and tie my boots.

“What’s your big rush to get back to your sister’s all of a sudden?” he asks, turning back to the door. He obviously doesn’t remember shit from last night.
Good.

“No particular reason at all. I just want to be there so when the Leybas are ready we can finish up this last run.” I slip on some jeans and head for the front. “Now get the fuck outta my truck so we can get ready.”

Ziggy shoves the door open, jumps down to the ground, and turns back toward me. “Just think, this time next month, we could be free men.” He looks at me with a huge smile.

It’s been a long time coming for both of us. All we’ve done the last couple of years is worked for other people. We can’t wait to get ahold of the Dueling Dragons club and really make it our own.

“Yeah, bro, I know. I can’t wait, either.” I climb out of the cab and start my pre-trip inspection so I can get on the road and start grabbing gears. This time tomorrow, I’ll be looking at those beautiful eyes of that goddess working for my sister.

***

Faith

The next evening, after stocking everything out in the front of the diner, I decide to start helping with the rest of the stocking. Halfway standing in the walk-in freezer, I grab things that I know we’re running low on out front. I feel a set of arms wrap around me. He smells wonderful—a cross between diesel and man.

I may have only met him once, but I would know Ryder's scent anywhere. Sounds strange, but the smells together make me shiver. I start imagining him lying on top of me, thrusting inside me.
Oh, Faith! Not again. Stop having these thoughts, will ya?

“If you want to keep your manhood, I suggest you remove your arms from around me and back the fuck off,” I sneer through clenched teeth. His chest vibrates against my back as he starts to chuckle.

“Who knew that such a sweet and innocent looking girl could have such a mouth? It’s a very beautiful mouth, I might add,” he says against my neck.

Goose bumps instantly spread all over my body. Feeling the heat of his breath on such a sensitive spot turns my insides into a puddle of goo.
Ugh, he really knows what he’s doing, doesn’t he?

“Like I said, back the fuck off,” I grunt and throw my arms back, catching him in the ribs.

“Umpf! Damn, be gentle with me,” he says as he releases me and I step away.

“Gentle? Why should I be gentle?” I spin around making eye contact with him. “You’re lucky I didn't punch you in the face. You have no right to sneak up behind me, no right to touch me even. What makes you think you can do that?” I demand in a frazzled tone.

There’s something about him that just makes me so…so…I don’t know. Confused? I had the same issue both times I talked to him. Once he starts talking, my mind fractures and the pieces get mixed up.

He grins, looking down at me. I catch the sparkle in his eye. “I told ya, sweetheart, I never give up. And besides, I already know that
when
I have my way, my arms will be the only ones you will allow to hold you.”

Hmm, how to respond to that?
“So, Ryder, wasn’t it? Layla’s brother?” I ask as I return to collecting my items.

“Yep.” He pops the P. “That’s me. She hasn’t talked a bunch of shit has she? I’ll kill her if she has,” he says as he looks at me questioningly.

“Nah, she hasn’t said much apart from your name, who you are, and that you’re her brother.” I grab a can of ketchup. “Ya know if you’re going to continue to stand there and gawk at me, at least make yourself useful by helping me carry these supplies.” I give him my standard you’re-bugging-me look that I give most of the guys that hit on me.

I didn’t leave home to hook up with some guy. I left home because I needed to find me. I needed to find the real Faith. If I stayed in Mobile any longer, I was going to have to see Beau and have the constant reminder of what he did. Then there were all our friends from school that I couldn’t face, because I’m sure that Beau has them all convinced that I did something wrong.

So I have to steer clear of this guy. I can feel something beyond the physical attraction, something that’s going to be much harder to fight and ignore.

“Faith, I’m only here for a few days, maybe a week, tops. I have a run coming up, and I might be gone for a little while. Would you please have dinner with me? I don’t get to talk to very many people, let alone a smokin’ hottie like you. I’ll take you somewhere besides this nasty truck stop.” He says it with a sincere smile on his face, and that’s when I see the dimples.

Looking up at him, all I see are the dimples and that drop-dead, gorgeous smile. Why is he so appealing?
Ugh.
I shrug.

He shifts on his feet and gives me another all-teeth-and-dimples smile. “You don’t have to be scared of me. I won’t hurt you.” He reaches for my hand.

I look down and pull away just as his fingers graze mine.

“
Fine
. You win. I give in.” I throw my arm up in the air to get it away from him, because something tells me if I let him touch me in any normal way, I’ll end up begging for it all over. “Just dinner, nothing more, nothing less. Where and when do you want to go? I’m off on Thursday night, but I open Friday morning,” I say to him as I turn to grab the condiments tray next to me.

“Thursday afternoon? Around 4:00 p.m. How’s that sound? I’ll pick you up here, then,” he says with the biggest grin on his face. “And, Faith, I don’t like being late, so be on time,” he answers with a more commanding tone than usual.

I nod and push past him, propping the tray on my shoulder. “You don’t have to worry about me not showing up. I keep to my word and promises. What about you?” I snap as I sashay away.

“Oh, you can bet your sweet ass I’m going to be here,” he bellows after me.

Rolling my eyes, I push open the swinging doors and enter the diner. “You never told me your brother would try to hook up with me, Layla,” I mumble as she walks past me toward the kitchen.

“Just keep telling yourself ‘No’ and you’ll be okay when it comes to Ryder. I promise.” She winks at me as the doors swing closed.

Great! How am I gonna say no now?

Shrugging to myself, I go about filling the condiment containers behind the bar and try to clear my thoughts of anything to do with Ryder.

But it is looking more like a failure than a positive thing.

Ryder

THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS
have been heaven on Earth. I know that sounds like a lot of shit coming from someone like me, but it has been. I’ve been spending time with my sister and watching this hot little piece of ass, Faith.

She’s been strutting around this place like she owns it, and let me tell ya, she’s fuckin’ hot. But tomorrow is my day. I’m going to charm her and fucking make her mine, at least for the night.

“Ryder, are you sure you want to do this? She’s such an innocent girl, and I’m worried about you hurting her,” my sister whines to me from behind her desk.

“Layla, Jesus Christ! I told you to stay the hell out of my business. As it is, you already know too much when it comes to the club. So just back the fuck off.” I run my hand through my hair. She is such a doting person that she doesn’t know where her actual mothering ends and being a sister begins.