All Chapters of Our Dirty Little Secret : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Ryder My phone vibrated again as I reached the club’s back entrance. Dallas’s name lit up the screen for the tenth time in ten minutes. I declined the call, shoved the phone deep into my pocket, and pushed through the heavy metal door.The bass slammed into me the second I stepped inside, thrumming up my legs and into my chest like a second heartbeat. One of the bouncers moved to help, but I shrugged him off and cut straight toward the stairs leading to the VVIP level and my private office. It had been three months since I had last shown my face at this branch. The girls lit up when they saw me, flashing practiced smiles, but I felt like a ghost haunting my own property. I ignored their greetings and climbed the stairs two at a time.“Is the boss okay?” one of them murmured behind me as they drifted back to the clients.I slammed the office door shut. The pounding music died instantly. For a long moment I just stood in the dark, forehead pressed to the cool wood, hands shaking agains

I felt doubt flood in the second the call connected. What if it’s bad news? The question clawed at my stomach, making my mouth go dry. I honestly didn’t think he would answer. My fingers locked around the phone so tight the edges dug into my skin, and my other hand balled into a fist, nails biting into my palm. My heart hammered like it wanted out of my chest, loud enough that it almost drowned out the low, rough sound of his voice on the line.“Dallas Romero,” he drawled, his voice laced with dark amusement. “To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?”“Have you seen Ryder?” I demanded, skipping any pleasantries. “He hasn’t answered in two days, since the last night you visited.”A low chuckle rumbled through the line.“My son makes his own choices. If he’s gone dark, that’s his business. Family matters stay in the family, girl. Stay out of it if you know what’s good for you.”“I…I don’t understand, is he okay?” My voice cracked.“Sure, girl. I just left his apartment about an hour a

I couldn’t believe my legs still carried me away from Ryder. How could he be so cruel? What the hell changed in two nights? I could hear the sound of my heart breaking into pieces i didn’t know how to pick up. I held the wall for balance and stood on his porch, my hands shaking so hard I couldn't find the railing. The garden stretched out before me, I couldn't breathe, couldn't think, or do anything except stand there and feel the words he had spoken settle into my bones like poison.I heard the glass shattered inside the house, my hands trembled as I searched for my phone in my bag. I found my phone, my fingers hovered over Jax number tempting to spill everything. Memories of how Ryder would pick me on his shoulder, how we dance and drink and joke about everything. All that and he never loved me? The door opened behind me, I didn’t turn to look at him.“I’m leaving,” I whispered, pushing off the wall and swiping at my tears.“Dallas…..Dally,” he called then paused like he was thi

The days blurred into this suffocating haze of darkness and despair. I hadn’t left Hazel’s bed in what felt like forever. Time just… dissolved in the dim room, curtains pulled tight against the afternoon light that kept trying to sneak in anyway. I stayed curled up in the same ratty sweatpants, my hair clumping into greasy, matted strands that stuck to my neck whenever I shifted.Alcohol was the only thing that even came close to dulling the knife twisting in my chest. Each swallow burned down my throat, blurring the sharp edges of memories I couldn’t outrun. My savings were bleeding out with every delivery order, but the numbness… fuck, it felt like mercy. I drifted in and out of sleep, jerking awake only to press my face into the pillow and cry until my eyes burned, or to fumble blindly for the bottle on the nightstand. The days melted together in a fog I didn’t want to climb out of.The door creaked open. I didn’t bother lifting my head.Hazel pushed inside, the tray in her hands r

“God, you look terrible. When was the last time you slept more than an hour?” Melissa asked as we pulled away from the kiss. “Work’s been…. You know how it is.” I tried to shrug it off, but my shoulders felt like lead.“Why don’t I take the stress off you for a few hours at least.” She leaned in and whispered against my ear, her full breasts pressing and dragging across my chest. Her hand slid down and worked my belt open. She pushed me onto the couch and straddled my lap, grinding slow. She kissed me again, took my hand, and pressed it to her breast.I yanked her closer, crushing her mouth against mine. Her lips parted under the insistent press of my own, as I devoured the taste of her. My tongue swept in, tangling with hers as my hands roamed down the curve of her hips. But this still couldnt stop my mind from spiraling. I broke the kiss with a sharp inhale, my grip sliding up to her shoulders. “I need you, baby,” she moaned as she tugged at my belt and slipped her hand inside m