Forget about me

Chapter twenty-nine

Ryder

Two days with no food and constant beatings hasn't broken the lion. Hunter hasn't managed to get any answers from the Pride member and neither have I. His loyalty just got him killed. Leaving the pups to dump him in shark infested waters a pissed off Hunt and I head back home.

Shade's on his stomach on the floor rolling a jingling ball to the horrid little creature Alex is so fond of. One look at our expressions tells him that we got nothing. Again. What the fuck does the Pride want with her? If they wanted to use her to hurt us, they'd have put a bullet between her eyes. They know there's no way we'd give up our turf because of a girl. Even if that girl is Alex.

"They're not back?" I ask snatching a slice of pizza off the living room table. Shade shakes his head as Draco sinks his little teeth into his hand which currently covers his toy. "What're we going to do? We need to hit them back."

Shade hums and Hunter grunts in response. My pocket vibrates with a text message at the same time as Shade's phone on the table does. Hunter slips his own phone out of his jacket.

Not fast just furious (group chat)

Jem: Dude...

Shade: What?

Jem: You'd marry me if I asked...

Jem: Right?

Shade: I'd marry the shit out of you, man.

Cutie pie: Aww thanks! I'd marry you too <3

Grumpy pants: Why the fuck are you asking???

Grumpy pants: And why is my name grumpy pants?

Cutie pie: Lexie said she wouldn't marry me.

Cutie pie: Oh, and she took my phone for a second there.

Cutie pie: That is not what I said! I said we're too young to get married AND haven't seen each other in ten years! Plus, I hate you all!

Cutie pie: Sorry she took it again. And that's the same thing!

Grumpy pants: If anyone's marrying Alex it's me.

Dick face: No one's marrying anyone.

Dick face: Dick face? Real mature...

Dark and broody: You guys on your way back?

Cutie pie: Yeah, we're five minutes out.

"We should get her a phone."

"No." I'm cutting the air off on that idea immediately.

Shade rolls his eyes at me. "Think about it. What if something happens? She needs to be able to contact us."

"We all have phones. Something happens and we'll contact each other." I counter. There's no way in hell that we give her a phone.

Shade sighs and scoops Draco up in his arms. "For someone so smart you can be really thick sometimes." He tosses a glance at Hunter. "Both of you. We want her to want to stay right?" at my nod he continues. "This isn't the way to do it. We want to protect her, which I think she understands, but she's been on her own for so long that she's forgotten what it's like to rely on others. Suffocating her is only going to chase her away."

"We can't convince her to stay if she isn't here to be convinced."

Shaking his head at me he groans. "We'll table this conversation. Besides, there's something more important we should talk about."