Page 1 of The Family Pet

1

RIDGE GODFREY

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Black Out was pumping, the dance beat pulsating so loudly I could feel it in my chest, making my heart stutter under the pressure of the bass. The noise was chaotic energy matched by the crowd, and as much as I wanted to join my friends tearing up the dance floor, instead I found myself at the brightly lit bar amid a sea of near darkness, slamming my fifth shot of tequila in the last half hour. It was a jolt. The bartender—a cute guy with bright blue hair, pierced ears, and thick black eyeliner—frowned at me as I waved at him for another round.

He leaned over the bar and placed a hand on mine, giving me a better view of dark freckles across a slim nose that fit his narrow face perfectly. “Are you okay?”

I winked at him and grinned, bending forward so I met him halfway. “Depends. You have pretty lips. I’d be a hell of a lot better if you gave me a blowjob.”

The bartender’s mouth pursed and he pulled back. A wave of disappointment washed through me, and his reaction was a reminder of why I was here drinking away my worries. Once again, my father had jumped down my throat for my stupid actions. A simple prank at law school had caused about a thousand dollars of damage to a statue, which was nearly nothing, but I’d created enough trouble that Dad had stripped me of this month’s allowance. He’d lectured me on the importance of our name, as though I could forget I was a Godfrey, one of the “better” families in New Gothenburg.

Rolling my eyes, I shoved away thoughts of Dad, reaching across the bar toward the pretty man while offering him a charming smile along with my hand. “Was I too much? Come on. I can make it worth your while. I have a nice cock.”

The bartender snorted, unamused, and took another step backward. “I have a boyfriend.”

I buried the urge to roll my eyes again. “Everyone has a boyfriend. Who the fuck cares? It’s a blowjob.”

Someone slapped their hand on the bar beside me, and I startled, glaring at the big biker who slid between me and the guy on the stool on my left side. His black leather jacket was heavy on his wide shoulders and the patches on the right side said he was from the Kings of Men MC. I’d heard of the club, everyone who lived in New Gothenburg had, and they weren’t exactly the kind of dudes to mess with. This one was smaller than the other Kings I’d seen around, but he was still muscular, with an eye in a triangle inked on the front of his neck. His buzzed brown hair told me he might be former military. I’d had a few friends who had gone into the armed forces, and they had shaved their heads in a similar way.

I looked him up and down. “What the fuck, man?”

The King smirked, his eyes glinting dangerously. “He said no.”

I glanced at the bartender from the corner of my eye, and he shook his head at the biker. When I returned my attention to the King, I shoved to my feet and almost matched his height. He was slightly taller than me but not by much. “This has nothing to do with you.”

“Andy, no. Don’t.” The bartender threw down the white towel he’d had across his shoulder and ran around the end of the bar, rushing to stand beside us. He pushed at the King’s chest. “It’s fine. He isn’t the first guy I’ve dealt with who flirted with me, and he won’t be the last.”

My mind struggled to connect the dots, and I grinned smugly, pointing at the King. “You’re the boyfriend.”

“I’m also the guy who’s gonna kick your ass if you say something disgusting to him again,” the biker—Andy, apparently—said with a sneer. “And trust me, I can handle a rich brat.” He tugged on my black Gucci T-shirt. “Spending Daddy’s money? College kids like you haven’t stopped sucking on your daddy’s nipples yet. Or is it Mommy’s tits?”

“Andrew,” the bartender hissed, pinching his arm. “Stop it.”

Anger vibrated in my chest and my fingers twitched before curling into fists. As I raised my hand, someone caught my elbow from behind. I spun to give whoever the fuck was touching me a piece of my mind before the sight of Jury Daughtler, one of my good friends, had me hesitating.

He shook his head, a warning in his gaze. “Come on, Ridge. That is enough for you tonight.” He offered Andy and the bartender an apologetic smile, his dimples dipping into his flushed cheeks. His messy brown hair stuck up in all directions. While the sides of his face were naturally rosy, the added redness on his forehead and chin indicated he’d come directly from the aquatic-looking dance floor, where his twin brother, Judge, and our other friends were still having a good time. “Come on, Ridge. Let’s go outside for a breather.”

He didn’t wait for me to reply, dragging me along the crowded platform where the bar was located, then through the much darker dance floor toward the front door. When he had me outside, he shoved me, glaring as we walked farther down the street away from Black Out’s entrance, where the bouncers watched us carefully.

“What the hell are you doing, Ridge?” Jury threw his hands up in frustration and let them slap back against his tight jeans. “Are you trying to die? Because if you are, you nearly succeeded. He was a fucking King. He would’ve shot you and thrown your body in the lake.”

I grunted out a laugh and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. I stared around Bar Row, full of Saturday night partiers. Sandwiched between Washington and Lafayette Street, this area was full of older buildings mixed with freshly remodeled ones, and it was mostly bars; although, a closed bakery with glaring dark windows was across from Black Out. There was so much foot traffic it reminded me of Disneyland during a ticket giveaway. Everyone was living their best lives, with no concerns for the world around them.

Ugh, I wished that I could pickle my brain in booze and just wander around happy tonight, like I usually did, but Dad’s lecture today irked me. His mood had been awful lately because of the money we’d lost while trusting his brother. My uncle and his wife had taken Dad’s investment, as well as many others’ money, and run away from the city, leaving behind a trail of disaster in their wake. They had been close to destroying the Godfrey name. Dad was more worried about the stain on our family than the missing cash, but the entire situation pissed him off.

“Are you listening?” Jury heaved a massive sigh. He was handsome, and it wasn’t difficult to figure out why he and Judge were popular. They had soft mouths I couldn’t help but stare at longer than a straight guy would. I’d never been totally het, even if I hadn’t done jack shit with another dude yet. “Fuck. I know things are bad at home—”

“Screw that,” I snapped, whirling toward him with a glare. “It’s a mess that Dad is fixing. Those fuckwits almost ruined our family in New Gothenburg. Now no one will hear Godfrey without thinking about my bastard uncle and his whore wife and their stupid motherfucking son and daughter.”

Jury stared, giving me that ridiculous sympathetic look that I’d hated getting from my friends since it happened. Even though Jury and Judge grew up on Vert Island like I had, their values were different. They were better people than me, and even I could admit that.

I pointed at him. “Don’t you fucking look at me that way, Jury. Fucking don’t.” He stepped forward, but I shot backward, nearly running into a girl walking past us. She glared at me as she huffed and stalked away, but I ignored her, focusing on Jury. “I don’t need you to feel sorry for me.”

“Maybe it’s time for you to go home for the night. I can—”

“Fuck off,” I yelled, stumbling backward again. My mind turned fuzzy, the tequila kicking in hard, and I nearly twisted an ankle as I slid on the icy sidewalk, close to the road. I waved a hand at him. “I don’t need your help.”