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Ruin’s Embattlement (Tenillo Guardians AIMC #19) Ruin 38%
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Ruin

I told Dad about Desi accepting our movie date and what I’d sent her. He grinned and told me to keep it up. He assured me he’d ensure Mom, Tyson, and Shane were out of the house.

It was a workday, so time seemed to drag as I counted the minutes until our date. Yes, I was calling it a date, even if she had no idea that was what it was. During lunch, I called Mario’s and happened to get Mario Mancini, the owner, on the phone. He was familiar with the Infidels and was considered a friend. He welcomed me home. I thanked him and then explained what I wanted. He promised it would be ready and he’d have it delivered to me at the compound, so I didn’t need to waste time stopping to pick it up. I thanked him profusely.

Finally, the clock hit five o’clock, and I was free. I was on my way out to my bike when Saint stopped me. I wanted to keep going, but I couldn’t blow off my boss, and even if I could, I sure wouldn’t do it to my VP.

“Where are you heading in such a hurry?” he asked.

Deciding to be upfront with him, or at least somewhat, I told him, “Desi and I are having a movie night, and I’m headed home to shower and get ready to go over to the house. Do you need me?” I prayed he didn’t.

A smile appeared on his face. “Well, what the hell are you doing still standing here? Go. You don’t want to be late. I’m glad you two are talking and hanging out again.”

“This is our first attempt at it, so I don’t want to blow it. If you need me to do something, I promise I can work tomorrow.”

“It was nothing. Get out of here. You two need to be back together. Good luck.”

“Thanks, VP. See you later,” I called out as I hurried to my bike.

It was cool, but I wore my cut and leather jacket, so the ride wasn’t bad. Short of it snowing and being below freezing, I’d stick to my bike unless I had to transport precious cargo, aka Desi and Shane. Thinking of her made me imagine what it would be like to have her on the back of my bike. It was her spot, whether she became my old lady or not. No negative thoughts, only positive, I remind myself.

By the time I made it home, showered, and got myself spruced up, it was still an hour until go time. I paced my trailer. I didn’t want to go to the clubhouse. If anyone saw me, they’d want to know where I was going. While I didn’t mind them knowing, I didn’t want the added pressure of all their expectations on me. I knew our broken friendship had impacted the whole club. Before the masses knew anything, I wanted more than a toe in the door. I hoped Saint wouldn’t say anything. In addition, if I went to the common room, I might be late to the house and that wasn’t happening.

I straightened my trailer to kill time, which didn’t take much. I had never been terribly messy, and the Corps ensured I was even less so. I didn’t do a white glove test or use a ruler on the bed’s corner folds, but everything had a place. At six forty, I got a text. It was from Konrad.

Konrad: There’s a guy at the gate with a delivery for you. He said his name is Mario, and you’re expecting him. WSID (what should I do)?

He and I used a lot of text acronyms. I answered him as I walked out of the trailer.

Me: Tell him I’ll brT (be right there). Don’t shoot him.

Konrad: Ha, ha. That’s very funny. I’ll try not to, although that pizza smells good. I might have to.

Me: Leave it alone. It’s for someone.

Konrad: Who?

Me: NOYB (none of your business).

He didn’t respond more, but I knew he’d say something when I reached the gate. Mario was sitting patiently in his car. The gate was open, and he’d pulled inside. Konrad was leaning against the watch house next to the main entrance. That’s what we called the small building built there to shelter the guards.

Mario got out when he saw me. He was smiling. “I swear, it’s like Fort Knox around here. I have to warn you. The new guy was eyeing your pizza. You’d better watch him.” He grinned at Konrad.

Kon walked over, chuckling. “Ruin and I are good friends, but I’d knife him for that pizza. It smells amazing. My mouth is watering.”

“Ruin?” Mario asked, and then his eyes widened when he saw my cut. I’d turned so he could see the back.

“Tanner, I mean, Ruin, you didn’t tell me this when you called to order! Congratulations. I know how proud the club and your parents are of you serving. I can’t believe the kid I watched grow up is a man. They have to be thrilled you’re home and an official member.” He held out a hand and balanced the pizza and a sack in the other. I shook it.

“Thanks, Mario. It happened the day I came home, which was a complete shock to me. This dog drooling over my food is Konrad. He’s a Marine buddy of mine who came home with me. He decided he wanted to try his hand at becoming one of us.”

Mario set the box and bag on the hood of his car and shook hands with Konrad. “Any friend of Tanner, shit, I mean, Ruin is a friend of mine. The Infidels are an amazing bunch. There’s no one like them. Well, I know you have plans. I won’t take up more of your time. Enjoy the pizza. I brought you a surprise in the bag. Bring your friend to the shop soon and let him have a taste.”

“I will. Here, I forgot to give you my card on the phone. Is this enough to cover everything and the tip?” I handed him forty dollars. Mario shook his head as he held up his hands.

“No charge. This is my welcome home and congratulations gift to you.”

“Mario, you don’t have to do that.”

“I know I don’t, but I am. Keep your money and use it to feed this one when you bring him. I have a feeling the two of you will eat that much and more,” he teased.

Laughing, I shook his hand again and then picked up my food. As Mario got into his car and turned around to go out the gate, which would open automatically from the inside, Konrad gestured to the items in my hands with his chin.

“Mind telling me who you’re sharing this with?”

I didn’t want to jinx it, so I said, “I’m just hanging at the fam’s house and enjoying a movie. You and I need to find time in your schedule so I can take you to Mario’s. His is the best pizza in the world.”

“I’ll hold you to it. I’ll see what Saint has assigned me to do and then let you know. Get going before it turns cold. Enjoy your movie with the family.”

I nodded, not correcting him that the family wouldn’t be there. I checked my watch and saw it was only a few minutes until seven. I didn’t waste time getting my ass down the street to the end where Mom and Dad’s house was. Lucky for me, they lived on the street closest to the gate.

I balanced the box and sack in one hand and opened the front door with the other. As I entered, I called out, “I’m here. Let the screams begin.”

It was my standard way of teasing Desi. She watched horror movies but screamed, jumped, and sometimes hid her face. I told her numerous times that she didn’t have to watch them if they scared her so much. She argued that she loved them and that the scary parts were the best thing about them. After that, I did everything I could to make her scream more and louder.

“I’m in the kitchen getting our drinks and stuff. I’ll be out in a minute. Just put the pizza on the table in front of the couch,” she responded.

I walked into the room and did what she said. After my hands were free, I returned to the front door and removed my boots, placing them on a shoe rack Mom kept there. I wanted to be comfortable. If I put my feet up with my boots on, Mom would murder me. Strolling back, I was in time to snatch the drinks Desi was carrying. She was juggling them with paper plates and napkins.

“Thanks,” she said.

When everything was on the table, I let her sit first, then took the spot next to her. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve been dying for this movie and our pizza all day. I could barely concentrate at work,” I confessed.

She laughed. “Same here. Tell me about the pizza around your base. Was it at least half as good as Mario’s?”

“I wouldn’t say half. I missed ours, that’s for damn sure. Don’t get me wrong. San Angelo had some decent food places, but they weren’t like home. How was work for you? Busy?”

“The usual, really. Nothing exciting. A bunch of numbers, but you know how I love those, so it was good.”

“Yeah, I remember. You’re a weirdo who loves those numbers that make others’ heads hurt,” I told her. It was a long-running joke between us.

“Hey, I can’t help that you’re a freak who doesn’t love them. They make sense. They don’t lie and always tell a story.” Again, this was an old argument.

We poked and prodded each other back and forth verbally for a good five minutes or more before I ended it. “Okay, I concede this scrimmage, but only because I’m starving. To be continued another time when I’m fully powered up.”

She rolled her eyes, but her smile told me she was enjoying it. “Fine, let’s eat before the big bad biker faints. What’s in the bag?”

“I have no idea. Mario brought it and said it was a surprise. Open it.”

She eagerly unrolled the top and peeked inside. She squealed and then clapped her hands excitedly.

“What is it?” I asked as I reached for the bag.

She snatched it up and clutched it to her chest, shaking her head. “Nope. This is mine. You can forget it. I’m not sharing this.”

I had a notion of what it was. Suddenly, I lunged at her. She gave a tiny scream and tried to get up, but I snagged her hip and pulled her back. My arms came around her, and I latched onto the bag. She was trying to wiggle away and was making threats. “Tanner Fulton, if you don’t stop, I’m going to stab you. This is mine!”

“That’s not fair, Desiree Young. I know what it is. It has to be the triple chocolate and pistachio lava cake Mario makes.”

“No, it’s not. It’s something I like, and you don’t,” she lied.

I resorted to unfair tactics. I began to tickle her ribs and neck. She was super ticklish, and I knew exactly where her most sensitive spots were. She cried out louder and dropped the bag on the floor as she tried to slap my hands and get away. I got her down and teased her until she was gasping for air. Only then did I stop.

I realized we were lying on the couch with me hovering over her. She was laid out beneath me, and I wasn’t just laughing. I was hard. The fun instantly switched to scenes in my head like this, but with her naked, and I was about to do more than tickle her. I held in my groan of pain and pleasure mixed. God, if only. I couldn’t waste the opportunity I’d been given to make up for the past. It might scare her away if I kissed her now or did anything remotely outside the friend zone. I couldn’t take the chance, so I moved away from her and sat on the opposite end of the couch.

She gave me a puzzled look and then slowly sat up. She straightened her clothes and then patted down her hair. “Is everything alright, Ruin?” she asked softly and hesitantly.

“Everything is great, Desi. I forgot how you don’t like to be held down. I was close to doing that. Sorry.” What I said wasn’t a lie. She’d panicked in the past any time she was put in a position close to that, and I knew it was due to what had been done to her.

“I’m fine. I promise. But thank you for thinking of it. I’ve gotten much better about things like that.” She sat up.

“Good, I’m glad. So, since you refuse to share what’s in the bag, I guess that means I get all the pizza,” I said, lunging for the box. It broke the tension that had begun to build, and she shoved me, trying to get me away from the pizza. I pretended to wrestle with her, but eventually, hunger won out, and we stopped.

“You’re right. It’s the lava cake. I’ll make you a deal. I’ll let you have some if you share the pizza,” she offered.

“That sounds fair. Let me start the movie, and then we can eat. I heard this movie is good. Have you seen it?”

She shook her head no. We had the movie started in a matter of minutes, our plates full of Mario’s delicious, to-die-for pizza, and our drinks opened. As the film progressed, I reflected on how good the food was and how wonderful the company was. I’d missed this so much. I wanted to kick myself for denying my feelings for so long and allowing them to wreak havoc on our friendship.

We stuffed ourselves on the pizza and then took a break, saving the lava cake for later. The movie grew scarier and scarier, meaning Desi tensed up and hid her face more between her gasps, cries of denial, and yelling at the television. I loved when she did that. She lectured the people on the screen as if they could hear her.

“Don’t go in there, stupid!”

“Take off those silly shoes. If you try to run in them, you’ll fall and break a leg, then he’s got you.”

“What is wrong with those idiots? They shouldn’t be going outside in the dark, trying to find where that noise is coming from. They know there’s a killer on the loose.”

“Where’s your gun?”

I had more fun watching and listening to her than the movie. When a particularly terrifying part happened, she shrieked and then launched herself at me. I wrapped her in my arms and hugged her close. She was on my lap, and I was content. I could stay this way all night. She kept hiding her face in my chest, and then she’d peek out, yell, and do it again. I split my time between watching the movie and her. I wanted to swear when the movie ended. I wanted it to go on all night. As the credits rolled on the screen, I felt her stiffen. I knew it meant she realized where she was and that she’d been there for half the movie. She slid off me. I didn’t want her to feel awkward, so I pretended not to notice.

“Alright, I don’t know about you, but all your screaming and yelling has made me hungry. I think it’s time for cake. Let me get us forks. Do you need a refill on your drink?” I asked as I stood.

“A bottle of water, if you would, please. I agree. The cake sounds perfect. And I didn’t scream and yell that much,” she denied, smirking.

That led to us having a debate, all in fun, as we devoured the cake. It was almost like old times. When she said it was time for her to get Shane and put him to bed, that he had school and she had work in the morning, I let our evening end. I knew it wasn’t the last time we’d be doing this and more. I’d put a crack in that wall between us, and I was going to blow it wide open. Nothing and no one was keeping me from Desi. I didn’t care how much of a battle it was.

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