Nerddicks Game Over Read online

  My body starts to go limp in Matt’s arms, and we fall to the ground together. Turning my head, I sob into his shoulder. Several arms wrap around me, and we stay like that for I don’t know how long. I cry until there are no more tears left.

  All the pain, anger, and fear I had about that night start to dissipate, and something fills its place. I hide behind my nerddom stuff because I can never let anyone in. It’s why I ran away from Ryan all those years without a second thought about what happened. I deal with things on my own and sometimes it bites me on the ass. Like tonight. I love the guys, but I never knew how close we all really got, until tonight.

  “Feel better?” One of the guys asks, and one by one they move a fraction of an inch and all stare at me.

  I use the back of my hand to wipe my tears off my face and nod my head. Without warning, I tell them why I kept them out of the loop. What my dreams are about and why I am so afraid. The thought of losing everyone I love and never seeing their face again. With Cam and Weatherford still out there, I fear they will come back for me. Ryan is only one man, against an army of men like Weatherford. How are they going to win this battle?

  The guys all take a few minutes to process, but Lemley is the first to speak. “We can’t promise you this is going to end peacefully. There is going to be a lot of blood and shit we don’t want to talk about. But we can promise you this. We will never let anyone hurt you again. Come hell or high water, we would rather die than have that happen again. We just want Bree back. We miss her weird nerddom crap and ridiculous obsession with books.”

  Oh, hell no, he did not just say that.

  “Run dude, run.” One of the guys says, and the others start to move away from our little circle on the floor.

  The guys start to shake their heads and laugh. “You are a dead man,” Matt says before releasing me, and I chase after Lemley. I know what he did, and I am thankful for it. Telling them everything that has happened, I feel a weight lift off my chest. Running down the stairs, I jump on Lemley’s back and tickle him.

  “My nerddom is not weird, and I do not have a ridiculous obsession with books! Take that back.” I try to keep a straight face, but it’s hard to do. I see the rest of the crew start to walk down the stairs and watch with utter amusement.

  Lemley tries to get me off his body, but I am like Spiderman going after his prey. I am stuck like glue, and nothing will get me off his back until he takes back what he said.

  The front door opens and in walks Ryan, John, Prosser, and Everett. They both sport amused looks on their face and walk by us like this isn’t weird at all.

  “What did he do this time?” John asks as he sets down his bag and flops down on the sofa.

  “The usual. I think he is bored and misses his time with Bree. She has been rather busy of late.” Matt says, giving me a look that I hate. You know, the look that says tell them or I will.

  Ryan just laughs and starts to make his way over to me. Removing my arms off Lemley, I jump into Ryan’s waiting embrace and kiss him. It’s a short, sweet kiss, but my man is finally home. “Your decorations look amazing, baby.”

  Looking around the room, there are spiders hanging from the ceiling, cobwebs perfectly placed all over the house, creepy zombies that look ready to eat your face off, and that is just the inside. The outside is a whole lot worse.

  Wrapping my arms around his neck, I burrow my head and take a deep breath. Ryan’s arms tighten around me and he mouths something to the guys. “Bree?”

  Ryan tries to move my arms, but it only makes me hold on tighter. “Don’t make the guys go, they all need to know.”

  Ryan goes stiff in my arms, and something tells me he may think I am pregnant. Shoot, the way we have been at it since I was cleared for sex, I am surprised I’m not. “I'm not pregnant, if that is what has you so freaked out.”

  He seems to relax a little at my confession, but he is still tense. Taking a deep breath, I recap everything that just happened upstairs. Ryan is quiet for a moment, but I feel his body completely relax. “I know,” was all he said.

  Snapping to attention, I look into his eyes, and a small grin appears on his face. “How long have you known?”

  “Bree, I am a soldier who lives and breathes this shit. You are a strong woman who can handle anything that is thrown at her, but everyone goes through shit. Plus, Mike and Jason called me the night they found out. I just wish you would have told us sooner.”

  Ryan’s hand travels up my back to my neck and pulls me towards him. His lips crash onto mine, and he devours me. Heat sears my soul and cries out to him. He has been gone too long, and I want more than anything to show him how much I missed him. My lady bits start to get excited at the thought of trying something new I read in a book, but someone clears their throat, giving me a bad case of the girl version of blue balls.

  “Not that I wouldn’t love to see Ryan butt ass naked and get a look at his goods, but we got shit to do and people to fuck over.” Jack’s voice filters into the room and the guy's all start to greet him.

  Ryan sets me down on my feet, and Jack hugs me from behind. “About time you showed up, hooker. You just missed the heavy stuff and waterworks.”

  “Fill me in later, bitch. We have sexy men to dress and a surprise to finalize. Mind if I steal her? She is going to take more work than the men.” I slap Jack hard on the shoulder, and he blows me a kiss. He just grins and starts to pull me upstairs. “You know it’s true. Babe, could you get a few of the guys to set up my stuff and get the lights ready. Tonight, is a night the town will never forget.”

  Chapter 4

  ~ Ryan ~

  “You sure this is a good idea?” John ties up the last of the decorations and props for tonight’s celebration. Jack’s husband, Damon, filled me in on what’s going to happen tonight and it’s brilliant. How they came up with this, I will never know.

  Waving off John’s skepticism, I head inside and go to check on my girl. She has been locked in her room for the past two hours, and I am dying to know what she is going to wear.

  Taking a quick detour, I spot Aurora approach her water bowl with slow, calculated steps because there is a skeleton hand propped inside. Her tiny nose is just about to hit the brim of the bowl when the hand comes down on top of the water, and she jumps a few feet in the air. John starts to howl with laughter as a large black furball bolts out of the room.

  “Who is the ass who did that?” Bree is going to chew my ass out later about that. Her only rule is, never mess with the cat. She is off limits.

  John hops up on the counter and tries to get his laughter under control. “My bet is Williford. Heard he isn’t too happy about his punishment for losing the bet. Care to fill a brother in on what’s going down tonight?”

  Opening the fridge, I go to grab two beers when a nasty looking ghoul with bugs all over his ribs pops out at me. Biting back a flashback I rather not talk about, I rip the ghoul out of the fridge and toss it on the counter. “Fucking hate Halloween.”

  “So do I, but look at everything Bree has done. She has spent the past two weeks getting this place ready for this. So, what if there are a few nasty ghouls with blood and creepy bugs all over them. I’m just surprised it took her this long to tell us what’s been going on. Usually, she is talking our ears off and going on about whatever is on her mind. Kind of missed her babble.” John shifts uncomfortably on the counter and takes a swig of his beer.

  Putting my beer on the island, I turn to John and recap what happened in Canada. “I don’t know, man, something doesn’t feel right about this. We have this entire place surrounded, and our crew from overseas flew in to help capture the bastard.”

  Running my hand through my hair, I contemplate our next move. Weatherford gave us Cam and knew we would end his life. Why the hell would he give us one of his own? The bullshit excuse about releasing my inner demon makes no sense.

  “Right now, we need to focus on the party and loosen up. We’ve been on the road nonstop looking for him. We need
to regroup and find our next plan of attack. He says he wants Azrail to come out and play, but there is more to this. He could have killed Bree that night, but he didn’t. Why?”

  “Does it matter why? If you don’t have the balls to shoot him, then I will.” Lawson growls. Leaning against the island, he crosses his arms with a stoic look on his face. “Fill me in.”

  I give Lawson a rundown of what happened and his shoulders tense. “We bombed the place after we left. Local authorities know what happened and kept it under wraps. We don’t know how far his reach is, but right now we need to change things up. Weatherford never knew everything that went down with our operation.”

  “What’s the plan, Boss?” John asks me as he hops down and tosses his empty beer bottle in the recycle bin.

  Gripping the edge of the island, I contemplate our next move. “Get ears to the ground and stay silent. Weatherford expects us to go full force and chase him down. Right now, we need to lay low and protect our own. Blackburn, Mazik, Waltan, and Heymon are all up to speed and have moved to another location. Our guys at the FBI will keep an eye out, but this is our mess, and we need to fix it. The next shipment arrives in three weeks, and we need to make sure we get those kids back.”

  John pats me on the shoulder and turns his attention to Lawson. “You good, bro?”

  “Wishing I had balls of steel right now.” Why the hell would he need balls of steel? This dude has metal legs for Christ’s sake, and no one is stupid enough to take him on.

  “Why?” John and I ask at the same time.

  Lawson sighs loudly and rubs his hands over his eyes. “I pulled an old school Lawson on Bree. She gets under my skin, and I have a hard time keeping it under control. Seeing her like that brought me back to the old me.”

  “I’m sure one of the guys can make you a jockstrap out of metal. Give you a key so the love of your life can whisk you away and steal your virginity. The key to unlocking the holy grail that is Lawson.” John laughs and starts to sing about metal belts and tight tights.

  Bree got to him too. Fucking priceless. ‘We're men... we're men in tights’ starts to ring in my head, and I bite back a laugh that is trying to escape. Humming the words, John takes that exact time to go around the corner.

  “La la la la la la la la la, la la la la la la la la la...”

  Lawson bolts after John as he continues to sing that god-awful song. “Get your as back here. I’ll show you tight tights.”

  Jack and Bree make their way into the kitchen, and I choke on my spit when I see her. Bree is wearing black booty shorts that leave nothing to the imagination, black fishnet stockings with leather high heel boots and an army jacket that hugs every curve of her upper body. A few buttons are open on the top to show off her tits, and my dog tags rest on her cleavage. Her hair is pulled back into a bun with a military-style hat completing the ensemble. Fuck, she is gorgeous.

  Twirling around in front of me, she wears the smile that is only meant for me. My cock strains against my zipper, making me wish I was wearing underwear right now. “What do you think?”

  Taking the few steps it takes to reach her, I grab her hand and yank her towards me, so her back is pressed against my front. “I would fuck you right here and now if we didn’t have an audience,” I whisper as my hand grabs her ass and I push her closer to my crotch, so she can see how hard she has made me.

  Her arm snakes behind my neck and pulls me in close so she can whisper in my ear. “Meet me in the back in five minutes.” Her voice is breathless, telling me just how bad she wants it too.

  Jack slithers between us to grab Bree’s hand and rip her from my grasp. “Back off, Captain Pike. Do not mess with me right now. I worked too damn hard to make this shit work. You and your throbbing penis need to chill the fuck out and jack off in the back room if need be. She will be all yours when this is all over. For now, she is mine. So, deal with it.”

  Turning his back to me, he drags Bree out of the room behind him. She doesn’t fight him and for good reason. Jack is one scary mother fucker. I have known him for a short amount of time, and he has already grown on me.

  Going to the fridge to get another beer, I smell her scent before I feel her arms wrap around my waist. “I love you.”

  Keeping her arms around my waist, I turn around and kiss the hell out of her. “When this is over, you are mine. We are locking our door and not getting out for a week.”

  A wicked grin starts to form on her face, and I lift a brow, curious to know what she is thinking. “Good, because I have a few things I want to try. Did a little bit of reading while you were away?”

  Groaning loudly, I yank her towards my erection and grip her ass. “You’re killing me, woman.”

  Biting her bottom lip, she runs her hand up and down my cock before pushing herself off me and walking backwards. “Now you will know how it feels when you are in a constant state of turmoil. Be ready, Ryan. Cause you will be begging me to fuck you when this night is over.”

  “Bree.”

  “Just know, this is all for love. NOW!” Bree bolts out of the room when I see all of my brothers enter the room and surround me.

  “What the-”

  “Come quietly and this won’t hurt.” John grins and pulls a long rope from his back pocket. Rotating his hand, he dives for my hand and wraps the rope around my wrist.

  I would fight my brothers, but something tells me, that would be no use. My brothers know my limits and would never cross that line. But if this is for Bree, what the hell. “What? No courting or flowers? I am hurt, John.”

  “Now where is the fun in that. Besides, our favorite nerd told us you like it rough, and told us to take whatever measure we needed to make sure you cooperated. She has a surprise for you.”

  Maslanik has a large bag in his hand and a look that told me he pities me at this very moment. “She didn’t?”

  “Oh, she did,” Jack replied out of nowhere. The guys parted ways and let him through. “Payback is a bitch, soldier. Time to pay up.”

  Fuck. This was supposed to be about Williford and Matt. How the fuck did I get roped into this shit?

  Chapter 5

  ~ Brianna ~

  Thirty minutes to show time. Okay, breathe, Bree. We got this. Well, maybe. I heard Ryan bitching at the guys for doing whatever is it Jack has planned, and Williford wasn’t much better. Oh man, the nerves are setting in. Did I go too far this time? I mean it is just a harmless little prank, and Matt has it coming. Right?

  “Places people, places.” Jack snaps his fingers and starts barking orders at everyone around me. The past three hours have been complete and utter chaos. People running back and forth, models running around with killer costumes, trying to get ready. And don’t get me started on the insane food names for tonight.

  “Ladies, head out back and make sure the presents are ready.” A few of the girls squeal with delight as they bolt around the house. The others roll their eyes and act as if they have better shit to do.

  Damon brought a few of his friends to help unload Jack's truck and put the last of our decorations up before the guests arrived. He promised no fireworks or loud booms, but the massive black cages had me a little worried.

  “Get your fucking greedy ass fingers out of the squirting pussy. That chocolate fountain is for the guests. I’ll find you a hooker to ride your cock later.” Jack snaps and skids to a halt when he sees Prosser drinking out of the punch bowl. “No, goddammit. John, tell Prosser to stop drinking the Orgasmic Twits, that is for the guests.”

  John is leaning against the table and watching Jack with rapt attention. He’s never met anyone like Jack before and is getting the full King of Halloween tonight. My decorations inside the house are nothing compared to this. Looks like Nightmare Before Christmas and Freddy Krueger threw up all over the place. “You got it, Boss.”

  “Damon, how are we on lights and music?” Jack questions.

  Damon moves a few knobs and whispers into the DJ’s ear before he gives Jack a thumbs up. �
�Thanks, babe.”

  Checking a few more items off the list, Jack runs towards me and smacks the clipboard against my chest. “Everything is all done. Meet you out front. I need to run out back and get my costume on. Time to show these bitches what the King of Halloween really looks like.”

  Jack kisses me on each cheek, before making a mad dash around back. Twenty minutes till show time. I hope he has enough time to get ready.

  Taking my time, I grab a microphone from the DJ and get into position. The guests are starting to arrive and the looks on their faces are priceless. Every tree is coated in cobwebs or dead body parts. Small cannons are laid around the yard to spout fire when the show hits its epic finale.

  Of course, we had to tell the guys about the fire cannons and each of them agreed it was okay. Only one objected, but he will be walking the runway and far enough away that it won’t bother him. His words, not mine.

  Twenty minutes has come and gone, and the main event is about to start. Scanning the room, my heart starts to race when I don’t see Jack anywhere. No, he’s got to be here. I can’t do this alone. Standing up on my tippy toes, I scan the crowd and try to locate him.

  Seconds tick by and everyone is looking at me. Crap. Raising the mic to my lips, I open my mouth to say something, when all the lights go out.

  The crowd gasps and a second later, a spot light turns on and is pointed straight ahead of me. The King of Halloween has arrived. The crowd oohs and ahhs when they see him. Jack is dress as an exact replica of Jack Skellington from A Nightmare Before Christmas, but with a twist.

  “Good evening.” Jack says, but is cut off as another spotlight turns on and brings our attention to my right. A black cloth that’s placed over a large rectangular object gets yanked off, revealing what’s underneath. My best friend trapped inside a large cage, looking drop dead gorgeous in her costume. “Ladies and Gentlemen!”

  Taylor is dressed in all black leather with guns strapped to her thighs, and looks exactly like Selene from Underworld. Black hair, fangs, and all.