Lesson Twelve - Nobody Gets To Tell You Who The Fuck To Be.
Like I wasn't going to lie it wasn't a big deal that Riker Kennedy wanted me to kiss him. After all I kissed him the other week when I was trying to get under his skin.
The problem right now was the fact that he was telling me too. I didn't do to well when people tried to tell me what to do. More so when they were from a family like his.
Some random person opened the door and the music from the club blasted outside for a second before the door closed once again. For a moment I could see the lights flashing inside before that world slammed shut on my face.
Looking at Sky she gave me a pleading look, telling me that it was an easy way to get in. Sighing I knew I was going to have to give in. There wasn't anything I wouldn't do for that girl and right now she wanted into that club.
So into the club we go.
"Fine." I all but growled out showing that I wasn't happy as all with this outcome.
Riker had a cheeky grin on his face knowing that he had won this round of the battle we were playing. "I'm waiting Princess, I don't have all night."
"I have a catch though." If he thought I was just going to let him win on his terms he had another thing coming. I was always going to try and make sure I had control over the situation even when it start out the way I wanted.
He looked at me with a curious look, like he was trying to work out what my game was. I didn't blame him, the two of us always tried to be ten steps ahead of each other.
"Which is?"
I held my finger getting ready to count out my points. I'm pretty sure what I was about to put in front of him was something that we could both agree on.
"One, not out here there is to many eyes and ears. I don't need to see the title 'Anderson and Kennedy Heirs caught kissing outside Anarchy' in the news. Two, my friends get in too and three, you have to buy our drinks all night."
He looked at him me with his infamous smirk and he let out a chuckle under his breath. There was something about how relaxed around me he always was that made me ease up too. "That's a lot of terms for one kiss."
Taking a step towards him I made sure that we were as close as I dared. Our chests almost touching as I wanted to leave a bit of space and control. Even wearing seven inch heels he was still taller than me.
That fact annoyed me.
"But it would be the best goddamn kiss you ever had and we both know it." The corner of my mouth turned upwards when I seen his eyes glaze over slightly.
He wasn't the only one who knew how to play this game.
Turning to look at my friends they gave me encouraging looks before I then turned back to Riker. "Now why don't you let us in there?"
Riker looked me over again before taking a step over to one of the bouncers that stood at the door. They spoke in hushed tones with the bouncer nodding in the end and unclipping the rope that stood between us and the sweet freedom that was held inside.
"Welcome to Anarchy." He Spoke and I heard Sky sequel in the background clapping her hands together. I watched carefully as Riker took a few steps away from us and started smoking again. He was on his phone once more but this time he was texting at a more furious rate.
Something about Riker's whole posture changed and it made me frown. Something wasn't right. We might not get on all the time but I could always spot any change in Riker. It was almost like my job to try and work out what was going through his head.
"Lyra!"
Turning to look I spotted Sky and Jake who were both waving me in from the door. I could barely hear them call my name over the sound of music. The bouncer held the rope patiently with a bored look on his face. Without looking back at Riker I walked into the nightclub.
I needed another drink.
**************
It was half two in the morning and the place was still going. I didn't know what time this place closed at, all I knew was that I was drunk enough not to care about school later.
Probably wouldn't even make it in anyway.
For the rest of the night I hadn't run into Riker once. I knew something had happened, I wasn't stupid.
After finding out what his family was all about nothing surprised me anymore. Not that any of this ever surprised any of me. After being involved in that world once before I knew what to expect this time around.
And it was trouble, lots of trouble.
Standing at the bar I was waiting to get another drink. The sweat was coming off from the bartender and I didn't blame him. I'm pretty sure I looked like a mess too at this point. All night I had been on the dance floor with Sky and Jake and the two of them just didn't know when to stop.
Not that I cared I was here to have a good time not to attract someone.
Slowly I felt an arm land across my shoulders and I turned my head to come face to face with Riker. His face was blank which made me look at him carefully. This was a side to him I rarely seen which told me I was dealing with a different side to him.
Something was definitely wrong.
"You need to leave." He had whispered it in my ear, making sure I heard him over the buzz of the area. At first I thought I hadn't heard him right but then it finally settled in.
Now I wasn't one of those girls that would take offence to his sentence thinking he was trying to get rid of me. No I was realistic and knew that if he was telling me to go that meant something was about to happen.
"Why?" Curiosity was killing me, after all if he wanted me to go he should at least tell me why.
"It's not safe."
As the bartender caught my eye I didn't really pay attention to what he was saying. Leaning over the bar slightly I told him what I wanted but Riker waved him away as soon as the bartender noticed who was beside me.
The man just give me a sorry look and went onto the next person.
Turning around I sent a glare Riker's way who looked amused at my unbelievable look. I'm happy he was at least amusing himself with the situation. For a second the normal Riker I had been used to dealing with made his way back.
"What was that for it was my turn to get the drinks." Puffing out my cheeks out like a child the first thought that popped into my head was that I was drunker than I first thought.
He had asked me to leave and I actually was going too out of respect. After all he had never given me a reason to go against his word when he was serious but I would have liked to at least get the drink I was waiting for.
Now though he had ruined my niceness and I just wanted to be a bitch now.
"With my tab."
Waving him off like it was no big deal I turned back to the bar. "If that's the problem I'll just use my own money."
We both knew that I knew that this wasn't anything to do with what I had just said. I just wanted to push his buttons to see what I could get out of him. I wanted to see how far he would go to keep what ever was going on under wraps.
"The place is closing now, so it's time to go."
Looking around I noticed that people were actually leaving but even in my drunken state there was something weird about it. Only about half of the people were leaving as the bouncers started to escort people out.
They seemed to know who they were looking for as they walked past some people to grab others which seemed to be out of random. But it wasn't random and I knew it. If I was to guess the people who were left behind were the people on Riker's families pay roll.
"Something is happening isn't it?" I lowered my voice to make sure only the two of us could hear what was being said. My whole body started to sober up, this was probably going to be a situation I didn't want me hands in.
For a moment I hated that I was one of those people that could have a complete buzz but if I sensed something was about to go down my body switches back on again.
He looked at me carefully almost like he trying to work out how much he can share. "How much do you know?"
Waving him off I let him know it wasn't that much of a big deal. "I know enough to know that your family deals with the same shit as Zane's."
Riker's face hardened at the name of Zane's but it was probably also to do with how freely I was talking about this. "How much do you know about his family business?"
"What his crime family?" There was no need to keep things on the down low in front of him. He probably knew more about Zane's family than I did. After all River and Zane's families have been at each other's throats for years.
A part of me didn't want to answer any of his questions. He never seemed to answer mine anyway. "I'll leave, just let me find Sky and Jake first."
Riker and me started to walk around to find my idiot of best friends. There was something in the air, something was off about the atmosphere in the club. I watched as the rest of the people left inside the club talked amongst each other.
One of the men ran up to Riker and said something in Riker's ear. Riker had looked at me then nodded back at the man. The man then walked away again.
"Your friends are in the smoking area."
Of course they were, I rolled my eyes. Jake was a big smoker when he was drinking and Sky loved to talk to people. I'm surprised I didn't think of that first. After all when I texted them they didn't reply.
Just as I was about to walk in the direction of the smoking area. Gun shots could be heard from somewhere off in the distance. It made my whole body freeze bring back memories I would much rather forget.
It had been a long time since I heard a gun shot. Not since I was going out with Zane and I was far deeper in that world of his than I wanted to be.
As my body froze Riker had grabbed me and pushed me behind him. It only took seconds for me to snap out of it and narrow my eyes at him. I didn't need to be protected and it wasn't because I was one of those woman that thought they could handle everything on their own.
No it was because if I was to guess the gun shots were coming from Zane's men and I knew for a fact they wouldn't do anything to me.
The sound of the gun shot had just took me by surprise which equaled my freeze. There was a reason I went out with Zane for so long without a care for the life he lived.
Pulling my arm out of his grip Riker let me go but not before sending me a warning look. He was telling me not to do anything stupid.
He was the one being stupid.
"What's happening?" Asked Riker. He wasn't talking to me, he had glanced off at the direction of some of the men that had run into the main part of the club.
"South side's men are outside." Gasped out one of the men between breaths.
My thoughts had been confirmed of what was going on now. The south side and the North side were big rivals and with Zane home that would only kick of again to extreme situations.
Of course leave it to my luck to be right in the middle of it when it was just about to kick off.
Riker pushed me towards one of his men and all but snapped at him. "Get her and her friends out of here."
Just on que a crying Sky and a bewildered Jake came through the back doors with some more of Riker's men. They were never built for this time of life as much as I loved them I'd be the first to say they were just the children of parents with to much money.
"We don't need protected."
What I had just said was the truth. I had faith in the fact that once Zane's men seen me they would just let me stroll on right past. A few years ago I had earned their respect through the situations I had helped them with.
Riker might not know it but I was always working in shadows with Zane. There was a lot more about this world that I knew about than I let on.
If there was one face that noticeable in this City it was mine and that came from all sides.
"What are you on about." Growled out Riker clearly not likening the fact I was standing up to him in this situation. After all I was in front of his men, I would probably be pissed at me too.
Giving him a pointed look I ignored the look he was giving me. "Do you really think Zane Knight, my ex boyfriend would let his men hurt me or my friends? He's a dick don't get me wrong but he's not a savage."
Taking a few steps away from Riker I started to make my way closer to my two friends. Sky ran into my arms like a child. She was never good in situations like this. She over thought most of the time which meant stuff like this was just going to set her over the edge.
"Don't you dare walk out those doors" Demanded Riker as he went to grab my arm again but I was to quick and moved out of the way.
"Watch and learn boys." Raising my voice I made sure that everyone in the room could hear me. Finally I looked Riker dead in the eyes, I wanted him to understand just who I was. "Learn how the real Queen rules these Empires."
Walking towards the front doors I showed no fear. There was no way his men wouldn't shot me and I had faith what was happening tonight wasn't a start of a war. They were out to send a warning they weren't actually aiming to kill.
Zane's favourite thing to do was to send warnings.
Opening the doors I could see about twenty men pointing guns my way and they were about a millisecond away from pulling their triggers when they noticed who it was.
"Lyra?" Asked one of the men not quiet sure what to think. He face was marked with confusion clearly not knowing what to think.
"It is me boys." I clapped clearly no longer in the mood to place this game. My night of fun had now turned into a shit show and I was over it. "Now if you don't mind, I'm leaving. So if you could hold off shooting anyone until I leave that would be brilliant."
Sky quickly ran up to my side understanding that I had the situation under control. When I knew that I wasn't truly in any danger from the situation I turned to looked at Riker who was giving me the darkest look I had ever seen on a person.
He had just realised the type of person he was playing this game with.
"I don't play the same games as you." I called out to him loud and clear. It was the truth after all. I had played this game once before and I ruled them all. I got bored easily with playing the same game twice. "I already rule this playing field and have the world wrapped around my finger."