Ride or Die

4. You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet

~ WILLA's POV ~

“So, you must be a freshman?” he asked.

This guy was trying to make an actual conversation with me. I decided to play along. This could be my chance to get some more information. I smiled a sexy smile and batted my eyelashes at him, shameless I know, but this smile was my secret weapon. I could get away with almost anything wearing this smile.

“Yeah, I’m a freshman. English major,” I replied, “And you…?”

“I’m a senior. Math major,” he laughed nervously.

“You must be so smart. I’m horrible at math,”

“I don't know about smart,” He shrugged. “I just like solving things,”

“You mean like riddles and mysteries?”

“Some of them. If they’re intriguing enough,”

“Well, what do you know about the school’s secret society?” I asked cautiously.

“What do I know?” he paused for a moment and said, “Pretty much what everyone else knows. Why, do you find this mystery intriguing?”

“As a matter of fact, I do,” I said as I tilted my head to the side and flipped my hair back, purposefully flaunting my collarbone at him. “What else do you know about it? The name or members…”

“I don't think I’m the right person to ask about these things,” his eyes darted to my neck and he gulped. “Anyway, you act like you know nothing about them, but yet you’re standing in an event they’ve created,”

“So it’s true, they do exist,” I stood straighter this time and pushed my chest up a bit.

“Like the oxygen in the air, you can’t see it, but you’re breathing it,” he replied, leaning closer towards me. Through his mask, I could see his eyes turned hooded.

“Do you know what they’re called?” I said lowly, almost whispering to his ears.

“The Ride or Die Society. Or so it’s written on the invite,” he replied jokingly.

“How about the members?”

Pulling away slightly, he stifled a laugh and said, “Elle, do you think that people would walk around talking about being a member of a secret society? If these things are public knowledge, they wouldn’t be called a secret society now would they?”

“True,” I breathed in disappointment. “That’s too bad,”

“What about them are so intriguing to you, anyway?” he asked.

“I don't know, I guess… forbidden things have a secret charm,” I paused for a moment before looking up at him and said, “You know what I mean?”

He raised an eyebrow and a smile curved up his lips. Now that he was this close, I could even see the dimples popping out. He seemed delighted to hear my answer. There was a glimmer in his eye as he c****d his head to the side.

“You’re an interesting girl,” he commented. “I like you,”

That sudden comment caught me by surprise. I didn’t know he was gonna be this forward. I could feel his piercing blue eyes boring down on me and suddenly I felt a little… intimidated.

I figured that this was pretty much all I was gonna get from him, and we were standing so close to each other already, I was feeling a little too uncomfortable. Pulling back slightly, I said, “Well, it was nice talking to you, but I have to go—“

“Wait,” he cut me off. “Where are you going?”

“I’ve got… papers due,” I muttered.

“Already? It’s the first week of school,”

“Yeah, well, I like to do things well in advance,”

“Wow, am I really boring you?” he cut to the chase, laughing slightly.

“No, it’s just that… I’m not quite sure why I’m here,” I shuffled back, but he kept a close distance from me.

“I thought you’re here for the secret party… forbidden things… secret charm,”

“Yeah, well, it’s kinda late. Maybe I’ve had enough secrets for a night,”

“That’s too bad. Because I happen to know one more important secret about the club,” he smiled meaningfully.

“What is it?”

“Well, I’ve heard that the party tonight is only the appetizer to the actual meal. It’s more of a formality. No one important from the club is actually here. There’s gonna be another party, sometime in the coming week, and the Secret Seven will be there,”

“Secret Seven?”

“Yeah. You’ve heard about them, right? They’re like a secret group inside the secret society. They’re the leaders, basically, and these are the people you wanna ask questions to,” he laughed. “Anyway, I was scouted. I’m invited to their next secret gathering,”

“You are?”

Nodding his head, he then licked his lips and said, “So, how ‘bout this, I can give you a clue to the party’s next location in exchange for something?”

“What thing?”

“A kiss,”

I gaped, waiting for him to laugh or something, but his eyes were dead serious.

“You’re serious?” I asked him.

“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. A little secret for another little secret,” he smirked as he leaned closer and closer.

“How do I know you’re not lying?” I replied, taking a step back until my back hit the bar counter.

“I hate liars,” he said simply and pulled a little thing from his suit pocket. A matchbook. “The proof’s right here. This thing holds the clue to the next location and time,”

“Give it to me, then,” I reached for the matchbook but he pulled it away last minute.

“Uh-uh,” he shook his head. “Do we have a deal?”

I thought about it for a moment. No matter what your preconceptions about models were, I wasn’t the type of girl that kissed strangers or did hookups. But the situation right now was different. I needed to get that matchbook. And anyway, a kiss… it’s harmless, right?

Before I could change my mind, I closed the distance between us as my lips landed on his. At the same time our lips melted into one another, I plucked the matchbook from his hand and gripped it tight. Since I already got the matchbook, I wanted to pull away and break the kiss, but Connor’s hands were suddenly on the sides of my face, gripping me in place.

I couldn’t move and I couldn’t break away. His grip was strong and his kiss was hot and demanding. He kissed me deep and hard, sucking and nibbling on my bottom lip relentlessly until I gave out a little moan. I didn’t wanna do that, but I couldn’t help myself. My body was reacting instinctively, I didn’t even know how.

Man, I had never been kissed like this before.

For a split second, I was lost in the moment under that crystal chandelier. He slipped his tongue through my parted lips and roamed the corners of my mouth. He tasted like mint and whiskey. It was intoxicating. My hands flew up and gripped the back of his head, running through his lush black hair as I deepened the kiss.

He let out a muffled groan and smiled through the kiss, totally enjoying himself. Meanwhile, our tongues continued to dance as we fought for dominance. But his tongue was so sensual and skillful, he coaxed me into submission. I was completely at his mercy at this point. Lost in a kiss.

By this time, we were moving around a little too much that our masks got caught with each other. His mask slid to the side as mine was pulled down and it fell down to my chest. We broke away from the kiss as I tried to fix my mask back on.

“Wait… do I know you?” Connor flinched a little when he saw my face.

“Uh… no,” I replied and haphazardly put my mask back on, but I didn’t fully tie the back, it was still loose.

“Wait a second, you look so familiar,” he pulled my mask and it fell down on his hand.

Shoot! Maybe he saw me on a magazine cover or something. If he finds out I’m actually not a student here, this isn’t gonna end well for me!

I was quick on my feet. Throwing my face to the side, I pulled my hair to cover my face and turned to my heels in an instant, yelling out, “Good bye, Connor!”

Man, I gotta get out of here!

And so I ran. I ran like Forrest Gump ran from the bullies. I ran like he ran from the bullets in Vietnam. I made it out of the pub and out the streets in a flash. Looking to my side, I saw a yellow cab passing by and I whistled and waved it.

“Elle! Wait—“ I could hear Connor’s voice calling out after me, but I didn’t stop.

I jumped into the cab like a baseball player sliding to home base. The taxi drove off, and my heart was pounding away like a racecar.

That was intense. But I made it.

As the taxi drove out of the city and back to Brooklyn, I was finally calm enough to process everything that had happened back there. I learned three important things that night. One, that was clearly a secret club meeting. Two, that club was filled with all sorts of hidden troubles. And three, Wes was somehow involved in it.

Well, I also learned another thing. That guy Connor was a damn good kisser. But that’s beside the point.

Shaking my head at the stupid thought, I took out Wes’s journal and studied the engraving on the bottom right, WDW – RODS. And then it clicked to me.

Weston Daniel White - Ride or Die Society.

Wes wasn’t a prospective member, he was already part of it.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

~ CONNOR's POV ~

“Ah, s**t,” I muttered as I saw her got into a cab and left.

Damn, she runs fast.

Sighing to myself, I studied the black mask on my hand. It was just a plain mask, of course it wasn’t gonna speak or tell me anything. I shoved the mask into my suit pocket before returning back to the party.

Tonight had been dreadful and boring. I never liked these events, but I had to be there out of formality and respect. This girl saved me from an awful night. I didn’t know what it was about her, but maybe it was her eyes. The moment I saw her eyes, I felt like I’ve known her before, maybe in my past life if such a thing exists.

Damn, I wish I had more time to talk to her. Maybe I scared her off. I was a bit too forward. But hey, that’s me. When I know what I want, I went and got it.

And usually I always got it.

Walking back to the party, I noticed a couple of my friends and I walked over to them. They beamed in shock once they saw me.

“Connor? What are you doing here?” Jonathan asked. He was standing in between two girls who had their claws on him, but he left them both to come give me a fist bump. “Thought you weren’t coming, bro?”

“Yeah, isn’t this kind of thing below you?” Freddie spoke in that British accent of his. I turned to my side and there he was, standing in his glorious Versace suit, always cool and motherfucking smooth. 

“Guys, have you seen this girl, she just walked outside. She was tall, blonde, wearing a black mask,” my mind was still wrapped around Elle, I couldn’t bother with pleasantries.

“Dude, everyone was blonde and wearing masks,” Jonathan laughed.

“Why? Is something wrong?” Freddie asked.

“No,” I sighed. “Hey, any of you know an ‘Eleanor’, freshman English major?”

“No, I don't think so,” Jonathan replied. “But give me a week and I might,” he winked.

“Nope, I don’t know anyone by that name either,” Freddie said, pausing for a beat before saying, “But hey, if it’s that important, why don’t you call and ask him?”

“That’s true,” I nodded and pulled my phone out.

This is New York City, after all, my city. If I ever need anything, all I have to do is ask.

“So it is important,” Freddie stifled a laugh. “Special girl, eh?”

“I just have something of hers I’d like to return,” I said, walking away to make a call, “And she’s got something of mine,”

The line rang for a few times before I heard a “Hello,” on the other line.

“Yo, I need you to do a quick search for me,” I said quickly. “Someone called Eleanor or Elle, she’s supposed to be a freshman major,”

“Can I ask you, why?” he questioned.

“No questions, just do it,” I ordered.

“Okay, I’ll get back to you in a few—now, actually I got the answer now!” he beamed.

“Let me hear it,”

“Oh. Actually, there’s no one by the name of Eleanor or Elle in freshman English. Not even in the whole freshman year. Not in this school at least,”

“Are you sure?” I pressed.

“Yes, of course I’m sure,” he said matter-of-factly.

“f**k,” I hissed.

“Why?” he laughed. “Never knew you’d get this upset over a girl, what’d she do to you?”

“Nothing,” I scoffed. “Hey, can you track down a yellow cab’s license plate for me?”

“Uh… sure,”

“Keep your phone around. I might ask for another favor soon,”

“You got it, boss,”

“Don’t call me that,”

“Sorry,”

Interesting. No Elle, huh? What a mysterious girl.

Putting the phone away, I couldn’t help the smirk forming on my face as I walked back outside and made my way to the hostess. Emily had been standing in her post for hours, and her tired eyes beamed as soon as she saw me walking to her.

“Mr. Dawson, how’s your night?”

“Please, Emily, call me Connor,” I smiled. “And uh, I was wondering, could you be a doll and help me get the footage from that security camera by the exit there? Just the last ten minutes will do,” I said as I slipped a roll of a hundred dollar bill into her hand.

“Certainly, sir,” she gripped the money in her hand, pausing for a moment before correcting herself, “I mean, Connor,”

“Thank you, Emily,”

Emily nodded and scurried away. Moments later, she returned with a USB drive and I thanked her again before leaving for the night.

I walked over to my BMW motorcycle parked in front of the pub and swung my legs around it in one swift move. Gripping the USB tightly in my hand, I shoved it into my pocket with a victorious smile.

I’ll find you, mystery girl. Whoever you are.

I stared at my helmet for a second before putting it on. My finger grazed over the small engraving on the bottom edge, it read CDD – RODS.

Because I’m Connor Dax Dawson and I always get what I want. One way or another.

 - - - - - To Be Continued - - - - -