Two Worlds Colliding

“I’m your biological father.” His voice cracked ever so slightly.

All the air had been sucked out of the room. I couldn’t breathe. This guy was a nut-job.

“What the fuck are you talking about? My father was Tiny . . . Steve Mayfair, from Karma Electric. My mother’s name is Maria

“Ryder. Let’s get that drink first—we both need it. It’s a long story. OK?”

I nodded. This was going to be interesting as fuck. I needed to hear what William fucking Ryder had to say. Even though I knew he was wrong, I still wanted to hear his story. And fuck, I needed a drink. More than one, actually.

We made our way across the road, silent in our thoughts. Yet, oddly, it wasn’t uncomfortable. I didn’t warm to strangers easily, but somehow this one had hooked me.

“Two Jacks. Two beers,” Bill ordered when we got to the bar.

The barman placed the drinks in front of us. We both lifted the scotch and gulped it down. Damn, that burned. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and indicated to the barman to refill the glasses. They went the same way. I picked up my beer and walked to an alcove. I needed to sit.

Bill followed me, sitting across the stained table. My stomach churned. It wasn’t only because the joint reeked of stale beer and cheap perfume.

“Fuck. It’s unca

“Maria

“Your mother. My lover. We were having an affair.” He held up two fingers to the barman. Fuck, I needed the whole bottle, not just a shot.

“Who was Maria

I took a sip of my beer. “So. You knew Maria

He ran a hand through his hair, the exact same dark color and thick texture as mine, although his was short and graying on the sides.

“Ryder, I know it’s a hell of a shock—”

I narrowed my eyes. “Are you the William Ryder I think you are?” My hands were clammy, and my heart beat erratically in my chest.

“Which William Ryder would that be?” He raised an eyebrow, sneering. This son of a bitch was as cynical as I was.

“The fucking head honcho of Ryder Music. That one.”

He nodded. My eyes burned into his. There were so many questions, I didn’t know where to start.

I’d always suspected that Maria

The barman sauntered over with the bottle to refill our glasses. I took the bottle of Jack from his hands and took a huge swig of the amber liquid. I needed to stop the churning of my stomach.

“Rich dude here will pay for it,” I said, nodding my head towards Will. He nodded, his gaze not leaving my face. The barman shrugged and walked off.

“Start talking, William,” I growled. “And explain why the fuck you are only showing up now. Why I never knew all this shit before today. And where the fuck is Maria

He held up a hand. “Calm down, Ryder. I’ll tell you everything I know. We can take it from there.” He let out a long, slow breath.

“I’m listening.”

“Put the bottle down. I need you to understand what I’m going to tell you.” His voice was deadly calm, yet he looked as if he’d aged ten years in the ten minutes I’d known him.

Bill got a faraway look in his eyes. I could tell he was digging up the past. Fuck. I’d been trying for nearly twenty years to forget that past and here it was, sitting across the table from me, dragging up all those feelings again. I’d thought I had a handle on it, and that I’d buried it so deep inside that it would never surface again. I was wrong. All it took was the mention of Maria

“I met your mother—”

My fist hit the table again, harder this time. Bill jumped. His eyes widened.

“Don’t call her that. Maria

Bill closed his eyes for a minute. His jaw slackened, and he swallowed hard. Fuck.

When he opened his eyes, they glittered brightly. “Maria

“She’s dead?” Fucking Christ, this was getting worse by the minute. I’d fantasized about seeing Maria

I grabbed the bottle and took a swig, even though Bill clearly didn't approve. Well, kiss my ass, motherfucker. All this time I’d believed that scumbag Tiny was my father—that I’d killed my own flesh and blood. That kind of guilt weighed heavily on a kid; it was virtually insurmountable. Even the fact that I did it in self-defense and to save Max’s life didn't make it any lighter a burden to carry.

And now William Ryder was telling me he was my father?

My head hurt, and my chest tightened.

“Yes. I’ve been looking for her for years. She was supposed to show up at my office with Randy to sign a new contract. I waited all day. They never came.”

My eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“Maria

I rubbed at my chest. My heart was squeezing. “She left with Randy. Never came back. Didn't even leave a fucking note.”

“That’s because she never intended to leave you. She only went with Randy to sign the contract and find a house in LA. She pla

“Yeah? Well, Max and I are still waiting. She never fucking came for us.”

Bill was quiet for a long moment. The sorrow on his face was palpable. His steel-grey eyes—the exact color of mine—were so pained that I had to look away.

“That’s because there was an accident. Randy hit a bus head on. He was killed instantly—wasn’t even wearing a helmet. Maria

“What the hell?” I breathed. My throat tightened, and my hands started trembling. It was slowly making sense why Maria

Fuck.

Bill cleared his throat. He was having trouble talking. “I was married at the time. Even though I knew about you, I couldn’t do anything about it. But signing Randy up with a contract meant Maria