Ryan Brooks swirled the wine glass in his hand, feeling a bit nostalgic for the rum he had seized while fighting with the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group in Africa. Unfortunately, all that liquor had been left at the base, and he couldn’t get a drink even if he wanted to.

Just then, under the dim lights, a young girl entered Ryan Brooks’s line of sight, catching his attention.

The girl’s outfit was quite unique, very much in the gothic style from the movie “Sweeney Todd.” Her hair was fluffy and loose, with heavy smoky makeup, ghostly pale foundation, thick eyeliner, bright lipstick, a high-waisted leather jacket, low-waisted leather pants, a slender waist and long legs—distinctive, wild, and sexy.

But upon closer inspection, Ryan Brooks realized the girl wasn’t very old, and her features were extremely delicate; it was just that the heavy makeup masked her natural beauty.

“What a pity, such a pretty girl—why does she like this non-mainstream style?”

Ryan Brooks pursed his lips, about to look away, when suddenly the gothic beauty dashed over to him and threw herself straight into his arms, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

Throwing herself at me!

Am I really that charming? Just one look and you’ve fallen for me?

The girl’s fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose, and feeling her soft body in his arms, Ryan Brooks’s male hormones surged, and his hands instinctively wrapped around the gothic girl.

Chapter 004: The Street Racing Girl

When Ryan Brooks held the girl, he clearly felt her body tremble slightly. She shifted, as if wanting to push him away, but in the end, she didn’t.

“Uh, what’s going on? She throws herself at me but is still shy?”

Ryan Brooks muttered to himself. Not knowing what was happening, he didn’t want to act rashly, since he never forced women.

He lifted his hands from the gothic girl’s back, but suddenly the girl, as if startled, grabbed Ryan Brooks’s wrists at lightning speed and pressed his hands back onto her own back.

Ryan Brooks frowned. What’s this about—playing hard to get?

At that moment, three burly men in black suits appeared at the bar entrance. As soon as they entered, they looked around, clearly searching for someone.

Soon, the three men looked over at Ryan Brooks, their eyes landing on the girl in his arms, and started walking in their direction.

Damn, so she’s using me as a shield.

Realizing this, Ryan Brooks was immediately displeased. He was never one to let others use him.

“Well then, I won’t be polite.”

With a sly grin, Ryan Brooks hugged the girl even tighter.

The girl’s body shuddered, and a cold voice came from within Ryan Brooks’s embrace: “Don’t move, or you’ll regret it.”

Hearing her threaten him, Ryan Brooks curled his lips into a mischievous smile. You tell me not to move, but I just want to.

The girl suddenly felt a chill on the back of her neck and realized Ryan Brooks had blown a breath there.

Startled, she jerked forward, trying to dodge, but ended up hugging Ryan Brooks even tighter—their faces were now almost touching.

The three burly men walking over paused, exchanged glances, and then decided that, given their young lady’s personality, there was no way she’d let a man hold her so tightly. This woman just looked a bit like her from behind.

The three men changed direction, searched the bar, and then left.

“Why’d they leave? Weren’t they here to catch someone?”

Ryan Brooks muttered. The gothic girl in his arms suddenly pulled away. At this close distance, he saw her face was flushed all the way to her neck—clearly extremely embarrassed, though she tried hard to hide it. Tilting her head, she glared at him fiercely: “You brat, how dare you touch me just now?!”

Ryan Brooks pointed to the bar entrance, looking innocent: “I saw someone looking for you, so I pretended to be your boyfriend to cover for you. But I didn’t expect that after helping you, you’d blame me. That’s just not fair.”

Seeing Ryan Brooks’s aggrieved expression, the gothic girl was momentarily stunned and felt a bit embarrassed. But she, Alice Reed, had never been held by a man like that before—could she just let it go?

Alice Reed thought it over. He had indeed helped her; otherwise, if she’d been caught and taken back, she’d have to break her plans for today, and her friends would definitely look down on her.

But she couldn’t let him off for touching her—he had to pay a price.

Having made up her mind, Alice Reed patted Ryan Brooks on the shoulder and said heartily, “Brother, thanks for the help. I get it—emergencies and all.”

Seeing Alice Reed acting like a chivalrous hero, Ryan Brooks found it amusing, but kept a straight face and replied, “Not at all. It’s our duty to help when we see injustice.”

“As thanks, I’ve decided to take you somewhere.”

Alice Reed said seriously, though a sly glint flashed in her eyes.

Knowing she was up to something, Ryan Brooks didn’t mind at all and feigned curiosity: “Sure, where to?”

“You’ll know when we get there.” Seeing Ryan Brooks take the bait, Alice Reed smiled and led Ryan Brooks out of the bar.

In a secluded alley behind the bar, Alice Reed stopped in front of an old, beat-up white Jetta, pointed at the car, and said to Ryan Brooks, “As thanks, I’ve decided to show you my car—and my driving skills.”