As we draw near my breath hitches as I see him. He watches our approach with a hooded expression and I can’t take my eyes off him. I have never seen such a man in my life. His hair is black as the night and his eyes even darker. His muscles strain against the vest he is wearing which makes my heart flutter. He is wearing combats and watches us approach with a predatory gaze. I feel stripped to the bone by that look. He commands attention and draws you in. The world fades away as he becomes the only thing in it. My attention is on him 100% and he steals the breath from my body.
A woman sits at his feet and stares at me with hate pouring from her eyes. She is beautiful and her hard stare unnerves me. I watch as she grips his leg in ownership and flashes me a warning from her icy gaze. I try not to stare but I can’t help it. These people are beautiful, magnificent and powerful. They captivate me and I have never seen anything like them in my life.
The man looks at us with a closed, hard expression and then stands up and approaches. He shakes off the girl at his feet with no regard and walks towards us.
As he stands before me I feel his interest. His gaze rakes me from head to toe and leaves me panting inside. What is happening here? He turns to Tyler and fixes him with a hard look.
“Does she know what’s involved?”
Tyler nods. “Yes.”
He swings his gaze back to me and smiles. I think I must openly stare at him because I see the amusement in his eyes. He looks me up and down and nods in approval.
“Yes, she will do just fine.”
Then he snaps.
“Snake, get Bonnie.”
The large man moves off and we all stand silently. I feel uncomfortable as every pair of eyes in the place appear to be trained on me. I feel exposed and stripped bare and want nothing more than to high tail it out of here. Tyler stands beside me expressionless and unemotional. He has his business hat on and is as far removed from me now as he will be later. No words are spoken as we wait for Bonnie.
Then she arrives and stands next to the man who has captivated me in the most dangerous of ways. He looks at me with interest and then speaks without tearing his eyes from mine.
“Take her and settle her in. We have business to discuss.”
I feel the panic set in. This is it. My Rubicon. I don’t want to leave Tyler but know I must. I look over at him nervously and his eyes reassure me. “Go with her, Ashton. I won’t leave without saying goodbye.”
Swallowing hard, I turn to face a pretty redhead who is looking at me kindly.
“Come on, honey. I’ll show you around.”
I am grateful for the kindness and smile at her nervously. She starts to head off and I follow her on shaky legs. This is it, there’s no going back now.
4
Ryder
I watched her walk towards me and was blown away. She looked so small, so vulnerable and so damned sexy my cock stood to attention. As I watched her, I sensed every cock in the room stand to attention and point towards her. She is something else and looks completely out of place here in this den of vice. She walks like an Angel in the raging fires of Hell. She is perfect, for Cassie and for me. Now everything has changed, they just don’t know it yet.
I call for Bonnie to remove her from my sight. I can’t think straight with her around. As she walks from the room, it takes everything in me not to claim her now. She won’t be safe here until I do. She needs removing from the situation while I attend to the business of making her mine. Like I said, the game has now changed and Donahue is about to find out what that means.
Once she's gone, I can breathe again. I turn to Kitty who is hanging on my leg as usual.
“Get us some beers.”
She scurries off like the good little whore she is and I nod towards a nearby table.
“Sit, we will discuss the terms.”
Donahue takes his seat and I look at him and laugh.
“You’re one sick bastard, Donahue.”
He just shrugs.
“I did what I had to do. You needed a nanny, and she needed protection.”
I fix him with a dark look.
“You think she will be protected looking like that?”
I see the panic enter his eyes and he hisses. “You promised no harm would come to her.”
I lean back as Kitty places the beers before us. She drapes her arms around my neck and I push her away irritably. “Leave us.”
She turns away and I don’t miss the fear in her eyes. Even Kitty knows and there is nothing she can do about it.
I fix him with a hard look.
“Well, the situation has now changed.”
Donahue looks worried. “What do you mean?”
I smile darkly. “I no longer need a nanny.”
I watch as he struggles to comprehend what I’m saying.
He stutters, “But that’s what we agreed. What’s changed?”
I smile wickedly. “What’s changed is the fact that you have brought an Angel to Hell. There is probably not a man in this room that doesn’t want to fuck her senseless and so the game has changed. The only way I can protect my investment is if she remains here on new terms.”
He looks worried.
“What terms?”
I grin. “Like I said, I no longer need a nanny, I need a wife.”
The room goes silent and I hear Kitty suck in her breath. She says in a broken voice. “No, you can’t.”
I ignore her as my men start to laugh. Snake growls, “You fucking bastard.”
The others join in and I grin at them. Yes, this is the best way for all involved. As my old lady, Ashton will be safe and nobody would even dare go there. My princess gets her dream mommy and I get to play with the embodiment of every wet dream I have ever had in my life. Ashton gets her protection and gets her off the hook from her problem. Yes, this is the best for everyone concerned.
Donahue looks worried.
“She won’t agree.”
I shrug. “Then you can leave. It’s that or nothing. Snake will take you to find her and it’s up to you to convince her it’s in her best interests. If she can’t see that then good day to you both.”
I nod towards Snake.
“Take him to the girl. When they’re done come and find me.”
As I watch them leave the room, I feel pleased with how the day is unfolding. Cassie will have her dream come true with this one. As I think of my little princess my heart fills with love. My angel and the only one I love. A little four-year-old bundle of innocence and beauty that is my world. Nothing is too good for her and I will pluck the stars from the sky just to see a smile on her lips. She needs the best, and that’s Mary fucking Poppins as far as I’m concerned. I want her to have the best start in life and tread a very different path to the one she is on. She will have everything I can get for her and now is the time. She’s about to start school and I want her to fit in. She needs an apple pie mom and to be accepted by her peers. The child of a hard biker living in an MC club is not what she needs.
No, when my little darlin’ starts school, she will have it all. Ashton is about to make my little princess’s dreams come true.
Brewer comes and sits next to me and laughs softly.
“You’re one evil fucker, Ryder.”
I smile with satisfaction.
“Maybe I am. You’ve seen her though. How long would she last if she wasn’t my old lady? You know the guys, she wouldn’t last the day. Cassie gets her mom, and the girl stays safe. She will thank me for it.”
He grins. “And what do you get out of it?”
I laugh softly. “The hottest wife this side of Hell. Life is just about to get interesting.”
Ashton
I like Bonnie. She is open and friendly and I warm to her immediately. I follow her through a hallway and up some stairs at the end. She looks at me with interest. “You know, you sure are different from what I thought you’d be. When Ryder said he was getting a nanny for Cassie, I thought you’d be some old dear wearing a uniform or somet
hing. Cassie’s gonna be stoked when she sees you.”
I look at her with interest. “Tell me about Cassie.”
Bonnie’s eyes light up, and she smiles sweetly.
“She’s adorable. I love the little angel like my own - we all do. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a wild little five-year-old bundle of naughtiness. But she has this way about her that you forgive everything.”
I smile. “What happened to her mom?”
Bonnie looks down and I watch the shutters closing in. “She was a whore. We all liked her, she was pretty and sweet but had a hard edge. From the moment she met Ryder she wanted him for herself. Gradually she wormed her way into being his number one and trapped him by becoming pregnant.”
My heart tightens at the mention of Ryder. For some reason, I don’t like thinking of him with these women. Why?
She carries on. “When she fell pregnant, Ryder was angry. I’ve never seen him so angry and it was a dark time. Sara didn’t get her man she just got a kid. She wasn’t allowed to leave because as soon as that little baby was born Ryder was smitten forever. Cassie is his world and the only light in it. He will kill for her and let nothing harm her in any way.”
My heart thumps as I ask the question that I dread the answer to.
“What happened to Sara?”
Bonnie shrugs.
“She started drinking heavily. If Ryder didn’t want her, then there were plenty of others who did. She was a beautiful woman and had her pick. Her life was spent caring for her baby and screwing every club member she could. She wanted to make Ryder jealous, but he didn’t care. One night she went out and never came back.”
I hold my breath as she looks at me with a sad expression.
“She was found dead in a ditch off the Highway. It turned out she went to a bar in town and hit on a couple of guys there. She left with them and they turned out to be murdering bastards. The police came and Ryder had to identify the body. It broke him, Ashton. He felt responsible for driving her away and not looking after her. He didn’t want her but felt responsible for her as Cassie’s mom. Now he had to explain to his baby why her mommy wasn’t coming home. He blamed himself and has never gotten over it. Cassie gets the best he can get for her as he tries to make up for the lack of a mom in her life. I’m not surprised he wanted a nanny for her. This life is not what he wants for his princess. He fears she’ll turn out like her mother and will do everything he can to stop that happening.”
She looks at me with a worried expression.
“Just a word of advice, honey. Treat Cassie right and you won’t go far wrong. She wins every time and there’s more than just her father looking out for her. That little girl has the family from Hell and I pity anyone who casts a shadow in her eyes.”
We arrive at a room at the end of the hall and she smiles.
“Anyway, pep talk over. You’ll be fine. This is your room where you can get away from it all. I expect it won’t be for long though.”
I look surprised.
“Why not?”
She laughs softly. “Ryder and Cassie have a house out the back. I expect you’ll move in with them. After all, Ryder wants the American dream for his little girl and I imagine that involves you. For now, though, this is your space and nobody will bother you here.”
She throws open the door and I take in the sight of a fairly large room, tastefully furnished and looking surprisingly pretty and modern. She laughs.
“Not what you expected?”
Shaking my head, I wander in and look around me.
“No, not at all. This room has a woman’s touch that’s for sure.”
Bonnie giggles. “You’re welcome.”
I turn to her and smile happily.
“You did this?”
She nods excitedly. “I’m quite into interior design. I go to college to study it and the guys let me practice here.”
I look at her with interest. “What brings you here, Bonnie? What’s your story?”
She winks. “Fell in love with that beast Snake. He made me his old lady, and I never left. He may seem rough and scary but he’s a teddy bear under it all. We live here and I love it. The guys are great and when you’re someone’s old lady, they leave you alone. If not, then you have your work cut out for you. You may want to spend a lot of time in this room, Ashton because there’s probably not a biker down there that doesn’t have their eye on you.”
I look at her nervously.
“I’ll be safe though, right?”
She winks. “Can’t promise you that but you’ll have fun.”
I sink onto the comfortable bed feeling very worried. Oh no, not again. I can’t allow myself to be used again, I can’t deal with that.
Bonnie looks worried and comes to sit beside me. “What’s the matter, honey?”
I shake my head and whisper. “I can’t tell you, Bonnie. I’m not sure I can stay here either. If any of those men touch me, I can’t allow it. Please tell me they won’t.”
She looks concerned and puts her arm around me.
“Hey, you’re shaking. What’s the matter? Did something happen to you?”
Before I can answer there’s a sharp knock on the door.
As Bonnie opens it my heart lurches as I see Snake and Tyler enter the room. From the look on Tyler’s face, I am not going to like what I’m about to hear.
5
Ashton
Snake calls Bonnie away and leaves me with Tyler. His look sends panic shooting through me and I lick my dry lips nervously.
“What’s happened, Ty?”
He moves across and sits next to me on the bed and takes my hand in his, squeezing it gently.
“Things have changed. Ryder wants to renegotiate the contract.”
I swallow—hard.
He speaks in a low, solemn voice.
“He can’t guarantee your safety under the current terms. He feels that looking like you do it will be too much of a temptation to his men. The only way he can keep you safe is if you agree to be his wife.”
To say I’m shocked is putting it mildly. His wife!
I start to shake.
“No, please don’t make me, Ty. I can’t marry him, why would he even want me to?”
He looks at me with devastation in his eyes.
“He’s right, Ash. These guys are used to taking what they want, when they want. They hit on girls and wear them down. You saw the women out there. They are here to serve a purpose and any female within these walls that isn’t tied to one man is fair game. Ryder knows this and wants to protect his investment as he put it.”
I shake my head, trying to take it in. His investment!
Tyler smiles ruefully.
“You know, this could work out well for everyone.”
I look at him in horror.
“You’re not seriously thinking this is a good idea.”
He nods.
“My first thought was to grab you and run. Now, however, I think he has a point. As his old lady, as they call them, you will be respected. Nobody will approach you and you’ll be safe. Ryder just wants a mom for his daughter and wants her to have the family life she deserves. If you are married already, then you can’t marry another. Do you get what I’m saying?”
I fall silent. I shiver inside as I think about the man I am to marry. Not Ryder, the other one.
I shake my head. “You’re wrong if you think that will count, Ty. You know as well as I do that if they want me to marry Marshall, I will and nothing will get in the way. Even if I’m already married, they will make it go away. They won’t care about the Twisted Reapers. It’s why I ran in the first place. There’s no getting away from what they have in store for me, daddy wouldn’t allow it. Marshall Emmerson is my future according to him and I don’t get a say in it.”
Tyler is silent and I know he understands. Our father made a deal with his business associate and friend Marshall Emmerson to make me his bride. As soon as I graduated, I was to be shipped off to him. The fact he’s my fathe
r’s age doesn’t count. Daddy made a business agreement with him years ago. His virgin daughter for a lucrative contract. That contract brought in billions of dollars and my feelings no longer counted. The two families were to merge, and I didn’t get a choice. The fact that Marshall is the most obscene man I have ever met makes it all the harder. Just thinking of him sends me into a panic attack. I had to run, the thought of a future with him was too much to bear.
Tyler looks at me sympathetically.
“You’re wrong about the Reapers.”
I look confused. “In what way?”
He shakes his head.
“I told you, they are the untouchables. If anyone comes calling, they regret it. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. What you have to decide is which of the two is the lesser evil. Not much of a choice but a choice none the less. It’s up to you, Ashton. Your future is in your hands.”
Ryder
Snake and Bonnie head back to the bar and immediately I see that Bonnie is troubled. I raise my eyes as she approaches, and she shakes her head.
“Something’s wrong there, Ryder. The girl is scared shitless about something.”
I fix her with a hard look.
“Tell me.”
She shrugs. “I told her to expect to get hit on by the guys and she started trembling. The panic in her eyes said it all. That girl has been hurt and not in a good way. She’s vulnerable and frightened, this may not be the place for her to heal.”
I look at Snake who shrugs. “What are you gonna do?”
I shake my head. “What I said, I’m gonna make her my old lady and Cassie’s mom.”
Bonnie shakes her head. “She won’t agree to it, I saw it in her eyes. That girl has issues and I’m not sure this is where she should be. Let her go, get someone without any baggage, for Cassie’s sake.”
I look at her angrily. She’s wrong. This is the best place for that girl but she doesn’t know it yet. I growl.
Daddy's Girls Page 2
