by Lexie Davis
He started his bike. Maybe sleeping at the club was a better option for him. He didn’t know if he was welcomed to stay with Ella any longer, and maybe he needed his distance as well. She didn’t trust him, and that was a serious issue between them.
He didn’t know how to fix it either.
Chapter Fourteen
Ella unlocked the door to her apartment and went inside. The place was empty and it didn’t appear that Ryker had been there at all. She’d decided not to stay at her parents’ house. She wanted to talk things through with her missing boyfriend. She set her stuff down, exhausted from the day. Her phone was in her pocket and she reached for it, dialing Ryker’s number.
“Yeah?”
“Where are you?”
“The club.”
“Oh.” She rubbed a hand over her face. “Are you staying there tonight?”
“Why?”
She glanced around the messy apartment. “I thought we’d talk.”
“Talking isn’t something I want to do tonight. I’ve been out of town. You’ve been working all day. You can get some sleep and we’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Confused, she disconnected the call. There was only so much that she knew about his life in the MC. She’d seen the way his father acted and that fit the bill of what her father had told her about the Roaming Devils, but she couldn’t imagine Ryker doing the same thing. She couldn’t picture him holding a gun to some woman’s head and pulling the trigger. Or demanding that someone else pull the trigger. He wasn’t that cold. He wasn’t that vile.
But her father was convinced that he’d killed Razor. She didn’t think he was capable of taking another life, but she wasn’t stupid either. She didn’t know what he’d gone out of town for. She didn’t like the evasiveness either. He wasn’t going to tell her what club business he dealt with. She’d done some research on her own and the MC wasn’t just a drug-loving orgy of men and women alike. There were some serious crimes that went along with wearing the patch.
The thought of Ryker being that person wasn’t something she easily accepted. How could he really be a different person with her? Was he that good of an actor? Which side of him was the real side? Thoughts swarmed in her mind about the entire scenario and she didn’t know what to do about it.
Ella rubbed her eyes and decided to take a long, hot shower before she went to bed. It didn’t matter in the moment. She’d contemplated it enough as it was. Going to the bathroom, she turned the water on and undressed. He never talked about his cravings anymore. He never seemed to need cocaine like he had nearly a month ago. She didn’t understand that either.
In so many ways she felt like she knew him. In other ways, she felt like he was a complete stranger. Ella let her hair soak in the water before she reached for the shampoo. A noise sounded in her living room and she paused, listening. The bathroom door was open and a shadowy figure passed in her line of sight. Ella froze and reached for a towel. She wrapped the terrycloth around her and stepped out of the shower, looking for her phone. Before she could find it, the intruder caught her.
Steely arms closed around her and pulled her out of the bathroom. He shoved her to the couch, hovering over her while two of his friends collected what little valuables she had. They made lewd remarks about her nudity and one threatened to rape her before his friend talked him out of it. She clutched the towel to her chest, her hands shaking. She studied as much of them as she could. Muscular physiques. One had brown hair with a diamond earring in his ear. The other had a tattoo of some kind of symbol on the back of his arm. When the one that had caught her in the bathroom saw her studying them, he backhanded her across the face.
Ella gasped at the pain, clutching her cheek as she glared at him. He came toward her and ripped the towel from her body. He stank of stale sweat and beer. She struggled, trying to keep him off her as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Come on. We’ve got to go,” the brunet said.
The guy on top of her stared at her while his hands roamed along her thighs. “Next time, bitch.”
Ella waited until they were gone before she got up to call her father. Her hands shook so badly that she barely found his number.
“Dad, please come over.” She half sobbed. “Some guys broke into my apartment.”
“Are you okay?” he asked. “Did they hurt you?”
“Please come over.” She sniffled and hung up. Her door remained wide open and she was naked in the middle of the floor.
Ella stood and went to the couch to get the afghan she kept there. She wrapped herself in it and lay back on the sofa. Her heart still thumped against her ribs. Her father would be there soon and he’d take care of everything for her. Ella grabbed her phone from the floor and dialed Ryker.
“Yeah?”
She swallowed. “Some guys just broke into my apartment.”
“What?”
“I was in the shower. They made lewd remarks about raping me and then one tried.” She sobbed, unable to stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. “Can you please come over?”
“I’m on my way.” He hung up. Ella curled up on her side, lying on the sofa. She couldn’t stop shaking.
Her father was the first to find her. He and her mother came into her apartment unannounced and bent down to her.
“Oh, honey.” Her mother put her arms around her. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”
“I’m okay.”
Her father made himself busy with calling the robbery in. She knew they’d have a million questions to ask her. She didn’t feel like talking to them either.
“Mom, can you turn the shower off?”
Her mother looked at her. “Of course. Were you in the shower?”
Ella nodded. The unmistakable roar of a motorcycle engine sounded next and Ella’s nerves calmed a bit. She didn’t really care what illegal shit he did at the moment. She wanted him to wrap his arms around her and hold her tight.
Ryker came in and walked straight to her.
She looped her arms around his neck and held him tight. Ryker held her against him. She closed her eyes and breathed him in. Everything about him made her feel safe.
“Babe,” he stroked his hands along her back, “talk to me.”
“I’m okay.”
“Did they touch you?” He pushed her away slightly to look in her eyes. He studied her face, then spotted what was obviously left by the guy backhanding her. “Did they hit you?”
“Ella, the police are on their way.” Her father glanced at the afghan wrapped around her. “You might want to get dressed.”
She grabbed some clothing and took Ryker into the bathroom with her, closing the door behind them.
“He backhanded me when he caught me studying them. He took my towel and tried to push my legs apart.” She stared into Ryker’s eyes. “He didn’t do anything but he promised to finish next time.”
He brushed his fingers along her swollen cheek. “There’s not going to be a next time.”
Ella leaned against the door, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I was so scared.”
Ryker pulled her to him. “It’s okay. It’s over now and nothing bad is going to happen again. Put your clothes on and give the police your statement. I’m going to the building manager’s office to get you some ice for your cheek.” He leaned in to kiss her. “It’s going to be okay.”
He left her in the bathroom and she took her time dressing. She’d picked out a pair of shorts and a tank top, her regular attire for nighttime. She didn’t know how they expected her to stay in her apartment. They had to have been watching her. They had to know that she was alone.
She went into the living room and glanced around. “Where’s Ryker?”
“He went out with his friends.” Her father came to her. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You can give a statement to the police and come home with us. You don’t have to stay here tonight.”
She pulled away from him and walked outside onto the balcony. Ryker’s
motorcycle was still in the parking lot, but he wasn’t around. She swallowed hard and leaned against the banister.
“What are you doing out here?” Ryker held an ice packet in his hands, coming up the stairs.
She went to him and wound her arms around his neck. “I thought you’d left.”
“I’m not leaving you.” He held the ice to her cheek and kissed her forehead. “I’ve got you.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she gripped his hand to her face. “I don’t want to stay here anymore.”
“We’ll move someplace else tomorrow.” He leaned in to kiss her. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, babe.”
She pushed the ice pack away and laid her cheek against his chest. They stood that way until the cops got there. Ella gave them a statement and they took inventory of what had been stolen.
“You can stay at our house.” Her mother rubbed Ella’s arms. “You know that.”
“I do.” She glanced over at Ryker, who’d kept himself out of the way while the cops were there. “I want to be with Ryker, though.”
“He can stay too,” her father commented. “I just want to know you’re safe. If that means he’s staying over, I don’t give a shit.”
“He’s not going to go for that.” Ella shook her head. “We’ll be okay. We can get a hotel room or something.”
“Ryker?” Her mother moved past her and walked over to him. “Will you please tell Ella that you’d stay at our house tonight? No fighting. No macho turf war. We want to know that she’s safe and it’d be best if she was at our house.”
She didn’t look at him. She knew it pained him to even think about staying under the same roof as her father. She thought it’d pain him even more to see the sadness on her face.
“I’ll stay.”
Ella glanced up at him.
“If that’s what Ella wants.”
She nodded. Her mind was a mess. She’d fought junkies off of her before but this was different. Ryker drove her car to her parents’ house. Her nerves had yet to calm and the idea of sleeping, even as exhausted as she was, didn’t sound promising.
“Do you know those guys?” Ella asked. “When I gave the description, you had a weird look on your face.”
Ryker didn’t look at her. “Maybe.”
She swallowed, knowing that he most likely wouldn’t tell the police. “What are you going to do to them?”
“I’m with you tonight.”
“But Superman and Vampire aren’t.”
“Do you want them here?” he asked, arching an eyebrow at her. He pulled into her parents’ drive and parked her car.
“Please tell me how your MC works.” She swiped at her wet cheeks. “Apparently I don’t understand.”
“Will there be retaliation? Hell yes.” He pulled out her keys and handed them to her. “Torture? Probably. Murder? Depends on my mood.”
“So you do kill people?”
“It’s not that simple, Ella.”
“Did you kill Razor?”
He scoffed. “Why are you so worried about him?”
“I was there too.” She turned in her seat. “The least you can do is tell me what happened.”
“And make you an accessory to any potential crime I’ve committed? Not going to happen.”
“So you’re going to keep me in the dark?”
“For your protection, yes.” He opened the door and walked around to the other side. He opened her door and stood there, waiting for her to get out. “I love you, Ella. Nothing will change that. And I’m not going to put you in a position where you could potentially go to jail for anything I have done or will do.”
She stood and he closed the car door. “I feel like you’re two different people. There’s the Ryker that I know and then there’s the Ryker that the club knows.”
“The one you know only exists because of you.” He stared at her. “You make me a better person. I love you and I need you in my life. I’ve never said that to anyone. I’ve never felt it with anyone but you.”
The neighborhood was quiet. Her parents were inside and the lights were on downstairs but Ella didn’t want to go in just yet. Ryker didn’t push her. He probably didn’t want to go in either.
“Do you think we can have a life together?” She stared at him.
“I’m trying.” He leaned against the hood of her car. “I’m willing to do anything for you to make us work.”
“I know. Coming to my parents’ house was a dead giveaway.”
He smiled. “You mean more to me than a few uncomfortable hours with your parents. Plus, I’m counting on them sleeping downstairs and away from me.”
She reached for his hand. “You’re with me tonight, bud.”
She led him into the house. The large foyer was big enough to be a room itself, with a staircase that led up to the second level. The dining room was off to the right and she walked that way. “Are you hungry? Dad cut off your dinner time earlier.”
“Sure.” He pulled her back against him and kissed her. “As long as you eat with me.”
She fixed him another plate of beef stroganoff and some rolls. Her parents had apparently gone to bed, which gave them time alone. She never really thought her father would be okay with Ryker staying in his house, but sometimes he could surprise her. They sat at the dining room table, with him at the end and her beside him. She still felt on edge about everything. Of course, she wasn’t exactly comfortable with Ryker staying at her parents’ house either. Not after the whole scenario when they were younger.
“You okay?” Ryker asked.
“I’m tired.”
Ryker scooted his seat out. “Come here.”
She went to him and sat in his lap. There were a lot of things she’d never understand about him and probably some that she didn’t want to know. She leaned in to kiss his cheek.
“I never finished my shower.”
His hand slid underneath her shirt. “Go ahead. I’ll be up in a minute.”
“I’ll wait.”
Ryker finished the few bites of food left on his plate, and Ella carried it to the kitchen. He drank from the bottle of water she gave him, watching as she rinsed the plate and put it in the dishwasher.
“Did those guys say anything to you?” he asked.
“Not really.” She turned to face him and flipped the light off. “I think they were watching me, though. They knew I was alone.”
She led him up the stairs to her childhood bedroom and flipped the light on. Nothing sounded better than sleep. She glanced over to the bathroom and back at him.
“Will you come with me?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Of course.”
Ella went to the bathroom and turned the shower on. Swallowing hard, she undressed and slipped inside the shower. The hot water cascaded down her body and she reveled in it. Ryker leaned against the vanity, watching her.
“I don’t really care what you do, Ryker.” She poured shampoo into her hands. “I don’t. You’re not a bad guy in my eyes. You never were.”
She lathered her hair and rinsed it clean. “I don’t like being lied to, though. You have to respect me enough to give me the truth if you want us to work.”
“What exactly do you think the truth is?”
“I don’t know.” She poured coconut-scented body wash onto the pink loofah. “I’m scared you’re going to get bored with me. That I’m going to get attached to you and you’re going to walk away.”
“You really think I cheated on you?”
“I don’t know. You won’t tell me what you did.”
He rubbed his temples. “I went out of town to find my father.”
“Did you?”
“You don’t need to know that.” He met her gaze. “I assure you sex was not on my mind.”
“You’re not bored?” She rinsed her body and turned the shower off. He handed her a towel and she wrapped it around herself. “I just feel like I’m holding you back or something. That you’d rather have some girl shaking her
tits in your face or waving her pussy around for anyone that came near. I don’t get why you’d want me. I’m not that girl. I wear scrubs, for crying out loud. I don’t even own a thong.”
He gave her a small smile. “I had those girls, Ella, and there’s nothing there. You’re beautiful and you’re kind. You see the good in people when the rest of the world sees nothing but the bad. We’re complete opposites. You’re an amazing person and I’m lucky to know you, much less actually be with you. I don’t know why you want me, to be honest. I’ve tried to keep distance between us, but I can’t say no to you. I can’t do what I know is right because that means I have to let the greatest person in my life go. I don’t want anyone else. I mean it. I can’t explain it. I just want you.”
“You’re not tempted a little bit?”
He shrugged. “I am human. I am a man. I do admire women. It’s not something I dwell on, though.”
She tightened her towel around her. “I don’t feel adequate enough for you.”
“Why?”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I don’t know. Experience.”
He laughed. “You’re fucking adorable right now.”
“Don’t laugh at me.”
He moved away from the vanity. “I’m not laughing at you. I just find it fucking unbelievable that we’re having this conversation in your parents’ house. If we were at home, I’d give you all the experience you want, baby, but I really don’t want to relive the past while we’re here.”
She snorted. “We didn’t do anything that night.”
“We came pretty fucking close.” He walked to the door and opened it.
That night. She wondered what he thought about it. She’d been mad at her dad and wanted to pay him back by having him catch her fucking the boy he didn’t like. It was wrong and she knew it. She’d felt so guilty about it afterward too.
“I set you up that night.” Ella walked with him to her room. “I wanted my dad to find us. I wanted him to get mad.”
“Well, you got your wish.” He walked into the room and took off his shirt. “Why? Rebellion?”
“Somewhat.” She dried off and pulled her tank and shorts on again before climbing into bed. “I was mad at him. I knew he didn’t like you and I wanted to rub it in his face that his little girl wasn’t so sweet and innocent. It backfired. I couldn’t even do that right.”
