Keeping What He Wants (Roaming Devils MC Book 2)

by Lexie Davis

  “I’m not telling. You don’t have to know everything.”

  “Okay, okay.”

  He reached for her hand and kissed it while he drove. “We’re taking my bike, so pack lightly.”

  She linked her fingers with his. “Can you give me a hint? Do I need a bathing suit or something warmer?”

  “We’re staying in Georgia, so wear what you would normally wear.” He glanced over at her. “Or nothing at all. I’m not going to complain.”

  “What are we doing?”

  “I’m not telling you.” He sat her hand on his thigh as he turned into Mike’s parking lot. “Don’t ask me again or I won’t take you.”

  She huffed a breath and undid her seatbelt. “You’re no fun.”

  “Baby, I’m all kinds of fun. Just wait.” He winked at her and got out of the van. Ella was going to drive herself crazy trying to figure out what he had planned. He might as well have fun with it now before she forced it out of him later.

  ****

  Her car was dead. It needed a new everything, and it would actually end up costing more to fix than it would be worth. She pursed her lips as she walked out on the car lot with Ryker leading the way. She didn’t want a new car. Another bill added to her decreasing pile didn’t feel right.

  “Which one do you like?” Ryker asked.

  “I don’t know.” She frowned. “Maybe we should look at the used car lot. I don’t want a payment.”

  “I’ll pay for it. Tell me what you want.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “You have sixty thousand dollars in your pocket?”

  He grinned. “I don’t have pockets, hence me holding my keys, phone, and wallet. But yeah. I can afford to buy you a car. No payment. What do you want?”

  “You’re not buying me a car.” She shook her head. “I had enough trouble with you buying me a purse, and I ended up paying for half of that myself.”

  “You’re being weird. We’re together. A couple. We have an apartment together. Why is it strange that we’d buy a car together?”

  “I don’t know. We don’t talk much about finances. I do my thing, you do yours.”

  She glanced around. He had to be crazy to want to buy her a car. She didn’t like the idea—not only because she didn’t want him supporting her, but she didn’t want to rely on him for anything. If they broke up, he’d get the car and she’d be up shit creek without a paddle.

  “Fine. I’ll buy a car for me and let you drive it.” He stared at her. “Is that plausible?”

  “No.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Then what do you suggest?”

  “I think we need to go to the used car lot. Maybe we can find something there.”

  Frustrated, he breathed a sigh. “I should have stopped at the damn Porsche lot.”

  “You’re not getting a Porsche.”

  “You’re right. I’d have cops all over me, and neither of us wants that.” He reached for her purse. “Go sit in some of them. We don’t have to buy it if you touch it. Just get a feel for what you like.”

  She reluctantly went to try out a few different cars. Feeling like Goldilocks picking the right one, she worked her way through a few vehicles before Ryker finally convinced her to take a test drive. The salesman went on and on about the car while she drove down the busy streets of Atlanta with Ryker in the backseat holding her purse. Glancing in the rearview mirror, she giggled to herself at the picture he painted. His big body was scrunched in the back of the Mercedes E-class coupe, and he looked less than thrilled to be in the back seat of the two-door vehicle.

  Overall, Ella liked the car way more than she wanted to. She pulled back into the lot and parked it out front. The dark gray metallic was so pretty and the gray-and-black leather interior was probably more of a luxury than necessity. She didn’t like the price tag on the car, but it was nice. Far better than her old car.

  “I really think a cheaper car would be fine.”

  Ryker handed her the purse. “What kind of car do you want?”

  “We have a special on these cars, right now,” the salesman informed them.

  “Do you like it?”

  She scrunched her nose and nodded. “It costs too much though.”

  “All cars are expensive, Ella. Some are shitty and fall apart right after you drive off the lot and some are good and reliable for years to come. Cheaper is not always better. If you want it, we’ll sign the papers right now.”

  She thought about how much she had in the bank. “I don’t want a car payment.”

  Ryker walked away from her. “We’ll take it,” he told the salesman.

  Ella hurried after him. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes.” Ryker followed the salesman into the dealership and to his desk. Ella sat amazed as they went through the process. Ryker pulled out a check from his wallet and wrote the lump sum of the vehicle on it before handing it to the finance guy. They put the title in her name. She watched as the dealership treated him like royalty.

  When they finally got the keys, he walked out with her. “I need my wallet, keys, and cell phone.”

  She unzipped her bag and handed the items to him. “I can’t believe you bought me a car.”

  “Believe it.” He kissed her. “I’m going to the club to handle some business. You okay on your own?”

  She stared at the key. “How do you have money for it? That’s a lot of money, Ryker. Where did it come from?”

  “We’ll talk about that later. Are you okay on your own?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. I’m okay.”

  “All right.” He studied her for a moment. “I love you. I’ll see you tomorrow when you get off work. Call me if you need anything.”

  She leaned in to kiss him. “I love you too.”

  Ella watched him leave before getting in her new car and starting it up. She couldn’t explain the ridiculous joy that filled her. Her previous car was her first car ever. She’d gotten it when she was eighteen and had moved away to college. It’d survived nearly ten years with her and the sixteen-hour trip from Boston to Atlanta when she’d moved back home. It was tough to let it go, though she really liked the new car.

  But the nagging thought of how Ryker had so much money lying around wasn’t something she could ignore. They didn’t talk much about his criminal activity, though he promised her that things were different than when Razor had been president. She thought that meant less criminal activity, and from what she’d gathered, it did. There were still drugs though, and the idea of drug money paying for her new car made her uncomfortable.

  She parked and picked up her phone to call him.

  “I just left you.”

  “I can’t accept this car.” She rubbed her forehead. “If you bought it with drug money or whatever it is that you do to get money, I can’t accept it.”

  “Drug money?”

  “I don’t know how your finances work.”

  He sighed. “I told you we’d talk about that later.”

  “Ryker, I’m serious. I’m not okay with it.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Home.”

  “I’ll be there in a minute. Sit tight.”

  He hung up, and Ella got out. Who was this person she was turning into? Gucci bag. Fancy car. Her boyfriend paying for stuff she couldn’t afford. It looked awful. Pretentious. She locked the car up and went inside. How could she date a guy for a few months and not know how he made his money? Or that he even had that kind of money in his bank account?

  The sound of a motorcycle pulling up outside made her walk over to the window. He had the leather on. The jeans and the boots. Completely different than when he’d left her.

  When he came in, he frowned. She moved to the couch. “It’s a lot of money. I can’t just take something like this from you. It doesn’t feel right.”

  He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Hold on.”

  He went over to the desk they kept in the corner of the room. Mostly his stuff was on it, and she hardly ever touched the thing.
He grabbed several papers and came back to her.

  “Here is the source of my finances. Well, the majority of it.” He handed her papers on his investment account. He also handed her his bank statement.

  “You invest your money?” She sat back and took in the numbers. “So the Roaming Devils don’t sell drugs anymore?”

  “It’s complicated. I’m trying to make things more legit, and it takes time. So are we okay?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “It’s too much. I would have been fine with a ten-thousand-dollar car.”

  He took the papers from her. “Ella, you’re being difficult. Are you going to be like this when I give you a ring or we buy a house together? God help me if we ever have kids.”

  “You said you didn’t want kids.”

  “Nothing is ever foolproof.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Look, the price tag is too big. I don’t feel right. It feels pretentious. I’m walking around with a Gucci bag and driving an expensive car. Both of which my boyfriend bought me.”

  “You’re a fucking doctor, Ella. You make a very nice annual salary. You can afford those things all on your own. Why does it matter how you got them?”

  “Because it’s not me.” She glanced away, clearly upset. “I don’t have nice things.” She pointed to the living area. “The sofa has been mine since college. I only recently got a new mattress because my other one was worn out. I had it since I moved to Boston. I’m just not that person that wastes money on material things.”

  He leaned back. “You deserve to have nice things, Ella. It doesn’t mean you’re better than anyone. It simply means that you work hard and you can splurge on yourself some.” He reached for her, smoothing his hand along her thigh. “And if I want to buy you something, I will. We’re a unit now, baby. You’re not on your own anymore.”

  She wasn’t on her own anymore. She had to keep reminding herself of that. Ella stared at the key to her new car. She’d never had anyone spoil her. Not like Ryker. Her parents had provided for her, but they hadn’t gone overboard. She worked hard, and it paid off.

  “Is this a normal thing for boyfriends to do?” She swallowed hard. “I don’t have a lot of experience. The fanciest thing anyone has ever bought me was a fifty-dollar box of chocolates.”

  “I bet you had a panic attack over that.” He turned toward her and lifted her chin. “Let me put it this way. I love you. I’m going to take care of you. I’m not single anymore and I don’t want to be. What’s mine is yours. Don’t freak out over it.”

  “It just seems weird.” And it did. He was the muscle and the protector in their relationship. If she needed help, he was there. Money was supposed to be her aspect of the relationship. While she never questioned exactly how he made a living, she knew his past despite his strive to move the club business to more legitimate opportunities. The cocaine distribution was one thing. He kept her in the dark for her own safety and ignorance, but she wasn’t exactly dumb. He used it. They dealt it. With Razor, his father, out of the picture, they’d supposedly gotten rid of it. Which only brought about more questions of what he did to earn money.

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve always worried about this stuff for myself. I know I can take care of my family. It’s weird when my family wants to take care of me.”

  “You need to let that go.” He kissed her forehead. “I’ll always take care of you. I’m not exactly looking forward to fighting with you about it though.” He brushed her hair from her face. “Do you trust me with your money?”

  “No. But to be fair, I don’t trust anyone with my money.”

  “I am responsible, you know.”

  “I know.” She lifted the key to her car. “I’m extremely paranoid that someone is going to drain my bank account and then I’m going to be screwed.”

  “Thanks, Ella. I’m glad you think I’m that kind of criminal.” She watched him walk toward the hall. When he returned, he had the package with the gun.

  “I didn’t mean you. I meant in general.”

  “Yeah. Whatever. I’m leaving. Have a good night at work.”

  “Ryker.” Ella stood and went after him. He stopped in the doorway and waited for her. “Please understand where I’m coming from.”

  “I don’t.” He gripped the doorknob. “First you accuse me of buying your car with drug money. Then you suggest that I’d steal your money from your account. I have a rap sheet, but damn. Is that who you really think I am? Some kind of lowlife scum? Because if it is, I don’t even know what to say to you right now.”

  “I don’t think you’re lowlife scum. I’m trying to understand things better. I’m a tightwad with money. There. I said it. I don’t like spending it because I’ve never really had a lot to begin with. You’re the exact opposite. You just sign a check and buy a sixty-thousand-dollar car without even blinking. All because I wanted it.” She clenched her fists. “It gives me anxiety, okay. I get anxiety over paying a five-hundred-dollar payment. Forget thousands of dollars.”

  “You grew up with money. Why are you scared of it?”

  “I didn’t have money. My parents had money. I was raised to not expect anything from anyone. If I wanted it, I worked for it. I paid for it on my own, and I soon learned how expensive this life really was. I didn’t want the bill so I didn’t make the purchase.”

  “Your parents didn’t spoil you?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “My father told me that if I wanted to be a doctor that I had to pay for it on my own. He actually ended up paying for half, but he said nothing in life was free.”

  And as a result, she had student loans to pay off. But she’d earned her degree and she’d worked hard to be where she was at. For many reasons, she thanked her parents for that lesson.

  Ryker tilted his head to the side. “So now you have anxiety over money?”

  “Yes.” She blew out a breath. “I don’t know. I don’t like spending. It’s difficult for me to justify material things.”

  “I’ll be honest. I don’t think I’ve ever met a woman that didn’t like money.” He scratched his jaw.

  She folded her arms over her chest. “You’re making fun of me now?”

  He didn’t respond to her question. “Okay, here’s the new deal. In an effort to mesh our lives together better, I’ll take over the finances.”

  “No.”

  “Yes.” He ignored her feeble protest. “Money is something couples usually fight over. I’m not fighting with you over this anymore. It gives you anxiety, and it pisses me off. I’ll take over the bills. You can have a debit card that you’ll never use. It’s win-win.”

  She shook her head.

  “Yes, Ella.” He glanced over at the desk. “Get your bills together and put them on the desk. I’ll go over them tonight while you’re at work. It’s called being in a relationship and working out a compromise.”

  She licked her lips. He leaned in to kiss her. “Just think about how much fun we’ll have when we share the same last name.”

  She watched him leave and tried to push aside the thought of her becoming Ella Dennison. A silly smile crept across her face before she could stop it. Maybe she’d hyphenate her name. Dr. Ella Hawkins-Dennison. She let out a pent-up breath and turned to stare at the desk. They’d only lived together a short while. And she had told him their lives needed to mesh better.

  Would it really be a bad idea to let him take over the finances? It was a big step. He did spend money, but he’d proved to her with his investment account that he saved it as well. She thought about her trust for him. She trusted him with her life. Being vulnerable with any other person was out of the question. He saw her good side and her bad side. She needed to figure out what that meant long-term.

  ****

  “Where the fuck did you get that?” Vampire asked as Ryker dumped the package on the table in front of him.

  “Someone left it at my apartment. On my fucking doorstep with Ella in the next room.” Ryker did his best not to look at Mad
Dog. “Who the fuck is running this shit on the streets?”

  “So this is personal?” Superman asked. “They know where you live and it’s a beef with you?”

  “How does that explain the women they’ve killed?”

  “They all fit Ella’s profile.” Rooster’s comment had all the men looking toward him. “Blonde. Gorgeous. Successful.”

  Ryker sat back in his seat and stared at the gun on the table in front of him. Who had a beef with him? A club member? The cut had been seen where it shouldn’t have been. Maybe the Young Bloods, but he doubted that. They were still scared of the Devils from the last go around. He didn’t think Rizzo had lied to him about it. He didn’t think that Mad Dog had either.

  Who the fuck had a problem with him?

  “I’m only going to say it once. If you’ve got a problem with me, now’s the time to step up and confront me like a man.”

  Vampire sat back in his seat. “I don’t believe it’s one of us.”

  “Yeah. Well, it has to be someone that knows a little more than they let on. Prospects have been to my apartment. Members have been to my apartment. Young Bloods not so much. So who am I supposed to believe is doing this?”

  Superman folded his arms over his chest. “We’ll start with the prospects first. Mad Dog usually runs the normal background check we do, but I’m going to dig a little deeper. See if I can find anything else on them.”

  “Yeah.” Ryker looked over at Mad Dog finally. “Trust is earned not given. Once it’s broken, you can’t get it back.”

  Mad Dog glanced down at the papers before him. “I didn’t do anything. I don’t know anything about it.”

  Ryker hoped that was true. In the meantime, he was going to do a little digging on his own. Unfortunately, that meant that he needed to talk to Pat. Quite frankly, he’d rather stick stakes in his eyes than ask the man for a favor.

  “Everyone’s dismissed.”

  Ryker grabbed his phone from the bucket outside the room and dialed his favorite police officer. Pat answered on the third ring.

  “Have you talked to your daughter?” Ryker asked, starting the conversation.

  “No.” Pat seemed grumpier than normal. “Why?”