Lily shook her head. “Don’t blame yourself. I’m a grown adult woman and I made that decision to stay. Part of me still hoped he could get back on his feet, but he never will, will he? I’ve tried so hard.”
“I know.”
“I tried getting him into rehab, to AA meetings, but nothing helped.”
“Bear’s as stubborn as they come. Maybe seeing us together is the wake-up call he needed,” Ripper said. “Baby, don’t worry so much.”
“How can I not worry? Who’s going to make sure he doesn’t do something stupid?”
“I have Crow watching him,” Ripper reminded her. “You’ve already done your part.”
Ripper was right. There was nothing else Lily could do for her father. Besides, hadn’t Bear disowned her? The hurt was still there, she realized. She knew Bear uttered those words out of drunken anger, but if Bear was sober, would he take them back? She doubted it. Bear never apologized to anyone.
No use pondering on what could’ve been, Lily realized. Ripper was right in front of her, her anchor, and he promised he’d take care of her now. That made staying in this town worth it.
“I have a confession to make,” she told him.
“Go on.” Ripper rested one possessive hand on her thigh while the other he slid right behind her ass, ensuring she wouldn’t fall off.
“I sometimes snuck up here, to your room, whenever Bear took me to the club,” she said.
Ripper frowned. “Bear shouldn’t have taken you to this place. The club isn’t a place for kids.”
“Well, I don’t mind,” she eventually said. “Besides, it’s not so bad.”
“Of course, you’d say that. You’re too good for me, for this world.” Ripper nuzzled her neck.
“You’ve said that before, but you’re wrong. We’re right for each other. I don’t mind that you’re a Skull Crusher. That’s part of who you are. I won’t take that from you. All I want—” Lily couldn’t finish.
He trailed his fingers behind her neck to undo the strings holding her top together. The fabric slid down, revealing her breasts. Ripper took one into his mouth and sucked hard on it. She groaned, already wet for him as he moved his hand down the curve of her belly to undo her skirt.
“What do you want, baby?”
“That you’ll always stay faithful to me.”
Bear and the other men of the MC moved from one woman to the next all the time. They might act tough all the time and weren’t afraid to face cops and gunfire, but the word commitment sent them all running. Ripper had always been different from the rest of them, but Lily still wanted his word.
“You’re the only woman in my life, Liliana.”
Ripper pulled his mouth away, only to take her lips. He kissed her so hard, she nearly forgot where they were and all her problems.
“You’re really something, you know that?” Ripper asked her.
Lily giggled when he threw her on the bed. Ripper slid her top right off her. Her skirt and underwear followed soon after. This wasn’t just some random motel. This was Ripper’s personal safe haven, his bedroom. This club was Ripper’s home, she realized.
It suddenly felt real. Right. Ripper took off his clothes and she whistled, seeing his dick already rock-hard for her. Her nipples tightened to points. She couldn’t wait to be under Ripper’s mercy again, for Ripper to remind her who owned her. All of her.
Ripper chuckled and curved his fingers over his dick and began working himself.
“You want this in you, baby?” he teased.
“You know I do.”
“Show me how ready you are for me,” he ordered.
Lily touched her pussy and lifted her fingers to show him how needy she was for him. Ripper growled in approval.
“I want to see you touch yourself. Do it.”
Lily flushed but did as he asked. She was incredibly turned on, watching him service his dick and having his intense gaze on her while she fingered herself. She parted her legs a little wider and gave herself plenty of room as she ran her fingers back and forth her pussy lips.
“That’s it, baby. Get yourself ready for me,” Ripper said.
“Ripper.” She moaned out his name and moved her digits to her clit. Lily lifted her hips off the bed, only for Ripper to approach her. By now, his dick had turned full, the red tip leaking pre-cum.
Her breathing quickened as he pried her fingers from her pussy, only to take over. He rubbed her clit and gave it a pinch. Lily gasped, groaning as she came all over his fingers. She let out a sigh of contentment but Ripper was far from done.
Lily gasped again as he gripped her hips then flipped her over. Knowing what he wanted, she got onto her hands and knees and positioned herself right at the edge of the bed. Ripper gave her ass a swat, making her jump. Lily suddenly ached to have his enormous cock inside her, yearned for them to connect on the most intimate level again.
“You asked me to be faithful to you. I have a better offer,” Ripper said.
He reached for her leg and parted her wider. Like this, she was spread completely open to his gaze. Lily blushed and felt Ripper guide his prick into her pussy.
She gasped once more as Ripper drove in deep. She was so wet, so slick for him that his passage was smooth. Lily clawed at the sheets as he went all the way in. Ripper began to fuck her, slow strokes at first, before building momentum. Lily rested her cheek on the sheets and thrusted her hips at him in offering.
“That’s it, baby.” Ripper gave her ass another slap.
She moaned. The mattress beneath them vibrated at the force of his thrusts. Her climax built each time their bodies connected, his soul reaching out for her own.
“I’m close,” she whispered.
“Same.” Ripper hammered in and out of her a few more times before filling her with his seed.
She slid into the sheets, feeling languid all over. Ripper soon joined her, closing his arms around her. They didn’t speak until the sweat on their bodies cooled. Lily could fall asleep, tucked against his big body, but she remembered their earlier conversation.
“What were you saying earlier?” she asked him.
Ripper reached for her hand. “I’m going to put a ring on your finger. Officially make you my old lady.”
She turned on her side so she could look him in the eye, shocked at those words. Ripper looked deadly serious. Not a joke at all. She could hardly believe her ears.
“Are you sure?” she asked him.
“I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. I know it’s too soon. We’ve only been together recently—”
“It’s not,” she said quickly.
“Then I take it that’s a yes?” Ripper asked her. “I don’t have a ring yet, but I’m planning to get one soon.”
“It’s a yes of course.” Lily rested her head against his chest. “I love you, Ripper. Always have.”
“I’ll make you the happiest woman on earth,” he said. “That’s a promise.”
Chapter Eight
Ripper groaned at the incessant knocking on his door. Next to him, Lily stirred. Ripper opened his eyes, annoyed as the noise continued. A few more days, Ripper reminded himself, and they could finally get the keys to their own apartment. He sat up slowly in bed and took those few precious moments to gaze at Lily.
It had been nearly a month since he told her he’d make her his bride. Ripper had wanted a simple wedding, but it was her wedding, too. Lily wanted to be wed in a church, the same one Bear and her mother were married in. Ripper let her plan everything. Anything she’d wanted, he’d give her.
Wedding planning kept her busy at least while he settled problems at the club. It had been naïve of Ripper he could simply walk away from this life. The other MC members depended on him and Bear. He still had Crow and the others watching for Lily’s old man.
Bear seemed to never tire of getting himself into fights all the time. Just this week alone, Crow had to pull him from a fight with two members of the Devil Riders, a rival MC gang. Not good.
Ripper had to level with his former best friend but Bear wasn’t listening to him.
“Ripper, you awake?” came Iron’s voice from behind the door.
This was the reason why Ripper wanted to separate business from his personal life. He was loath to leave Lily, but he had no choice. Wouldn’t surprise him if this was about Bear again. Last night, Bear had, to no one’s surprise, gotten into trouble with the cops. Ripper had to bail him out of jail. Yet again.
Ripper got off the bed. He fished for his jeans from the floor and put them on. Ripper unlocked his door and glared at Iron.
“I told you I don’t want to be disturbed on Sundays,” he said.
Iron wore a guilty look. “It’s about Bear.”
Ripper shut the door behind him again. “What has the bastard done this time?”
Ripper hoped Bear would lay low for a few days after the cops arrested him last night but that was hoping for too much. If Bear had been just another member of the MC, he would’ve faced severe consequences, but Bear was still, officially, the President.
It didn’t help Bear was also Lily’s old man and someone he’d called a friend. Before Bear took to the bottle, he’d been a real force to be reckoned with. Plenty of the men respected him. Enemies feared him. Together, they’d been formidable.
In a few more days, Ripper would hold another re-election.
Then he’d get his house and Bear in order.
“He slipped out from Jimmy’s watch earlier this morning. Cops said they spotted him riding out of town an hour ago.”
“What? They see where he’s going?” he asked.
Iron grimaced. “Crowshaven.”
“Fuck.”
Crowshaven was an hour’s ride away from Windsdale and controlled by the Devil Riders.
“Didn’t Bear pick a fight with two of their members a few days ago?” Iron asked.
“Don’t need to remind me.”
The door behind him opened. He was about to tell Lily to head back to sleep but she wrapped her arms around his chest, rested her cheek against his back, and asked him, “Is it Bear?”
He gave Iron a warning look. The other MC member held out his hands in mock defeat. “She’s not hearing anything from me, but Ripper, he’s her daddy.”
Iron had always been lacking in the brain department. Ripper blew out a breath and maneuvered his girl back into the room. Lily parted from him and placed her hands on her hips.
“Stop treating me like a child, Ripper. I’m all grown up now. I know my dad inside and out, probably as well as you did. What did he do now?”
She was right, and so was Iron. Lily deserved to know what Bear was up to. She might get real quiet when Bear came up, but Ripper knew she cared about him. Too much maybe. Bear certainly didn’t deserve such a loyal daughter like her. Lily was the sort of girl who’d put aside her own dreams just to make sure her old man was all right.
“Bear’s riding into trouble, but don’t you worry. I’ll get him back,” Ripper promised. He opened his closet door and pulled on a fresh pair of boxers, jeans, then a shirt. When he turned around, he expected an argument on his hands, Lily demanding answers, but she only held out his motorcycle riding jacket to him.
He let Lily help him put it on. Ripper faced her, held her shoulders, and gave her a kiss she wouldn’t be forgetting anytime soon. When he pulled away, Lily looked out of breath.
“Bring him back, Ripper. Don’t pick a fight,” she whispered. The worry in her voice made him angrier at Bear. At this rate, that drunk, uncaring bastard would give his Lily a heart attack.
“I won’t. I’m riding into enemy territory but my primary goal is to extract him and leave.”
She widened her eyes as he explained the situation to her.
“You don’t want to take backup?” she asked.
Ripper shook his head. Just great. Now Lily was anxious for both Bear and him.
“Bringing others would only create a bigger mess. The Devil Riders might see it the wrong way and assume that we want to start a war with them.”
“What’s Bear thinking?” Lily sounded angry, a rare sight. “Just come back home to me. Both of you.”
“I will.” Ripper had an idea.
He could probably guess Bear’s line of thinking, even drunk. Lily leaving the house had probably ripped Bear into two. Bear wanted to redeem himself in her eyes and the club and the only way to do that… Ripper shook his head. Sometimes, it scared him how much he understood Bear.
Ripper had gone down this path before, when he lost Jeanne.
“What are you thinking now?” Lily asked him, brushing her fingers against the inked skull on his forearm.
Her touch calmed him, anchored him. Reminded him of his purpose.
“After Jeanne died, I lost my way. Broke the law too many times to count. Nearly killed myself plenty of times.”
“I remember,” Lily said softly. “But this is different. You were grieving, but Dad, he’s just being an asshole.”
“Sometimes, men like us cut loose but it doesn’t mean we can’t find our way back home. Back then, it was Bear who dragged me back to reality. He told me he needed me, so did the club.”
Lily nodded. “I get it. Maybe all Dad needs is a reminder, a purpose.”
“Hey, that’s most I ever heard you call Bear Dad.” Ripper couldn’t help teasing his woman.
She punched him lightly on the shoulder and looked apprehensive again when he started digging through his closet. Ripper grabbed two revolvers, a knife, and one shotgun.
Lily opened her mouth but he put a finger to her lips.
“I’m not going to end up dead, baby. I’ll return with your dad in one piece. You two can talk. Then it’ll be my turn to sit down with him.”
He checked the cartridges and bullets on his guns and saw his knife remained sharp. Lily said nothing all that while. One word from her, and he’d let Bear ride to his doom, but he knew Lily wouldn’t do that. She had a huge heart, his girl. Lily still believed her father could be saved.
He hesitated by the door. Lily looked small to him as she climbed back to bed. Sensing his stare, she looked at him. There was a silent plea in her eyes.
Ripper didn’t want to leave Lily. Hell, he’d rather stay in bed all day and lock the door. They’d only come out for meals, eat, shower, and fuck. That last one they’d do again and again until they wore themselves out. That would be the equivalent of running away, however, and Ripper was no coward.
Over the past few months, Ripper realized he’d already given up on his best friend. He didn’t believe Bear was capable of change and maybe that pushed Bear further away. Ripper made a mistake in that area. Maybe he could still recover Bear, stop him from this insane, illogical course of action. Whatever it was, blood would be drawn if he didn’t hurry up.
“Stay safe,” Lily whispered as he shut the door behind him.
Ripper jogged down the steps and saw Iron and the others gathered downstairs. “Guard the fort,” he told his men and Bear’s. “Keep the club on lockdown.”
“Where you going, boss?” one of the prospects dared to ask him.
“I’m dragging our asshole president back home,” Ripper answered. Iron and the older members began to protest, to demand Ripper take them with him, but he held out a hand. “This needs to be done quick and quiet. I don’t want any unnecessary fights to break out. Just do as I say.”
Ripper left the club house, mounted his bike, and rode for Crowshaven.
Chapter Nine
Ripper rode for Crowshaven like his life depended on it. Maybe it did. Bringing back a corpse to his woman would break her heart and his. Ripper sped out of town, headed to the open road, and prayed Bear hadn’t reached his destination.
He passed by the town welcome sign and the first gas station. Half an hour later, his nerves felt shot. Ripper remained on edge. He gripped the handlebars of his bike hard. Fuck, but once he managed to drag Bear back to the club, he didn’t intend to take any more chances. He should�
�ve been tough on Bear in the first place, not let Bear’s excuses get the better of him.
During their shouting matches, Ripper would eventually turn soft and fall for Bear’s same words over and over again. I can change. Just wait and see.
Yeah, right. Look where he was now. Ripper nearly passed by a trucker stop but he spotted Bear’s familiar Harley parked along the road. He maneuvered his ride to the right, parked, and walked over to examine Bear’s ride.
Didn’t look stolen. No signs of blood or a struggle on the ground. No bike tire marks on the road. Couldn’t be that easy, could it? Ripper left his shotgun in the hidden compartment under the seat of his bike. That done, Ripper made his way to the nearby diner. He made sure to conceal his weapons in his jacket, then zipped it up before entering the premises.
Truckers gave him one look, saw his patch, and returned to whatever they were doing. Everyone there knew who he was, or the reputation of the Skull Crushers at least. Save three men wearing a different MC patch.
He recognized the horned devil on that patch anywhere. All three men were in their late thirties or forties and sat near the back. No sign of Bear anywhere yet. Ripper could slip out before the three Devil Riders spotted him and avoid unnecessary trouble. Gut feeling told him to linger a little longer.
Seconds passed.
A flushing noise came from inside the door next to where the bikers were seated. Bear came out, looking like shit. Bear glared at the three men. All three Devil Riders stood up from their seats.
One cracked his inked knuckles. Another pulled out a baseball bat, of all things, from under the table. It was the third one that worried him, a greasy-looking bald bastard who had his hand inside his jacket. Ripper caught the flash of metal.
“Hey, assholes, get out if you’re going to start a fight,” yelled the man at the cash register.
The warning went unheard. Bear clashed with the first guy, fists raised. Bear had been a hell of a boxer during his younger days. Even if Bear had let himself go to drink and women, he could still pack a punch. Bear grunted as the other guy’s fist connected to his face, but Bear stood his ground and clobbered the bastard.
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