Ryder Read online

  I hung around the bar most of the night, looking for my chance to talk to Taylor. I wanted the chance to say my piece, even if she didn’t want to hear it. She had to. I wasn’t going to let her just walk out of my life without getting the final say. Hell, I wasn’t going to let her walk out of my life at all, for that matter. She was going to have to at least hear me out if this was going to happen – there wasn’t any other way about it.

  The bar was busier than normal, but I behaved myself. I sat at the end of the counter where I could keep an eye on Taylor as she worked, but I didn’t interfere with the other men flirting with her. I thought I would give her that space, giving her the idea she was in control over the situation, even though I knew I was the one calling the shots the entire evening.

  If, at any time, I wanted to get rid of any of the guys at the bar, I would have walked over and told them to get the Hell out of there. But, I waited. I knew if I said anything that pissed her off too early she’d shut me down.

  Of course, since Taylor didn’t want to talk to me, she was taking as much time with literally anyone else at the bar as she could. She didn’t come see how I was doing with my drink, and I had to call her back more than once to get another beer throughout the night.

  Normally, I would have been pissed off over the situation, but I wasn’t going to say anything to her about it. I knew what she was doing, and I wasn’t going to indulge her.

  But, as the night wore on, I knew she wasn’t going to change what she was doing, and if I was going to get a chance to talk to her, I would have to wait until she was getting ready to finish up for the night. It was getting closer to shutting down the place, and she still was avoiding me.

  So, when she took a bucket of rags back toward the kitchen, I seized the chance to talk to her. I followed her down the narrow hall, waiting for her to reappear from behind the swinging doors. I couldn’t go back there. The cook would be sure to intervene, and I didn’t want to have to knock his lights out before I got the chance to talk to Taylor.

  Not to mention, if I were to do that at her place of work, there was little doubt in my mind she wouldn’t talk to me at all. No. if I was going to get a chance to have her attention, I was going to have to do this right.

  I waited outside the door for her, eagerly waiting for her to come back. Then, as she stepped back into the hall on her way toward the bar, I pounced, grabbing her by the shoulders and pushing her into the office next to the kitchen.

  Taylor was caught by surprise at the suddenness of the moment, but she only let out a small cry before realizing it was me who had her.

  “What the Hell do you think you’re doing?” she gasped. “Do you want me to get you thrown out of here?”

  “I need to talk to you,” I hissed.

  “There’s nothing we need to talk about,” she said. “I told you to stay away from me, and I meant it.”

  “I know what you said, but you don’t seem to realize something,” I replied.

  “What?”

  “I’m not going to give up. I told you we’re meant to be together, and we are,” I informed her. “I’m not going to just walk away from this as though it doesn’t mean anything. I’m going to have you. You were meant to be my queen.”

  “I don’t care what you think!” Taylor snapped back at me. “I’m not meant to be anyone’s queen! I’m meant to live my life the way I want, and that’s with absolute freedom! Now, let go of me, I have to get back to work!”

  She didn’t give me the chance to respond, pushing past me and heading back out to the bar. I sighed. My hands ached to run over her body. I wanted nothing more than to feel her. My entire body ached to be inside her. She was the one person I wanted more than anything – or anyone. I had to have her. I simply had to.

  But, she was still very much in denial. She wasn’t going to make this easy for me. I knew that. But, I hadn’t expected her to stay this adamant about it for this long. She wasn’t going to just come back to me. There had been a time when I practically had her eating right out of my hand. But clearly, those days were over, and she wasn’t going to ever let it go.

  Or, so she thought.

  I knew there was a different story here. I wasn’t going to let her just walk away from me like that. She could get away for tonight, but that didn’t mean she was going to get away with this for good. She couldn’t. I had to keep the upper hand in this situation, and I would.

  That was just my style. I wasn’t going to just step aside and ignore what was going on with her. I wasn’t going to just forget about this. No, I was going to make sure she understood where she belonged: with me. I would keep coming back to the bar and chasing off anyone else who ever showed any sort of interest in her if I had to.

  Whatever I had to do to make her mine, I would do. It was plain and simple in my mind, and I felt it ought to be in hers, as well.

  But, I had to back down for the night. The bar was getting busier before the last call, and I didn’t care to stick around to try to get her attention again. I’d just let her go and worry about what was happening next when the time came. For now, I could go back to my own bar and see what was going on with the rest of the guys.

  They were always hanging out at Echo Mori, so even at this late hour, chances were I’d be able to find them if I got going.

  Without another word to Taylor, I headed through the door and into the street. It wasn’t a long drive to get to the Echo, and sure enough, there were plenty of bikes out front, informing me my brothers were inside.

  So, I headed in to grab one last drink for the night and forget about how difficult Taylor was being. She could keep this up for as long as she wanted, but I wasn’t going to just let it be. I was going to get to her. Eventually.

  She was mine already. She just didn’t seem to know it yet.

  I was greeted by the boys as I walked through the door, and I smiled as I settled into the bar.

  “Don’t get too comfortable,” Jett said as he walked over to me. “Were you out with Taylor tonight?”

  I fully expected them to start teasing me as they always did, but there was something about the tone in his voice that made me look at him inquisitively.

  “I was over at Clarence’s, yes,” I told him.

  “You might need to turn around and head back over there,” he replied gravely.

  “What’s going on?”

  “There’s been rumbles on the street Bud’s found his wife,” Jett lowered his tone. “And, he’s not happy about it.”

  “Shit.” I shook my head.

  “We can only assume that means he’s going to come down hard on everyone else, including his daughter,” Jett continued. “We made a promise, and we’re going to keep that promise. You’re the closest to her of everyone, and she might listen to you.”

  I didn’t think there was much chance of that, but I was already feeling primal and protective. I wasn’t going to let that guy anywhere near Taylor. “I’m on it,” I said as I rose from the bar.

  “Be careful,” Jett called after me. He knew the feelings I had for the girl, and he knew the temper I had, as well. I was unpredictable when I was pissed, that was for sure. And right now, I was pissed as Hell.

  No one was coming near Taylor, and she was just going to have to listen to me. I would protect her. That was my job. It was what I was assigned to do ten years ago, and what I’d keep doing now.

  She’d just have to get used to it because I wasn’t going anywhere.

  Chapter 11

  Taylor

  I walked home with the light, quick pace I always had when I got off work. Fallen Hills wasn’t exactly known to be a safe place after dark, and I didn’t want to get caught out at the wrong time.

  I wasn’t afraid of meeting someone, not exactly, but I did always feel rather uneasy when I was on my way home. There were stories of women who’d gotten kidnapped and abused on their way home from work, and I didn’t want to be one of them.

  Of course, I knew I could start driving
, but I didn’t have a car. I wanted all the money I had to go to saving to get out of town. I would worry about getting a vehicle when I settled anywhere else in the world. For now, I would risk going home on foot.

  But, there was something that just wasn’t quite right about tonight. It was hard for me to put my finger on what it was, but I didn’t feel safe as I walked along the dimly-lit path next to the street.

  At first, I tried to tell myself it was because of the conversation I’d had with Ryder. He had shaken me, not just by telling me he wasn’t going to give up on me, but because of the fact I didn’t want him to. I just wanted him to leave so I could forget about how I ever felt about him.

  I wanted him to be gone, but at the same time, I couldn’t argue with the fact he left a thrill running through me every time the two of us were together. It wasn’t easy for me to wrap my mind around it, and I wasn’t sure how to even deal with it now. I just wanted to forget about the whole thing and move on with my life.

  But, he wasn’t making that easy for me.

  Though I was lost in thought, I did my best to keep an eye and ear out for my surroundings. The last thing I needed was to be caught off guard, so I was careful to keep an eye on the things that were going on around me.

  That’s why when I heard the sound of someone walking up behind me, I caught on almost immediately. I glanced over my shoulder and almost immediately noted a figured dressed in dark clothing walking quickly toward me.

  It was all I needed to make a decision. I couldn’t tell who it was, and I didn’t care, either. I wasn’t going to stand there and just let them come up to me. No, I was fast, and though I knew I wasn’t much of a fighter, I could run.

  I turned and ran up the street, nearly dropping my purse along the way. It was dark, and there wasn’t anyone around. I considered shouting for help, but my voice caught in my throat as I ran, and I didn’t have the air in me to shout as I was moving.

  I hoped to God someone would come around the corner and see what was happening before this person caught me. I could already feel his hands running over me. I could feel what would happen after that, and it made me sick to my stomach.

  My feet pounded on the pavement, my heart raced in my chest. My palms were sweaty, and I didn’t think I’d hold out much longer. There was a voice screaming inside me to keep pushing. To keep moving. I had to keep going, no matter what.

  My hands were sweaty despite the cold night, and there were tears forming in my eyes. I was tough, I knew that, but when I was faced with this sort of fear, all that faded. I was scared out of my wits, and when the hands closed around my waist, it was enough to bring me out of my state of shock and a scream formed at my lips.

  “Shhh!” the man hissed in my ear. “Keep it down!”

  Immediately, I recognized Ryder’s voice. “Let me go!” I snapped.

  “Shut up!” he hissed again. “Don’t draw any attention.”

  “I’m going to draw all the attention in the world if you don’t let go of me!” I cried. I was about to scream again when his hand came back down over my mouth. He was a lot stronger than me, and though he wasn’t hurting me, he definitely wasn’t about to let me go, either.

  Instead, he dragged me back toward the bar.

  “Let go!” I tried to kick him, but he dodged the blows as he continued to take me back to the bar. I thought about biting his hand, but he wasn’t in the mood. I knew Ryder well enough to know when he wasn’t messing around, and he certainly was serious right now.

  My heart continued to race in my chest, and my hands were still clammy. I didn’t know what he wanted, and I had a feeling I didn’t want to know, either. Still, there was a bit of relief that washed over me when I realized it was Ryder who had caught me.

  At least he wasn’t the kind of guy who would take advantage of me or kidnap me. He’d had the chance to do it many times before, and though he was always in my face and convinced I was going to come back to him eventually, I couldn’t say he ever disrespected me.

  “We need to talk,” he said as we reached the door of the bar.

  “I don’t have anything to say to you,” I hissed back at him.

  “I don’t care what you have to say,” he replied. “I told you we’re going to talk, and that’s what we’re going to do. Now, you can open the door yourself, or I’m going to kick it open and you can deal with that.”

  His grip loosened on me just enough to let me get the key out of my purse. At first, I considered calling his bluff and letting him kick open the door. But then, I decided against it. Knowing Ryder as well as I did, I had a feeling he meant what he said, and whatever he wanted from me, I didn’t want to deal with my boss being pissed off the next day when he got back to work and found the door had been kicked in.

  Especially if he were to check the cameras and see that I was involved. Sure, I wasn’t exactly making the choice to be there at the moment, but he wasn’t the kind of guy to really think about the logic of any given situation.

  I opened the door, and the two of us stepped inside. Ryder quickly closed it and locked it behind us as I headed over to the other side of the room. I flicked on a light before turning back to him and crossing my arms.

  “Now what the Hell is this about? It better be good or I’m going straight to the cops and telling them you kidnapped me!” I snapped.

  “This isn’t kidnapping,” Ryder replied. “I brought you back to your work. If I was going to kidnap you, I certainly wouldn’t take you back to one of your most frequented locations.”

  “What do you want?” I asked again. I didn’t want to get in a battle of semantics, and knowing Ryder, he was just the sort of guy who would enjoy that sort of thing. He could argue with me until I started turning blue and still not get tired of it.

  But, he was also in a hurry. I wasn’t sure what was going on with him, but I knew there was certainly something.

  “You’re coming with me,” he said.

  “The Hell I am!” I snapped back. It was hard for me not to burst out laughing at him. There was no way I would go anywhere with him, not after what he had just done to me. Hell, if he thought I even wanted to stand there and talk to him – no matter where we were – then he had another thing coming.

  I might be struggling with my feelings toward him, but that didn’t mean I was going to go back to him. I had to stay strong.

  But then, he spoke again. “Your father found your mother.”

  Immediately, my jaw dropped. My mind started spinning, and I fought to keep control over my features. I didn’t even know where my mother was, but the idea that my father had found her still brought back more memories than I ever wanted to remember.

  Once again, I was that young girl, terrified over what was going to happen if my father found out what was going on. I remembered the night when I found out my mother had been working with the Steel Wings to get away from him, and I remembered the night we ran.

  It was still etched in my memory as one of the most terrifying nights of my life. I couldn’t even begin to think about it without my palms growing sweaty and being unable to breathe. I gasped, but I fought to maintain the control over myself as Ryder stood in front of me.

  He stared at me with the same collected coolness he always maintained, and I had to bite my tongue to keep from pushing him and telling him to get out of the bar. I didn’t care why he was telling me this. I didn’t want to hear it.

  Forever etched in my mind was the morning after he had taken me and my mother to that hotel so many years ago. I was sure we were going to go off to safety together, but that’s not what happened. That’s not at all what happened.

  Instead, the next morning, I woke to find out my mother was going to be taken away. I would be staying. I would be going back, in fact.

  And things had only gotten worse from there. I wasn’t allowed to ever see my mother again. Not only that, but I wasn’t allowed to know where she was even living. She was just gone, and that was the end of it.

  Ther
e was a time when I thought that night would be the best night of my life. I was almost willing to let my mom go because of the fact I had been able to bond with Ryder so much.

  That night at the hotel was the night I had my first kiss. I kissed him passionately before he left the next morning, too. In fact, I slept in his arms that night. Nothing else had happened. He had been a perfect gentleman, but I still knew it was meant to lead somewhere.

  I dreamt of the day when I would be his. When we would be able to be together without fear of the MC. I hoped when that happened we’d be able to get my mother and things would be okay for me at last.

  My father would be out of the picture, and I’d never have to worry about him again.

  But then, my mother left. Without warning, without explanation, and without any way for me to be in her life again. Still, the younger version of me held onto hope.

  I wanted to be happy. I wanted to be with Ryder. I wanted my mother. And, I was foolish enough to think I could have all those things at once. I didn’t realize that I had to choose. I didn’t know what lay ahead.

  And, I really wasn’t happy when I finally found out.

  Chapter 12

  Ryder

  I walked over to the window and looked out. I was on edge, my mind still flashing to every possible outcome of the night. Jett didn’t tell me what had happened, so I didn’t know how much imminent danger we were in.

  But, if it was serious enough for me to be here getting Taylor, that had to mean something legitimate. I knew he wouldn’t send me to get her if it was just a rumor. No, there had to be more to it than that, and I intended to get to the bottom of it.

  If that was going to happen, however, I had to convince Taylor to come with me. Hell, she was coming with me whether she wanted to or not. I wasn’t about to leave her here without some sort of protection.