18

Ruger hated having to sit here and listen to this all while staying quiet. Unable to participate in the discussion without it sounding like he was taking sides only frustrated him. He was torn between sitting beside Krissi, holding her hand and make sure she was all right and sitting with his brothers to sure she wasn't here to spy for her father. He couldn't do either and he hated it.

Ruger saw the skepticism on Tuck's face when Krissi said she hadn't spoken to her father in years and couldn't blame him. He wouldn't believe it from most people either. But in the, admittedly short, time he'd known her, she'd never mentioned any family, never hinted that there was anyone who might be able to help her and seemed to rely only on herself. He'd assumed they were dead or in some way not able to help. Now, knowing who her father is, he knew that wasn't true.

Krissi’s father had the ability to make sure she had a brand-new car and tuition to any university she wanted. He couldn't see why she would lie about it. Well, she might if she were here to spy on them like Tuck and Lurch suspected, but he didn't think that was true. But what if he was wrong? Could his own interest and lust have blinded him to Krissi’s true intent? Was she only interested in him as a link to the Souls? Scowling he leaned back to listen.

“Why are you on the outs with your father?” Tuck asked.

“I'm not on the outs with him. He keeps trying to give me things, to talk to me, I ignore him and I will continue to. I don't like the way he does things.”

“The way he does things?” Sadist watched her with his head tilted to one side.

“I'm aware that his club is a criminal enterprise, but that's not it. Not entirely.” Krissi dropped her gaze to the glass she had one hand wrapped around.

“What is it, exactly?” Tuck prompted.

She didn't speak for several long seconds then she looked up and met the president’s gaze. “There's a lot to it. It's not just that he supplied my mom with the drugs that made my childhood a complete hell, not to mention that they eventually killed her. It's not just that he was in and out of my life as he spent time in prison. It's not just that he had the first boy who kissed me hospitalized. It's all of that, and more. He's a criminal, yes. I might have been able to look past that, but he's so much more. He's not just a bad man, he's evil. I don't want evil in my life.

“So I left. I took everything important that I could carry and I walked away.” She picked up the glass and took a long drink, nearly draining the amber liquid. Ruger knew it had to burn going down, but maybe not as badly as her memories and having to explain her reasons for not letting her father into her life to a bunch of men she doesn't know.

Tuck cleared his throat after a few seconds. “All right. I'm glad you aren't involved with him. Our club has worked long and hard not to be tied to him and I don't want that to change.” Ruger looked back at him long enough to see him glance at the other men around the table. “I do have one request though.”

“What?” Krissi looked up the length of the table at the president, fire flashing in her eyes.

“If he contacts you for some reason, let us know. We would appreciate the opportunity to prepare before he shows up in our town. To know if we're going to need to defend or protect you from him.”

Krissi looked down at the glass then back up at the men at the other end of the table. “I can do that.” She threw back the last of the tequila and set the glass on the table. She stared at it as if trying to decide if she wanted more.

“Actually, I have a request as well,” Sadist said after a moment. Krissi didn't say a word and only her eyes moved as she looked up at him. “I want you to stay here for at least a couple days. I want to make sure the Devils are all taken care of and this won't happen again.”

“I was going to stay with Ruger tonight.” She glanced in his direction before looking back to Sadist.

“Not good enough. He's got good security, but not good enough for dealing with the Devils. Stay here for a couple days and let us get a handle on things.”

Her eyes went wide. “But what about class, and my job?”

“I'll get your laptop. You can miss a couple days of class, email the teachers and explain that an emergency has come up, see if they'll give you the assignments. I'll go talk to your boss, explain that you're hurt and need a couple days off.” Ruger said, finally seeing away he could help.

“Are you hungry?” Sadist said after a tense moment. “I'm sure those assholes didn't bother to feed you.” He checked his watch. “And it's been about eighteen hours since they took you. When is the last time you ate?”

Ruger saw her glance in his direction before answering. “Breakfast yesterday.”

He glanced at his own watch, damn, seven AM already. “That was about twenty-four hours ago.”

“I have some granola bars in my bag. I was gonna eat them in the car on the way to work, I just never got that far.”

Ruger held back a growl, it wouldn't do any good anyway. “Are we through here?” He looked at Tuck.

“I'm through with her but I'd still like to speak with you.” Tuck’s eyes flicked to Krissi then back to Ruger and Ruger knew he wanted to talk to him without her.

“I'll take her into the other room and see what we can find for her to eat.” Sadist stood, pushing his chair back as he went. He made his way around the table and offered a hand to Krissi. She ignored him and tried to stand on her own but stumbled as her muscles had stiffened while she had been sitting and refused to cooperate now. Sadist caught her before she could fall and Ruger was glad but he had to work even harder to hold back the possessive streak that ran deep where Krissi was concerned. It took her a minute but she got her legs to co-operate and she left the room with Sadist.

The door clicked shut behind them, leaving Ruger in the room with Tuck and Lurch. They were all silent for the space of a dozen heartbeats. Ruger knew Tuck was waiting for him to speak first, but he wouldn't. He waited for whatever they had to say to him.

“I believe her,” Lurch said after a moment. Tuck shot him a look that said he wasn't happy, then looked back to Ruger.

“I'm inclined to believe her too, but we need to be careful.” Tuck's eyes never left Ruger as if trying to drive his point home.

“I've been careful. I've told her nothing about us, and nothing important about me.” Ruger shrugged. “I want to be able to tell her more but I know I can't. Not yet. Maybe not ever.”

“I want to believe her,” Tuck said. “and it’s not that I found anything wrong with her story, but I’m a skeptic.” He took a deep breath. “My gut’s kept me alive this long, and while it’s been wrong before, it’s been right enough that I can’t discount it.

“She seems to be handling the violence that is part of our life okay. Give her some time. See how it goes. She may decide she left her father to get away from it, and she can't handle how we live either, or she may decide that we're different enough and she can.” Tuck shrugged. “But you'll have to let her decide without letting her in on our secrets. We are who we are and as much as we might sometimes want to, we can't change who we are.”