Chapter Eight
Charlotte
Ow. I pull in a shaky breath and try to force my eyes open. My head is pounding. My nostrils are full of a familiar, welcoming smell. What is that? I finally win the battle with my eyelids and peel them open. Where the fuck am I? I lay there for a minute, looking around the unfamiliar room and try to figure out what the hell is going on. The room is small and contains only a bed, nightstand and dresser for furniture. Other than a lamp and blinds, there’s no décor in this room at all. I lay in a large rumpled bed that contains a smell I recognize instantly. Ryker.
The events of last night come back to me in a rush. Sitting up quickly, I gasp for air, trying to control my rapidly conflicting emotions. Krueger, my bedroom, smashing my favorite vase on his head, Ryker and Anna groping each other in the staff room, and then, Ryker whisking us both off to safety. My head throbs, causing stabbing pains to my nose and cheekbones. Slowly, I lift a shaky hand to my face and gasp. My nose is swollen, which explains the need to breathe through my mouth. My cheek feels puffy and tight.
I don’t remember much from last night, after we left my apartment. I vaguely remember Ryker pulling up to a tiny white house in the middle of nowhere, and leading me inside. He’d tossed me one of his t-shirts and told me to get ready for bed. I’d been like a zombie, just going through the motions. I pulled on the shirt, crawled into his bed without argument and was dead to the world within seconds.
A glance at the clock, sitting on the battered old nightstand, tells me that it’s almost eleven o’clock in the morning. Figuring I’ll find Ryker asleep on the couch, I pull on my yoga pants, quickly run my fingers through my hair and leave the bedroom in search of him. The house isn’t very big and the living room is just down a short hallway so I find it quickly. The couch is older and worn, but comfortable looking. I notice that just like his bedroom, the living room has very little furniture and no decorations or personal effects at all. Nothing to hint about the person who lives here. I also notice that Ryker is not in here, so I wander into the kitchen.
Again, no personal touches at all – just a sparse kitchen, with a small table and four chairs in the corner. The place is clean and tidy. It’s also empty. Where is he? I look outside and see a motorcycle. Moving to the front door, I slowly push it open. The screen door squeaks on it’s hinges. Outside, a very large man in a leather cut stands from where he was sitting on the front step. Yelping loudly, I stop mid-step.
Taking a step back inside, I pull the screen door half closed and look through it. He’s about six feet tall, in his early twenties and covered in brightly colored tattoos. I notice right away that his cut represents the Kings and not the Devils so I relax a fraction. When my eyes meet his, my relaxation fades and fear fills me again. His eyes are dark and cold. He’s an attractive man, but the hard expression he wears makes him look intimidating and menacing. His jaw is covered with several days of dark stubble and there’s a deep scar slashing across his right cheek. He stares back at me, and the longer I stare at him, my mouth open in fear, the angrier he looks.
“Like what you see?” Anger and sarcasm drip from his voice.
Realizing too late that he thinks I’m staring at his scar, I close my mouth and try to find my voice. “Sorry. I – I – I’m just looking for Ryker?” I try to smile at him politely, but I know it looks phony. I’m scared out of my mind.
“He ain’t here.” He turns away then and sits down on the step once again, his back to me. From the back, I take in his muscled frame and the back of, what even I have to admit, is an extremely sexy fauxhawk.
“Do – do- um … you don’t happen to know when he’ll be back, do you?” I’m trying so hard to sound natural but I’m stuttering like a fool.
He doesn’t even turn around to look at me. “No,” is all he says, telling me that I’ve been dismissed.
“Okay. Um … thanks.” I stare at his back for another moment, trying to figure out what the hell to do now, before I turn and close the door behind me. I make sure to lock it.
Now what? I don’t even know where I am. Taking another look around at Ryker’s small house, I swallow the bubble of panic rising in my chest. I need to talk to my sister. Ryker is probably with her. He’s said he was having her taken to the “clubhouse,” so I assume that’s where he went. I’m amazed at the jealousy I feel over their relationship. Ryker isn’t mine to be possessive of, and he seems like a good person, biker status aside. I should be happy that my sister finally has someone good in her life. Shouldn’t I?
Sighing sadly, I go back to the bedroom, grab my stuff and go to the bathroom to take a shower. I might as well get ready for the day. When Ryker comes home, he will take me to Anna, and then we can figure out what’s next.
***
Ryker
I finally roll back into my driveway in the middle of the night. Tease is already mounting his bike as I pull to a stop. With a quick nod, he speeds down the drive and out onto the road. Tease is a prospect, and a man of few words. He got his name after beating the shit out of one of the biggest sons of bitches I’ve ever seen, after the guy had the balls to make fun of his scar. He’s not a fan of being teased. He doesn’t talk much, and has absolutely zero sense of humor, but he’s loyal and one tough motherfucker. I’d felt safe leaving him to protect Charlie today.
It’d been a long ass day, and I want nothing more than to crawl into bed, where Charlie lays, warm and sleeping. After she’d passed out the night before, I’d stripped down to my boxer briefs and crawled in beside her. She’d smelled so fucking good. My erection had started before I’d even gotten into bed with her, but the moonlight on her face revealed the bruises and steri-strips holding her cheek together. Rage once again took over, quickly deflating my overeager cock.
I’d woken up early and set off to find Krueger. I wanted that fucker dead. He didn’t know it yet, but hurting Charlie was the biggest mistake of his life. It felt like a personal attack, even though he didn’t know she knew me. The possession I feel towards her is overwhelming and I can’t figure it out. What is it about her that makes me want to kill any son of a bitch that even looks at her? I don’t want an old lady, and there’s no way there can ever be anything between us, but knowing that doesn’t make me want her any less. It also doesn’t mean that I’m not going to do everything I can to bring that psycho bastard down, so he can’t lay a finger on her ever again.
For the second night in a row, I look down at my bed to see Charlie sleeping peacefully. Her dark hair is spread out in a fan across my pillows, and I can smell her fresh, floral scent from where I stand. The room is dark so I can’t make out the severity of her bruising, but I can see places on her face that are darker than they should be. Anger churns in my gut. Swallowing it down, I once again strip down to my boxer briefs and crawl into bed beside her. She lays on her side with her back towards me so I curl up behind her, needing to be close to her – reassuring myself that she’s still safe.
Draping my arm around her middle, I pull her back into me, curling myself into her. When her warm body hits mine, I have to think ugly thoughts to will my cock into submission. I lose when she squirms her round little ass into me. Fuuuuck. She fits me perfectly. She’s so fucking sexy and I know she doesn’t even know it.
Feeling her close to me, I can’t help myself. Tilting my head, I shove my nose into the crook of her neck and inhale her sweet scent. It calms my rage, if not my hard on. I lay there holding her tight to me, inhaling her smell, when she takes in a deep breath, yawning.
Turning her head slightly, she looks back at me. “Ryker? Where have you been?” Sleep and confusion cloud her voice as she tries to sit up, but my hold on her is solid. “Why are you – “ She struggles against me, trying to sit up again. I let her go instantly when I feel her panic. The reminder of what she’d been through the night before fuels my ever present anger. Sitting up quickly, she whips around to face me.
“Where have you been? I woke up and you were gone! The scary guy at the door just said you weren’t here, but wouldn’t tell me anything. I don’t even know where the fuck I am! Did you see Anna? Is she ok? When can I see her? When can I go home? Why did you –“ The questions pour from her mouth in a rush. She’s had all day to stew, likely going crazy with worry and boredom, but I’ve had a shit day and I’m exhausted.
“Shhhh, baby girl. I promise, I will tell you everything, but right now, I just want to curl up in this bed and pass the fuck out. Can we save the game of twenty questions for morning? Please.”
She must hear the exhaustion in my voice because she’s quiet. Her body relaxes before she replies, “Okay. I’ll just go sleep on the couch. Let you have your bed back.”
I wrap my arm around her waist before she can escape, and drag her back into me until we’re spooning again. “Like fuck you will. You’re stayin’ right here, woman. Now, sleep.”
She lays stiff in my arms. A moment passes before I hear her swallow thickly. “Um … Ryker?”
I groan. “Babe. Just chill the fuck out and sleep.”
“Um ... I will. I just … why do you want me to stay here? I’m not comfortable sleeping all cuddled up to my sis –“
“Seriously. Babe. I’m tired as fuck. You’re tired. I just want to lay here with you and sleep, feelin’ you beside me so I know you’re fuckin safe. It’s the only way I’ll get any sleep so just lay there, shut it and go the fuck to sleep. Ok?”
“K,” she whispers. So fucking cute. After a couple minutes, her body relaxes and I pull her closer. It doesn’t take long before her breathing evens out and I know she’s asleep. I plan on telling her everything I know, but the truth is, right now, I don’t know much at all and that pisses me off. Krueger’s in the wind, and I don’t know where to even begin to look for him, but I’m positive that he’s still around. He wouldn’t give up that easy. Truth is, Charlie getting the better of him last night would have just pissed him off even more.
I want to kill her crazy fucking sister for practically handing her to him. I have no clue how I’m going to get her out of this mess, but I will stop at nothing to save her. Pressing my nose into the crook of her neck once again, I let her sweet, feminine scent lull me into a deep sleep of my own.