Chapter Ten
Ella moaned as she opened her eyes. If they were going to kill her, then now would be a great time to do it. After vomiting everything in her stomach, she felt weak and dehydrated. She lay on the cold concrete ground with a fever and the last thing she wanted to do was move. The humid warehouse did nothing for her but make her sicker. The bite of the flex cuffs into her wrists left her mostly immobile. The ringleader of the circus had the gun out and pointed at her. Why he didn’t take the shot, she didn’t understand.
The door opened to the room they’d kept her in, and all she could see were black boots walking toward her. She closed her eyes, uncaring of what they wanted. They could do just about anything to her right now and it wouldn’t be worse than the way she felt.
“Don’t tell me you’ve used up that spark my son likes before I got here?”
She didn’t even open her eyes. “Why waste my personality on you?”
Razor had pulled on leather gloves, which she supposed was to scare her. It didn’t. “You think he’s coming for you? To save you like some fucking white knight.”
“Yes.” She groaned. “And he’ll kill you this time. There won’t be any hesitation.”
“I don’t know about that. Ryker isn’t much of a killer. I handed him a gun when he was twenty-three and told him to finish off one of our enemies. The guy was married. Had two kids and a wife. He was a dumb fuck that couldn’t pay for the dope he abused. Anyway, Ryker struggled with pulling the trigger. I finally had to take the gun from him and shoot the shithead myself. This was right after your little stunt of rebellion against your daddy.”
She swallowed and her throat felt like sandpaper. Ella tried to push up from the ground, but her arms were weak. Of all the times for her to face the bastard, she had to be sick.
He walked over and squatted beside her face. “You prevent him from being the leader he needs to be. He turned my motorcycle club into a frat house. He spends more time with you than he does with them, and their fucking reputation on the street makes other ruthless gangs laugh. You did this to my club. He chose you instead of the Roaming Devils.”
Ella glanced up at him. “You’re still butthurt over him taking it from you?”
Razor slapped her face and she cringed at the sting. He could do whatever he wanted. She didn’t have the strength or energy to fight him.
“I thought he knew how to lead. I thought I taught him how to be a real man, but you’ve turned him into a pussy. And for what? What the hell do you get out of it?”
Ella didn’t respond. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore his looming presence. He was batshit crazy, and there was no reasoning with a man like that. He would forever blame her for his son not doing what he wanted. For his son not being like him. In her mind, that was a good thing. Razor was fucked up.
“You want his babies.” Razor said it almost like he was mystified by the idea. “You want the next generation of presidents of the Roaming Devils Atlanta chapter in your control.”
“Yes. I’m an evil bitch that is going to take down your little club with my future children.”
Razor grabbed her by the throat and squeezed. Ella flailed, kicking at him as her eyes opened to see into his. “I set him up with Beth nearly a three years ago. She’d been new to the club but not the scene. She knew how to fuck. I thought he’d appreciate that, and he did.”
Ella struggled for breath as she flailed.
“She was supposed to have the next generation. Everyone knew he didn’t use condoms and it would be so fucking easy for her to get pregnant and have his baby. Fucked him nonstop for at least three days straight.” He squeezed tighter. “She got pregnant. Miscarried it about eight weeks in.”
Ella lifted her leg and kicked at him with all her might. He let her go, shoving her head back against the concrete. Air filled her lungs as she gasped for breath. Razor watched with indifference. Her head pounded. She saw droplets of blood on the concrete beside her.
“What is his fascination with you?” Razor pulled out a large bowie knife and tested the blade with his finger. “It can’t be that you’re a good fuck. Beth was a good fuck, and he didn’t even bat an eye at her in the past couple of days. Not even after she practically humped him at the club.”
Ella groaned as she tried to move. “Ryker loves me.”
Razor laughed. “Ryker doesn’t know what love is. Not the bullshit you fantasize about. He loves the club. That’s what his version of love is.”
“And you’re proud of that? You had a son and you don’t give a shit about him. You taught him that murder and drugs and whores were the way to live life. That was the life he should want. You didn’t give him an option. You’re a controlling, sociopathic bastard that deserves to die after all you put him through. But he saved your life. He cared about you even when all you care about is yourself and your reputation and your fucking club.”
Razor was silent for what felt like an eternity. “Is that little speech supposed to make me like you better? You gave my son a heart?”
“Your son has lived his entire life caring for other people without having anyone truly care about him. That’s why I fascinate him—as you put it. I love him unconditionally.”
Razor took in what she said. She saw what little brainpower he had that hadn’t been fried by drugs trying to sort it all out. The situation with Beth was one thing: He’d been right to tell her to leave the club. She saw how much Ryker liked the woman. He wasn’t a coldhearted bastard. And there was nothing about him that would make her assume he’d want the kid to grow up in same bullshit he’d grown up in. He’d take care of the kid by keeping it away. Protecting it.
“You love him unconditionally. He must be so lucky.” He licked his lips. “He must be so fucking lucky that you, a cop’s daughter, care about him when nobody else does.”
“I am lucky.”
Ella turned to see Ryker standing there, attention on Razor.
Razor turned with a smile on his face. “I was wondering when you’d show up.”
“You okay, Ella?” Ryker didn’t take his eyes off his father.
“Yes.”
“Get her.”
Ella watched as Superman came toward her. “It’s okay.”
He grabbed his knife and cut the ties digging into her wrists. She didn’t like the man all that much, but when he lifted her, she felt a huge sense of relief. Ryker took his eyes off his father for one second as she passed. His expression hardened.
“Call her dad.” Ryker turned back to his own. “Make sure she’s taken care of.”
Ella groaned as Superman carried her out of the hot warehouse. A few prospects stood guard outside, and one opened the van doors so that he could sit her in the back.
“What’s the damage?” he asked. She sat there struggling to swallow. He grabbed a bottle of water from a cooler and twisted the cap for her.
She drank and gulped the cool liquid down her parched throat. Her stomach still cramped and she felt like shit, but something as simple as water did make her feel better. She wiped the back of her mouth with her hand and groaned.
“I probably need to go to the hospital. I’ve got a stomach bug.” Superman backed away from her, and if she weren’t so fatigued, she would have laughed. “I’ll need an IV. I’ve been sweating a lot and vomiting. I don’t have much hydration and I need to build my electrolytes back up. They’ve probably plummeted.”
“Okay. I’ll take you to the hospital.”
She nodded. The water she drank sloshed in her stomach, and she stood to retch it back up. She sat down on the pavement clutching her stomach and crying out in pain.
“Are you going to make it to the hospital?”
*****
Ella didn’t know how he got her in the van. Or how he got her out. Her coworkers surrounded her as the horrid florescent lights shined above her head. She closed her eyes feeling like she was dying. She’d been scared of death a few times, but nothing felt so horrible as what she went through at the moment.
“I called your dad,” Superman told her. “He’s on his way.”
She faded in and out as the new doctor, Dr. Jackson, dictated protocol. She had a head wound, and they wanted to do a scan to see if there was any more damage. The IV drip felt nice going into her vein. Derek grabbed her hand as she cried out with stomach pain.
“I’ve got you,” her friend told her. “You’re okay now.”
Sometime later, they situated her in a private room. Her father had pulled rank, threatened to arrest the doctor standing guard, and then nearly punched him to get inside her hospital room to see her. He came over to her bedside and smoothed his hand along hers.
“How do you feel?”
“Horrible.” She groaned. “But better.”
He gave her a small smile. “They said that you were contagious, but I told them I’d already been exposed to it so they might as well let me in. Your mom is here, but they’re keeping her out.”
She swallowed, and her mouth felt like cotton. “Ryker?”
“I don’t know. He hasn’t showed up yet. Some of his club members are here.”
She brushed her hair from her face. “It was Razor.”
Her father arched an eyebrow. “I thought Razor was dead.”
She shook her head. “No. Ryker didn’t kill him. Well, he may now.”
Her father pulled up a seat next to the bed. “Razor was killing all those women?”
“No.” Ella took a deep breath. “Someone else. Guy in a suit with a black hat. Looked like a mob wannabe. He was calling the shots on the girls. Razor was getting the guns.”
“And you?”
“I was payment for the guns.” She shifted, clutching her stomach. “Razor wanted me dead. I fucked up his precious club. I got to Ryker and made him want me instead of the criminal life.”
He brushed her arm. “Ella, I’m so sorry.”
She looked up at him, startled. “For what?”
“Everything.” He glanced away. “I was mad. I thought you let him beat up on you. I thought…”
“Ryker hitting me was an accident. I wouldn’t be with him if he physically hurt me on purpose.” She paused. “Surely you know you raised a better woman that that.”
He had the most pitiful expression. “I raised a pretty fucking great woman.”
She smiled. “I’m bad to the bone.”
He hugged her. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I don’t know what I’d do without you. The past month has been hell.”
She closed her eyes and took in his comfort. After the hellish day and night, she really wanted to go home take a shower and get some sleep in her own bed. Instead, she had to be hooked up to an IV until she could sit up on her own.
“I’m not your mother, but what do you need? She’s always been better at nursing you back to good health.” He tried to step back, but Ella held on to him.
“I just need an update on Ryker. And maybe a shower.”
He smoothed her hair from her face. “I’ll see what I can do. Do you need help with the shower? I can get a nurse for you.”
“I’m okay.”
He pulled out his phone and walked away from the bed. She situated all her IVs so that she could actually go to the bathroom. Staring at the shower, she frowned. There was no way she could do this on her own and definitely not with an IV attached.
“No, no, no.” Derek stepped in, shaking his head. “No shower.”
“Yes, shower.”
“No.” He gripped her shoulders. “You have a head injury. You have been puking your guts out for the past eight hours. You are getting in bed and getting some rest.”
“I can’t stand to smell myself anymore.”
“Then you can have a bedside bath.”
“No.”
Derek waited. “You can’t do it on your own.”
“I’ll help her.”
At the sound of Ryker’s voice, she smiled. “He’ll help me. Wait outside.”
Derek glanced between the two. “Good to see you’re back together. She is contagious though. You know that, right?”
“It’s not life threatening.” Ryker pushed the door open wider and stepped into the bathroom. “Leave.”
The tone of Ryker’s voice caused Derek to pause before finally turning to leave. Most people were difficult in the hospital, but Ryker went beyond that. She was fairly sure that he’d tear down the damn door if Derek tried to remove him. Ella waited for her friend to leave, watching as Ryker closed the door.
“Are you okay?” Ryker asked.
She tried to smile. “I am now.”
He took in the gash on her cheek and the dressing covering her head. He frowned as he looked at her body draped in a hospital gown.
“What do you need me to do?”
“Nothing. Just guard the door.”
He motioned toward the IV pole. “You can’t take the damn pole in the shower with you. Do you want to get electrocuted?”
She frowned. “Fine.”
Pushing a few buttons, she turned it off and disconnected the main IV drip from her arm, leaving the catheter in her vein. A few minutes without fluid won’t hurt her too bad.
She undid the gown and gripped the wall. Ryker held her arm so she wouldn’t fall while he turned the shower on.
“You really should have waited until you could stand on your own.” Ryker waited for the water to get hot before he helped her inside.
“But that’s what you’re here for.” She clutched his arm for balance.
“I thought I was here to guard the door?”
“That too.” She pointed with her free hand. “You’re going to get wet.”
He moved out of the way and she stepped beneath the spray, keeping her head out of the water. She closed her eyes while she clutched Ryker’s arm, enjoying the feel of the warm water washing away the grime. She didn’t know how long she stood there, but Ryker didn’t rush her. He simply held her upright and guarded the door as she had asked.
Ella reached for the soap and squirted some in her hand. She smeared it over her skin, not really doing a thorough job before rinsing it off. Her stomach cramped and she clutched it, moaning in pain.
“What’s wrong?” Ryker was there, in her face, smoothing the wet ends of her hair from her cheek.
“Stomach cramp.” She groaned again. “It usually means I’m going to vomit. My body really hates me right now.”
He kissed her bare shoulder. “Come on. You’re done.”
He dragged her out of the shower and grabbed a towel, wrapping her in it. She closed her eyes as he leaned her against the vanity.
“Hook up your IV.”
She plugged it back in and turned the machine on. After the drip was situated, Ryker opened the door and escorted her back to the bed. He went to the dresser in the room and grabbed another hospital gown to put on her. After he had her covered, he took the towel and tucked her back into the bed.
“Will you tell the nurse I need some more medicine?” Her stomach continued to twist. “I feel horrible.”
He nodded. “I will.”
He pushed the button on the side of the bed and told the nurse what she’d said. Ella curled up on her side and clutched the pillow beneath her head. Her father sat on the sofa in the far corner of the suite. He’d been talking on his phone, and she couldn’t help wondering with whom.
“We’re spending the night.” Pat glanced over at Ryker. “They’ve marked this room off limits due to contamination. We have to stay a minimum of twenty-four hours.”
She chuckled. “Me and my two men. What could possibly go wrong with that?”
****
Ryker watched Ella while she slept. She looked as though she was feeling better than before. She had painful stomach cramps, and the nurse had said it was because she hadn’t eaten anything. She probably wouldn’t eat anything for a while either. Pat had made the bed on the pullout sofa in the room. Ryker didn’t have much to say to him. They didn’t get along, but they had come to a civil understanding of sorts. Both of them had put aside their own feelings to make sure Ella got better.
She shifted in the bed and opened her eyes. “Hey.”
“Hey,” he whispered. “Do you need something?”
“A new stomach?”
“I can’t help you there.”
She swallowed. “Are you going to tell me what happened?”
“No.”
“I really need you to be straight with me.”
He studied her. She hesitated, glancing over to where her father slept. Razor had told her something; Ryker knew it from the look on her face. It had to be something bad too if she was contemplating how to approach him about it.
“Razor brought up Beth being pregnant. Would you leave me like you did her if I were pregnant?”
“Are you pregnant?” He glanced down at her stomach.
“No.”
He thought about his life with Ella. “I think you know the answer to your own question.”
“Tell me anyway.”
“Not a chance.” He laid his head on her thigh. “You being pregnant is not the same as her being pregnant. It’s completely different.”
“Why?”
“Because I love you.” He closed his eyes. “We’re going to get married. I’m not really the marrying type, but I like the idea of you wearing my ring and taking my name.”
He glanced up at her. Ella had curled on her side, watching him. She looked so fragile, and all he wanted to do was make her feel better. His stomach had been in knots while she was with his father. It really hadn’t settled down.
“I like that idea too.”
He reached for her hand and kissed her fingers. “You need to get better so we can have an engagement party and all that crap.”
“Be straight with me. Do you want kids?”
“No.” He laid his head back on her thigh. “Not planned ones anyway. If they’re a surprise, then well, whatever.”
She dropped her head to the side, tired from the events of the day. “I think you’d be a great dad.”
“You don’t know me very well if you think that.”
“You’d take our son out and teach him how to ride a motorcycle to pick up girls. Every girl loves a bad boy on a bike.”
He shook his head.
“And you take our daughter to father-daughter dances at school and dare any of the boys to come near her.”
“How many fucking kids are you planning on having?”
She closed her eyes. “We’d take family vacations and make memories together.”
“Or we could simply forget the idea of kids and spend our lives together.”
She brushed her fingers along his cheek. “For a while. Then we’re having a baby. I want a baby.”
He chuckled softly. She knew he wouldn’t say no. And if Ryker were honest with himself, the idea didn’t sound so bad with her. She was everything he wanted and never thought he deserved. The idea of creating a life with her made him happy. They could write their own story together.
“I love you, Ryker.” Ella ran her finger along his cheek. “Thank you for saving me.”
He wanted to kiss her mouth so bad he couldn’t see straight. Instead, he kissed her finger. “Anytime and every time, babe.”