“I can’t believe you actually blame that shit on me,” I say with a shake of my head.
“Ain’t blaming. Just callin’ it for what it is. You don’t help problems, you create them. And I’m the one who has to pick up the fucking pieces.” He pulls up to his full height, and it makes me want to kick him in the dick.
“Well, who the fuck told you to do that?” I cross my arms more to keep myself from strangling him than out of comfort.
“Your dad.”
Chapter 13—Kooper
Iwatch Ruby deflate at my words. It seems to do a number on me too.
Watching her leave with those kids was one thing. Seeing the car swerve the first time had me calling the club and having them run the license plate to get me the owner’s details. The second swerve was all I needed to gun it. Atom was in line with my thoughts, as he didn’t hesitate to take flank on the other side of the SUV.
The power of the club had the prick pulling over quickly. I didn’t give a fuck about him till I saw her face. Half the time I see her, she seems in one fucked-up position after another. And yet it doesn’t deter me from seeing her in a light that I shouldn’t.
Our headlights revealed all I needed to see. She was still clothed, nothing missing, but her corset was doing God’s work on pushing up her tits, and her eye was already red and swollen. Seeing that had me wanting to take my gun out and shoot the kid on sight. All of them. I didn’t care who did it, just wanted them all to pay. But if I did that, Atom would see. And so would Abigail and the roommate.
And Ruby would know.
They all would know.
That somehow, somewhere along the road, I started to have feelings for Ruby. I might not understand them or want them, but I’ve got them. Reacting the way I wanted would show that. Letting them go was the right move.
I was actually going to let it go, but then that prick had to open his mouth. He had to say that she wasn’t worth it. He had to cause a bit of the light to go out in her eyes from the words that she would deny affected her, but I know they did. How could they not? Anytime someone says a person isn’t worth it, it hurts. It’s a subconscious thing our brains do. We could hate the person talking, but the words? The words fester in the brain and can trick us into believing them.
I’m a bastard. A stone-cold killer. An asshole to anyone and everyone. And I’m a liar. But those are all the things I need to be. And telling her I’m not going after that pissant of a kid is the biggest lie. It would have been the truth till he spoke. Now I’m about to rain a world of hurt down on him. But Ruby doesn’t get to know that. She can’t.
This will be a solo job. Not even the club will know, but I might get some of my other boys to help. They might not live locally, but they’d be willing to drive or fly out for a little bit of fun.
But that will be later. When he thinks he’s safe. When Ruby has him out of her head, and I can do what I need to do to make sure I get my taste of justice.
Right now, I need to back the fuck up. Because while I might say shit to get all this out of her mind in the long run, all it’s doing is pulling me in closer.
Her perfume is clogging my senses. Wisps of her hair are floating in the night wind and grazing my cheeks when I bend down. Her breath is giving me life as she pants in my face. Her eyes hold me captive, full of a defiance that I both want to break and define for her.
I’m seconds away from being pulled all the way in and letting myself fall into her space to feel her body pressedagainst mine as it fights for air through her anger. And so help me, if I touch more than my boot to hers, my control will shatter, and I’ll taste the forbidden fruit that is her lips.
Calling out her dad is the breath we both need to take a big fucking step back.
But does that mean I’m done with her? Fuck no.
“Let’s go.” I turn and head for my bike.
“Go where?” She doesn’t move from her spot.
“Call the boys. Get a ride up here to get them home.” I nod to Abigail and Natalie as I direct my words at Atom.
“You got it.” He’s already pulling out his phone and dialing away.
“You can’t just tell them what to do.” Ruby throws her arms out at her friends as she takes a few steps toward me. Good. She’s going in the right direction.
“I can, and I did. Now get on.”
She crosses her arms and sticks out her hip. “I ain’t going anywhere. Not with you. I’ll wait for a ride to go home with Nat.”
I lean across my handlebars. “Get the fuck on my bike, Ruby.”
I watch her jaw move back and forth as she thinks it over. I don’t blink, and I don’t hide my anger at all of this. It’s not her I’m mad at. Well, it is and it ain’t. I’m mad that she was too stupid to see this going anything but sideways when she left the bar. But she’s young, and I have to remember that. She might seem older than she is, but she’s still very much sheltered in life, and that has to do with both her age and her dad’s club shielding her from things.
