To save her, and me, I’d have to do it—take her as my old lady, claim her for my own—but in doing so I’d probably ruin her.
I wasn’t a good man and I sure as shit wouldn’t make a good old man to her. I was rotten to the core, with dark needs that she wouldn’t be able to keep up with.
What kind of life was that for her?
She deserved more than that. And coming from me, a man who didn’t give a shit who I hurt as long as it wasn’t my club, that was saying something. Because if I could see the dark inside me and know that she deserved a better life than the one I could give her, that was seriously fucked up.
Way more fucked up than we could survive.
~ 25 ~
Fighter
We’d eaten our steaks and drunk some beer, and thank fuck Penny had covered up and put some clothes on, because if Gauge stared at her tits one more time I was going to have to knock his goddamn teeth out. It wasn’t that I was jealous or possessive, or that I cared who she did or didn’t fuck, it was just… I don’t know. I couldn’t explain it.
I didn’t like it and that was enough for me.
Now we were sitting around the fire pit beside the pool. Charlie was sitting on Rider’s lap, kissing his neck, and Gauge was watching them with a hard-on that was difficult to ignore.
“Stop fucking staring,” I grunted.
“It’s hot,” he replied, leaning back in his chair. “Besides, Rider doesn’t care.”
“Yes I do,” Rider grunted, tipping Charlie’s head back so he could gain access to her neck. One hand was pressed between her breasts, the other under her neck as he trailed kisses across her collarbone. “Baby, I’ve got to deal with this shit,” he mumbled against her skin before lifting her back up to him.
She groaned and gave him the evil eye, and the sorry fuck looked genuinely sorry.
“Baby, I would love nothing more than to sit here with you on my lap all night, but club has to come first. You know that.”
I braced for one of Charlie’s outbursts, but she surprised us all when she kissed his forehead and looked across at Penny. “You need me to take her inside?”
Penny was curled up on a chair, wearing one of Charlie’s little tank tops on over a pair of denim cutoffs. She looked fine as fuck. I couldn’t believe that she was going to be mine. I couldn’t believe I didn’t want her to be.
Rider shook his head. “No, she needs to hear this.” He looked across at Penny. “You need to agree to this,” he said firmly. “This is your choice, but I’m telling you, this is the only way I can see out of this shit show.”
“Okay, what is it?” Penny asked, sitting up in her chair. She tucked her long hair behind her ears, her golden eyes on Rider like his words were everything.
Rider glanced at me and then back to her. “If you’re already claimed, then your dad can’t give you to anyone. And if it’s a Highwayman that’s claims you, then Hardy can’t kill you either.”
She frowned and looked between me and Gauge warily.
“Don’t look at me, beautiful. I wanted to fuck you but I ain’t taking no woman. Not even one as hot as you,” he chuckled.
Her gaze slid to me, her face pinching in on a frown. “You?” she said in disbelief.
I kept my gaze impassive and gave a shrug. “It’s not real. It’s just for show.”
Hurt flashed across her face and she looked back at Rider. “There has to be another way!”
“That’s what he said,” Gauge laughed, pointing to me.
“Shut the fuck up, brother,” I growled.
“He kidnapped me!” she said, with no real conviction behind the words. “He tortured me,” she said with even less.
I gave a snort of laughter and took a mouthful of beer, and she glared at me from across the fire, anger spewing from her.
“What?” she snapped and I shrugged. “Go on, say it! Don’t just sit there with your dick in your hand like you have nothing to say.”
