My father took a deep breath. “We need to have a meeting, now. Crickett, take the kids home. I need to take careofthis.”
Tears were leaking down her face as she grabbed my brother and me. “Comeon.”
Dad put his hand on her shoulder right as she was turning to leave. The hollowing look in his eyes was bone-chilling. With a low voice he got close to my stepmother, wrapping her up in his arms. “I will be hometonightbabe.”
She kissed his cheek. “Youbetterbe.”
He nodded to my brother and me and that was that. It was club business now and they were going to handle it the only way outlaws knew how: an eye forwaymore.
1
Three YearsLater
Raine
“Ryder! What the hell?”I shoved open my window and yelled at the prospect climbing through. His white t-shirt clung to his sweaty muscles showing off just how hard he works for them. “My dad is home. What are you thinking? How’d you evengetup—”
He wiped the sweat from his brow, grabbed the sides of my face, and crushed our lips together, stopping my rant. “Dang it, Raine, I couldn’t take it. I had tokissyou.”
He sat on my bed while I locked the door. “My dad will fucking kill you, you know that right? You’re supposed to be on your way with your old man to have family dinner like every other damn Sundaynight.”
I started pacing around my room, until my eyes fell on the dark green irises of the man that had started to steal my heart. It was completely forbidden. Over my father’s dead body would I be with one of his club members, but you can’t help who your heart wants. I was falling hard and fast for someone my father would never approve of me being with, and that rebellious undertone to all of it made Ryder that much moreintriguing.
I waggled my hips as I walked over to the biker sitting on my bed. I let my fingertips lightly roll over the dirty leather draped over his shoulders, gliding over the prospect patch on his chest. I got chills just from being that close to Ryder, smelling his musky cologne, hearing his breath hitch as his eyes slowly closed and his hands gripped my sides; it was all intoxicating. Crawling into Ryder’s strong, tattooed arms was short-livedheaven.
“Raine!” I heard my dad call from the bottom of the stairs as his boots started to thud up each step. “Dinner’s almost ready and everyone will beheresoon.”
“Shit! Get in the damn closet!” I yell-whispered at Ryder, kicking him out of the bed with my socked feet as I attempted to fix my lion’s maneofhair.
Once I knew he was safely hidden, I swung the door open to my father’s wide chest taking up the door frame, his hand in midair like he was about to try the doorknob. My heart was pounding in my chest. I was sure my face was a bazillion shades of red and I could barely catch my breath, but I forced a smile and wrapped my arms around hismiddle.
“Sounds good, Dad.” My voice was as sweet as honey and I looked up at my father, watching as he melted to mush on the spot. I was his Achilles heel and I wasn’t proud of using it to my advantage from time to time, but a girl has to do what she has to do to make sure her dad doesn't step into a room and smell a hiding guy’s cologne stinking up theplace.
“Get your butt downstairs and help your mother and brother.” He smiled and winked before turning to leave. Abel Hellock was the hard-as-nails Unacceptables president, but when it came to his family, he was a totalteddybear.
“I just need to change and then I willbedown.”
My father looked me up and down: I was in a white tank top and cutoff jeans, my normal attire. “You look fine to me.” Heshrugged.
“We’re having company, shouldn’t I want tolooknice?”
His eyes narrowed as he pursed his lips. “I guess.” He kissed me on the cheek. “See you downstairs in a minute. Hurry it uplittlelady.”
“Iwill.”
After locking the doorknob again, I swung open my closet door. “You have to get out of hereRyder.”
Tears stung at the backs of my eyes. I hated having to hide him, but for everyone’s sanity and safety, it wasnecessary.
“I know babe. I’m sorry. I just can’t stay awayfromyou.”
I kissed his soft lips, grabbing his hand. “Hopefully we’ll just find a way to convince him that you’re not like the rest of the guys. We’ll figuresomethingout.”
“I know. I love youRaine.”
He kissed my cheek and I was frozen. No man had ever said those words to me other than my father and brother. My heart gushed. My hands started to shake. I threw my arms around his neck and crashed our lipstogether.
I reluctantly pulled away after a few seconds, feeling the weight of the moment smacking me like a ton of bricks. “And I love you,Ryder.”
