MARKEDFORDEATH
ABlindJacksNovel
ByJ.C.Valentine
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MarkedforDeath:ABlindJacksNovelbyJ.C.Valentine
Copyright©2017byJ.C.Valentine
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ABOUTTHISBOOK
Tiffany
Leadinganomadiclife,I’vebeenontherunfrommyrichex-husbandforyears.
I’velearnedeverytrickinthebook,stayingonestepaheadofhimandhistrackers.He’s
takeneverythingfromme,anddespiteeverything,I’vemanagedtocarveoutalife.But
he’s getting close again. It’s time to hit the road, to start over…but it looks like the
universehasotherplans.
Ryder
AsSargentatArms,stalkingthecrazymantryingtokillmyMCbrothersispartof
my job description. Protecting the club is what I live for. Unfortunately, today I’m the
loserinourneverendinggameofcatandmouse.ThelastthingIrememberbeforewaking
upintheemergencyroomisstaringupattheskywhilebleedingoutontothecold,hard
pavement. Then the pretty nurse walks in and turns my world sideways, and those soft
handsknowjusthowtohandleabig,angrybikerlikeme.Withapsychoonmytail,the
stakescouldn’tbehigher.IknowIshouldwalkaway,butself-preservationhasneverbeen
much of a strong suit. As my enemy closes in, I’ve got no gun, three bullet holes, and
absolutely zero patience left. The question is, who will be the one to sign my death
warrant—the crazy-ass biker who’s gunning for me…or the sexy-as-sin nurse I’ve got a
hard-onfor?
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
What to say…It’s been a hell of a year! If you’ve been following me on social
media,thenyouknowlifehasthrownmemyfairshareofcurveballs.ItwasSOHARDto
workthroughitalltogettothispointwhileItriedtoregainmyedge.IthinkI’vegotit
backnow,andI’msoproudtobeabletodeliverthishotandspicynewseriestoyou,my
readers!Thankyousomuchforyourkindnessandpatience.You’rethebest<3
IwouldberemissifIdidn’tthankmyfamilyandfriends.Mom,Mitzi,Mia,Holly,
Cheryl: you have been the anchors in my life. You’ve kept me strong, even through
(numerous)momentsofself-doubt.You’vekeptmefocusedandcheeredmeoneverystep
oftheway.ThankyouforneverlosingfaithinmeevenwhenIdid.Therearen’tenough
wordsintheworldtodescribehowmuchIloveandappreciateyou.
Finally, I have to thank my kids, because they’re my driving force in this world.
EverythingIdo,Idoforyou!
C O N T E N T S
~Ryder~
Duckinginconspicuouslyintotheshadows,Ryderleanedonarustylamppostand
pulledacopyofthelocalpaperfromunderhisarm.Ashewatchedtheinkruboffontohis
fingers, the absurdity of his situation was not lost on him. In an age of computers,
electronic tablets, and smartphones, who in the world still read newspapers? Besides
dumbassbikerslikehimselfintentonappearingcasualwhiletheystalkedotherpeople,he
couldn’timagine.
Therewassomethingaboutreadingthelocalgawkerthatmagicallymadeaperson
go unnoticed in public. Perhaps it was such an unremarkable activity, no one wanted to
interrupt.Thenagain,itcouldbebecausereadingthepaperwasseenasmetime,therefore
makinganinterruptionseemrudetomostnormalpeople.
He was well aware that most normal folks would die before being caught doing
something rude in public. Polite conveyances notwithstanding, his club brothers didn’t
giveagoddamnhowtheyactedinpublic.They’dseeneachotherbucknakedmoretimes
thanhecouldcount.Hell,theyroutinelygotblownopenlyinfrontofeachotherasthey
discussedeverythingfromtheweathertolocalpolitics.Ryderdidn’tparticularlycarewho
sawhisshinywhiteass.
Theonethinghedidn’tcareforwasstalkingpeople,yetthat’sallheseemedtoget
done some days. Today, for example, he was tasked with bringing in the psycho
responsibleforputtingapipebombinoneoftheclub’svehicles.
Watching from the shadows made Ryder feel like a bit of creep, but there was
nothingforit.Thetruthofthematterwas,people’sliveswereatstake,andhisclubtook
that kind of shit seriously. Feeling mostly to blame, he’d volunteered to track his
dementedassdownandbringhimin.Tothatend,he’dpickeduphistrailnearCheyenne
andtrackedhimrightupInterstateTwenty-fivetothissmalltownwherehemadeexactly
onestop.
Standing casually from across the street, Ryder watched his target leave a pawn
shop. Instinctively, he knew the relentlessly stubborn and angry man had bought a
replacementweaponfortheonehelostintheirlastscrimmage.Makingamentalnoteto
keephiseyeontheweapon,hepattedhiship,reassuringhimselfthathisownweaponwas
inplace.
The disheveled man jumped back into his truck and slammed it into gear,
screechingthetiresashepeeledoutoftheparkinglot.Grabbinghimupwithinviewof
thepublicwasundesirableforreasonstoonumeroustoname.Sinceanunstablemanwith
a grudge and a gun was an unpredictable combination, Ryder eliminated taking him
aroundothersfromhislistofoptionsentirely.Ifitcamedowntoriskinginnocentlivesor
letting him slip from his grasp, the rough biker would choose the latter. Any innocent
blood staining his hands by extension stained the reputation of his club. Ryder would
neverallowhisbrotherstosufferforhismistakes.
Shadowingthemanasinconspicuouslyaspossible,hehungbackafewcarlengths
andevenpassedhimafewtimesastheydroveforseveralmorehours.Aboutthirtymiles
back, Ace had taken Ninety to the state line. Near as he could tell, they were in some
relativelybackwatertownbythenameofMissionPoint.Itseemedlikeadecentplaceto
pissandfillup,andthat’sexactlywhatAcedid.
Ryder’snormalpredilectionleanedtowardstealthandcircumspectnesstothepoint
ofbeinginsularattimes.WhenAcestoppedandbeganstaidlyfillinghisgastank,Ryder
pulledintoanearbystationanddidthesame.Thetrickwastobequickaboutitandget
backtothetargetbeforehemovedon.
Just as he was about to mount his bike again, the twisted grille of an old pickup
truck plowed into him, throwing him over his bike and down onto the pavement. Ryder
feltaflashofpainuponimpactashisheadcrashedunceremoniouslyintothepavement.
Beforehismindevenprocessedthatthetruckwastheonehistargethadbeendriving,his
hand groped blindingly for his weapon. Years of performing hazardous work had
conditionedhiminwayshescarcelyunderstood.
Since it didn’t make sense to think he could placate the grieving convict, Ryder
quicklydecidedthatitwouldbeimprudenttotrytotalkwithhim.Nomatterwhathesaid,
Acewaslikelytotakeissuewithit.Ryder’ssoleconcernatthemomentrevolvedaround
survivingthisdangerousencounter.
Beforehecouldunsnaphisweaponfromhisholster,ahulkingformwasstanding
overhimwithalookofdebasedjoyspreadacrosshisdirtyface.Acehadeveryrighttobe
delighted with his performance today, while Ryder was nothing short of furious with
himselfforbeingbestedbysuchanunbalancedopponent.
Ashestruggledtowillhisnumbfingerstograspthetriggerofhisgun,Acesentit
skitteringfromhishandwithoneroughkick.Immediatelythereafter,ahuge,blackleather
boot landed on his chest with a bone-chilling jolt. Knocking the air from his lungs, the
harshtreatmentalsoeffectivelypinnedhimtotheground.Thesubmissiveposeclawedat
allhisinsecuritiesasamale,makinghimfeelweak,powerless,anddefeated.
Staring each other in the face, Ryder knew the moment to meet his maker had
finally arrived. Instead of dying of old age, safe and warm in his bed, he would be
bleedingoutinsomebackwatertowninthemiddleofnowhere.Itwasafittingendforan
outlaw like him, he thought with smug satisfaction. In fact, it was just exactly what he
deserved.
Thesoundofpanickedpeoplescreamingforsomeonetocallthepolicefilledthe
air. When the corresponding voices loomed ever closer, he hoped one of them might be
packingaweaponandpossesssomeinclinationtocontrolthissituation.
Reactively,Ace’sheadsnappedtowardtheconveniencestore,causinghisgreasy
brownhairtoflyabouthishead.Liftingahuge,old-fashionedrevolver,hesqueezedoff
severalroundsinrapidsuccessioninthedirectionofthecrowd,clearlyintentondriving
thebystandersbackinside.
Itmusthaveworkedbecauseheturnedbackwithafrownonhisfaceandbegan
speaking.Evenwiththedeafeningshotsstillringinginhisears,Rydercouldheartheman
sayingallthethingsthatRyderhadknownhewould.Hisraspyvoiceoutlinedthelitany
ofcomplaintshehadwiththeclub.Thoughthetiradewasnottotallyundeserved,itwould
beamiscarriageofjusticetolayalltheblameathisclub’sfeet.
Freezing mid-sentence, the man stilled when he heard the wail of sirens. Ryder
couldtellhislittlehamsterwheelswereturning,tryingtofigureoutawaytokillhimand
makeittosafetybeforetheyarrived.Lyingflatonhisback,Ryderprayedthecopswould
arrivebeforeitwastoolate.Intheblinkofaneye,hislifehadskewedinabizarrenew
direction.Whowouldhaveeverthoughtanoutlawwouldbehopingforthepolicetosave
hissorryass?
Ace’smangyheaddippedagain,andhelookedinRyder’seyes.Thoughtheman’s
expression was a blank slate, his eyes were stormy, harboring a mixture of fury,
resentment,andevenalittleregret.Liftinghisgun,Aceaimedforhisface.
Justbeforehesqueezedoffthekillshot,anotherbodycollidedwithhis,takinghim
totheground.Rydercouldn’tgetaclearlook,buthisrescuerappearedtobeahomeless
person.Themanhadshaggywhitehairandwaswearingragged,soiledclothing.Sincethe
oldermanwasabagofbones,Aceroundedonhim,literallyliftinghimfromtheground
and tossing him several yards away. Though the older man wasn’t capable of winning a
fightorprovidingprotectioninanyrealsenseoftheword,hemighthavekeptAcebusy
forthosefewprecioussecondsneededforthecavalrytoarrive.
RydermanagedtoscrambletohisfeetjustasAceturnedhisattentionbacktohis
prey. Searching for his gun, Ryder realized it was not close at hand. The sirens were
practicallyontopofthemnow.Acetookoffrunningforhisvehicle,chokingofftwoshots
as he ran. Ryder felt his body jerk with each shot. His arms came up, and he felt like a
puppetdancingonastringbeforefallinghaphazardlytotheground.
Lyingonhisbackandbleedingpainlesslyoutontothepavement,Ryderstaredup
at the blameless, blue sky. Shouldn’t the clouds be dark and brooding when the devil
claimed one of his own? Ryder’s mind drifted as he realized he wasn’t dead yet.
Somethingaboutdyingonasunnydaydidn’tfeelright,sohequicklydecidedtodaywas
nothisdayafterall.
Cottoncandycloudsdriftedbyintheshapeofabearandotherodd,miscellaneous
forms,andhefeltthesunbeamingdownonhisface,falseflagsfrommothernaturemeant
tolullhimintoafalsesenseofsecurity.Ifangelsinheavenwerereal,hismusthavebeen
onehellofaprayerwarriortoday.
The old man crawled over to him and pressed two shaking hands to his thigh.
Searingpaindrovehometheseverityofthewound,asdidthelookontheman’sterrified
face.Bothofwhichpulledhimfromhismindandbacktothehereandnow.
Ryderhadseenpicturesofolderpeoplewithfacessolinedwithage,theylooked
hauntinglybeautiful.Thatwasexactlywhathesawwhenhelookedupattheolderman—
living art. A strange kind of appreciation filled Ryder’s mind. On the other hand, his
newfoundappreciationforartfulhumanfacescouldbetheresultofacutebloodloss.
“Thanks…man.I…appreciate…”Thoughhewantedtospeakwordsofgratitude,
histonguefeltthick,andthewordsdiedonhislips.Thedarknessslowlyforceditswayin,
blocking out the beautiful sky. The old man’s continual pressure on the hole in his leg
drovehomethethoughtthathehadnoideawherethesecondroundhadlanded.
Thoughtiredenoughtogiveupandgotosleep,someresilientlydeterminedpart
ofhispsycherefusedtoletrealityslipsoeasilyfromhisgrasp.Internally,Ryderwaged
hisownpettywaronthedarkness,fightingitbackoverandoverwitheveryounceofhis
innerstrength,knowingallthewhilethatwithouthim,hissisterhadnoone.
Throughtheimpending darkness,heheard lawenforcementofficers arriveatthe
scene.
“Thisisadamnedmess.Anyideawhoheis?”
“No. Some guy came barreling in, mowed him down with his truck, and started
shootinguptheplace.He’slostalotofblood.”
“Asidefromthatgeneralinformation,canyou…”
~Tiffany~
Tiffanynormallysprintedthroughhermorningroutine.Onlythemorningroutine
wasactuallyaneveningonebecausesheworkedmidnights.Acupofjavaandalightmeal
offruitandyogurtenergizedherenoughforashortrun.Somethingaboutputtingherfeet
tothepavementseemedextraordinarilyexhilaratingtonight.
Stepping out of her apartment and right over the ugly word spray-painted on her
welcomemat,sheheadedfortheapartmentcomplex’sindoorgyminstead.Aworkoutwas
just as beneficial as a nice run in the park, right? Then again, she always did have a
penchantforseeingthingsthewayshewantedthemtoberatherthanhowtheywere.
This was going to be her year. Everything that had been hard was now coming
easyforher.Kickingcarbsandsugartothecurbhadbeeneasyasfallingoffalog.There
wasnolongeranyneedforasugarhighbecauserunningforfifteenminuteseveryevening
gave her a natural high that honestly couldn’t be beat. She smiled as she realized
everythingwasfinallyfallingintoplace.ShewasnowTiff2.0andshelovedit!
Returning home, the light on her old-fashioned answering machine was blinking
ominously.Pointedlyignoringit,shehummedtoherselfasshegotreadyforwork.
Pulling her hair up into a messy, cute style, she touched it up with a flat iron,
tugging down a few careless strands around her neck to soften the look somewhat.
Cultivatingtherightprofessionalimagewasnotquiteatthetopofherlistofprioritiesby
anystretchoftheimagination,butitwasimportantnonetheless.Next,shepulledtwohuge
duffelbagsfromunderherbedandbegantoloadthemupwithherfavoritepossessions.
Her extensive library of romance, self-help, and medical books were all
consolidatedontohere-reader.Hermotherhadsatherdownathersweetsixteenpartyand
explained the way of the world to her and lovingly held her hand as she unloaded her
entirecollectionofoverathousandbooksatalocalcharitybookdrive.Clutchinghernew
e-reader,she’d cried allthe way home.It was all forthe best. Awoman in her situation
couldn’tbedraggingametrictonofpaperbacksaroundeverywhereshewent.
Next, she selected only the clothing that actually fit and looked decent on her.
Tiffany had always been fastidious about her clothing and accessories. Tossing in her
jewelrycase,sewingkit,andfirst-aidkit,sherummagedaroundforafewhouseholditems
she particularly liked. Neatly packing her laptop and the external hard drive containing
thousandsoffamilypicturesandthelegalpaperworksupportingherrestrainingorder,she
zippedthebagsupandsatthematthedoor.
Thelastfewyearshadbeenanenduranceofsorts.She’dbeenmorethaneagerto
putalltherunningscaredandsleeplessnightsbehindher.She’dgrownandevolvedasa
person,sotherewouldbenomoremorosethoughts,self-defeatingbehaviors,ordwelling
onthepast.Fromnowon,nomatterwhatkindoftoughchoicesthatneededmaking,she’d
keepherlifemovingforwardintherightdirection.
Moving to a new city had been a brilliant idea. After graduating from nursing
school,thiswasherchancetohaveherdreamcareerandafreshstart.Afterall,howmany
women got a do-over, much less three, and soon to be four in a row? Tiffany was
beginning to loosen up and see that sometimes problems were just opportunities in
disguise.Sherefusedtowasteherlifeconstantlylookingoverhershoulderandworrying
abouttomorrow.
Sneakingaquickpeekinthemirroronthewayout,shehardlyrecognizedherself.
Allinall,shehadn’tdonetoobadly.Herlong,darkhairandblueeyesweredefinitelyher
best assets. Scratch that, it was her snarky personality and ability to persevere. Live one
dayatatime.Takinghermotheruponheroutstandingadvicewasbecomingeasierbythe
day.
ExcitedabouthershiftatthelocalER,shethrewthetwobagscontainingallher
worldly possessions in the back of her SUV and headed to work without further
considerationofhercircumstances.Atthispoint,shewasonautomaticpilot.
Thecity’sbusiestemergencydepartmentofferedathrillaminuteforpeoplewith
thepersonalitytoappreciateit.ChallengingherselftodealwithwhatevermanandMother
Naturethrewatherwasproofpositivethatshewasstrongandcapable.Insomeirrational
way,itvalidatedherabilitytomaketoughdecisionsandfindsuccessinanenvironment
veryfewmedicalprofessionalscouldtolerate.
Tiffany had fallen in love the minute she walked into the building. She often
wonderedifitwastheactionandadventurethatdrewthe“newandimproved”hertothe
work.Ormaybeitwastheworkthatdrewoutandvalidatedthenewqualitiesshesawin
herself. Either way, she felt privileged to find a position helping others in their time of
need.Helpingothersfilledaholeforher.
Pulling into the hospital parking lot, she immediately craned her neck to catch a
glimpseofwhatwaswaitingintheloadingzone.Excitementrolledthroughhergutasshe
observed five ambulances waiting to unload. The light was also flashing to indicate that
they were on diversion. Smiling, she knew that meant they had a full house. Her shift
wouldfly,ratherthancrawlby.Thiswasgoodsinceitwasherlastbeforemovingon.
Onaccountofarecentexpansion,theemergencydepartmenthadgrowntodouble
itsnormalsize.Yettheplacewassomehowstillheaving.Readingthewhiteoutboard,she
notedherassignmentbeforegoingstraighttohersection.
Feeling the excitement thrumming through her body, she headed back to take
report from her illustrious predecessor with a spring in her step. Her ability to
compartmentalizethevarioussegmentsofherlifetrulyastoundedherattimes.
Skiddingtoastopinfrontofatinypodium,shenoticedthewomansittingthere
appearedtense,frustrated,andexhausted.
Becausetheywereonfamiliarterms,sheknewStephaniewouldenjoytheattempt
tolightenthemood.
“Busydayattheoffice,Steph?”
Looking up at her, Stephanie offered a faint smile before blowing out an
exasperated breath. “You cannot even imagine, girl. We’ve had a multi-car collision on
JeffersonAvenue,ahousefirethatspreadtoawarehouse,andsomesushirestaurantgave
abunchofpeoplefoodpoisoning.Inshort,we’vebeenuptoourelbowsinburnvictims
andvomitallday.”
“Soundsrough.”
“Oh, and we got another gentleman from the geriatric high-rise across the street
with urinary catheter complications.” Stephanie made little quotation marks in the air
whenshespokethelastthreewords.
AngerboiledinTiffany’sblood.“Youhadbetternottellmehehadanon-deflated
cathstuckinhisurethra.”
“I’dlovetobeabletotellyouthat,butIcan’t.”
Closing her eyes and counting to ten, she shook her head. “How difficult is it to
deflateacatheterbeforeyoupullitout?”
“Nothardatall.Igetsofrustratedseeinggeriatricpatientsinpainovergeneralized
incompetence.Thenagain,hisdementiaisprettysevere,sothereisachancehepulledit
partiallyouthimself.”
“Either way, it evidences poor quality of care. We both know they get paid top
dollartoseethatthingslikethisdon’thappen.”
“AllIknowisDr.Coleisonthewarpathaboutit.Heclaimstheirrateofcatheter
complicationsisthreetimesthenationalaverage.”
“Thatsoundslikeafairassessmenttome.Whatelsedowehavegoingon?”
Flipping through her notes, she frowned. “Air Life Line dropped a critically
injured patient off earlier this evening. He’s built like a bodybuilder, covered in tattoos,
andsupposedlyarealterror.Themedicsreportedthattheyhadtotranquilizehiminorder
to provide basic lifesaving care while en route. Naturally, I assumed they were
exaggerating,astheyarepronetodo.ThenIreadtheirreportstatingtheyhadtosedate
himnotonce,buttwiceduringtheflight.Thatwasanimprudentchoiceforsomeonewith
atraumaticheadinjury,butIguessifyouronlyotherchoiceisthemtearingthechopper
up,youdowhatyou’vegottado.”
“Thatsoundsalittledramatic.Couldn’ttheyjuststraphimdown?”
“I wasn’t there, so I don’t know. Mark my words, you are going to have your
handsfullwiththatone.He’sbeenunconsciousthusfar,buthe’sduetowakeupanytime.
IfIwereyou,I’dtrytostayoutofhisreach.”
Tiffany nodded, appreciating the advice despite the obvious complication it
presented. “I’m certain what you’re saying is true. However, it’s difficult to provide
adequatecareifIdon’tgetwithinarm’sreach.Ineedtobecloseenoughtotakevitalsand
administermedications.Speakingofwhich,doeshehaveanIV?”
Looking down at her notes again, Stephanie answered succinctly. “IV therapy
droppedalineassoonashegothere,sohe’sfullyhydrated.Inoticedhe’sbeenrestless,
soI’mbettingitwon’tbelonguntilhewakesup.”
“Okay.I’llbecarefulnottogetmyselfmauledbyhim.Didhischempanelcome
backyet?”
“He’snegativefordrugs,withtheexceptionofmarijuana.”
Typical.“Great.Atleastthereisnodangerofanamphetamineinducedpsychosis.
Youknowthosearealwaysfuntimes.”
Herfriendgrinnedatheroff-colorremark,knowingshemeantjusttheopposite.
“He’sjustoneofseveralcomplexcasesyou’llbefacingtonight.Youstillhavefive
otherpatientswhoareallfullyconscious,andacoupleofthemarefairlydemanding.We
don’thaveanybedsopen,soyou’llhaveeverysingleoneofthemuntilthey’redischarged
orwefindanotherhospitaltoacceptthem.”
Tiffany nodded. “At least we’re on diversion until further notice, and hopefully,
it’llkeepthemfromcrammingmoreinonus.”
Tiffanyflippedthroughthecharts,listeningasStephaniegaveherabrief,incisive
report on each of the remaining patients. As soon as her counterpart left, Tiffany got to
work quietly visiting each of her patients, taking vitals, dispensing medications, and
changingoutbandages.
As the beginning of the shift wore on, doctors visited each patient, wrote orders,
andthelabtechscametodrawblood.Oneofherpatientshadagunshotwoundtothearm
and a blood alcohol level of point ten percent. Handcuffing him to the bed was a safety
precautiontakenbythelocallawenforcementofficerwhobroughthimin.Chargedwith
stabbinghiswifeduringadomesticdispute,ElmerOliverwasclearlynotonlydangerous
butaflightrisk.
Nomatterhowanytimessheaskedhimtorefrainfromyelling,hedidn’tlisten,as
hewasapparentlyhellbentonpatchingthingsupwithhisoneandonlytruelove.Barely
resistingrollinghereyes,Tiffanystayedfocusedonwritinghernursingnotes,ignoringthe
rowdyman.TheERwasalwaysanexerciseinpatience.
In no time at all, Elmer’s drunken voice had gone from serenading his love to
takingabouthowmuchhemissedher.Hewasirritatingandtotallyoblivioustoeveryone
aroundhimashecalledforthewomaninquestion.
“Eloise.Elllooiisseee.Answerme,woman.”
“What?”asharp,raspyfemalevoiceanswered,resonatingoffthewalls,sounding
lessthanpleasedatbeingforcedtoanswerhiminsuchapublicsetting.
Once the woman spoke, Tiffany could discern some slurring of her words. Of
course, neither of them were strangers to the staff at St. Mary’s. Their long-standing
habitualdrinkinghadinstigatedseveraldrunkenbrawlsbetweenthetwoofthemandlead
toallkindsofinjuriesovertheyears.Consequently,Tiffanyhadbeensubjectedtoseveral
stories about the couple by some of the more cynical staff. Try as she might, Tiffany
simplywasn’tabletofindthehumorintheirsituation.Witnessingitinactionnow,itwas
assadasituationasshe’dimaginedittobe.
The thoroughly intoxicated gentleman persisted in his drunken effort to get his
womantoforgivehim.Hewaspersistent.Tiffanywouldhavetogivehimcreditforthat
much.
Causing a scene, he spoke loudly as he yanked on his cuffs, a horrible metal on
metalscrapingsound.“Whereareyou?Ican’tseeyounomore,sweetness.”
When the woman didn’t answer, his voice became deeper and more desperate.
“Talktome,baby.Ineedtohearyoursweetvoice.”
Undoubtedlycavingintohisdrunkencharm,hervoicesoftened.“I’moverhere,
honeybear.Theywon’tletmecomeandseeyou.”
Immediately, he responded with an overt and obvious attempt to gain the poor
woman’sfullsympathyagain.“Eloise,Iloveyou.Baby,theygotmecuffedtothefuckin’
bedlikeI’msomekindofacriminal.”
There was some muffled laughter from the employees and other patients at the
man’s childish attempts to curry favor through a bizarre mixture of inducing pity right
alongsideanopendeclarationoflove.
However oblivious his awkward attempts were to the staff, his wife fell for it
ratherquickly.“Oh,honeybear,youain’tnocriminal.”
“They’refuckin’laughingatme,baby.YouknowhowIhatethatshit.”
“Elmer, don’t pay them no mind. Just keep talkin’ to me. You know, you’re my
veryownhoneybear.”
“Oh hell, baby.” There was short, pregnant pause, leading Tiffany to think
somethingtrulyprofoundwasabouttocomeoutoftheman’smouth.“IknowIstabbed
youandyoushotme,butcan’twejustcalliteven?”
Wow,shehadnotbeenexpectingthatone.Tiffanycringedasthesoundofmore
muffled laughter rang out. Chewing her lip, she worried that it would escalate the man
whowasalreadydisplayingatenuousgrasponhisemotions.Thiswholesituationwasjust
hitting a little too close to home for her comfort, making it hard to process all the
complexitiesoftheseeminglystraightforwardinteraction.
As a result of their intimate conversation, one of the law enforcement officers
stuckhisheadintothebay.“Youtwomightjustcalliteven,butIcallthataconfessionin
front of at least a dozen witnesses. You already had your rights read, so I advise you to
buttonitupforyourowngood.”
Naturally,themanstaredtheofficerinthefacedefiantlyasheshoutedatthetopof
hislungs.“Sweetness,theytellmeIcan’ttalktoyounomore!Thesesonsofbitchesare
crazierthanweareiftheythinkforgoddamnminutetheycankeepusfromtalkin’toeach
other.”
Tiffany sighed, knowing neither of them were probably going to cease trying to
communicatewitheachotheruntiltheofficersremandedthemintocustody.
Tosumitup,notonlywasitgoingtobealongnight,butafterwardshe’dhaveto
listen to the entire episode being retold in lurid detail by a bunch of people who should
know better. Unfortunately, Tiffany had discovered early on that her co-workers had
becomecynicaltocertainsituations,chieflybyvirtueofthesheervolumeandintensityof
thecrisissituationstheyencounteredonadailybasis.
Her genuine affinity for her coworkers notwithstanding, insolent and belligerent
people with no internal controls being used as sport by people who could do it with
impunity rubbed her the wrong way on several different levels. Rare moments like this
madeherwonderifthisenvironmentwasthebestfitforherafterall.Maybeonhernext
doover,she’dpickanothermedicalsettingtoplyherwares.
~Ryder~
Ryder’s eyes slowly opened and the room drifted into focus. Looking down, he
tried to see his injuries. Immediately, it all came flooding back with several stark
realizationshittinghimallatonce.
Thank fuck that he was alive, thinking coherently, and breathing on his own.
GratefultotheoldmanwhohadintervenedwhenAcewasabouttoblowhisbrainsout,
herealizedhowclosehe’dcometodying.Makingamentalnoteofthelifedebt,Ryder
vowedtorepayitassoonashewasonhisfeetagain.
Therewasasharp,stabbingpaininthebackofhisheadnearthebaseofhisneck,
anditwassevereenoughtomakehislipquiver.Thatshithadn’thappenedtohimsincehe
wasafuckin’kid,anditwaspissinghimthehelloff.
Stand up, shake this shit off, and be a man. His father’s words reverberated
throughhisachinghead,leavingbehindhollownesswherewarmthandmotivationshould
be.Hisoldmanhadbeenonemeansonofabitchandlivedhislifebyanarcanesetof
beliefsthatfeltpeculiartoRyder.
He’d raised him and his sister all by himself, engraining more than a bit of his
weirdnessintothem,butRydermissedhimanyhow.Subsequently,thecumulativeeffects
ofgettingrunoverbyatruckandcatchingafewbulletsvirtuallyguaranteedfollowinghis
father’sadvicewouldproveanimpossibletasktonight…assumingitwasnight.
Steelinghimselfforthepainheknewwassuretocome,Ryderforcedhisbodyup
toasittingposition.Thesearingpaininhisheadliterallytookhisbreathawayandmade
theroomspininlackadaisicalcircles.Closinghiseyestostaveoffthenauseaclimbingup
this throat, he eased back down on his pillow. He was in serious pain, and the drunk
coupleyellingtotallytransparent,lovey-doveyshitbackandforthwasnothelping.
That’swhenitfinallyhithim;heappearedtobeinamedicalfacilityofsomesort
rather than jail, which was always a possibility when you were dealing with cops. He
couldn’t be just sitting around on his dick when Ace was still out there somewhere,
lookingtodoharmtohisbrothers.Regardlessoftheexcruciatingpain,gettingbackonhis
feetwastheonlythingthatmatteredtohimatthemoment.
Ace’smockingfaceroseinhismind,andRyderknewhewouldhavetobediligent
about finishing the job he started by shooting him. Trying to sit up once again, he
accidentlyknockedoverasidetable.He’dseriouslyunderestimatedtheeffectofwhatever
drugstheyhadgivenhim.Forthefirsttimeinhislife,merelymovinghisarmstookall
thestrengthhecouldmuster.
This whole situation was total bullshit, caused by whatever poison they were
pumping into his veins. Refusing to allow it to break him, he pulled furiously at the IV
hanging from his arm to keep any more of the meds from entering his body and
consequentlymakinghimweak.Cursingunderhisbreath,herealizedthatsomeonewas
goingtoheartheruckushewasmaking,andhewasinnoconditiontoeffectivelydefend
himselfuntilthedamneddrugsworeoff.
Justashe’dfeared,oneofthenursingstaffcamerushingintotheroom,appearing
astounded at his clumsy attempts to get out of bed. Hastening her way over to him, she
tried vainly to push him back down onto the bed. Her small hands on his massive chest
were a barely noticeable distraction. In his drug-induced haze, he found the idea of her
tryingtophysicallymovehimtotallyfuckin’hilarious.Didthediminutivenurseactually
thinkshe could pushhim even aninch? Smiling up ather, he resistedthe initial urge to
gatherherupinhisarmsandsitherprettylittleassinhislap.
“Youhaveaconcussion,Mr.Staunton,thereforeyoushouldn’tbetryingtogetup.
DoyoumindifaskwhyyoutoreoutyourIV?”
Inresponsetoherunwantedinterrogation,hegavetheinquisitivelittlebitchanicy
glareasherespondedbrusquely.“Doesiteveroccurtoyoufolksthatmaybewedon’tall
wantthatpoisondumpedintoourveins?”
Ofcourse,shewasinprofessionalnursemodeatthemomentandnotinthecorrect
frame of mind to accept him advocating for less medication. “You’re injured and not
thinkingproperlyrightnow,Mr.Staunton.Youneedthemedicationstokeepfromgetting
an infection, and the IV provides fluids when you’re unconscious and can’t consume
liquidsonyourown.”
Shakinghisheadindisagreement,Ryderwascertainthatinhermindallhertrite
justificationsmadeperfectsense.Inhisopinion,doctorsdidn’thavetherighttopumpa
man full of shit he never agreed to. Rather than mansplaining all about his theory that
doctorsshouldrenderminimallifesavingcareuntilthepersongivesconsent,hedecidedto
sticktothepoint.
“Thatmaybe,butyouneedtobackthefuckupandtalktomelikeI’mafuckin’
human being and not some senseless fuck like the guy down the hall, screaming
romantical nonsense to his old lady. I know that I’m supposed to be all grateful and
compliantandshit,butthatain’tthewaythegoodLordmademe,doll.”
Unclearwhathe’dexpectedherresponsetobe,hewaspleasantlyshockedwhena
contriteexpressioninstantlyjumpedontoherlovelyface.“Ihonestlywasn’ttryingtobe
disrespectful or coerce you into accepting medications you clearly don’t want. Many
patientswakealittlediscombobulatedandnotthinkingclearly.Icannowseeyoudonot
fall into that category, so you have my sincerest apologies. What would you like to
know?”
“Whatthehelliswrongwithme?Myheadfeelsfunny.”
Tiltingherheadslightly,shearticulatedherwordscarefullyfornoreasonhecould
discern as she explained the obvious. “You were hit by an oncoming vehicle, causing a
severeconcussion.Thenyouwereshottwice.”
“Anyparticularreasonyou’retakin’meonthisscenicguidedtourdownmemory
lane?Incaseyouforgot,Iwasfuckin’there,soclearlyIknowallaboutthatshit.WhatI
needtoknowiswhathappenedafterIcamehere.”
Rather than showing irritation, she smiled indulgently at him as she responded,
seemingly not as offended by his gruff manner as most women he’d met. The ounce of
acceptance and understanding when he was having the roughest day of life loosened
somethingslightlyinhischest.
“Unfortunately,EMShadtosedateyouonthechopper,andthat’scontraindicated
forindividualswho’vesustainedaheadinjury.”
“Contrawhat?Canyouspeakfreakin’English,doll?”
Rolling her eyes at him, she quickly explained in a way he could understand. “I
knowthisisdifficulttobelieve,butyoufoughttheemergencyresponderswhileyouwere
beingtransportedinthemedicalhelicopter.Theysedatedyouforyourownsafety.”
Never one to underestimate his own irresponsible stupidity in the face of danger,
healmostlaughedthatshethoughtsucharesponsewasbeyondthenormforhim.“That’s
nothardformetobelieveatall.Infact,itsoundsjustlikesomeshitIwoulddowhenI’m
outtamyhead.I’manaturalbornfighter,andthatshitdoesnotjustgoawayeverytimeI
bumpmyhead.”
Thewomangrinnedathim,clearlyappreciatinghismanlyidiosyncrasiesandself-
deprecating humor. “I’m no doctor, but since you’re hydrated and alert enough to take
medications,youwon’tneedtheIVyou…umm…removedtobereinserted.”
Trying to shake off the slowly diminishing headache, he chose not to argue that
theyweren’tstickinghimagainbecausehe’dalreadydrawnhislineinthegoddamnsand
by removing it. To demonstrate his appreciation for her being kind and trying to
understand his point of view, he tried to moderate his tone. “Look, lady, I don’t care if
you’readoctorornot.YoumustknowifandwhenIcangetthehellouttahere.”
“I know your physician had not approved you to be ambulatory yet, and that’s a
strongindicationthatitwouldnotbereasonabletoexpectyoutobesteadyonyourfeet
while the medications are still in your system. Continual attempts may result in tearing
openyoursuturesorevenfallingandincurringanotherinjury.Ifyouliebackdown,I’ll
tellyoueverythingIknowandhelpyougetwhateveryouneedasbestIcan.”
Knowing he was being somewhat unreasonable, Ryder massaged his chest as he
triedtoformulateaplanofaction.Hischestachedashenursedtheirrationalfearthatif
helaiddown,hewouldnotbegettingupagain.“Iain’tlayingbackdownuntilyoustart
spittingoutanswerstomydamnquestions.WherethehellamI?”
“You’reatSt.Mary’sontheoutskirtsofBismarck,andyou’vebeenhere—”
“Fuck,”Ryderhissedunderhisbreath.“Bismarck,NorthfreakingDakota?”
Followingwhatappearedtobehernormal,empatheticmannerofinteraction,she
fluffed his pillow as she conversed soothingly, “Yes, Mr. Staunton, you’ve been here
nearlyfivehours.AsIsaid,EMSelectedtobringyoubyhelicopterduetotheseverityof
yourinjuries.Somebrightsparkprobablythoughtwewerethebestoptionforyoubecause
wespecializeintraumaticbraininjuries.”
“Jesus,Ihearwhatyou’relayingdownforme,butIseriouslyneedtogetoutof
here.”Thoughshehadn’texplainedwhy,Ryderdidn’treckontherewasmuchchanceof
thatsincehisheadwassplittingopenjustfromsittingupinhisbed.
“I’m unclear on exactly why you’re so intent on leaving this very modern and
well-appointed medical facility. I cannot stress to you enough that your very survival
mightdependuponthemonitoringandmedicalsupportofourTBIteam.Theyarethebest
inthebusiness,asevidencedbythefactthatdoctorscomefromalloverthecountrytosee
howweoperate.”
“Christ, you sound like an infomercial extolling all the virtues of St. Mary’s; do
youknowthat?”
Frowningathisinsolentremark,shepressedherlipsintoathinlineasifshewere
attempting to hold back a torrent of insults. Instead of cutting loose with those critical
remarks,shespokeasrespectfullyaspossible.“Ifyouleavebeforeyou’restable,youcan
beprettymuchguaranteedofanegativeoutcome.Nothinggoingonintheoutsideworld
couldpossiblybeworthyourlife.”
For some reason, annoying her was somehow gratifying, and he couldn’t stop
himselffromstatingcurtly,“Ihavesomeplacetobe.”
Continuing her calm and respectful tone, she explained, “Your loved ones will
understand. None of them would expect a seriously injured man to leave the hospital,
especiallyoneinyourcondition.”
Hewheezedoutalaughandhishandimmediatelywenttohisside.“Thefactthat
youactuallybelievethatIhavelovedonesisdownrightadorable,doll.”
“Everyonehassomeonewhocaresaboutthem.”
Her presumptuous words demonstrated how little she understood of his world,
consequentlyprovokingthedarkbeastlurkingjustbeneaththesurface.“Ain’tnobodyout
therethatgivesafuckwhereIam,exceptmyclubbrothersandthemantryin’tokillme.”
Asiftoillustratehispoint,hegrowled,movingforwardinavaguelythreatening
posethathadservedhimwellovertheyearsandwatchedherjerkslightlyawayfromhim.
Absurdly pleased with her response, he thought to himself that she should be
warierofdangerousmen.Thisprettylittlebitchwasfartootrustingofthewrongkindof
mentosuithim.
Moreover,afterwhathappenedtohissister,hewasonamissiontoseethatkindof
shitdidn’thappentoanyoneelseheknew.Ifedgingintoherpersonalspacetaughtherto
be appropriately wary of strange men, she would be safer for having experienced the
momentaryfear.Inhismind,hewasdoingheraservice.
Gettingbacktothesubjectathand,hestatedflatly,“Ican’tbesittingaroundhere
making nice with all the doctors and pretty nurses with a goddamn target on my chest.
Can’t you see how having a killer on my tail might make it impossible for a man to
relax?”
Heroccupationnotwithstanding,Rydergotthefeelingshegenuinelycaredabout
herpatientsingeneral,especiallywhenhervoicetookonatwingeofdesperationasshe
triedtoconvincehimtoprioritizehismedicalneeds.“Thetraumasurgeonpulledoneslug
outofyourlegandanotheroutofyourarm.AsImentioned,youhaveaconcussionand
somefairlypotentsedativesinyoursystem.Ifyouwalkoutnow,Idoubtyou’dmakeita
hundredyardsbeforeyoucollapse.”
“Isurethehellcan’tjustlayhereanddonothin’,doll,”hesneered.
Wavingonedelicatehandintheairassheplacedtheotherontheslightcurveof
her hip, she didn’t seem inclined to give up on him. “You can’t shake off a couple of
gunshotwoundslikethey’renothingandjustgoonaboutyourmerryway.”
Rollinghiseyes,Ryderbarkedahumorlesslaugh,bothannoyedandcharmedby
hernaivetéandpersistenceintryingtosavehimfromhimself.“Acoupleofbulletholes
are nothing. If the bastard hadn’t hit me with his truck, he wouldn’t have gotten the
opportunitytoshootmyass,that’sforsure.ThankGodhewasn’tgoingattopspeed,or
I’ddefinitelybeadeadman.”
“Herhandflewtohermouthinhorroratthevisualhe’dinadvertentlycreatedin
her mind’s eye. After shocking her, he lowered his voice, attempting to dial down the
alarm.“He’llbecomin’forme.Igottagetmovin’.”
Oncehiswordssankin,herheadcameslowlyuptolookathim,andhecouldsee
shock and some disbelief on her pretty face. “You think a killer is going to stalk you
acrossthestateline?”
Howeversmartshewas,thischickjustdidn’tgetit,andhewasquicklylosinghis
patiencewithherinnocentways.“Hell,thefuckyes,Isurelydo.Look,lady,Iknowthat
soundsallmannerofcrazy,butIpromiseyou,hewon’tstop‘tiloneofusisdead.”
Herenormous,pretty,blueeyesstaredathimforalongmoment.Afteralengthy
pause,shespokesosoftlythatatfirst,hewasn’tsurewhatshesaid.“Idon’tknowwhy,
butIdobelieveyou.”
Finally,herewasawomanwillingtogotheextramiletounderstandwherehewas
coming from. “You have got to get me outta here because he will be comin’ for me, I
promiseyouthat.”
Next, she broached the issue any professional woman in her situation would be
mostconcernedabout.“Doyouthinkhe’lltrytocomeinsidetheemergencyroom?”
“Hell’sbells,he’stotallyunhingedandbrazenashell.Hewon’tthinktwiceabout
shootin’theplacerightup.”Watchingherwrapherarmsaroundherstomachinwhatwas
obviouslyaprotectiveposetoreathisheart.Scaringtheresilientwomanhewasgrowing
a solid liking for made him feel like shit, but allowing danger to blindside her was the
biggerconcern.
“Maybeyou’rejustbeingparanoid.Itcouldbeanadversereactionofsomesortto
themedication.”
“Trustme,itain’t.”
The sound of raised voices filled the air, drifting back from the direction of the
medical station. One of the physicians demanded for security to be called in halting,
brokenEnglish.
Immediately, the compassionate woman standing before him, who’d appeared so
composedandintensewhenshe’denterhisroom,seemedtofoldinonherself.Itpained
him to see all her assertiveness fall away, leaving fear and anxiety haunting her angelic
face. Some protective instinct reared up inside of him, and he wanted to wrap his beefy
armsaroundherandassurehereverythingwasgoingtobeallright,butunfortunatelythat
wasnotanoptionatthemoment.
Rather than sugarcoat the situation for her, he hissed quietly, “That might be our
killer.”
Dropping her chin to her chest, she appeared to be deep in thought or possibly
fallingintodespair.Itwasdifficulttotell.
The disgruntled biker gripped onto the side of the hospital bed, trying to steady
himselfashestoodwithasmuchdignityaspossibleunderthecircumstances.Seeinghis
knucklesturnwhiteandfeelingthesweatdrippingdownhisforehead,heknewwithouta
doubtthathewastooweaktorunfromthediabolicalfoolchasinghim.
His nurse suddenly launched into action, pacing back and forth as she muttered
underherbreath.“Don’teventhinkabouttryingtowalkoutofhere.Youwon’tmakeit
morethanafewstepsintothehallbeforehecatchessightofyou.Wecan’ttakeachance
onhimopeningfireinthebuilding.Therearetoomanylivesatstake.”
Sinkingbackdownonthebed,hewhispered,“Gotanygreatideas,‘causeIsure
thefuckdon’t.”
Sheshookherhead.“I’mthinking.”
Ryderhatedtoseeherinthelineoffire,anotherhaplessvictimcaughtinthecross
firebetweenhisclubandadementedmadman.“Getthefuckout,doll.Run.”
“I’mnotleavingyouintheclutchesofacoldheartedkiller.”
“Youdon’tevenknowme.”
“You’reahumanbeing.That’sallIneedtoknow.”
This time, it was Ryder’s turn to be impressed as the seemingly defeated woman
foundherbackboneagain.“Fuckin’stubborn,courageousbitch.Getbehindme.Maybeif
henailsme,he’llbesoeagertomakeacleangetaway,he’llleaveyoualone.”
“I’mnotanidiot.I’mthewitness.Killersneverleaveusalive.”
Rubbing the throbbing vein in his temple, he realized the smart little bitch was
right. Shit, what had he been thinking? Everyone knew killers didn’t leave witnesses
behind.Hewatchedherpullopenacabinetunderthesinkandbeginjerkingoutsupplies.
Shechuckedhandfulsofstuffintoalargegarbagebin.Itseemedlikeagiganticwasteto
him.
Staring at her incredulously, he literally could not fathom what she was doing.
“Ain’t no time to be cleaning house, sweet cheeks. He’ll make holes in my road-weary
body,fasterthanyoucanplug‘emup.”
She flashed him a quick, mischievous smile, those blue eyes flashing. “Button it
up,gorgeous.Ifinallythoughtofawayoutofthismess.”
As if to demonstrate her resolve, the woman quickly shoved the bin against the
wallandwalkedovertohim.“Leanonme.”
Wrappingoneofhisarmsaroundherneck,shedraggedhimthefewstepsacross
theroom.Bracingherselfonthebuilt-incabinet,sheturnedhimsideways.“Thisisgoing
tohurt,butyouneedtoeaseyourselfintotheopening.I’lltakeasmuchoftheweightas
possible.Trynottotearopenyoursutures.”
Windedfromtheeffortofmoving,Ryderdidn’tbotherwitharesponse.Thepretty
littlebitchwassavinghislife.Heneededtoshutthefuckupandgetwiththeprogram.As
hebentdown,sheshiftedherlegagainsthim,easinghimintothesmallcompartment.It
hurtlikehell,buthesealedhislips.
Shoving his chart into his hands, she quickly shut the door. Alone, sitting in the
dark, Ryder felt like a child again. A helpless little boy hiding from his father’s fists.
Forcinghimselfnottopanic,heclutchedthecoldmetalchartashelistenedtowhatwas
goingonintheroom.
Withinmoments,heheardthecurtainbeingrippedopen.Itwasametal-on-metal
scrapeherecognizedfromthenursecominginearlier.
Tiffany’s genial voice immediately sounded off. “Are you here for our Jeffery
Thomas? The ambulance drivers picked him out of that house fire across town. We
weren’tsurewhotocall.Wouldyouhappentohavehisinsuranceinformation?They’re
goingtoneedthatifyoudon’twanthimtoendupwithahugehospitalbill.”
Ryder thrilled at the clueless tone of her voice. This chick was good. The
momentaryreliefturnedtoworryasheimaginedthehuge,hulkingformhoveringoverthe
small, vulnerable woman. The sound of boots stalking over to her almost made Ryder
jumpfromhishidingspace.Thenherememberedthiswasnotonlyhisonlychanceatlife,
butitwashersaswell.Shehadbeencorrectaboutherbeingawitness.Acewasnotthe
kindofmantoleavebehindawitness.He’dkillherquickasawinkandnotthinktwice
aboutit.
“Itstinksinhere.”
Ace’sfull-throatedgrowlandcloseproximitytohisnewfemalefriendsetRyder’s
nerves on edge. Forcing his lips closed, Ryder throttled back the instinct to pummel the
manbackafewfeetfromthevulnerable,fresh-facedfemaletryingherbesttoprotecthim.
Nowwasdefinitelynotthetimeforthrillingheroics.
“What’sthatstenchfillingtheroom?”
“The smell of burning flesh, I imagine. I barely notice things like that anymore.
Look,yourlovedonegottransferredtoICU.Youaregoingtohavetogothereifyouwant
anupdateonhiscondition.”
To anyone else’s ears, the nurse’s words and tone of voice might have sounded
casualandprofessional,particularlyinthisenvironment.Ryderwasn’tfooledbyherfake
calm,though,becausehecouldheartheechooffearanddesperationhiddenbeneaththe
surface of her easygoing demeanor. It was like a siren’s call, beckoning him to detach
himself from his current circumstance and focus on defending her from the treacherous
manstandingbeforeher.
Thedeepvoicewasroughandharsh.“Iwanttoseehischart.”
“Sorry,sir,St.Mary’sisnotauthorizedtoallowthat.Ifyouwantinformationon
Mr. Thomas, you will have to speak to the physician. If Mr. Thomas wishes you to be
privy to his medical information, he can sign a written release. As I said, he was
transferredtoICUalmostanhourago.”
Pausing long enough to seem confused, she asked, “Did you say you were a
memberoftheimmediatefamily?”Hercrispreplyrevealedadeep-seatedabilitytohide
her true feelings. It was enough to make Ryder wonder where such an innocent young
womanmighthaveacquiredsuchajadedtrait.
Insteadofansweringher,thecontemptuousmanstalkedbackoutofthebay,and
hisfootstepssoonfadedintothedistance.Herfootstepsfadedaswell,andRyderassumed
shewasmakingsurethemanhadexitedthebuilding.
Immediately, Ryder pushed the cabinet door open and took a deep, cleansing
breath. Grabbing one ankle, he pulled it awkwardly out to rest on the cold, institutional
flooring.Repeatingtheprocesswiththeotherfoot,heusedhisgoodarmtograbthetopof
thecabinetandbeganhoistinghimselfup.
Withinminutes,hisnewpartnerrushedbackintotheroomandyankedthecurtain
closedbehindher,concealingthemfromview.Sherantohisside,drapedhisarmoverher
shoulder, and helped him up. Ryder didn’t have it in him to object when she eased him
downontothebed.
“Did he leave the premises?” Surprised at the harsh and raspy sound of his own
voice,herealizedhewasnotdoingnearlyaswellashe’doriginallythought.
“Yes.Iwatchedhimgetintoapickuptruckanddriveaway.Someonetoldhimwe
were on diversion and that meant his loved one could have been taken to another area
hospital.”
“OncehefiguresoutIain’tinoneofthem,he’llcirclebackaround.”
Hervoicewascalm,butherwideeyesgaveawayherfear.“Iknowhowmenlike
himare.Icouldseeitinhiseyes.He’snotgoingtogiveuplookingforyou.”
As a result of her refusal to leave him to his fate, critical thinking, and her
astonishing courage in the face of danger, Ryder had to admit that he was becoming
fascinated with the diminutive nurse. In fact, he had a hard time keeping the open
admirationfromhisvoicewhenhespoketoher.
“Youareonesmartlittlebitch.NowyouseewhyIneedtogetouttaherebeforehe
realizeshismistake.”
Smiling slightly back at him, she chewed her bottom lip, seemingly mulling the
situationoverinhermind.“Agreeingisnotparticularlyhelpful.You’rebleedingaround
yoursuturesandareinnoconditiontoleave.Can’tyouseethat?”
Nodding,hestoodagainandtriedtotakeasteptowardherashekepteyecontact.
“Hellyes,IcanseehowfoolishitistoleavewhenI’mbleedingandunstableonmyfeet,
butwhatyouneedtoseeisthatwegotnofuckin’choice.”
“Mr.Staunton…”Walkingovertohim,shehelpedsteadyhimonhisfeetinstead
offorcinghimbackdownontothebed.
Inhishumbleopinion,thatwasyetmoreprogress,sinceshedidn’tappeartobeon
automaticpilotanymorewherehewasconcerned.
“CallmeRyder.”Hisheadwasstillthrobbing,andhisfingerswerehalfnumb,but
hewantedtohearhisnameonherlips.Takingadeepbreath,heallowedhiseyestodrift
fromherfacedowntoherchest,landingonhernamebadge.TiffanyStone,RN.Looking
uptorecapturehereyes,hespokequietly.“MissTiffany,ifI’mgoingtosurvive,Ineed
yourhelp.”
“Idon’tknowhowIcanbeanymorehelpthanIalreadyhaveinthissituation.I’m
justanurse.”
Hehatedseeingthefearsoclearlystampedonherattractivefaceasshegazedup
athim.
Cupping her face in his hands, he tried to communicate the urgency of his need.
Meeting her eyes, his words were sincere when he told her, “I can’t be found here,
electronicallyorphysically.YouaretheonlypersonIhaverightnow.Willyouhelpme?”
After facing off with the estranged man, Ryder could tell that his open honesty
affectedher,softeninghertohisrequest.
“Look, doll, you were amazing. How often do you get the chance to match wits
withakillerwhileaman’slifehangsinthebalance?”
Ignoring his attempt at humor, she replied thoughtfully, “Fine, Ryder. This is my
last day at this job, so I’ll take a chance for you. Updating your information in our
databaseshouldn’tbetoodifficult,sincewehaveidentityissueswithourpatientsoffand
on. If I don’t modify that information, they might give him information on you if they
thinkhe’sfamily.
“Himcominghereagainistoomuchofariskforyouandtheotherpatientswe’re
treating, so it’s a lesser of two evils kind of choice for me. In fact, we might be able to
stashyouinoneoftheemptyofficesinthebackforthenight,thenontheoffchancethat
hecomesbarrelingbackinhere,hewon’tfindyoulyinghelplessonyourback.”
Grabbingherbythearm,hewhispered,“You’reawomanaftermyownheart.”
Ignoring his gentle flirting, she placed a warm hand on his chest and eased him
back again. “I’ll be back when things calm down, gorgeous. In an hour or so, it’ll be a
ghosttownoutthere.You’lllikelybetransferredtoanotherhospitalinthemorning.They
won’twanttodischargeyouinyourcondition.”
“Ineedmy…personaleffects.”
Turning her sharp gaze on him, she quipped humorlessly, “I saw your personal
effects,Ryder.I’mbettingyou’dbehappyifIjustbroughtyourwalletandgun,right?”
“Don’tlookatmelikethat,Tiff.Igotakilleronmytail.Offuckin’courseIwant
myoneandonlyweapon.”
Sighing, she folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t see how that’s going to
happen.Thesocialworkerslogitandlockituponarrival.Idon’tevenhaveaccesstoit.”
“Ican’tprotectuswithoutaweapon.Canyoubringmeoneinsomehow?”
Her eyes got huge. “Are you seriously asking me to bring you a weapon? No,
absolutely not. I don’t mind helping you stay alive, but I’m not going to end up in an
orangejumpsuitoverbringingaperfectstrangeraweapon.”
“So,youthinkI’mperfect?”
Hereyeswidened.“What?No.Thatwasafigureofspeech.”
Rydersmirked.“Youalreadycalledmegorgeous.Ithinkyoudolikethelookof
me.”
Sheglaredbackathim.“Don’teventhinkoftryingtosweettalkmeintobreaking
thelaw.Iwon’tdoit.Notforyouoranyotherhotguy.”
“So,nowI’vesteppeduptohot?”Forsomegodforsakenreason,hecouldn’tstop
himself from flirting with the adorably innocent nurse. Now was so not the time, but
Juniorwasraringtogo.
Rolling her eyes, she folded her arms over her chest. “Sure, you’re hot. Are you
happynow?”
“Come,sitonDaddy’slap.”Wherethefuckdidthatcomefrom?Ryderrealizedin
thatmomentthathisdickwasdoingallthetalking.
“You’re freaking unbelievable. You don’t have time for shit like that. You’re a
walking dead man, remember? Get your head together.” The woman’s face was flaming
red.Whetheritwasfromtrueangerorembarrassment,hecouldn’ttell,butitwasfucking
sexyashell.
Herharshwordsfeltlikegettingdousedwithcoldwater.
“Whateveryousay,NurseStone.”Heheardhistoneofvoicechangeasheedged
into asshole mode again. Something about being brought up short by the hot nurse
seriously aggravated him. She was all kinds of right about how this wasn’t the time or
place,butitstillpissedhimoff.
Therewouldneverbeanappropriatetimeforawomanlikehertositonhislap.
Thiswasafacthewasalltooawareof,andithadhimfeelingsomekindofway.
~Tiffany~
Tiffanystalkedtothenurse’sstationandslammedhischartdownonthecounter,
stillangryaboutthebigman’sflippantcomment.Whydidallhotguysthinknurseswere
bimbos?Shegotenoughofthatshitfromthedoctorsandinterns.Shedidn’tneedtohear
itfromthehottestguyshe’devermet.
Itrubbedherthewrongwaythatshe’djustsavedtheasshole’slifeandyet,hestill
consideredherassometypeofone-dimensionalstereotype.Whyexactlydidshehaveto
haveathingforhandsome,dominantmen?Italwaysendedupgettingherintotrouble.
Punching violently on the computer keyboard, she pulled up his file. Ryder
Staunton was quickly changed to a John Doe. Erasing all the other information, she hit
save. Identity mix-ups happened occasionally. Someone grabbed the wrong wallet and
boom,everythingwasoff.Makingsuchcorrectionsneverdrewmuchnotice.
Pullingacleanchart,shecompleteditwithhismedicalinformation.Whatthehell
was she doing? Forging patient information could not only get her fired but her nursing
license pulled. Just the thought of not being a nurse was enough to send her spiraling
headlong into a mini panic attack. Freezing, she forced herself to calm the hell down.
Tonightwasherlastnightatthisplace,sotherewasverylittleriskforheratthispoint.
The bottom line was, she just couldn’t bring herself to risk the big biker’s life.
She’dbeapisspoornurseandlackinginhumandecencyifshewasn’twillingtoriskitall
to save a man’s life. The fact that he was an attractive and interesting man was just a
bonus.Whythehellwasshesofascinatedwithhimanyway?
Chewing her bottom lip, she turned the situation over in her mind. Maybe she
wasn’tinterestedinhimasaman.Thenurseinherjustwantedhimtosurvivethenight.
Determiningthatwasindeedthecase,shesnappedthechartshutandheadedbacktohis
bay.
“Well,Mr.RyderStauntonisnowofficiallyaJohnDoe.”
Ryderjerkedhischininherdirection.“Thanksafuckin’lot,doll.Withanyluck,I
mightjustlivetoseethelightofday.”
“You’llsurvive.I’llseetoit.”Thedeterminationinherownvoicesurprisedher.It
musthavetakenhimbysurpriseaswell,becausehiseyescameup,searchingherface.
“Whydidyousayyouwereriskingyourlifetosavemeagain?”
“That seems to be the question of the day.” Smiling wryly, she answered
defensively,“Iworkinahospital.It’swhatIdo.It’snothingspecialtodowithyou.”She
wascertainhertoughened-upvoicedidn’tmarkherwordsfortheliestheywere.
The man’s jaw tightened. “I’m hearing what you’re laying down. Ain’t nobody
everthoughtIwasanythingspecial,soIfullyunderstand.”
Tiffany’s mouth fell open, and she wanted to contradict his inaccurate and self-
deprecatingcomment.However,atthatmoment,oneofthephysicianswalkedin.
“Howareyoufeeling,sir?”Thedoctorwasonautomaticpilot,speakingbeforehe
evenlookedatRyder’schart.
“Notsogood,doc.Myhead’sallfuzzy.Can’tseemtorememberanything.”
Grabbingthechart,thedoctorperformedacursoryevaluation,hisresponseshort
and clinical. “You were hit by a vehicle. A moderate to severe concussion can lead to
short-term memory loss. Chances are it will come back, with the exception of the
memories surrounding the accident itself. It’s not unusual to lose those memories
permanently.Doyouneedsomethingforpain?”
“Hell, the fuck no. I ain’t interested in taking nothin’ to screw my head up even
more.”
“Ifyouchangeyourmind,letusknow.Thepainmightbecomequitesevere.”
Tiffany was getting annoyed with the physician. He didn’t have the courtesy to
evenlookatRyderwhenhewastalkingtohim.Oneglanceathimonthewayintothebay
communicated he was a biker, and that was all the narcissistic doctor needed to dismiss
himasaperson.What’smore,shecouldseehowitembarrassedRydertobemarginalized,
especiallyinfrontofher.
“I’llsurvivealittlepain.Drugaddiction,notsomuch.”
Tiffanyquicklyinterjected.“I’llkeepacloseeyeonhim,Dr.Cole.Ifthepaingets
aboveeight,I’llletyouknow.”
The clean-cut young doctor’s eyes landed on her and he responded warmly. “I
knowthatyouwill,MissTiffany.YouareoneofthebestnurseswehaveatSt.Mary’s.”
Feeling her face flame red, she turned and began organizing supplies in a side
cabinet.“Thanks,Dr.Cole.”Tiffanyhadforcedthewordsfromhermouth,notlikingthe
wayhetreatedherandRyderdifferently.
Come to think of it, the majority of the doctors were total asshats at St. Mary’s.
Sheknewwhathisdrillwas.Dr.Colehadaskedheroutacoupleoftimesalready.Now
sheknewwhyherguthadbeentellinghertoholdback.
SittingoutsideRyder’sbayuntileverythingdieddown,shebrainstormedideasof
where she could stash him for the rest of the night. An idea came to mind, and it was
perfect.Slippingintohissmallbay,shemurmured,“It’sprettyquietoutthere.Weshould
getyoumoved.”
Wrappinghisarmaroundherneck,shehelpedhimslipoutofthebackofthebay
anddownaquiethallway.
“Wherearewegoing,doll?”
“I was going to stash you in an office, but I thought of an even better idea. I’m
goingtoputyouinDuncan’slab.”
“WhothehellisDuncan?”
“He’safriendofmine.He’sgotagranttostudyTBandstufflikethat.”
Bythattime,theywereinfrontofhislab.Usinghernamebadge,sheswipedthe
dooropen.ThankGoditwasasmallhospital.Noonecaredmuchaboutsecurityunless
somethingbadhappened.
“Shit,isitsafeinhere?”
“Sure. Just don’t touch anything, and whatever you do, don’t eat anything out of
themini-fridge.”
“LikeIwould.”Hislipcurledinmockdisgustashespoke.
“Here,Ibroughtyouapackageofscrubs.Youneedtowearthemalongwiththe
papercap.Anyonewalkingbywillthinkyouarejustpullinganextrashift.”
“Fuckin’great.Aretheseevengoingfitmyfatass?”
Leaning back, she glanced at his rear. “Oh, quit your whining. Your ass doesn’t
haveanounceoffatonit,bytheway.”
“Great, now you’re developing a sense of humor. This night just keeps gettin’
betterandbetter.”
“Ialmostforgot.Ifanyonelookslikethey’regoingtocomein,makethisgesture.”
Sheheldupherhand,palmout.
“AndwhywouldIdothat?”
Pursingherlips,sheansweredreluctantly.“It’sAmericanSignLanguageforstop.
It’s our signal that we’re handling samples containing dangerous contagions. You know,
likeactivetuberculosisandflesh-eatingbacteria.”
“You’re pulling my leg, right?” He stopped mid-step, pulling open the plastic
pouch of scrubs. She tried not to look at his taut, naked ass as he jerked up his hospital
gown.
“Ofcoursenot.It’sallpartofwhatDuncanstudies.”
Hewentbacktodressing,grumblingunderhisbreath,“Fuckingcrazy-assdoctors.
Can’t believe you folks use a freakin’ hand gesture for something that dangerous. You
folksarefuckin’unbelievable.”
Tiffanycringedslightly.Forallhislackofeducation,thebigbikerwasabsolutely
rightaboutproceduresbeingprettylaxatSt.Mary’s.
Feelingtheneedtojustifyherself,sheinterjected,“Thereisawrittenprotocol,but
youknowhowpeopleare.”
“Yeah, well, this ain’t the place to be cuttin’ corners. Fuck, can you help me get
thisshirton?”
Sherushedovertohimandhelpedhimpullitoutoftheplastic.“Atleastyougot
yourfatasscoveredallonyourown.”Shesmiled,hopingsomegentleteasingwouldput
himinabettermood.
“Keeptalkin’aboutmyass,princess,andI’llstartcheckin’outyoursagain.”
Lifting the shirt up as he bent down, she replied jokingly, “You wouldn’t be the
first.”
“Inoticedthat.Gotsomethinggoingonwiththatassholeofadoctor?”
Helpinghimworkhisinjuredarmintothesleeve,shewascarefulnottohurthim
more.“Notthat’sitanyofyourbusiness,butno.I’mnotseeinghimoranyoneelsehere.”
“NoteventhegloriousDuncan?”
Laughing softly, she tried to imagine Duncan being interested in her. “Actually,
you’remoreDuncan’stype.”
“Thatain’tnevergonnahappen,doll.Ionlyliketheladies.”
“Well,I’msuretheyallflocktoyou,bigguy.”
“I’vegotyourbigguyrighthere,”hesaidwithaflexofhiships.“Wannashake
hishand?”
Swattingathimplayfully,sheeasedtheshirttherestofthewayoverhishead.“Be
goodforafewminutesandyoumightsurvivethenight.”
Lookingup,hereyescollidedwithhisheatedgaze.Smoothingtheshirtdownhis
chest,sherealizedherhandswerelingeringalittletoolong.
“Keeptouchingmelikethat,andthewoodI’msportin’isgoingtohaveyourname
writtenalloverit.”
Without meaning to, her eyes traveled down, landing on his huge bulge. Oh my.
Howcouldhebeturnedonwhenhewasrunningforhislife?
“Christonacracker,what’swrongwithyou?”
Hooking his arm around her waist, he pulled her flush with his body and
murmured, “You’re the only thing right in my world at the moment. Ever thought of
stealingamomentintime,justforyourself?”
Hiseyeswerefilledwithheatandhisvoicewaslacedwithdesire.Frowning,she
triedtomakesenseofhiswords.
“I live a dangerous and unpredictable life,” he explained with a fierce edge.
“Sometimes, when I see something I want, I just grab it. Even if I only have it for a
moment,itcanliveinmymemoryinsteadofmyimagination.”
Absentlyrubbingherhandupanddownhismuscularchest,sherespondedwitha
whisper,“ThatmakesmoresensethanalotofthingsI’veheard.”
“Ilikethewayyourhandsfeelonme.IknowIain’tnothin’,butsometimesaman
needsatasteofheaven.”
Looking up at his gorgeous, scarred face, she could see him moving closer. Her
eyesdrifteddowntohislips,andbeforeshecouldthinkofwhattosay,hewaskissingher.
If she thought he was going to be rough and demanding, she couldn’t have been
morewrong.Hislipsghostedoverhers,teasingandpullingherintohisthrall.
Suddenly,herhandsslidthroughhishair.Hismouthbecamemoredemanding,his
tongue swiping across the seam of her mouth. He was begging for entrance, and she
wantedmorethananythingtogiveit.
Instead, she pulled back, forcing distance between them as she struggled to pull
herselftogether.“I’msorry.Idon’tknowwhatcameoverme.Ishouldn’thave—”
“Don’tfuckin’apologizeforthebestmomentofmyentirelife.Justfuckin’don’t
bother,”hesnapped.
Turning his back to her, she took the opportunity to beat a hasty retreat. Quickly
twisting the blinds shut to conceal his presence, she gently shut the door behind her.
Walkingbacktoherstation,therealityofherentiresituationsetin.
She hadn’t known him long, but it was easy to figure him out. The man who
thoughthewasn’tworthanythingwaseverythingshe’deverdreamedofhavinginaman.
RunningaroundinleatheranddoingGodonlyknewwhatdidn’tmitigatethefactthathe
was intelligent, insightful, funny, passionate, and breathtakingly dominant. A woman
would have to be comatose not to see how he easily cut through all the crap and got
straighttothepoint.Aftereverythinghe’dbeenthrough,itwasatestamenttohisstrength.
Tiffany liked his suggestion about stealing a moment just for herself a little too
much. Regardless of the positive spin she normally put on her life in order to make it
bearable,thetruthofthematterwasthingshadbeenprettydamnrough.
Moving three times inside five years, struggling to get in a semester before he
caughtupwithher,andthestressofneverknowingwhenhewasgoingtoshowuporhow
longhewasgoingtotoywithherbeforeheshowedhimselfwasreallytakingatollonher.
Shedesperatelyneededjustonemomentoftheintimacyshecravedtogetalong.
ThatRyderhadthesamefeelingswaslikeasignfromGod.Hewasrightaboutitbeing
something to hold onto to get through the long, sleepless nights. Maybe she should just
loosenupandgrabheronemomentofhappinessbeforethingswenttoshitagain.
~Ryder~
It was just his fuckin’ luck to have the hots for a woman who clearly wanted no
partofhisirresponsibleass.Didn’tknowwhyhetriedtokissher,knowingshe’dnever
seehimasanythingmorethanadirtybiker.Nicewomenalwayshadtheirpreconceived
ideasabouthiskind.
Ryderwassosickofhislifealwaysbeingfilledtocapacitywiththewrongkindof
women.Theclubwhoreswereallthesame.Eachhadsomesadstorytotell,andnoneof
them were quite right in the head. They weren’t the kind of women a man could settle
downwithandtrusthishearttoortrusttoraisehiskids.Hisclubbrothershadlearnedthat
thehardway.Eventheclubpresidenthadbeenburned,cominghometofindhiswoman
inbedwiththemailman.Whointheirrightmindfuckedtheirmailman?
Shit, he was almost as pathetic, having the hots for his new nurse. He needed to
stopthinkingofherasapossibilityandgethisheadscrewedonstraight.Sheworkedat
thehospitaltofuckin’helppeople,nottobetakenadvantageofbyherpatients.
The pretty brunette was destined for the arms of a nice doctor or lawyer, not an
ignorantbiker.Ryderhadsavedeverycenthe’devermadetoaffordahomeandfamily.It
wasoneofthereasonstheclubwhoreschasedhisasssodiligently.
He’d held out, waiting to find someone special. Ryder was the kind of man who
understoodthat,whenitcametowomen,halfthebattlewasknowingwhatyouwantedin
alifepartner.Hewantedsomeonesweet,strong,andclassy.Therestwasacombinationof
preparingforthelifehedreamedabout,recognizingwhenawomanhadtherightstuffand
thenengagingwithherenoughtobesureshewastheone.
He had enough in the bank to buy a nice house and fill it with all the things a
womanneededtoliveacomfortablelife.Unlikethemajorityofhisclubbrothers,hewas
sickandtiredofsleepingwithtrampsandgroupies.Ifhewaseverluckyenoughtolanda
wife,he’dmakeitapointtotreatherright.
Thelastthinghewantedwastoseetearsinhiswoman’seyes.Hewantedtosee
somethingsoftandrighteous.Hisguttwistedasherealizedhewantedlove.
Sinking down into a rolling chair, he leaned back and tried to sleep. This was as
close to safe as his life was likely to get anytime soon. He’d be a fool not to take
advantageofthelockeddoor.
Slipping off into a deep slumber, he dreamed of the thing he’d probably never
have.Inhisdreamworld,hehadabeautiful,willingwomaninhisarms.Thoughtheyhad
theireyesclosedandwerekissing,heknewinstinctivelywhothewomanwas.Herlight
floralcologneandthetasteofhercherrylipglossgaveitaway.
Hishandslidthroughherlongbrunettehair,andhejustenjoyedthemoment.In
his dream world, hands skimmed over him, setting off a wave of need fiercer than any
he’dknownbefore.Herhandsdrifteddowntohispants.Apparently,inhisdream,hewas
wearing scrubs as well, ‘cause she pulled the elastic waist down beneath his junk. The
momentherdelicatehandslandedonhiscock,hiseyessprungopen.
“Yougotathingformolestinginnocent,hard-workin’bikers,doll?”
Herlipswerehotonhisneckasshewhisperedherreply.“Didn’twantyoutothink
Iwasn’tinterested.Thekisswasjust…”
Trailingoff,shelefthimtofillintheblank.Therealizationhithimlikeafreakin’
ton of bricks that his kiss had apparently put her into a tailspin of sorts. He knew nice
womenwereeasytorattle,buthejustneverthoughthimselfcapableofdoingtherattling.
Ahugetidalwaveoflusthithimhardandfast.
“Givemeyourmouth,darlin’.Ineedit.”
Nodding,sheslidtoherkneesinfrontofhim.Swallowinghard,hewonderedifhe
was still dreaming. Her warm, wet mouth closing over his heated flesh banished that
thought from his head. This woman was putting her all into it, taking him deep and
swirlinghertonguearoundtheheadasshesuckedathim.
Grabbing a handful of her hair, he guided her up and down his cock, careful to
avoidchokingheronitsmassivelength.Thevisualofseeinghimselfslidinginandoutof
her mouth tore him up. Then one delicate hand closed around his ball sack and she
squeezedhimgently.
“Fuck.” He hissed the words as he filled her pretty little mouth with his seed,
rockinghimtohiscore.Shewaseverythingawomanshouldbe,andhewantedtobury
hisfacebetweenherlegsintheworstway.“Come,it’syourturn.I’mgonnalickyou‘til
youcan’tevenwalk.”
Laughing,shestoodandleanedover,kissinghimagain.“Assweetasthatofferis,
Ihavetogetback.Rest.Youonlyhaveacoupleofhoursbeforeshiftchange.”
Thesideofhismouthtiltedupandherelaxedbackintothechairagain,feelingall
the muscles in his body loosen. “Whatever you say, doll. Thanks for lending me those
sweetlips.YougotnoideahowmuchIneededthat.”
Smilingindulgently,shereplied,“Ican’timagineabig,sexyguylikeyouhasto
gowithoutveryoften.”
Reaching out and grabbing her by the nape of the neck, he pulled her down for
anotherkiss.“Ain’tneverhadaproblemwithquantity.‘Tilnow,theproblemhasalways
beenquality.”
Her answering smile was soft and sexy, just like the woman it belonged to.
“Careful,I’mstartingtothinkyou’rejustabigoldsweetie.”
“I’dalwaysbesweettoyou,doll.”
“Betyou’reamanofyourword.”
Somethingabouthowshesaidthatmadehimbelieveshethoughtthemtobetrue.
“YougivemeonegoddamnminuteandI’llproveit.”
Sheshookherhead,thosebrownlocksswayingaroundherbeautifulface.“WishI
hadaminute.Wecan’tgetdistractedbysex.Remembertheangrymanwithlong,stringy
hair?Weneedtobeonthelookoutforhimandkeepyousafe.Don’tyouhavepeoplewho
cancomeandhelpyou?”
“I got brothers. Taking care of him is my assignment. I ain’t gonna call for no
backup‘tilthejob’sdone.”
“Jesus,you’resupposedtokillhim?”sheasked,soundingshocked.
“Bestyoudon’tthinkonwhatI’mmeanttodotothatornerybastard.Getbackto
workbeforetheycomelookin’foryou.I’llthinkofsomething,doll.Ialwaysdo.”
Nodding,sheavoidedlookinginhiseyes.Thatwasn’tagoodsign,butbestforher
to get her head around what he did early on, ‘cause when this was all over, he was
definitelygonnacomelookingforheragain.
~Ryder~
Ryderspentthenextcoupleofhoursmullingoverhisoptions.Theoneinescapable
factofhislifewasthathesimplycouldnotstayhereafterthelightofthecomingday.He
neededtogethiswalletandgetthefuckouttatown,takingAcewithhim.Theonlywayto
keepTiffanysafeatthispointwastoputdistancebetweenthem.
A plan slowly formulated in his mind. He’d pretend to settle down back in his
emergency room bed when she came for him. Once she was out of the building, he’d
dischargehimselfwhethertheylikeditornot.Membersofhisclubdiditallthetime.It
wascalledleavingagainstmedicaladvice.Theycouldadvisealltheywanted,butinthe
end,itwasstillhischoicetostayorleave.
Oncehewasout,he’dbuyagunatalocalpawnshopandhuntAcedownlikethe
mangymongrelhewas.Whenitwasallover,he’dcomeforTiffany.Nomatterthetime,
theexpense,ortheprotestingonherpart,he’dmakeherfallinlovewithhim.Hell,the
pretty little witch was already halfway there. If there was one fuckin’ thing he was
competentat,itwaswooingwomen.
Before he knew it, she was standing over him again. “Time to wake up, mister
sleepyhead.Youdon’tlookverycomfortablewedgedinthattinychair.Readytogetback
toyourcomfortablebed?”
“Ineedtogetouttathisjoint,doll.”
“I hear they’ve lined you up a bed at Mercy. Transport should be here for you
withinanhour.”
Grabbingherbythehips,hepulledherdownintohislap.“Iwasgettin’worried
thatyouforgotallaboutmebackhere.”
Smiling warmly, she brought a bottle of water to his lips. “You’re too tasty to
forget.”
Hiseyesshotuptohers.“Isthatafact?Ain’tnowomanevertoldmethatbefore.”
“Ithoughtyoumightwanttoknow.”
“Gobbledalotofdickinyourday,princess?”
Bitingherbottomlip,herfaceheatedandsheshookherhead.
“I didn’t think so. You seem kind of shy about it. You gonna be shy about me
returnin’thefavor?”
Hereyesshotwideopen.“Getyourmindbackonstayingalive,willyou?”
“Thecoastisclear?Youdidn’tseeourguy,didyou?”
“No,maybehe’snotcomingback.”
“I’mnotgettingmyhopesup.He’sprettytenacious.”
Sheslippedbackandoffhislap.Hefollowedheruntiltheywerestandingface-to-
face.
“I honestly don’t know what to make of this situation. It’s getting progressively
hardertobelieveallthisisactuallyhappening.”Beforehecouldrespond,sheturnedand
headedthroughthedoor.
Grumblingastheyheadedout,hedidamentalassessmentandfeltasifhisbody
wasstronger.“Unfortunately,ithappenstomeallthetime.Don’tworry,I’mhardtokill.”
“Heneedstoleaveyouthefuckalone.”
“Careful,doll,you’restartingtosoundlikeawomanwhogivesashit.Thosearein
shortsupplyinmyworld.”
He climbed into bed, noticing that the sheets had been changed. She quickly
covered him with a blanket that had been heated. Next, she tenderly changed out his
bandages.Helikedhowshehelddownhisskinwhenshepulledtapeupandsmoothedher
handoverhisskinasshecleanedhim.Hell,thismustbewhatitfeltlikewhensomeone
gave a shit about you. Instead of just demanding shit from you constantly like the club
whores,theywerekindandgentle.Itfeltwonderful,andRyderdesperatelywantedmore
ofit.
Pullingoveratray,shemurmured,“Trytoeatalittlesomething.Youneedtokeep
your strength up.” Fidgeting with the front of her shirt, she asked anxiously, “Are you
goingtobeatMercyifIcomeandvisityoutonight?”
Sighing, he waved her over. “Look, doll, you stay away from wherever I’m
supposedtobe,‘causeyouknowitain’tsafe.”
Nodding,shewhispered,“Takecareofyourself.Ileftmynumberonalittlepiece
ofpaperinyourshoe.Callmeifyouneedanything.”
Cuppingherchin,hetiltedupherfacetolookintohereyes.“Idon’tknowwhat’s
goingonbetweenus,butIwantmoreofit.WhatdoyousayIgiveyouajinglewhenit’s
safe,andwe’llseewherethisgoes?”
Shenoddedtohim.“Ilikeyou,unlikeyourlittlefriendwiththestringyhair.He’s
kindofanasshat.Doyouhaveanyideawhyhe’sgunningforyou?”
“Ikilledhisbrother,”Ryderchokedoutinahoarsewhisper.
Hergazeheldtighttohis,searchinghisfaceforsomeclueastowhyhewoulddo
that.Thepoorwomanhonestlylookedshockedshitlessbyhisabruptadmission.
Cursingunderhisbreath,hestatedflatly,“Hey,babe,IneversaidIwasasaint.”
Shebegantoscootback.“Idon’tknowhowIfeelaboutthat.”
“You’re too trusting, Tiff. You warmed right up to me, even though I look like
leashedcarnage.”
“I’mnotmentallydeficient.”
“I’m all too aware of that fact. You should be commended for not assuming the
worstofme,butI’mnotlikemostpeople.”
“Itwasyoureyes,”sheblurted.
“Mywhat?”
“Youcantellalotaboutapersonbylookingintotheireyes.”
Ryderswallowedthickly.“Whataboutmyeyescaughtyournotice?”
Moving a little closer, she spoke softly. “Your eyes are very honest and a little
haunted. I don’t know if you realize it or not, but you’re very direct. I’m thinking you
don’tbotherlyingverymuchbecauseyoucoulddon’tcarewhatpeoplethinkofyou.”
Her insight shook him up a little. He wasn’t used to being read so clearly by
another person. Trying to get back to the point, he insisted, “I’m just pointing out that
most people aren’t very nice, doll. You need to be aware most people you are going to
meetareprettyselfishandself-absorbed.”
The look on her face told him she wasn’t buying his attempt to redirect the
conversation.
“Why’d you do it, Ryder? You’re a decent person. If you killed someone, there
musthavebeenareason.”
“Itwasself-defense,butI’vedoneotherbadthings.I’mnottechnicallywhatyou’d
calldecent.”
“Irefusetobelievethatyou’reabadperson.”
For some reason, her insistence that he was a decent person provoked his anger.
“Well,youbettergetyourheadaroundthefactthatIamdamnsurenotahero.Youknow,
not all of us had parents at home checking our homework and teachin’ us to be God-
fearinglittlegirlsandboys.Someofuscamefromtrulyshittycircumstances.Wehadto
dothingsnobodywantstoinordertosurvivefromonedaytothenext.”
“Ican’tseeyouhurtingme.”
“There is a world of difference between being capable of and willing to hurt a
woman than being a decent human being.” Running his hand through his short, spikey
hair,hespatoutgruffly,“Shit,girl,I’mtryingtogiveyouapieceofadviceincaseIdon’t
makeit.There’snogoddamnnicewaytosaythat.Justdomeapersonalfavoranddon’t
besotrusting.”
The empathy on her face nearly took his breath away. “I promise to be more
cautiousinthefuture.Doesthatmakeyouhappy?”
“Sure,babe.Itthrillsthefuckouttame.”
“You’regoingtobefine.You’rehardtokill,remember?”
Hergentleteasingtooktheedgeoff,causinghimtosmile.
“Look,I’vegottogogiveareport.Stayputandbesafe.”Shepushedawayfrom
thebedandstartedforthedoor.
“Iain’tusedtoawomantellin’mewhattodo,”hegrumbled.
“Thinkofitasasuggestion,”sheteased.“I’llcallyourroomoncetheygetyouto
Mercy.You’llbeneedingsomejammiesandstuff.”
Hisexpressionsnappedbacktoangryinaheartbeat.“You’regonnastaythefuck
away‘tilIsayotherwise,justlikewetalkedabout.Gotit,doll?”
She froze in place just inside the doorway. He could tell she was shocked by his
anger.Fuck,whycouldn’thedialitdownanotch?
“Anyideawhyyou’resuddenlysoannoyed?”Herheadwastiltedtothesideand
herexpressionsmorecuriousthanangry.Mostchickswouldberunningforthehills.This
oneatleasthadenoughofahearttocuthimsomedamnslackaftereverythinghe’dbeen
through.Thatspokevolumesaboutthekindofwomanshewas.
Hiseyesheldhersashetriedtoarticulatewhatwaseatingathim.“’Causeyou’re
notlisteningtome,andIdon’tlikerepeatingmyself.”Thewordsweretossedoutwithno
heatthistime.Glancingaway,hefinished,“Ifyoukeepstickingyournoseinmybusiness
beforeI’matfullstrength,you’relikelytowindupdead.”Hisvoicebroke.“Youcan’tbe
dead,sugar.Youjustmightbemyone,andI’ddieifthatbastardputsomuchasascratch
onyourskin.”
Shenodded,asmallsmileforming.“Igetit.You’rebeingprotectiveinyourown
screwed-up way.” Fuck, her voice sounded almost cheerful. “Just remember, you catch
moreflieswithhoney.”
“Workwithmehere,doll.Icanonlytakesomuchstress.”IfRydercouldhearthe
desperationinhisownvoice,socouldshe.
Nodding,sheheadedoutofthebaywiththatlittlesmilestillplayingonherface.
Shit,thatwomanwassomethingelse,andhewascirclingbackaroundtoherassoonasit
wassafe.
The pretty little thing was in and out several times in rapid succession before
droppingakissonhislipsandheadinghomefortheday.Hegaveherfifteenminutesto
be sure she was gone and then headed to the nurse’s station. Twenty minutes of ruckus
laterandhewasstrollingoutthedoor.Well,itwasmorelikehobblingwithdignity,butat
leasthewasafreemanagain.
Tickingoffhisprioritieskeptthemclearlyinmindonadaywhenhewasnotonly
limpingbutlight-headed.First,heneededtostayoutofsightasmuchaspossible.Second,
heneededtobuymoreammo.Forsomereason,whentheygavebackhisguntherewere
nobulletsintheclip.Healwayscountedhisshots.Accordingtohiscalculation,heshould
have had at least four bullets left. Even though he hadn’t gotten off a shot during the
altercationwithAcethatlandedhiminthedamnedhospital,hehadearlierthatday.The
bottomlinewas,carryinganemptygunwasnokindofprotectionatall.
The one and only silver lining in an otherwise shit situation was the knowledge
thattheprettylittlenursewasmilesaway.
TiffanysatinherSUVlisteningtoherfavoritemusicmix.Ryderwasnotfooling
anyonewithallthebullshitaboutcomplyingwithDr.Cole’stransferorder.Herwomen’s
intuitiontoldherthemanhadnointentionofgoingtoMercyMedical.Heneededaswift
kick in the pants for thinking he could fight off a killer all on his own when he wasn’t
evenstableonhisfeet.Hewasaseriousbadass;therewasnodoubtaboutthat.However,
heneededtoholdupsomewhereandrecuperatebeforesomethingbadhappenedtohim.
Seeing him staggering out of the emergency room was verification of her worst
suspicions.Thestubbornfoolwasdrippingsweatandlimpingashetriedtomakehisway
downthestreet.Somethinginherchesttightenedwhenhereacheduptoshovehissweaty
hair out of his face. Starting her SUV, she pulled up beside him and rolled down the
window.
“IfI’dbeenasnake,I’dhavebittenyou.”
Panickingslightly,hejerkedhisheadaround.“Whatthefuckareyoudoinghere,
Tiff?Wetalkedaboutthis.”
Rollinghereyes,shejustknewhewaslookingforhiskiller.“He’snothere.I’ve
beenkeepinganeyeoutforyou.Besides,wedidn’ttalk.YoutalkedandIjustlistened.
Getin.Iwanttohavemysay.”
Cursing under his breath, he swung himself around the other side of her vehicle
andclimbedintothepassengerseat.
“Buckleup,hon.You’vehadaprettyroughtimeofitasoflate.Wewouldn’twant
youtogetinjuredifIhavetobrakehard.”
“Whatpartof‘beingaroundmeisdangerous’don’tyouunderstand?”
“Thepartabouthowyouplantodefendyourselfwhenyoucanbarelywalk.”
“I’vegottoendthis,”heinsisted.
“Youcangetbacktoshootingupthewestonceyou’refullyrecovered.”
“You sure the fuck are not just taking me home with you. Get your head around
thatfactrightgoddamnnow.”
“Doyoualwayscursesomuch?It’notyourbestfeature,”sherepliedcalmly.
“Yeah,babe,webothknowwhatyouthinkmybestfeatureis.”
“Youreyes.”
“ThoughtIwastasty.”
Shebitdownonherbottomlip.“Youare.Youhavethemostbeautifulbrowneyes,
though.Can’tgetthemoutofmymind.”
Lookingoutthebackwindow,hemurmured,“That’srealnice,doll.Ineedtostop
somewheretobuybullets.”
Hisquickchangeofsubjectwasjarring,butTiffanyshookitoffandreplied,“Igot
youcovered.Checktheglovebox.”
“What the fuck. You’re driving around with bullets in your glovebox. That ain’t
safe,sweetness.”Poppingopentheglovebox,hepulledouthertinygunsafe.
Reaching over, Tiffany swiped her thumb over the biometric lock and the latch
sprangopen,surprisinghim.
“Shit,that’shigh-tech.”
Sheshrugged.“Mylastboyfriendwasacop.Hetookmetothefiringrangeevery
singleweekend.”
“Whatyougotinhere?”
“It’sasmallsemi-automatic.Ibelievethere’sanextraclipinthereaswell.”She
jerkedathumbtowardtherearoftheSUV.“There’sanotherinthebackunderthetire.He
calleditmy‘back-up’gun.”Rollinghereyes,shegiggled.“Howmanypeopleneedguns,
muchlessback-upguns?”
“You’dbefreakin’surprised.Yousureyoudon’tmindifIuseit?”
“Knockyourselfout.It’snotlikeithassentimentalvalueoranything.”
Snapping the lid on the gun box shut, Ryder frowned. “Back to the going home
withyoupart.Youcan’ttakemetoyourplace.It’stoodangerous.Dropmeoffatahotel.”
Shaking her head, Tiffany informed him, “I’ve got a much better plan. My
godparentsownacabin.It’smilesfromanyplace.We’llbothholdupthere.Myweekend
justended,soI’mallyours.”
Helookedskeptical.“Yousurenobodyknowsaboutthiscabin?”
“Since nobody knows about my godparents, I don’t think anyone would think to
lookformeattheirvacationcabin,”sheassuredhim.“Theyhaven’tevenbeenuptherein
years.Itmighttakemeaminutetogetitclearedoutandcozythough.”
Loading a clip into the gun, Ryder tucked it into his waistband, all business.
“Soundslikeaplan.Thanksforthinkingofme,evenafterIwarnedyouoff.”
Smiling at his handsome profile, she responded quietly, “You’re more than
welcome. There’s one of those warehouse clubs near the cabin.” They could pick up
suppliestheretotidethemoverforawhile.
“Forgetthat,”hesaidbrusquely,shootingthatideadownflat.“Ifanyonerunsyour
shit, they’ll see you shopped there. Stop by an ATM and I’ll pull out cash. You do the
same.Fromnowon,wedon’tdoanythingtoleaveapapertrail.Drivesafely.Wecan’tget
pulledover.Wepaycashforgasandgroceries.We’llstopatasuperstoreofsometypeand
grab clothing and food at the same time. Take your battery out of your phone and
disconnectyourGPS.”
She stared at him, wondering where he’d learned to do all of this. “You’re
alarminglyproficientatnotdrawingnotice.”
Swipingthebackofhishandacrosshissweatybrow,henodded.“Iguessyouget
goodatthingslikethatinmylineofwork.”
“Idon’tguessyouweregivenanyscripssinceyouleftAMA.”
Shaking his head, he stared out the window. “No. They didn’t give me anything.
JuststopbyaMexicanmarketonyourwayoutoftown.I’llpickupantibioticsandsome
Tylenolthere.”
“Yousureyoudon’twanttocallandaskDr.Coalforaprescription?”
“I don’t want you anywhere near that dickhead. We get our meds this way when
we’rebetweenarockandhardplace.Don’tworry,I’llbefine.”
Nodding,she did ashe asked. Hewas in and outin a matterof minutes andhad
two strange bottles of orange soda pop. Taking his meds, he jerked his chin for her to
drive. To her trained eye, it was obvious he wasn’t doing as well as he pretended. She
madeabeelineforadrivethroughATM,andtheybothtookouttheirdailymax.
Asshedrovethemtowardthecabin,Ryderfellalmostimmediatelyintoalistless
sleep.Asheslept,sheworried.
Stopping at a superstore, she left him to rest. Inside, she loaded a buggy with
clothing and household stuff then another with food. Trying to think of everything, she
grabbedacoupleofsheetsets,blankets,pillows,andtowelsjustincasethecabinwasn’t
stocked.
Maneuveringtwobuggieswasaskillshe’dlearnedearlyinlifeastheoldestina
large family. On a whim, she grabbed a couple of prepaid phones. This shopping
excursionhadcostherabouthalfhercash.
RyderwasstillasleepwhenshereturnedtotheSUV.Carefulnottowakehim,she
quietlyloadedupthebackoftheSUVandclimbedbehindthewheel.
Beforeleavingtheparkinglot,TiffanyglancedoveratRyder’ssleepingform.He
wassweatingworsethanever,andthenurseinherimmediatelynoticedhispalecoloring.
Reachingover,shetouchedthebackofherhandtohisforehead.
Ryderwasburningwithafever.Rememberingthedetailsoftheplanhe’dsetout
forthem,shewasprettycertainthelastthinghewouldagreetowasgoingtothehospital.
Sosheheadeddirectlyforthecabin.
Pullinghimoutofthevehicletookeveryounceofstrengthshehadinher,butshe
managed.Onceinside,shewrappedhisbandagesinplastictokeepthemdry.Ryder’seyes
wereglassyasshemaneuveredhimintoacoolshowerandspongedhimclean.
Wrappingatowelaroundhim,shequicklymadethebedandtuckedhimbetween
thecoolsheets.Hehadn’tspokensincehewokeup,buthisbrowneyesfollowedheras
shescurriedaroundtakingcareofhim.
As soon as she was able to break away, she emptied the SUV and got busy
cleaning the musty cabin. Thankfully, there was one of those expensive, super-sucking
vacuumcleanerstuckedawayinacloset.
She removed the furniture covers and tossed them in the washer along with the
curtains then set about vacuuming every square inch of the place. Tossing the furniture
coversinthedryer,shebrokeoutthenewmopforthefloors.Soontheplacewasactually
lookinglikearealvacationretreat.
She took vitals on Ryder every hour and made sure he took another dose of
medication. He was agreeable to drinking when she pressed him, so at least he wasn’t
gettingdehydrated.Breakingoutthenew,inexpensivecrockpot,sheploppedahugeroast
intoitwithsomeseasoning.Next,sherewardedherselfwithacupofcoffeefromtheten-
dollarcoffeemakershefoundonsale.Onesipofthepotentbrewandallwasrightwithher
world.Onawhim,shepulledoutherheftyfirst-aidkitfromtheSUVandpluggedinthe
prepaidphonestocharge.
FeelinglikeanoverworkedelfatChristmastime,Tiffanyslidintoahotshower.As
the water cascaded over her tired body, Tiffany worried about whether she’d bitten off
morethanshecouldchewwiththisone.SeeingRydersosicktuggedatherheartstrings
becauseshecouldtellhewasusedtobeingstrongandincharge.Shesupposedthathim
beingsoacceptingofherhelpprobablymeantsomethingtohim.Truthbetold,itmeant
somethingtoheraswell.
She shuddered to think of what would have happened to him had she not waited
forhim.He’dbelyinginacheaphotelsomewhereburningwithfeverallnight.Tohell
withthat!Hewasbetteroffwithher,nomatterwhathappenedlaterondowntheline.
Ryder woke up to the aroma of something fantastic hanging in the air. The scent
remindedhimofSundaydinnerwhenhewasgrowingup.Itwastheonemealhecould
countoneverysingleweektobephenomenal.Therestoftheweekmighthavebeenahit
ormiss,butSundayseveryonesataroundthetablelikecivilizedfolk.
Glancingaround,hesawTiffanycurledupinabigeasychairbythebed.Thehuge
chair practically swallowed her slight form, but she looked cozy with a blue blanket
wrappedaroundherandanhonesttogoodnessbookwithpagesrestingonherlap.Ryder
couldn’t remember the last time he saw someone reading a real book instead of an e-
readerorsmartphone.Hecouldn’ttellwhatkindofbookitwas,though,becauseherhand
wasdrapedoverit.
Sitting up, he stretched a little to loosen his muscles. The bedroom was neat and
clean.Hedidn’tremembermuchaboutthenightbefore,butthehouseseemeddirtytohim
whentheyfirstarrived.
He slid out of the bed and padded quietly to the bathroom. He leaned over the
toilet,bracinghimselfonthewallasherubbedhismorningwooddownenoughtopee.
Vaguely,herememberedherloadingsuppliesintothebackofthevehicle.Sighing,
Ryderhopedshedidn’tdoalltheshoppingandcleaningherself.
Turning,hesawastackofmen’sclothinginhissizewiththehandgunsheloaned
himlyingontopofashortcabinetinthecorner.Hischestwarmedwhenherealizedshe’d
pickedoutclothesforhim.Noonehadeverdonethatforhimbefore.
Hestruggledintothepairofjeans,tuckedthegunintothewaistbandatthesmall
ofhisback,andpulledtheT-shirton.Theimmediateconcernwaswalkingtheperimeter
ofthepropertyandsecuringit.Hisshoeswerenearthedoor,thankfully.Onceoutside,a
quick walk around the property was enough to assure him they were miles from
civilization.Everythingseemedtobeinorder.
Comingbackintothehouse,hespottedTiffanymovingaroundinthekitchenand
feltasmilecreepacrosshisface.Shewaswearingyogapantsthatcuppedhertiny,round
assandamatchingpinkT-shirt.
ThankGod,shewasmakingcoffee.
Striding across the room, he sat at the long counter and waited for her to notice
him.
Hedidn’thavetowaitlong.Sheturnedandalmostjumpedoutofherskin.
“Woah,doll,calmdown.It’sjustme.”
Shetookamomenttobreathedeep.“IwasworriedwhenIwokeupandyouwere
gone.”
“Wantedtoscouttheplaceoutandmakesureitwassafe.”
Rollinghereyes,sheasked,“Creamandsugarinyourcoffee?”
Hisstomachrumbledasiftoanswer.“Thatwouldbegreat.AnythingIcanmunch
on.I’mhungryenoughtoeatacow.”
Her laughter made him smile. “I made a roast overnight in the slow cooker. You
cannibbleonthatwhileImakesomeeggsandtoast.”
“Iwouldlovethat.Itsmellsgreat.”
She quickly scooped out a thick piece and put it in a bowl with a slice of crusty
breadontheside.
“WhereIcomefrom,thisisawholemeal,”hetoldherashedugin.
She smiled indulgently at him. “Well, while I’m around, sick guys get a real
breakfast.Youneedalltheproteinyoucanget.”
“Iain’tsick,doll.I’minjured.There’sadifference.”
“Whydon’tyoumansplaintothenurseallaboutthatwhileshemakesyoureggs,”
shesaidsnarkily.
Hegrinned.“Yougotmethere.GuessifIhadafeverIwasprettysick.”
“The antibiotics you bought were extremely high grade. It kicked whatever
infectionwasbrewingrightoutofyoursystem.”
“I’veuseditbefore.It’spotentstuff.Itwasrealnicewakinguptoyourprettyface
today,bytheway.”
Shebeamedathimasshetookoutsomeeggs.“Friedorscrambled?”
“Isscrambledwithcheeseanoption?”heaskedeagerly.Suddenly,hefeltasifhe
hadn’teateninaweek.
“Ofcourse.Doyouwantcheddar,swiss,ormuenster?”
“Cheddarwouldbegreat.I’measytoplease,”hesaidwithawink.
“Good.I’malazywoman.”
“You are anything but lazy,” he contended without missing a beat. “This place
looksgreat,andthanksforthenewduds.I’msorrythatIwasdownforthecountwhenit
wastimetoshopandclean.I’llmakeituptoyou.”
“Sureyouaren’toneofthoseguyswhothinkawoman’splaceisinthekitchen?”
“Hellno.Ithinktheirplaceisinthebedroom,”hequipped.
“You’re a funny guy. No sex until your wounds heal,” she countered. “Doctor’s
order.”
“Fuckin’hell,doll.Howcanyoudothattoaman?”
“Quiteeasily,Icanassureyou.Youscaredthecrapoutofmelastnight,”shesaid,
sobering.
“Isthatwhyyouweresleepingbesidemybed?”
Huffing out an exasperated breath, she stretched her neck a little. “You weren’t
doingsowell.Ialmosttookyoubacktothehospital.”
“Gladyoudidn’t.I’mdoingalotbettertoday,soyoucanstopworryingthatpretty
littleheadofyours.”
Herbrowsarched.“Easiersaidthandone.”
Pushinghisfoodaroundinthedish,Rydersaid,“ItoccurstomethatImightnot
havemadeitifyouhadn’tpickedmeupandhelpedmegetthoseantibiotics.Wecallthat
alifedebt.”Hisgazerosetomeethers.“Iwon’tforgetit.”
Setting down a large plate of eggs and toast in front of him, she just shook her
head.“Idon’tknowanythingaboutlifedebts.Justdomeafavoranddon’tgetyourself
shotagain.”
Ryderwentbacktohisfood.Takingahugebite,heremarkedpleasantly,“I’lltry,
doll.Foryou,IswearthatI’lltrymyverybest.”
Thatseemedtoperkherupagain.“Maybewecanspendsometimeoutdoors,”she
suggested.“Freshairmighthelpyoufeelbetter.”
“I’d like that,” Ryder mused. “I don’t get the opportunity to just enjoy life very
often.”Andaftertheroughcoupleofdayshe’dhad,thefreshairmightdohimgood.
“Iboughtacoupleofprepaidphones,incaseyouwanttocontactanyone.”
Damn this woman… She’d thought of everything. Thinking of everything that
needed to be done, he said, “I’ll call my club and you can call your family. We have to
keep it short and to the point though. Then we remove the batteries so they can’t be
traced.”
“I’ll leave that to your good judgment. I don’t want to do anything to draw that
frighteningmantousagain.”Shevisiblyshivered,andRyderhatedthathe’ddraggedher
intothis.
“Thanks for not giving me a hassle about it,” he said sincerely. “Most women
wouldn’tlikebeingcutofffromtheirfriendsandfamily.”
“Idon’thaveanyotherplaceforustogo.Ifhefiguresoutwe’rehere,we’rekind
of screwed.” Her nose scrunched up. “Nothing’s more important to me than you getting
wellrightnow.LastnightwasmylastatSt.Mary’sanyway.Iwasplanningarelocationto
asmallercitywithmoreemploymentoptions.Competitionforfull-timejobsinthisareais
fierce.”
That was surprising to hear. “How is it you have so many nurses around these
parts.Backhomenursesarescarce.”
“I’ll bet they get paid well in that case. We have a couple of colleges that crank
themoutnearSt.Mary’s.I’vethoughtaboutrelocatingforalongtime.Ialwayswantedto
workinaprivatepractice,butsincethey’rechoicepositions,theyfillupfast.”
“It’salwaysgoodtonosearoundalittle,ifonlytoseewhatelseisavailable,”he
agreed.
“So,whatexactlydoyoudo?”sheasked,makingsmalltalk.
“Iworkfulltimeformyclub.Wehaveseveralbusinessesallinarow.”
“Youmeanlikeanold-fashionedstripmall?”
“Iguessthat’swhatit’scalled.”Heshrugged.“Wehaveagarage,acoffeehouse,
andahairsalon.”
“Yourbiker’sclubownsahairsalon?”Shesoundedsurprised.
“Don’t laugh,” he said, barely holding his own back. “It’s a nice little
moneymaker.Weowntheshopandrentoutthespacestodifferentgirlswhobringtheir
ownclientele.”
“Itsoundslikeyourclubisprettybusinesssavvy,”shesaid,soundingimpressed.
Helikedthat.Hewantedhertoseethemasthegoodguys,eveniftheyweren’tquitethere
yet.
“We’retryingtotransitionoutofmostofourillegaljobs,”heinformedher.
“Whythechange?”
“Wethoughtaboutitonedayanddecidedthat,inthelastfewyears,thedrugsand
guns have created more problems than they’ve solved. Why risk jail time when we can
makemoneylikeeveryoneelse?”
Shehummedbeneathherbreath.“I’dtendtoagree.”
“Hell, I want to be honest,” Ryder said, dropping his spoon and sitting back. If
therewasanychanceinhellofthemworkingout,sheneededtoknowexactlywhatshe
was getting into. “We’ll probably continue to do an occasional illegal job. It’s all about
riskversesreward.Iftheriskislowandtherewardhigh,wemightgetonboard.”
Her eyes held his, and if she was upset by his admission, she hadn’t yet started
running.Rydertookthatasagoodsign.
Smiling at him, Tiffany shook her head. “It’s refreshing to hear someone being
honest.Youdon’trealizewhatararitythatisthesedays.”
“Don’tstartthinkingofmeasadamnedboyscoutoranything,”hewarnedher.
“You killed a man and have a demented killer hunting you because of it,” she
pointedout.“I’mnotlikelytoforgethowdangerousyoucanbe.”
“Yea, well, we don’t grieve women. I know some clubs treat their chicks like
garbage.Wedon’t.”Heneededhertounderstandthattoo.Wherehecamefrom,women
weren’t property to be used and abused. They were a partner, someone to be loved and
respected.
Shenodded,growingquietforamomentbeforeswitchinggears.“Inoticedyour
tattoos.Theoneonyourbacklooksliketheoneonyourjacket.Isityourclub’slogo?”
“Itsureis,”hesaidwithaproudsmile.“Ihelpeddesignitalmosttenyearsago.
GottheideafromapictureIsawinabookatatattooparlor.That’swhentheBlindJacks
MCwasborn.”
“I like hearing you talk about your club. Your face lights up.” She met his eyes
brieflybeforedippingherheadanddiggingintoherownmeal.
Ryder’schestpuffed,enjoyingthatbitofshynessaboutherbeforehetuckedback
intohisowntoo.
Asheshoveledfoodinhisface,hetalkedaboutthingshe’dnevertoldanyliving
soul.“In the beginning,it was justfive of us: me,my two brothers,my best friend, and
another man. We grew up riding motorcycles. My father owned a tattoo parlor, so we
knewallthelocalcharters.Itseemednaturaltoformourown.Wewererealbadassesback
then and got a reputation quicker than most. We thought we were pretty hot stuff back
then.”
Smiling at him, Tiffany interjected, “I’m sure you were. Hell, you’re hot stuff
now.”
Laughing,Rydershookhishead.“Wasn’tthekindofhotstuffIwasreferringto,
doll.”
Whentheyfinishedeating,theytooktheircoffeeoutsideandcontinuedtalkingas
theyenjoyedthewarmautumnday.
Forthefirsttime,Rydercouldseehimselfsettlingdownandmakingafamilyof
hisown.Tiffanywaseasiertotalktothananywomanhe’devermet.Thatshewassmart,
funny, and easy on the eyes was a nice little bonus. She was also a go-getter. She’d
scooped him up and made shit happen last night, instead of waiting for him to do
everything.Thathadbeenprettydamnamazing.
Amanlikehimwouldbeluckytoscoreagirllikeherashisol’lady.
Forcing Ryder to slow down was no easy task. Turned out the magical
combinationinvolvedbegging,bribing,andadashofkissing.Tiffanyfiledawaythatbit
ofinformationforfuturereferenceasshewentoutbacktochopsomekindling.Thiswas
the one chore she always loved growing up. There was something relaxing about taking
smallpiecesofwoodandchoppingthemintoevensmallerpieces.Herminddriftedasshe
gotacoupleofsmallerlogsandhergrandfather’shatchet.
Shezonedout,thinkingaboutwhatRyderhadsaidabouttheshortageofnursesin
hislocalarea.Ifthingstookoffbetweenthetwoofthem,shecouldseeherselfrelocating
tobewithhim.Mostofherfamilywasbackeastanyway.
Lost in her own thoughts, she failed to see the danger until it was on top of her.
Herfirstindicationofaproblemwasadirtyhandreachingaroundfrombehindtoclamp
tightlyoverhermouth.Suddenly,shewasbeingdraggedbackward,towardtheold,run-
downfamilycemetery.ImagesflashedthroughhermindofdyingandRyderfindingher
bodyamongthevintagetombstones.
AnimagecametomindofthekillerusinghertolureRyderoutofthecabin.She
clawedatthehugehandandreachedoutforsomethingtograbonto.Inablurofmotion,
heflungheragainstafencepostandheldherthere.
Pressinghisbulkybodyintohers,themanwhisperedinherear,“Didn’texpectto
see me here, did you? I knew they weren’t gonna transfer someone with bullet holes to
anotherhospital.”
Easing his hand back off her mouth, he grasped her almost gently around the
throat.Itmightbeconsideredalover’sroughsexpose,likefromthemovies,ifitweren’t
forthesituation.
She stared up at him, transfixed by the pain twisting his dark features. “You
followedus?”Somehow,itdidn’tcompute.
“Callforhim.”Theman’svoiceturnedsoftandheeasedbackonhisgriparound
herthroat.
Tiffanyknewbetterthantofighthim.Hisholdwouldjusttightenbackup.
Swallowingthickly,shetriedtogethimtoseereason.“He’srealsick.Can’tyou
justleavehimalone?”
“Rydergothimselfaprettylittletrue-bluenurse.Ain’tthatrealspecial?”theman
sneered,hisstalebreathmakingherstomachchurn.
“Itdoesn’thavetobethisway,”shesaid,tryingtokeepthepanicfromhervoice.
“You’regoingtokeepitupuntilyou’rebothdead.”
“Didyoufallforthatdirtybastard?”
Blinking, she didn’t answer. Something told her the truth would only set him off
more.
Bringinghisfaceclosertohers,hiscrazyeyesboreintohersandhewhispered,“I
thinkmaybeyouevenlikehimenoughtodieforhimtoday.”
Tiffanyfeltthefearinhergutbegintodissipate.Hewastryingtointimidateher,
but in her line of work, she wasn’t easily intimidated. “I can’t see you letting me live
eitherway.I’vegotnoincentivetocooperate.”
Her gut told a different story. For some godforsaken reason, she didn’t think he
wasgoingtokillher.Itwassomethingaboutthewayheheldher,likehewasbeingstern
butcarefulnottohurther.
Then again, maybe she was imagining things. Maybe this was what Stockholm
syndromefeltlike.Wasshesoterrifiedthatsheneededtohumanizeherwould-bekiller?
Atthisparticularpointintime,shecouldn’tsayonewayortheother.
“Youcandiesloworyoucandiefast.Callhimouthereandit’llberealfastand
painless.FuckmeoverandIwillmakeyousuffer.”Hewassayingalltherightwordsto
scarethepissoutofher,buthisvoicewasoff.Hesoundedalmostdisgustedwithhimself.
This man who had generated such fear was slowly earning himself an ounce of
compassioninherheart.Hewasconflictedandgenuinelyscrewedupinthehead.
Bringingherhandsuptograsphimgentlyaroundthewrist,Tiffanyspokeassoftly
asshewouldtooneofherpatients.“Itdoesn’tmatterifIcallhimornot.He’snotrash
enoughtocomerunningtomyrescue.Hebarelyknowsme.Idon’twanthimtokillyou
likehedidyourbrother.”
The man’s rough voice took on a thick layer of emotion. “The dirty bastard told
youaboutmybrother.Ryderisn’tfittospeakhisname.”
“Just because you say it doesn’t make it true. You know there are two sides to
everystory.”
Hisfingersaroundherthroatloosenedagain.“What’sgoingoninthatprettylittle
head of yours?” he mused. “Do you really think he’s any better than me?” He bared his
teeth.“Trustme,heain’t.He’sexactlylikeme,onlyalittleyoungerandbetterlooking.”
“Don’tforgetsmarter.”
Almostsmiling,themanshookhishead.“Whatever.Deepdowninside,hissoulis
justasblackasmine.”
Tiffanyswallowedthickly.“You’rejusttryingtoscareme.Youdon’tevensound
madanymore.”
He tilted his head. “Why would an innocent little nurse be defending a piece of
garbagelikeRyder?Thatdon’thardlymakenosensetome.”
“He’snotgarbage.”
“He is. You’re protecting garbage from garbage, and it’s about to cost you your
life.Isthatwhatyouwant?”
“You’rejustbeingabadass.Neitherofyouisgarbageandyouknowit.”
AlltheairleftherlungswhenRyder’sdeepvoicesoundedoffbehindthem.“Take
yourhandsoffthenicelittlenurse,Ace.Thisisbetweenyouandme.”
ThemanRyderhadreferredtoasAceflippedthembotharound.Ryderstoodthere
inthenewclothingshe’dboughthimwithonehandtuckedbehindhisback.Instinctively,
sheknewhehadthegunshe’dgivenhimbackthere.
Acemusthavesuspectedasmuch,becausehetriedtohangontoherwithonehand
whiletheotherwentforhisgun.Twistingaway,shemanagedtobreakfreeanddartedoff
totheside,takingcoverbehindalargestumpandcoveringherheadwithbothhands.
She squeezed her eyes closed with every bit of strength she had just before two
gunshotssoundedoff,firedatthesametime.
Amomentlater,Rydercalledhername,andsheleapedup,runningtohimwithout
thinking.He’dtakenanotherbulletinthearmandwasdribblingblood.Quicklylookingat
it, she murmured, “It looks like a grazing type injury. At least you don’t have another
bulletinsideyou.”
Tearingoffhisshirt,sheusedittocompressthebleeding.
“WishIcouldsaythesameforthisfucker,”Rydergrowled.
RememberingAce,Tiffanyturnedtokneeldownandtendtohisinjuries.Before
sheevenmadeittotheground,Rydergrabbedherarmandhauledherbackuptoherfeet.
“Idon’twantyouwithintwentypacesofhim.”
“He’sinjured,”sheprotested,theneedtohelprearingupinsideher.“You’vegota
gun.Thatmakesyouthepersonincontrol.Letmemakesurehedoesn’tdie.”
Shakinghishead,hestatedflatly,“Jesus,youseriouslydon’tunderstandhowthis
shitworks,doyou?”
Squaring her shoulders, she said, “I’m a registered nurse. I’m not going to stand
hereandwatchhimbleedout.”
“Fuckin’ fine, see to him, but make it quick,” Ryder snapped. “I won’t take any
morechanceswithyourprettylittleass.He’sgoddamneddangerous.”
Stoopingagain,shepriedAce’scutopeninthefront.Searchingaround,shefound
the bullet wound. It was on his leg. Glancing up, her eyes met his. Ace looked
embarrassed to have not taken a kill shot. Her estimation of him went up a notch. Even
thoughhepretendedtobeatoughguy,Acewasnokiller.
“Youdidn’thitanymajorarteries.Ineedsomethingtotiearoundthis.”Bringing
herhandstothebottomofherT-shirt,sheheardRydergaspbehindher.
“Nofuckingway.Don’teventhinkaboutbearingthose…”Realizinghewasbeing
anass,hebrokeoff,pressinghislipstogether.
Tiffany’s hand moved down, grasping the handle of a large hunting knife in a
sheatharoundAce’swaist.Pullingitout,shecutabouteightinchesoffthebottomofher
T-shit,andthencutitopentomakealong,thickbandage.Wrappingitaroundhiswound,
shetieditofftight.Movingoneofhisdirtyhands,shepresseditoverthewound.
“Keeppressureonituntilthebleedingslows.”
Nodding,Ace’seyesslidaway.
PeeringupatRyder,shespoke.“He’sgoingtobefine.How’saboutyoutwostop
shootingateachotherfortherestoftheday?”
Grudgingly, Ryder pulled the man to his feet and dragged him into the house.
Followingafterhim,shocktorethroughherasTiffanywatchedhimshovetheinjuredman
intoaclosetandslamthedoorshutbeforebracingitwithachair.
Sheapproachedhimquietly.“Rider…youcan’tjustthrowagunshotvictiminmy
closet.”
“Look, doll, we underestimated him. Sorry about using your closet, but we ain’t
got a lot of choices here. Please fetch me one of the prepaid phones. I’ll call my club
brothers and they’ll come for him. In a couple of hours, this whole ugly mess will be
ancienthistory.”
Tiffany stood idle, unsure what more she could do. He was dead set on this, and
she had a feeling nothing she could say or do would change his mind. “Okay, Ryder,
whateveryousay.”
Cupping her face in his hand, Ryder spoke tenderly. “Everything’s going to be
okay.Ipromise.”
Sheheardthemanbangingontheclosetdoorandtryingtorattlethehandle.This
wasinsane.Insteadofarguingthepoint,though,shefetchedRyderthephoneheaskedfor.
He didn’t waste any time dialing out. “Hey, bro, it’s me. Of fuckin’ course I got
him. I need the package picked up ASAP. I’m going to log into that follow me app. It
shouldtakeyoustraighttomylocation.Youbettergetheresoon‘causeit’sallIcandonot
toputanotherbulletinhim.”
There was a dramatic pause before Ryder turned his body slightly away. “I shot
himintheleg.Mynursesayshe’sgonnabefine.”
Pacing back and forth, he listened as the other man spoke. “Don’t you fuckin’
worryabouther.Justgetyourasshereandpickhimup,”hebarked.
Leaning against the wall, he spoke gruffly. “I already know that. I caught three
bulletsonthisone.Ionlyshotthecrazyfuckeronce.Thatisrestraint,inmyhumble-ass
opinion.”Rollinghiseyes,helistenedtowhoeverwasontheotherendoftheline.“Great.
We’llseeyouinanhour.”
Hefiddledwiththephoneforafewminutesthensnappeditshut.“Mybrothersgot
worriedandcamelookingformeatthehospital.They’reaboutanhourfromhere.”
Between trying to process the events of her very surreal day, trying to
communicatewiththealwaysenigmaticRyder,andlisteningtothemantryingtoescape
fromhercloset,Tiffanyfinallysnapped.“Canyouaskhimtostopbeatingonmycloset
door?”
Ridersmiledslightly.“Isthatarealquestion?”
“I’msorry.IfeellikeIamabouttoloseit.”
He promptly banged against the door with the butt of his gun. “Hey, asshole, I
don’tparticularlycareifmyclubwantedmetoshowrestraintornot.Ifyoubangagain,
I’mputtingabulletthroughthedoor.You’rechoice.”
Thenoiseimmediatelystopped.Tiltinghishead,hequipped,“Easypeasy.”
Foldingherarmsoverherchest,sheglaredathim.“Youdon’tseemtobeveryput
outbygettingshotagainorlockingahostageinmycloset.”
Alopsidedgrinslidontohisface.“Thisain’tmyfirstrodeo,babe.”
Chewing her bottom lip, she worried over the undeserving man. “Any idea what
yourfriendsaregoingtodotohim?”
“Don’t know or care. My job was to find him. We’ll sit down at church and
everyonewillvoteonhisfate.Idon’tmuchcareforkillinghim,butIain’tinterestedin
spendingtherestofmylifelookingovermyshouldereither.”
Theman’sraspyvoicesoundedoffthroughthedoor.“Fine,wecancallafucking
truce.”
Ryderbangedthedoor.“Nowain’tthetime,slimeball.”
Tiffany’sbrowfurrowed.“You’resocavalieraboutviolenceanddeath.Ican’tsay
thatIlikethataboutyou.”
“Menlikemehaveseenalotoffightingandbeenthroughalotofshit,doll.Just
becauseI’mhardenedtoitalldon’tmeanIexpectyoutobe.”
Acegroaned.“Shit,youtwo.Getafuckin’room.”
Rollinghiseyes,Ryderignoredhim.“Justhangtoughthroughthisonesituation.I
promise,nomoreridin’dirty.”
“Whatdoesthatevenmean?”
“Meanshewon’tberunningdrugsorgunsnomore,”Ace’smuffledvoicereached
outtothem.
Ryderbangedthedoorhardenoughtosplitthewood.“Willyoushutthefuckup,
Ace?Youain’thelpin’mycase.”
Tiffanylookedbetweenthedoorandthemanshewasquicklyfallinginlovewith.
“Ican’tdothisrightnow,withanhonesttogoodnesshostageinthecloset.”
“Fuckin’ fine, be that way.” Ryder kicked the chair away from bracing the door
andopenedthecloset.Grabbingtheman,hedraggedhimintothekitchenandthrewhim
downintoachair.
“Why don’t you make our stalker some freakin’ coffee? We’ll treat him like an
honored guest.” Ryder was totally off the chain at this point, allowing his anger and
frustrationtogetthebetterofhim.
Tiffany bristled at his tone. Stalking over to the coffee machine, she spat back,
“Youarereallyunbelievable.Ihopeyouknowthat.”
“You’retheonewhowantedtofeedhimteaandcrumpets,princess.”
Tiffanyhittheonswitchandturnedtofacebothmen.Foldingherarmsoverher
chest, she studied them intently. Ace was a real piece of work. He screamed lone wolf,
unhinged, and a little psychotic. Though he put forth a herculean effort to hide it, she
could see defeat stamped over every square inch of his face. He was, in her opinion,
nothingmorethanaregularguypushedtohisbreakingpoint.
Themanstandingbesidehimwithhersmallgunclutchedfirmlyinhishandwasin
crisismodeaswell.Ryder’sfacewasweary,andheclearlyfelthisbackwasagainstthe
wall.Hewascertainlyamanhardenedtotheuglinessoftheworldaroundhim.
Perhaps that’s what made him belligerent and cynical at times. Stress certainly
broughtouthisdarkside.Still,she’dbelyingifshesaidthat’salltherewastohim.Ryder
was also intelligent, brave, funny, flirtatious, and very direct. She wasn’t used to his
particularbrandofoutrighthonesty,butshedefinitelylikedit.
Maybe the other man possessed similar qualities. He was too overwhelmed with
fearandgriefoverhisbrotherforanyofittoshinethoughatthemomentthough.
The different perspective she brought to the situation was that of a medical
professional.Inherworld,everyonemattered,mostespeciallythedirty,injured,grieving
ones.Didbothmenfrightenher?Theanswerwouldbeagianthellyes.Therealproblem
wasthatneitherofthemscaredherhalfasmuchastheyshould.
“I want the two of you to work out this little problem,” she announced. She
watchedasshocktorethroughbothmen.
“Whatthefuck,Tiff?”
Liftingherchin,shesaid,“Youheardme.Aceisrightaboutonething.Youtwo
areasbadaseachother.Usethatasyourcommonground.”
“Shit.Youdon’twanthimdead,doyou?”Ryderquestioned.
“Whywouldanywomanwanttostandbyandseepeoplekilleachother?He’sa
huge,strappingbiker.Seemslikeawastetojustkillhim.SurelytoGod,twogrownmen
cansettletheirdifferenceswithoutresortingtorepeatedlyshootingeachother.”
Wavingonehanddramaticallytomakeherpoint,shetrainedhereyesonbothof
them.“I’mgettingrealtiredofpatchingyoutwoup.Justmakeupalready.”
“Heshotme,twice.”Ryder’sindignantvoicewasalmostfunny.
“And you somehow managed to kill his brother.” There was nothing goddamn
funnyaboutthat.
“Iain’tapologizingforthatshit.Thebastardrapedmysister.Hehaditcoming.I
triedtoheadhimoff,buthewouldn’tstop.Hejustkeptcoming.”
Ace’sheadcameup.“Thelittleprettyone?”
Ryder kicked his chair violently. “Shut the fuck up. You know I only have the
one.”
The dirty man pressed a hand against his leg wound. “I didn’t know he did that.
Yoursister’srealyoung.”
Ryderwaspracticallyvibratingwithanger.“Stoptalkingabouther.”
Bangingcoffeemugsdownonthetable,Tiffanylookedfromonemantotheother.
“Workitout.I’mgoingtogotakeashower.Ifyoutwoshooteachotheragain,IswearI
willleaveyouwhereyoudrop.”
Asshestalkedoff,sheheardAcecomment,“Feistyone.”
“Don’ttalkaboutherlikethat.Infact,don’tlookathereither.”
“Youcan’tkeeppeoplefromlookingatotherfuckingpeople,dimwit.”
“I’mthemotherfuckerwiththegun,”Ryderargued.
Tiffany shook her head. She was sick and tired of getting caught between the
feuding men. As her temples began to throb, she realized she was stressed beyond her
breaking point. At this point, they could both kill each other and she’d step right over
themandbakecookies.
Ryderglaredatthemansittinginfrontofhim.EvenifTiffanycouldfindsome
compassioninherheartfortheman,hesurethehellcouldn’t.
“Sorryaboutyoursister,man.Ididn’tknow.”
“She’sfuckingfourteen.”
“Jesus.Ican’tbelievehedidthat.”
Ryderwasn’thavinganyofthisbullshitdenial.“You’regoingtostartoutbylying
tome?”
“Allright,Icanfuckin’believehedidit,”Aceamended.“Iwisheverythingwas
backthewayitwasbeforeitallwenttohell.”
Droppingintoaseatacrossthetable,Rydercrammedtheguninhispocketand
grabbedhiscoffee.“You’vebeenoutoftheslammer,what,aweek?Youattackedaman,
shothimtwice,stalkedhimoverthestateline,andshothimagainafterthreateningtokill
awoman.Jesus,it’slikeyou’refasttrackingyourselftodeathrow.”
Ryderwatchedasthemanwrappedhisdirtyhandsaroundthewarmmugof
coffee.“Ishouldhavebeenthereforhim.”
“Youweredoingtimeforthesicksonofbitch.Howmuchmorebeingtherecould
youbeforyourbrother?”
Acestareddownintothemug.“Imusthavefailedhimforhimtonotunderstand
howwrongitistotouchakid.”
“Nobodyfailedanybody.Hehadexactlythesamefuckin’parentsyoudid,”Ryder
snarled.“Hewasbornfuckin’asselfishastheycome.Youain’tgotcontrolovernobody
butyou,man.Thesooneryouseethat,thesooneryou’regonnagetyourlifebackon
track.”
“Whatfuckin’life?”Acemurmured,soundingdefeated.
“Youain’ttheonlybrothereverbeenlockedupfortenyears.Youwentinyoung.
Nowyougotyourwholelifeaheadofyou.Don’tfuckin’wasteitbymakin’mekillyour
foolishass.”
Acehuffed.“WhatthefuckkindoflifecanIpossiblyhave.I’mandex-conwitha
rapistforafuckin’brother.Peopleain’tgonnagivemeachancetoprovenothin’.”
“Theclubisalwayslookin’forprospects,”Rydersaid,extendinganofferhenever
imaginedhewould.“Thatwasthepathyouwereonuntilthatbrotherofyoursfuckedit
allupforyou.”
Lookingupathim,RydersawhopeonAce’sdirtyface.Itsqueezedathisheart.
BythegraceofGod,hecouldhavebeensittingwherehewasrightnow.“Look,man,I’m
sorryaboutyourbrother.Ikeptwarninghim,buthewouldn’tlisten.Icamehomefroma
runandfoundherprettybeatenup.Shewashidingoutintheatticsomyfolkswouldn’t
seethebruisesonherface.Hadtoforceitouttaher.”
Acegrimaced.“Shitmakesmesickinside.”
Rydercontinued.“Ihuntedhimdownandhedidn’tevendenyit.Saidshelikedit
roughandbraggedaboutitbeingherfirsttime.”
“Fuckin’idiot.Fourteen-year-oldvirginsdon’tlikeitrough.”
“No,brother,theydon’t,”Ryderagreed.“Shehadablackeye,twocrackedribs,
andadislocatedshoulder.Ijustmeanttokickhisassalloverthebar,buthepulleda
knife.”
“Idon’twanttohearanymore.ItmighthavegonebadifIhadbeentheone
confrontinghim.Hewasalwayssohardheadedandfuckin’aggressive.”
“What’sdoneisdone.Thepolicecameanddidtheirthing.Saiditwasself-
defense.Youbetterbelievethatiftheythoughttheycouldmakeacaseatallagainstme,
they’dhavetried.”
Nodding,Acetookanotherdrinkofhiscoffee.
“Look,man,whenwasthelasttimeyouaterealfood,”Ryderasked,lookingthe
manover.Hewasamess.
“Idon’tevenknow.Doesprisonfoodcount?”
“Shit.”Movingtotheslowcooker,Ryderdippedhimoutaslabofbeefandslidit
acrossthetable.
Ace’sfacelitup.“Thanks,man.Sorryaboutthebulletholes.”
Ryderbrusheditoff.Hewasn’tlookingforanewfriend,buthecouldseenowthat
Acewasadecentguy.Theleasthecoulddowasfeedthepoorbastard.“Ibeenshot
before.Itain’tnothingnew.Arewesquare?”
“Yeah,”Acesaidaroundamouthfulofbeef,“morethansquare.”
“Youknowthebrothersaregonnatakeyoutothedungeonforawhile,”Ryder
informedhim.“Whenthetimecomes,I’llspeakupforyou.”
Acedidn’tlookupfromhisfood.“It’snotlikeIain’tneverbeenlockedup
before.”
“Well,assoonasmyprettylittlebitchgetsouttatheshower,youbettergetyour
assinthere‘causeIdoubtthey’llgiveyouanotherchance.”
Acenodded.“Thankherforthefood,willya?”
“Sure.”
NosoonerhadAcefinishedeatingthanTiffanycamebackintothekitchenwith
wethair.“Gladtoseeyoutwoactinglikegrown-ups.”
“MindifAcegrabsashower?”
Shenodded.“Ilaidhimoutsomecleanclothing.Hopeitfitsproperly.He’salittle
biggerthanyouare.”
Leaningbackinhischairwithhishandsbehindhishead,Rydercommented
casually.“I’mbiggerwhereitcounts,babe.Don’tyouworryaboutthat.”
Acestaggeredtohisfeetandheadedtothebackpartofthecabin.Tiffanythrew
himaquestioninglook,buthejustshrugged.Acewasn’tgoinganywhere,‘causehehad
nowheretogo.He’dstayandfacethebrothersforachancetoprospect,hewassure.The
outsideworlddidn’thavemuchtoofferhimaftertenyearsintheslammer.
Watchinghergracefullymovingaroundthekitchen,RyderknewTiffanywouldbe
hisoneday.“Thanks,babe.”
Shedidn’tlookupwhenshesaid,“Whatpartofmyfantasticcontributiontothis
clusterfuckareyousogratefulfor,Ryder?”
Laughing,herepliedsincerely.“Remindingmethatthingsnevergetsobadthat
youcan’tfindyourwayback.”
Shepaused,liftingherheadtomeethiseyes.“So,youtworeallyworkedthings
out?”
“Iwassoangry.Iprobablywouldhaveendedupkillinghimifyouhadn’tbeen
here.You’rerightaboutusbeingalotalike.Yougotmetoseereasonwhenitwasthe
furthestthingfrommymind.It’salessonIwon’tbeforgettinganytimesoon.”
Smilingathimwithgenuinewarmth,shewalkedoveranddroppedakissonhis
cheek.“I’mgonnaholdyoutothat,mister.”
Wrappinghisarmsaroundher,hepulledherdownintohislap.“Whatdoyousay
weputyourfourdaysofftogooduse?”
“Whatdidyouhaveinmind?”sheasked,grinning.
“Mybrotherswillbringmysled.I’dlovetohaveyourprettylittleassontheback
ofmybike.Maybeyoucancomeandcheckoutmyneckofthewoods.Mightbeyoufind
somethingyoulikeinSouthDakotaterritory.”
Grinningmadlyathim,shemurmured,“MightbeIalreadyhave.”
“Stoptalkinglikeme,doll.Itgivesmeaboner.”
Herexpressionturnedheated,andhecouldtellshewasthinkingofsuckinghim
offatthehospital.Itwastheonlyassociationshe’dhadwithhiscocksofar.Assoonashe
gotridoftall,dark,andbroodinginthebackroom,heplannedtofixthatoversight.She
seemedtoinstinctivelyknowwherehisthoughtshaddrifted.
“Wewon’tbedoinganythingfununtilyourwoundshealabit.”
Ryder’slipsskimmedthedelicatecolumnofherthroat.“It’scutethatyouthinka
fewstitchesaregonnastopmefrompoundingthefuckouttayou.”
Laughing,sherespondedplayfully,“Ifyoutearoutthosesutures,I’llhavetodrop
asetmyself.I’mnodoctor,sothatwon’tbeawalkintheparkforyou.Rememberthatthe
nexttimeyoustartthinkingsexythoughts.”
“Youknowsomething,doll?YoureyesarethedeepestblueI’veeverseen.”
“You’rearealcharmer,”shesaidwithalightlaugh.“IcantellthatI’mgoingto
havetobecarefularoundyou.Youprobablysaythesamethingtoeverygirlyoumeet.”
“Maybe, but you ain’t like other girls. You’re quality. The kind of woman meant
forluxuryandfinethings.”
“IfyouthinkIcareaboutmoney,youdon’tknowmeverywell.”
“Womenlikeyounevercareaboutshitlikethat,”hesaid,leaningbacktolookup
ather.Hebrushedherhairbackfromherface.“I’mtellingyoumyopinionofwhatyou
deserve,notwhatIthinkyouwant.”
Thosebigblueeyesofherssoftened.“Don’tyouthinkitoughttobeuptometo
decidewhatkindofmanIwanttospendmytimewith?”
“Youlikedirtybikers,babe?”
“Keepitup,smartmouth.Imightrunoutandsnagsomeonejustlikeyououtof
spite.”
“Ifyou’vegotamindtothrowyourlifeaway,itain’tgonnabeonsomeonelike
me.It’sgonnabeonme,trustmeonthat,darlin’.”
“YoumightjustpossiblybethemostarrogantmanI’veevermet,RyderStaunton.”
“Gottabehonest,babe.Thatain’tthefirsttimeawomanevertoldmethat.”
“Aren’tyousupposedtosayitalsowon’tbethelast?”
Hemeltedalittle,enjoyingtheirinnocentflirting.“MaybeIwantthelastwoman
tellin’methattobeyou.Everconsiderthat?”
Suddenly, the roar of a half dozen motorcycles sounded outside the cabin.
Standing, Ryder saw Ace walking in all clean and looking much less like a serial killer.
Jerkinghishead,hespokelowandfast.“It’smybrothers.LetmeandAcedothetalking,
allright,doll?”
Nodding,shewalkedoutwithhisarmdrapedaroundherwaist.
Thereweresixmotorcyclesintotal.Lookinglikeabunchofleather-claddemons
straightoutofhell,hisbrothersdismountedfromtheirbikesandheadedinhisdirection.
Theystoppedabouttwentyfeetawayandstaredathim.
Ryder relaxed a little. Badasses though they were, he always felt safer in the
company of his brothers. Stepping out to meet them, Tiffany kept to his back with both
handsgrippinghiships.
Hetiltedhishead,tryingtofigureoutwhatwaskeepingthemfromapproaching.
Hisbrothers’eyesslidfromhimtoTiffany.Hecouldpracticallyheartheirthoughts.She
wasastranger,onewhostuckoutasnotlikemostofthepeopletheyknew.They’dseeher
as an interloper until they got to know her. Motioning his brothers forward, they
reluctantlyapproached.
“Everythingokayhere,Ryder?Iain’titchingtokillnobitchestoday.”
“Ain’t nobody whackin’ my new girl. Get your head around that shit or we’re
gonnahaveproblems.”
“Mind tellin’ me why you brought her along for this particular shit storm of an
assignment.”
“Ididn’tbringher.ShewasmynurseatSt.Mary’s.Bitchisgoodatkeepin’stupid
fuckers alive.” Jerking his chin at Ace, the other man nodded his agreement. Ryder
watchedhisbrothers’eyescrawloverbothofthem,knowingfullwelltheywereriddled
withholes.
Darkness spoke first. “Well, I say that’s a mighty fine quality to have in a wife.
Ain’t nobody here has their gun out, so I’m thinkin’ you two bitch-slapped some sense
intoeachother.”
Frowning, Ryder replied flatly, “A lifetime of friendship does not give you the
right to say disrespectful shit to my face. Don’t think for a goddamn minute that three
bulletholeswillkeepmefrombeatingyourfuckin’ass.”
Darkness laughed. “Just checkin’ to make sure my best friend was still in there
somewhere.Hatetoseeyousowhippedrightoutofthegate.”
ThemomenthiseyesslidtoTiffany,Rydernailedhimwithafisttotheface.
Aceshookhishead.“Ialreadytoldyouthatyoucan’tkeeppeoplefromlookingat
her,Ryder.”
“Icanfuckin’try.”
Tiffanyspokeup.“He’sjustoverprotective.Ithinkrelationshipsarenewforhim,
sodon’thurthim.”
Suddenly,everyonewaslaughing.
“Calmyourprettylittleassdown.Weain’tgonnadonothin’tohurthim.He’sour
brother.”
“Yourwomanisabossylittlebitch.Mightwanttoseetothat,brother.”
“You’dprobablybesurprisedhowharditistotrainawomanwho’ssmarterthan
youare,sinceyouonlyseeminterestedinthereallystupidwhores.”
“Ain’t no need to get belligerent. Get her in a property cut. She’s damn sexy
standingthereatyourbacktakingupforyouagainstusscarybikers.Loyaltylikethat’s
somethingamancan’tbuyinthisworld.You’reoneluckybastard.”
“Can’tsayI’mallthatthrilledaboutyoutakin’suchaninterestinmynurse.Care
toshutthefuckupandgetAceouttahere,”Ryderinstructed.
“Toobadithadtocomedowntothis.”
“Justtakehimhomeandlockhisassup.Nofunandgames.Feedhimandkeep
himwithhonor.Justbecausehisbrotherwrongedusdoesnotmakehimourenemy.”
“Yougotthreebulletholesthatsayotherwise.”
“Weworkedthatshitout,andwe’lltalktherestoutinchurch.”
“Whateveryousay,brother.”
“Thanksforbringin’mybike.We’regonnaridebackonourown.”
“Noproblem.Makealittleromantictripofit,butgetbackinonepiece.”
Once everyone left, there was only one bike left. Ryder’s eyes slid lovingly over
thehugeHarley.Itwasarealbeauty,loadedwithshinychromeanddistressedleather.
“Youhaveabeautifulbike,baby.”
Lookingup,hecaughttheadmiringlookonTiffany’sface.She’dcalledhimbaby.
Hisdickwasinstantlyhard.“Wannagoforashortride?”
“Areyousafetodrive?”
Runninghishandreverentlyoverthechromebumper,hewhispered,“Always.”
Wrappingherarmsaroundthesexybiker,Tiffanyrealizedshewasgrowingway
tooattachedtohiminaveryshortperiodoftime.Leaninghercheekagainsthisback,she
enjoyed his masculine scent as the breeze blew though her hair. Riding on the back of
Ryder’sbikefeltveryrighttoher.Righterthananythinginherlifeeverhad.Couldshe
givethatup?Yes.Didshewantto?No.
Tiffany struggled to figure out one compelling reason not to follow him back to
South Dakota. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d started over. But this time would be
easier.She’dhavesomeonetolove,someonetoprotectherfromdanger.Didwantingthat
makeherweak?Itdidn’tmakeherfeelweak.Itfeltlikeawin-winsituationtoher.
Theyrodeforalmostanhourbeforehepulledbackuptothecabin.Jumpingoff
the back of his bike, Tiffany knew better than to try to help him off. He wouldn’t
appreciatebehavioroutofawomanthathesawascoddling.Hedidfineanyway,andshe
forgotwhyshewasevenworried.
“Ibeenthinking,babe,”Ryderstartedastheyheadedinside.
“Metoo.”
“Tellmewhatitwouldtaketogetyoutocomehomewithme.”
Smiling,sheteased,“Tengrand.”
“Fuckin’done.”
“Holdup,Iwasjustkiddingaboutthat.YouknowIdon’twantyourmoney.”
Smilingsmugly,hedeadpannedback,“Nope.Youwantmybody.Icantellbythe
wayyoulookatme.”
“Actually,Iwantyourheart.Ifthat’snotpartofthebargain,I’mnotinterested.”
“Fuck.Youdon’tplayaround,doyou?”
Astheycrossedthethresholdandheclosedthedoorbehindthem,sheshrugged.“I
figuresinceyou’resuchastraightshooter,you’dappreciatemebeinghonestaboutwhatI
wantfromyou.”
Pullingherintohisarms,Ryderdroppeddownandcuddledheronhislaponthe
hugesofa.“Icanstillrememberwakinguptoyourbeautifulfaceintheemergencyroom.
WhenIopenedmyeyes,theroomwasslowlydriftingintofocus.Irememberbeingreal
discombobulated.Itriedtogetup,andthenextthingIknew,youwerethere.IthoughtI’d
diedandyouweremyangel.Itmademethinkdyingmightnotbesoawfulafterall.”
Peeringupathimadoringly,shewhispered,“That’sthesweetestthingamanhas
eversaidtome.Itmusthavebeenaprofounddisappointmenttorealizeitwasjustplain
oldme.”
Hisbrowsdrewtogether,hisvoicefirmwhenhesaid,“Fuckno,itwasn’t.WhenI
realizedthatyouwerereal,Iwasthemostgratefulbastardinthefuckin’world.”
Touchinghisgrizzledcheek,Tiffanyasked,“Whywasthat?”
“Becauseangelsdon’tfuck,baby.Iwantedyouridingmydickmorethananything
elseinthewholefuckin’world.”
Hisdirtywordsmakeherinstantlywetforhim.Shesquirmedonhislap.“Wow.I
don’tevenknowwhattosaytothat.”Slappinghimplayfullyonthearm,shetriedtohide
herneed.“That’sthedirtiestthinganyone’seversaidtome.”
“You don’t need to ever worry about having my heart. You have that and an
obsessionsodeep,Idon’tthinkI’mevergonnabefreeofit.Iwantyou,babe.Withevery
ounceofmysoul,Ifuckin’wantonlyyou.”
“Iwantyoujustasmuch.”Thewhisperedconfessionseemedtospikehislust.
“KissingyouisthebestsexI’veeverhad.Thatlittletasteoflovin’yougavemeat
the hospital just made my cravin’ for you more ferocious. I need you.” Bringing up one
hand,Ryderwrappedhisfingersaroundherrightbreast.“Youlikemetalkin’dirtytoyou,
prettything?”
“Ofcoursenot.”
Rubbing his thumb over her taut nipple, he asked curiously, “Then explain why
yourheadlightsareflashingmethegosignal.”
Herarmscameupoverherchest.“It’schillyinhere.”
Licking his bottom lip, he responded quietly, “I don’t like bein’ lied to by pretty
women.”
“Well,areyoupackinganironbarthere,orisitforfuckingme?”
“Hearing you talk dirty is really flipping my switch, baby,” Ryder murmured.
“Somethingabouthearingsuchnaughtywordscomingfromsuchasweetlittlemouthis
givingmeahugehard-on.”
“I’mdyingtogetanothertasteofyou.”Herhonestconfessionstillcausedherto
blushfuriously.
“NomoretalkabouthowIhavetowait‘tilI’mallbettertofuckyou.”
“Cometobed,”sheurged.“We’lltakeitniceandslow.”
“Don’tknowifI’vegotanyslowinsideme,butI’llsureashelllook.”
Leadinghimbacktothebedroom,theybegantogentlyundresseachother.Well,
shewasgentle.Ryderwaspracticallyrippingherclothingoff.
“Look, Tiff,” Ryder said as he laid her out on the bed beneath him, “I know I
probablyain’ttherightmanforyou.”
Shekissedhimtenderly.Itapparentlywasn’tenough,becauseheimmediatelytook
over,brandingherwithabreathtakinglydomineeringkiss.“IneedtofuckyoulikeIneed
airtobreathe.TellmenoandI’llstop.”
Feeling his lips against her throat was doing crazy things to her body. “You’re
sendingmixedmessages,”shewhispered.
Hegentlynippedherneckthenlickedthespotwithhistongue.“Tellmetostopif
youdon’twantme.”
Looking up, she caught his eyes, trying to let his words sink in long enough to
makeactualsense.Hispenetratinggazeheldhersquarelyinhisthrall.
“I’mtryingtobethatdecentmanyouwerelookingforyesterday.I’mgivingyoua
chancetorun,‘causeafterIhaveyouthefirsttime,Ijustdon’tknowifI’lleverbeableto
letyougo.”
“I…” Words escaped her when his hand drifted between her legs, rubbing her
swollenpussy.
“Tellthedirty,scarred-upbikertogethisdamnedhandsoffyou,”hegrowled.
Shewastoofargonetoevenconsidermakingwordshappen,letalonethose.
His hand continued exploring her tenderly. “Tell the monster to get back in the
fuckin’closet.Tellthedemontogobacktohell.”Histhickfingerspartedherfolds.“Fuck
me,youaresowet.Isthatallforme?”
Nodding,sherubbedherselfagainsthishandasshenippedathisear.“Allforyou,
baby.Nomanhasevermademesowet.”
“C’mere.” Flipping her over so her back was to him, he pulled her back into his
lap.Histhickcockslidbetweenherlegsandoverherclit,takingherbreathaway.“Talkto
me,Tiff.Tellmeyouwantme.”
“Fromnowon,Ionlywantyou.Inbed,outofbed…Iwantitall.”
“Thenridemycock,babe.Showmehowmuchyouwantme.”
Lifting herself, she watched as he gripped his cock in one hand, steadying it for
her.Itwassuchagentlemanlythingtodothatshegiggled.
“Nolaughingwhenwe’reabouttofuck.Thisisseriousshit.”
Shecouldtellbyhisvoicehewasteasing.Positioningherself,sheslowlytriedto
sinkdownonhim.Itwasalittleawkwardbecauseoftheircomparativesizes.Thewell-
endowedmanhadtopracticallybullyhimselfintothetightconfinesofherbody.
“Thatfeelsreallygood,Ryder,”shesaid,hervoicebreathyandstilted.
“Itsurelythefuckdoes,babe.Justbreathethroughit.Iwon’thurtyou.”
Shehadtosmileathisoverlyprotectivewords.“Thisismyversionofheaven.”
Shenoddedheragreementashebottomedoutinsideher.
Wrapping his arms around her, one hand landed on her cheek and the other her
mound.Turningherfacegentlytowardhim,Ryderlookedintohereyes.“Youaretheonly
womanevertohavemyheart.Yougetthewholedamnpackageifyouwant.”
Bringingherlipstohis,shemurmured,“Ido.Iwantitallwithyou.”Shefelthim
smilethroughthekissashisfingersteasedherclit.“Wedoin’this,babe?”
Nodding, she allowed him to lift her onto all fours. One hand smoothed up her
backbuttheotherneverstrayedfrombetweenherlegs.Hepulledoutandeasedbackina
fewtimes,gettingherusedtohim.
“That’srealsweet,butit’smakingmeimpatientforyou,”shetoldhim.
“Youwanttherealbikerexperience,don’tya?”hesaid,hisvoicerough.
“Yes.Iwantitallwithyou.Don’tholdback.”
“You got it, doll.” Pulling out, he slammed roughly back into her. “Now you’re
gettin’everysquareinch.”
“God,yes,don’tstop.”
Pressingdownbetweenhershoulders,hepositionedherforultimatefucking.She
didn’t know how she knew that, but she did. Grabbing her waist, he powered into her,
moving slightly to find just the right angle. When he found it, she screamed. It was
shockingtofeelhislong,thicklengthslidingoverhersensitivespot.
“Fuckyeah,that’sexactlywhereIneedtobe.”
Tiffanygaspedashepoundedintoherwithaprecisionsheneverthoughtmeresex
couldachieve.Withinmoments,shewasontheedge.That’swhenshefelthischestcome
downonherback.Hisfingerswiggledoverherclitandhewhisperedinherear.“Come
onmycock,baby.ShowmethatI’vegotwhatyouneed.Don’tmakemebeg.”
Somethingabouttheroughedgetohisvoiceandsexywordspushedherrightover
theedge.Shecamescreaminghisnameandheneverletup,notevenforasecond.Her
orgasmseemedtodragonforabsolutelyever.
“Justlikethat,squeezemetight.”Bendingcloserhewhispereddirtythingsinher
ear.“Iamgoingtowreckyourtightlittlepussyforallothermen.Anightinmybed,and
noothercockwilleverbeenoughforyou.Gotthat,princess?”
“Yes. Wreck me, make me yours,” she mumbled in a lust-induced haze, unsure
howshewasevenmakingcoherentsentences.
“Youwanttobemyownpersonalslut?I’lldesecrateyou,markyouwithmycum,
andmakesureeveryotherbastardintheworldknowsyou’reofflimits.”
“God,yes,doit.”
“You’retoofuckin’sweetforyourowngood.”Wrappinghisarmsaroundher,he
poweredintoherwithquick,jerkingthrustsuntilshefelthisheatpouringintoher.When
hewasfinished,hepulledout,pullingthemdownuntiltheywerelyingface-to-face.
Astheycaughttheirbreath,shelaughed.
“Itain’t very niceto laugh ata mean biker whojust laid claimto you, doll.” He
wasgrinningjustasmadlyasshewas,soshedidn’tstop.
“Demonbacktohell?Ican’tbelieveyouactuallysaidthattome.”
“Iwasjusttryingtodrivehometheimportanceofthemoment.”
Moving a strand of hair from his sweaty brow, she looked into his handsome,
scarredface.“Tellmethat’snothowyouseeyourself.”
Glancingaway,herespondedquietly,“Sometimes,everymandoes.”
“You’renomonster.You’retoughandsmartandhardtokill.Itonlymakesmelike
youmorebecauseitmeansyou’llbearoundforawhile.”
“Iain’tgoin’anywhere.Look,Iknowthisthinghitushardandfast,butI’vebeen
aroundtheblockatimeortwo.Iknowyou’reitforme.Icanfeelitinmybones.Iwantto
seethisthingthroughwithus,seeifit’sasrealasIthinkitis.”
“Don’tworry,Ifeelittoo.I’vedecidedthatIwanttogowithyou.Iwanttosee
wherethisgoesaswell.Ifthisallworksout,Iwantanicelittlehouse,kids,andwedding
band.Inotherwords,Iwantitallwithyou,”sheconfessed,layingitalloutforhim.
“Nowyousee,mostmenwouldberunningscaredifawomanthey’dknownfor
justafewdaystoldthemsomethinglikethat.Notme.I’mcountin’myselfasonelucky
mutt.”
“Needmetogiveyoualittlescratchbehindtheear?”sheteased.
“Igotabetterplaceforyoutoscratch.”
Looking down between them, she could see he had a raging hard-on again. Her
mouthfellopen.“Howthehellcanyoueventhinkofsexafterwhatwejustdid?”
“Icouldgotwo,maybethreemoretimestoday.Ifyou’retoosore,wecandoother
things.”
“Areyoualwayssuchagentleman?”
“Don’tgetstartedwiththatshitaboutmebeingadecentperson.Ijustlovetofuck,
andfuckin’youisouttathisworld.Itgivesmemoremotivationthannormaltobenice.”
“Howaboutasexyshower,andthenI’lldothatthingIdidbefore,”shesuggested.
“Nofuckin’way.”
Herexpressionfell.“Ithoughtyoulikedit.”
“Ilovedit,butIain’toneofthosebastardswhothinkmywomanoughttodothat
formeallthetimewithoutgettingalittleinreturn.Youletmeburymyfaceinyoursweet
cooch,andI’llletyousuckonmeallyouwant.”
“Youhaveadirtymouth,youngman.”
“Don’t pretend you don’t like that about me. I’ve been inside you. I know how
muchwetteryougetwhenIsaynaughtythingstoyou.”
“Irefusetoconfirmordenysuchunsubstantiatedallegations,”shesaidwithalift
ofherchin,gladhecouldn’tseetheheatrisinginhercheeks.
“That’s a lot of fancy-ass words, doll. Come, let me give your mouth something
better to do with its time,” Ryder said, and before she could think to respond, he was
pullingherintohisarmsagain.Hismouthcoveredhersandtheydidn’tcomeupforairfor
averylongtime.
Later,theytookturnssoapingeachotherupintheshower,thensheslippedoutto
dryoff.Seeinghimstandingtherewithallhisscarsandtattoosondisplayandwaterproof
bandagescoveringhiswoundsreallytuggedatherheart.
Shequicklypulledonsomepantiesandacamisoletoavoidhimtakingonelookat
herandwantingtogoanotherround.Hell,shewasdoubtfulanyamountofclothingwould
dissuadetheman,butshehadtotry.Agirlneededabreaksometimes,afterall.
Themomenthiseyeslandedonher,Ryderstalkedover.Hisnakedbody,dripping
withwater,tookherbreathaway.“You’reoverdressed,doll.”
Onehandcameupandshetenderlyranitoverthehugeskulltattoocoveringhis
chest. It was his club symbol. They’d already talked about that once before. Her hand
drifteddowntothebulgingsix-packabs.“Whydoyouhaveaflockofcrowsflyingacross
onesideofyourstomach?”
“Youdon’twanttoknow.”
Instinctively,sheknew.“Oneforeverypersonyoukilled?”
Hiseyesgrewstormy.“Seven,includingAce’sbrother.Beforeyouask,no.Itdoes
notgetanyeasier.Istillhavebaddreamsabouteverysingleoneofthem.”
Hermouthwassuddenlydry.Healsohadhugeangelwings,oneoneachshoulder.
“I’mmyclub’sSergeant-at-Arms.”
Again.sheknewwithouthimexplaining.“Theirprotector?”
Nodding,hegrewstillbeneathhertouch.
“You’retheirdarkangel.”
“You’reafuckin’smartlittlebitch.Ain’tnowomanevergotmethatwaybefore.”
Smilingslightly,shemurmured,“Youcursealot.”
“Don’tgotryin’tochangeme.”
Looking up at him under her long, beautiful lashes, she spoke softly, “I like you
justthewayyouare.Allthescars,tattoos,cursing,andbadattitudejustmakeyouperfect
andunique.Peopleshouldn’ttrytochangeotherpeople,butinyourcase,I’dhavetobe
insanetomesswithperfection.”
“Fuck,youslaymeeverysingletimeyouopenyourmouth.”Hiswhisperedreply
soundedalittleawestruck.
Withoutaskingpermission,hisplacedhishandsaroundherwaistandtuggedher
closer. As always, Tiffany came willing to him, eager to experience the affection and
pleasure only he could give. His kiss was tender and loving. She enjoyed the gentle
scratchofhisshortfacialhair.Withinseconds,theyweretanglingtongues.Tiffanyfound
herselfpracticallyclimbinghissexybody.
Laughing,hepushedherback.“Noclimbingbackonmycock.It’smyturntoget
alittletaste.You’rejustgoingtolaythereandtakeit,sweetness.”
Before she could lodge a formal protest, he had her flat on her back and was
crawling up her. He looked so serious, she had to laugh. “Sorry, baby, I got confused. I
thoughtyouwereoneofthoseridesoutsidestores.Youknowtheoneswhereanyonecan
havearideforaquarter.”
Tossing her a roguish grin, he ripped off her panties with one hand. Lifting her
with one hand, he used the other to playfully smack her ass. “That’s what you get for
comparing me to a kiddie ride, sweetheart. You’ll find out real goddamn fast, I’m more
likethewildcarnivalrideeveryonestandsinlinefortwiceatahugeamusementpart.”
Teasinghimfornoreasonshecoulddiscern,shedeadpanned,“Youmeanlikethe
teacuprideat—”
“Shit,girl,youaretryingtopissmeoff.”Slidinghisfingersintoherwarmheat,he
growled,“Thinkbiggerandmeaner,likethebiggest,baddestthrillrideinthepark.That’s
me.”Hispropensitytobraghimselfalluptoherwaskindofendearing.
Closinghereyes,shereveledinthepleasureofhistouch.Arippingsoundtoreher
fromherthemomentshefeltthecamisolebeingpulledfromherbody.Tiffanyknewshe
should be upset at the dominance display, but she wasn’t. It was making her hotter than
she’deverbeenbefore.
As he moved from her lips to tease each breast, she cradled his head with both
hands,urginghimon.Sheknewshewasalreadysoakingwetforhimagain.Itfeltstrange
toenjoysomuchsexinaday.Tiffanysmiledtoherself,hopingitwasgoingtobelikethis
foranicelongwhile.
Whenhismouthlandedbetweenherlegs,Ryderwassureofhimself.Heexplored
her body and tested her responses like a man on mission from God. When he found
somethingsheliked,hemadesuretodoitalot.Heexpertlyteasedanorgasmoutofher
within minutes. Looking up at her from between her thighs, he made eye contact before
givingheronelasttantalizinglick.
Crawling up her body, he murmured, “You just sealed your fate with me,
sweetheart.Iain’tgonnabeabletolivewithoutthetasteofyouonmytongue.”
Tiffany giggled, absurdly pleased by the compliment. “I definitely know that
feeling.”
Lying down on his back he commanded, “Suck me or take a turn on your new
carnivalride.Whateveryouwant,butdoitnow‘causeI’mdyingtocome.”
“Whichwouldyoupreferrightnow?”shepurredassherolledovertofacehim.
“Ifitwereuptome,I’dbeontopbangingyouintotheheadboard.”
Stretchingherarmsoverherheadandpressingherbreaststowardtheceiling,she
lookedoverathisastonishedface.“Comeon,Ryder.Wedon’thaveallday.”
Looking more excited than the moment warranted, he was on her in a heartbeat.
“Youarepracticallyforcingmetofallinlovewithyou.”
“IcantellthatI’monlyacoupleoforgasmsawayfromfallingheadoverheelsfor
youaswell.”
Smilingdownather,heasked,“Didyoulikehavingmymouthonyou,doll?”
“YouknowIlovedit.”
“So did I,” he growled. He wrapped her legs high around his waist and slid his
handbetweenherlegs.“Likethewaymyfingerspartyoursoft,pinkfolds?Wanttofeela
realman?”
Lostinahazeoflust,shewasawarethatonlysoftmoanswerecomingoutwhen
shenoddedheragreement.
“Ifuckin’loveallthosesweetsoundsyoumakewhenyoucome.Wannahearmore
ofthem.Canyoudothatforme,love?”
As he eased down on top of her, she teased him, “Careful, badass. This face-to-
facethingfeelsalotlikemakinglove.”
“I’mjustshowinghowversatileIam.Isn’tthislikesometypeofhusbandaudition
foryou?”
Shelaughedbeforeshethought.“You’rearealfunnyguy.”
He rubbed himself against her wet core. “Need me to stoke your fire, baby? Tell
meyouneedme.”
“Yes,please.”
Hegrabbedbothofherwristsandroughlypinnedthemtothesoftbeddingabove
herhead.“NotwhatIwanttohear,baby.You’renotgettinapieceofthisuntilyoubeg.
Untilyoubeglikeyoumeanit.”
He rubbed his cock back and forth along her tender bud, teasing her and forcing
hertobeg.Hisexpressionwashotandaroused.Shecouldtellhereallyenjoyedplaying
littlesexgameswithher.Truthbetold,shelovedthemaswell.
Grabbingherthinyogapants,hetiedhersecurelytotheheadboard,lookingherin
theeyestheentiretime.
Biting her bottom lip, she worried a little about what he would do next. The
apprehensionmusthavebeenshowingonherfacebecausehesmoothedbothhandsdown
hertorso.Itremindedherofthewaycowboyssoothedtheirhorses.Sheshouldhavebeen
insulted,butshewasn’t.Shecouldn’tbe.
Thepurelustpouringoffhiminwaveswasbreathtaking.“I’vewantedyounaked
andcompliantbeneathmesincethemomentIseteyesonyou.Don’tbothertotellmeyou
don’twantit.Youaresoakedwithneed.”
Hefondledherbreastsroughlywithbothhands,tuggingonhersoftpeaks.Hewas
carefultoensurehistouchwasjustshyofpain.She’dheardguyssaythatwasthesweet
spotforwomenwholikeditrough.Herstomachmusclesclenched.Maybeshewasn’tas
boringinbedasshe’dalwaysimagined.Itjusttooktherightmantobringitout.
Hislipscapturedhersinacommandingkisswhilehisfingersslidintoherheated
core.Herbackbowedoffthebedaspleasuresweptthroughherbody.
Hewhisperedseductively,“Doyoustillfeellikewe’remakinglove?”
She gazed up at him with new respect. He was light years ahead of her in the
lovemaking category. For some reason, he understood that making love was all about
gettingintheotherperson’shead.Somethingclickedinherbrainthen.Peoplegavewhat
they wanted to receive. That realization explained why he kept asking her to beg. He
wantedhertosubmitasonlyawomancould.Thatmusthavebeenhisromanticfantasy.
Beforeshecouldformulatearealplanofattack,hespokeagain.“Thisisme,the
badassbiker,makinglovetomywoman.”
“Take me anyway you want, slow, fast, hard or gentle. I’ll give myself over to
whateverwouldgiveyouthemostpleasure.”
Uncertaintymarredhiswords.“Youtrustmethatmuch?”
Nodding,shewhispered,“Takeme.Makemeyours.”
She watched pride unfurl across his face. A possessive light lit in his eyes and
roughly slid home. He watched hawkishly as she closed her fingers around the cloth
bindingsandallowedherselftobecarriedawayonatsunamiofpleasure.Comingapart
under his full-frontal assault earned her another adoring gaze. Only this one was tinged
withpossessivenessaswell.Itwasagoodlookforhim.
Hesuckedherneckashefilledherwithhisseed.“Menlikemearekindoflike
modern-daypirates,”hehuskedbesideherear.“Whenitcomestowomen,wewanderthe
world pillaging and plundering. You’re my prize plunder, baby. Pirates never give back
theirtreasure.Thinkthatoverwhileyoucatchyourbreath.”
“Icomewithsecretsofmyown.Youshouldknowthat,”shepanted.
Settling between her legs, he seemed disinclined to pull out. After untying her
wrists,bothhandscamedownoneithersideofherface.“Anyofthosesecretsgonnakeep
usfrombein’together?”
“No.”
“Anyoftheminvolvedanger?”
Nodding, she whispered, “I can’t go back or see my family. There’s a man there
andhe’swealthyand—”
Bringinghislipsdowntoherear,hewhispered,“Saveitforanothertime.Aslong
asyou’rewithme,you’resafe.”
Tiffany could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest. Ryder would be hard-
pressed to deal with the Sawyer family. But she’d been gone for years. He’d moved on.
Surely,hewouldn’tstillbelookingforher.She’dlaylow.He’dneverfindher.
Rydergrabbedherchingently,tiltingherfaceup.“Dealin’withthatkindofshit
ain’tnothin’butanormaldayforme,doll.Stoppanickingandforgethim.”
Wrapping her arms around her big, sexy biker, Tiffany tried to do just that. This
washerchancetobeginlivingthelifeshe’dalwayswanted.Shewasnotgoingtoallowa
manfromherpasttostealawayhermomentofhappiness.
ThatboldthoughtwasfollowedbytherealizationthataslongasSawyerwasout
thereandtherewasevenapossibilitythathecouldfindher,she’dalwaysfeellikeshewas
hangingoffacliffwaitingfortheinevitabledrop.
Rightnow,though,shewasinthebestpossibleplaceshecouldbe:withhersexy,
badassbikerwhowoulddoeverythinginhispowertoshieldherfromharm.
With that thought in mind, Tiffany grabbed Ryder’s face with both hands and
broughthimdownforasearingkissknowingthat,together,theywereunstoppable.
TheEnd.
ExcitedforthenextchapterintheBlindJacksMC?Besuretosignupformy
forthelatestnewsasitbecomesavailable!
ABOUTTHEAUTHOR
J.C.ValentineistheUSATodayandInternationalbestsellingauthoroftheNight
CallsandWaywardFightersSeriesandtheForbiddenTrilogy.Hervividimaginationand
loveofwordsandromancehadherpenningherownromancestoriesfromanearlyage,
which,despitebeingpoorlyeditedandwrittenlonghand,sheforcedfriendsandfamily
memberstoread.No,sheisn’tsorry.
J.C.livesintheNorthwestwithherthreeamazingchildrenandfartoomanypets,
andtogethertheyspendmuchoftheirfreetimeenjoyingmoviesortheoutdoors.Among
themanyhatsshewears,J.C.isanentrepreneur.Havinggraduatedwithhonors,sheholds
a Bachelor’s in English and when she isn’t writing, you can find her editing for fellow
authors.
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