He hangs up and smiles reassuringly.
“Did you get any sleep, Angel?”
I nod and he smiles softly.
“Help yourself to coffee and breakfast. We don’t have long.”
My heart starts hammering in my chest and I say falteringly.
“Have you sorted it?”
The look he throws me fills me with fear. He nods and looks at me with an anguished expression.
“I have. Like I said, we don’t have long. Eat up and grab your things. We’ll talk on the way.”
I try to eat but it tastes like sawdust in my mouth. The feeling of apprehension grows as I wonder what’s in store. I know he will do what’s best for me but I also know we have few options. I could be jumping right back into the fire.
In less than an hour we are heading off to god only knows where. There is silence in the car and the atmosphere is heavy with unspoken words. I feel nervous and almost don’t want to know where I’m going but curiosity wins and I say hesitantly, “Is it far?”
I notice his hands grip the wheel tighter and my stomach tightens. I know my brother and something is setting him on edge and the signs don’t look good.
“No, it’s not far. About thirty minutes out of town.”
His answer surprises me.
“Oh, I thought we would be going somewhere far away. I don’t know, even another country. Won’t this be the first place they look?”
He shakes his head and appears to consider his reply.
“Ash, honey. Sometimes when you’re caught up in a storm the safest place is in the eye of it. Where we are heading is the best place for you.”
I feel confused and wait for him to elaborate.
Sighing, he reaches out and grips my hand, squeezing it reassuringly.
“Where we are going is not for the faint hearted. The person, sorry, people who will protect you are the best in the business. I happen to owe them a favor and you may not think it but this works out well for all of us. The man who we are going to see has a daughter. She needs a Nanny, and he wants someone who is well educated, kind and competent. You will look after her and in return they look after you. Hopefully, it won’t be long before I can make this situation right. I wouldn’t put you there if I didn’t think it the best place for you. Do you trust me, Ash?”
I squeeze his hand. “With my life, Ty.”
My fear dissipates a little on hearing his words. Looking after a kid will be fine. I mean, how hard could it be. Tyler’s right, this sounds perfect.
3
As he said, in less than thirty minutes he pulls off the road down a dirt track. It appears to go on forever and the only sight is of trees, stretching endlessly in front of me. We pull in through some large, heavy gates and I note the name above them.
Rubicon.
My heart beats a little faster and I swallow hard. Rubicon - The Point of No Return.
I whisper, “What is this place?”
Tyler answers with a hard voice.
“To the outside world it’s an MC Club. They are feared and avoided as a result. Nobody comes here willingly and for the most part, they are left alone.”
My mouth goes dry and I lick my lips nervously.
“Why are they feared?”
Tyler laughs hollowly.
“Because they are the untouchables. They deal in things most normal people would never dream of. Even the Devil would crave a look inside their little black book and they have more dirt on the high powered than a shit factory. They know things that would make Washington burn. Most of them are ex-military and the place is run as such. These men are hard and crude and there are no manners or pleasantries. They are known locally as the Twisted Reapers and as their name suggests, they deal with their problems in a despicable way. If anybody seeks out the Reapers, they end up regretting it.”
I fall silent. Bikers. I’ve heard of such clubs and feel the fear grip me. This is well out of my league. How on earth will I survive living among them?
We pull up outside a large barn. Motorbikes litter the yard and my heart hammers in my chest. This is not what I expected. Tyler takes my hand and looks at me reassuringly. “Trust me, Ash. These men may be rough but they won’t hurt you. I wouldn’t place you in danger, you know that.”
Nodding, I follow him to the great doors. I look up and see another sign which makes my heart race.
‘Abandon hope all who enter here!’
I sigh to myself. I abandoned all hope years ago. Tyler is right, this is better than the alternative and whatever lies within these walls can be nowhere near as bad as what’s waiting for me at home.
Tyler knocks loudly on the door and the sound travels around the yard. I start to shiver but it’s not from the cold. This is it, my fate awaits me and I try to stop myself running back to the safety of the car. I need to be strong to see this through. It’s fine, Tyler will have thought of everything.
The door opens and my heart hammers in my chest. The man who stands there is huge in every way. His head is shaved and a tattoo of a cobra runs from his neck to his wrist. He has muscles on muscles and his vest does little to cover them. I look into his dark, glittering eyes and see the interest spark in them. A lazy smile breaks out across his face and he turns to Tyler.
“He’s expecting you. Follow me.”
My heart beats so loudly I think they could hear it back home. This place is scary in every way.
We are led to a large room that’s crowded with people. Bikers litter the area and surround what appears to be a large bar. Some are sitting at tables playing cards and others on couches with scantily clad women all over them. A few are stood around a huge pool table and some are watching the game on possibly the largest television I’ve ever seen.
As we walk, I feel the stares. I must stand out like a neon beacon in a dark sky. I’m wearing a smart skirt and a shirt with a well-cut jacket. I look like I’m heading for a job interview and I suppose I am. My blonde hair is pulled neatly behind me and my heels click on the tiled floor. To say I look completely out of place is an understatement, and I feel exposed as I absorb the stares that follow me inside. The silence is tangible and all eyes are focused on us as we follow snake arm to a man seated at the end of the room.
As we draw near my breath hitches as I see him. He watches our approach with a hooded expression and I can’t take my eyes off him. I have never seen such a man in my life. His hair is black as the night and his eyes even darker. His muscles strain against the vest he is wearing which makes my heart flutter. He is wearing combats and watches us approach with a predatory gaze. I feel stripped to the bone by that look. He commands attention and draws you in. The world fades away as he becomes the only thing in it. My attention is on him 100% and he steals the breath from my body.
A woman sits at his feet and stares at me with hate pouring from her eyes. She is beautiful and her hard stare unnerves me. I watch as she grips his leg in ownership and flashes me a warning from her icy gaze. I try not to stare but I can’t help it. These people are beautiful, magnificent and powerful. They captivate me and I have never seen anything like them in my life.
The man looks at us with a closed, hard expression and then stands up and approaches. He shakes off the girl at his feet with no regard and walks towards us.
As he stands before me I feel his interest. His gaze rakes me from head to toe and leaves me panting inside. What is happening here? He turns to Tyler and fixes him with a hard look.
“Does she know what’s involved?”
Tyler nods. “Yes.”
He swings his gaze back to me and smiles. I think I must openly stare at him because I see the amusement in his eyes. He looks me up and down and nods in approval.
“Yes, she will do just fine.”
Then he snaps.
“Snake, get Bonnie.”
The large man moves off and we all stand silently. I feel uncomfortable as every pair of eyes in the place appear to be trained on me. I feel exposed and stripped bare
and want nothing more than to high tail it out of here. Tyler stands beside me expressionless and unemotional. He has his business hat on and is as far removed from me now as he will be later. No words are spoken as we wait for Bonnie.
Then she arrives and stands next to the man who has captivated me in the most dangerous of ways. He looks at me with interest and then speaks without tearing his eyes from mine.
“Take her and settle her in. We have business to discuss.”
I feel the panic set in. This is it. My Rubicon. I don’t want to leave Tyler but know I must. I look over at him nervously and his eyes reassure me. “Go with her, Ashton. I won’t leave without saying goodbye.”
Swallowing hard, I turn to face a pretty redhead who is looking at me kindly.
“Come on, honey. I’ll show you around.”
I am grateful for the kindness and smile at her nervously. She starts to head off and I follow her on shaky legs. This is it, there’s no going back now.
4
Ryder
I watched her walk towards me and was blown away. She looked so small, so vulnerable and so damned sexy my cock stood to attention. As I watched her, I sensed every cock in the room stand to attention and point towards her. She is something else and looks completely out of place here in this den of vice. She walks like an Angel in the raging fires of Hell. She is perfect, for Cassie and for me. Now everything has changed, they just don’t know it yet.
I call for Bonnie to remove her from my sight. I can’t think straight with her around. As she walks from the room, it takes everything in me not to claim her now. She won’t be safe here until I do. She needs removing from the situation while I attend to the business of making her mine. Like I said, the game has now changed and Donahue is about to find out what that means.
Once she's gone, I can breathe again. I turn to Kitty who is hanging on my leg as usual.
“Get us some beers.”
She scurries off like the good little whore she is and I nod towards a nearby table.
“Sit, we will discuss the terms.”
Donahue takes his seat and I look at him and laugh.
“You’re one sick bastard, Donahue.”
He just shrugs.
“I did what I had to do. You needed a nanny, and she needed protection.”
I fix him with a dark look.
“You think she will be protected looking like that?”
I see the panic enter his eyes and he hisses. “You promised no harm would come to her.”
I lean back as Kitty places the beers before us. She drapes her arms around my neck and I push her away irritably. “Leave us.”
She turns away and I don’t miss the fear in her eyes. Even Kitty knows and there is nothing she can do about it.
I fix him with a hard look.
“Well, the situation has now changed.”
Donahue looks worried. “What do you mean?”
I smile darkly. “I no longer need a nanny.”
I watch as he struggles to comprehend what I’m saying.
He stutters, “But that’s what we agreed. What’s changed?”
I smile wickedly. “What’s changed is the fact that you have brought an Angel to Hell. There is probably not a man in this room that doesn’t want to fuck her senseless and so the game has changed. The only way I can protect my investment is if she remains here on new terms.”
He looks worried.
“What terms?”
I grin. “Like I said, I no longer need a nanny, I need a wife.”
The room goes silent and I hear Kitty suck in her breath. She says in a broken voice. “No, you can’t.”
I ignore her as my men start to laugh. Snake growls, “You fucking bastard.”
The others join in and I grin at them. Yes, this is the best way for all involved. As my old lady, Ashton will be safe and nobody would even dare go there. My princess gets her dream mommy and I get to play with the embodiment of every wet dream I have ever had in my life. Ashton gets her protection and gets her off the hook from her problem. Yes, this is the best for everyone concerned.
Donahue looks worried.
“She won’t agree.”
I shrug. “Then you can leave. It’s that or nothing. Snake will take you to find her and it’s up to you to convince her it’s in her best interests. If she can’t see that then good day to you both.”
I nod towards Snake.
“Take him to the girl. When they’re done come and find me.”
As I watch them leave the room, I feel pleased with how the day is unfolding. Cassie will have her dream come true with this one. As I think of my little princess my heart fills with love. My angel and the only one I love. A little five-year-old bundle of innocence and beauty that is my world. Nothing is too good for her and I will pluck the stars from the sky just to see a smile on her lips. She needs the best, and that’s Mary fucking Poppins as far as I’m concerned. I want her to have the best start in life and tread a very different path to the one she is on. She will have everything I can get for her and now is the time. She’s about to start school and I want her to fit in. She needs an apple pie mom and to be accepted by her peers. The child of a hard biker living in an MC club is not what she needs.
No, when my little darlin’ starts school, she will have it all. Ashton is about to make my little princess’s dreams come true.
Brewer comes and sits next to me and laughs softly.
“You’re one evil fucker, Ryder.”
I smile with satisfaction.
“Maybe I am. You’ve seen her though. How long would she last if she wasn’t my old lady? You know the guys, she wouldn’t last the day. Cassie gets her mom, and the girl stays safe. She will thank me for it.”
He grins. “And what do you get out of it?”
I laugh softly. “The hottest wife this side of Hell. Life is just about to get interesting.”
Ashton
I like Bonnie. She is open and friendly and I warm to her immediately. I follow her through a hallway and up some stairs at the end. She looks at me with interest. “You know, you sure are different from what I thought you’d be. When Ryder said he was getting a nanny for Cassie, I thought you’d be some old dear wearing a uniform or something. Cassie’s gonna be stoked when she sees you.”
I look at her with interest. “Tell me about Cassie.”
Bonnie’s eyes light up, and she smiles sweetly.
“She’s adorable. I love the little angel like my own - we all do. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a wild little five-year-old bundle of naughtiness. But she has this way about her that you forgive everything.”
I smile. “What happened to her mom?”
Bonnie looks down and I watch the shutters closing in. “She was a whore. We all liked her, she was pretty and sweet but had a hard edge. From the moment she met Ryder she wanted him for herself. Gradually she wormed her way into being his number one and trapped him by becoming pregnant.”
My heart tightens at the mention of Ryder. For some reason, I don’t like thinking of him with these women. Why?
She carries on. “When she fell pregnant, Ryder was angry. I’ve never seen him so angry and it was a dark time. Sara didn’t get her man she just got a kid. She wasn’t allowed to leave because as soon as that little baby was born Ryder was smitten forever. Cassie is his world and the only light in it. He will kill for her and let nothing harm her in any way.”
My heart thumps as I ask the question that I dread the answer to.
“What happened to Sara?”
Bonnie shrugs.
“She started drinking heavily. If Ryder didn’t want her, then there were plenty of others who did. She was a beautiful woman and had her pick. Her life was spent caring for her baby and screwing every club member she could. She wanted to make Ryder jealous, but he didn’t care. One night she went out and never came back.”
I hold my breath as she looks at me with a sad expression.
“She was found dead in a ditch off the
Highway. It turned out she went to a bar in town and hit on a couple of guys there. She left with them and they turned out to be murdering bastards. The police came and Ryder had to identify the body. It broke him, Ashton. He felt responsible for driving her away and not looking after her. He didn’t want her but felt responsible for her as Cassie’s mom. Now he had to explain to his baby why her mommy wasn’t coming home. He blamed himself and has never gotten over it. Cassie gets the best he can get for her as he tries to make up for the lack of a mom in her life. I’m not surprised he wanted a nanny for her. This life is not what he wants for his princess. He fears she’ll turn out like her mother and will do everything he can to stop that happening.”
She looks at me with a worried expression.
“Just a word of advice, honey. Treat Cassie right and you won’t go far wrong. She wins every time and there’s more than just her father looking out for her. That little girl has the family from Hell and I pity anyone who casts a shadow in her eyes.”
We arrive at a room at the end of the hall and she smiles.
“Anyway, pep talk over. You’ll be fine. This is your room where you can get away from it all. I expect it won’t be for long though.”
I look surprised.
“Why not?”
She laughs softly. “Ryder and Cassie have a house out the back. I expect you’ll move in with them. After all, Ryder wants the American dream for his little girl and I imagine that involves you. For now, though, this is your space and nobody will bother you here.”
She throws open the door and I take in the sight of a fairly large room, tastefully furnished and looking surprisingly pretty and modern. She laughs.
“Not what you expected?”
Shaking my head, I wander in and look around me.
“No, not at all. This room has a woman’s touch that’s for sure.”
Bonnie giggles. “You’re welcome.”
I turn to her and smile happily.
“You did this?”
She nods excitedly. “I’m quite into interior design. I go to college to study it and the guys let me practice here.”
Twisted_A Billionaire Romance Page 17