I checked my cell, and, of course, I had no service in the dead zone between the prison and the bridge. Perfect. What the hell was I going to do? The sound of motorcycles echoed across the water in the early morning air, and I hoped it was someone I knew.
The bikes came into view, and I watched them in my mirror, as they got closer. The skull on the helmet had me diving down on the seat, and pretending to be rummaging through my glove box.
The last thing I needed was to be stuck on the side of the road with a couple of Las Almas. I begged and pleaded that they would pass without as much as a glance in my direction.
What were they even doing on this road anyway? This was Idol territory. Had things changed that much since I’d been gone?
The rev of the motorcycles faded into the distance, and I sat up, thanking my lucky stars. I checked my phone again, but still no service. Maybe I could walk. I grabbed my purse, and was about to get out of the car, when I heard another motorcycle.
Suspecting it was a Las Almas who lost his group, I ducked down, and waited for it to pass. However, this time it didn’t. The hum of the engine came up right behind me, and my heart battered frantically in my chest.
My eyes scanned the floor, looking for a weapon; anything I could use to get a good hit with, and gives me enough time to run. I reached down to under my seat, and wrapped my fingers around a Maglite. The thumping of boots came closer, and my fight or flight instinct kicked in.
I gripped the handle, and as the thumping came to my side, I flung the door open with all my weight, smashing it into him—hard. The guy stumbled back with a groan, grabbing his stomach. I leapt out of the car, ready to run, still holding onto the Maglite like a lifeline, but my bag was caught on something in the car. I was stuck.
I tried to shrug out of it, but it was a tangled mess. Shit, shit, shit!.I yanked and tugged, my heart practically beating a hole through my chest.
Tears of panic spilled down my face as I continued my relentless attempt at freeing myself. A strong hand came down on my shoulder, but it was gentler than I expected. A shiver of terror ran up my spine. “Get off me!” I screamed.
“It’s just me,” Ryder answered, and I spun to face him.
He gently grabbed my cheeks, and looked into my eyes, soothing my heavy breathing and racing heart. “It’s just me.” His thumbs stroked across the apple of my cheeks, wiping away the frightened tears. I relished in his warm touch, now knowing I was safe.
I lifted my hand to his. “Oh God, Ryder. I am so sorry. Did I hurt you?”
“I’m bulletproof, remember?” he joked, just like he used to.
A smile tugged at my lips. “Bulletproof, maybe. But not door proof.”
He laughed, and damn if it wasn’t the sweetest sound I’d heard in a long time. “I’ll survive.”
“What has you so freaked?” His eyes narrowed, the beautiful grey turning almost black. “Is someone trying to hurt you?”
“No. I just was going for a drive, and my car died. A few motorcycles passed before yours, and it was a group of Las Almas. I was afraid you were one of them.”
“That’d be a cold day in hell,” he growled.
“What are they doing up here anyway? I thought this was Idols territory.”
‘It is, but it’s also a route to the prison, so we don’t bother them. As long as they keep their drugs in their own town, they’re free to ride.”
I thought about telling him about the Las Almas crew parked outside my house the other morning, but I was scared I’d stir up trouble for Cruz. That was a matter I’d deal with myself.
“So, what’s the problem?” he asked, nodding toward the car.
I sighed. “I don’t know. It just died.”
“Your mom’s been having this problem for a while. If it’s the same issue, luckily, it’s an easy fix. Pop the hood.”
I went back to the car, pulled the release, and then walked around to join Ryder. He bent over the engine, his white t-shirt straining against his bulging biceps. A familiar tingle spread across my stomach, shooting straight to my core.
“So, what’s the problem?” I asked, ripping my eyes away from his hard, muscular body.
“Loose ground.”
“What does that mean?”
He pointed under the hood, and I leaned in to see. “Battery’s not getting the right amount of juice. Just have to tighten this.” He reached into the car, turning a bolt, until it wouldn’t go anymore. “There, that should do it. Now go try to start it.”
I headed over to the driver side, and turned the key. It started right up. Ryder shut the hood, and I pulled back, jumping a little in excitement. “You fixed it!” I exclaimed, and threw my arms around his neck, dragging him close.
The familiar scent of leather and tobacco that I always associated with Ryder engulfed me. Heat radiated off of his firm chest, and I knew I should back away, but I couldn’t. It felt too good. I missed that feeling. Craved it more than I should.
His hands gripped my hips, but then he pushed me away. I instantly felt the loss, and glanced up, wondering why he wasn’t pulling me closer. Our faces were still so close, and his lips teased my own, knowing one kiss could drive me to the brink, and throw me over the edge.
“You should be good now,” he insisted, holding us apart, but not losing his grips on my hips. His nose grazed mine, our lips a whisper away.
“Thanks,” I said, tilting my head until or mouths were perfectly aligned. “I should go.”
“You should,” he nodded, his fingers digging into my sides, and drawing me closer ever so slowly. We stood there, just staring into each other’s eyes for a long moment, as desire streamed in, seeping out of my pours. Then, with one yank, he hauled my hips to his, and crushed his mouth to mine.
The hot California sun beat down on us, heating my already flushed skin. Ryder laced his fingers in my hair, angling my head for better access, before plunging his tongue in my wanting mouth. His fingers dug into my hips before he lifted me up, placing me on top of the hood. I hooked my leg around him, pushing my boot into his back, urging him closer.
He didn’t hesitate, ramming his rock solid erection against my sex. My hands scrambled to feel him, to touch as much of him as I could. I ran my fingers along his back, up and down his sides before I dragged them over his chest, rediscovering every hard ridge.
His mouth peeled away from mine as he kissed a fiery hot line down my neck, causing my legs to squeeze him even tighter. I arched into him, letting my head fall back, as his lips traveled along my heated skin.
Pleasure mixed with the insatiable desire for more. I balled my hands in his soft strands, and jerked his head back to me. His lips crashed down on mine, hard and reckless, taking all that I had to give, and begging for more.
The beeping of a car brought me back to reality, shattering the private world we were consumed in.
“Get a room,” a girl yelled, while a guy in the back seat whistled, and threw his arms in the air.
Ryder rested his head against my chest and laughed, but it wasn’t funny. Every time I was around him, I lost control. I slid out from under him, and smoothed down the now wrinkled material of my shirt.
“Well, that was fun,” he said.
My head cleared from the fog of desire, and I could finally think straight. “That was a mistake.”
“You keep saying that, baby, but you and I both know better.” He stepped toward me, and took my chin in his hand, urging me to look at him. “Your body’s saying something much different.” He removed his hand from my face and placed it on my heart, which was beating wildly out of control. “It’s all right here, baby,” he smirked, tapping a beat that matched my own. “So, you keep telling yourself otherwise, but I feel it, and so do you.”
I shook from his grasp. “No. It was a mistake. And it won’t happen again. I have to go.”
“Where you off to?” he questioned, leaning against the car. He crossed his arms. I tried not to stare at his muscles, and focused on the pa
tches of his cut instead.
“I…I just have to go.”
“I’m actually heading to the prison to see your old man. You want to join me?”
My eyes widened, and my world shifted at the thought. “No.”
“Have you seen him since…”
“I really have to go.” I opened the door, but Ryder pushed it shut.
“You can’t keep hiding from him. Pretending he’s dead. He might be stuck in a cell, but he is very much alive.”
I hated the club for not protecting my father. But I hated my father more for being stupid enough to get caught in the first place. The man I knew? The man I loved? He was always two steps ahead of the enemy, and three ahead of the Feds. Yet, somehow, he lost his footing, and made a mistake that cost him everything. I’d never forgive him for that.
I glared at Ryder, the anger in my eyes forcing him back. “Not to me, he’s not. He died five years ago. Now get out of my way.”
Ryder tossed his hands in the air and backed up. “Fine. Have it your way. Be the stubborn bitch you’ve always been.”
“Fuck you.”
He leaned toward me, grazing my ear with his lips. “You wish,” he whispered, and then stormed away.
He started his bike and took off, leaving me alone on the side of the road.
TEN
RYDER
For a maximum security prison, San Quentin was pretty fucking nice. They had a gorgeous view of the San Francisco Bay. It was prime real estate. Waking up every day and getting to look out at the water seemed more like a vacation than a punishment. Fuck, they even had their own goddamned baseball team. Pretty swanky if you asked me.
But danger lurked on the inside, and if you weren’t careful, you’d wind up dead. Buck, luckily, picked up on the prisoners system pretty quickly, using our alliances on the outside to protect him on the inside. As far as we all knew, he had nothing to worry about. I still liked to stop in every now and again during visitation hours to make sure he was okay. Once upon a time, he was going to be my father in law, and, before that, the man always treated me like his own.
I sat at the table, and waited for Buck to come through the door. I wondered how Axel was holding up. According to Cruz, Axel found someone to occupy his time, so I’m sure he was doing fine. I shook my head at the thought. Only Axel would be able to get pussy in jail.
Buck walked in, donning his typical orange jumpsuit. His blonde hair was slowly graying on the sides, but his brown eyes were still young.
“Why do I feel like this isn’t a normal visit?” he asked, as he took a seat across from me.
For as long as I knew Buck, he had an uncanny ability to see through the bullshit, and right to the center. “Probably because it’s not.”
I didn’t think it was my place to tell Buck his daughter was back in town, but with fingers pointing at her, I didn’t know where else to turn.
“Sawyer’s back,” I blurted out, going with Band-aid scenario. Better to rip it off fast than drag out the misery.
Buck’s eyes widened, and then he rubbed his chin with his fist. “There was a million things I was expecting right there, but that was not one of them.”
“I didn’t know if Maria told you.”
“Since she’s been sick, I haven’t seen her as much as I’d like to.”
I nodded.
“I’ve been trapped here, and all I can do is think about how my wife needs me, and I can’t be there for her, so I’m happy to hear Sawyer’s back. At least I know she’s in good hands. But I know that’s not the only reason why you’re here. What’s the rest of the story?”
“There’s a rat, the Feds are tailing us, and people are starting to speculate.”
He blew out a breath. “That it’s Sawyer. She always did have impeccable timing.”
I laughed. “Tell me about it.”
“So, what do you think? Is she the rat?”
“No!” I exclaimed, fucking pissed he would even ask me that. I thought, of all people, he would be on the same page with me, ready to defend his daughter.
“Don’t go getting on your high horse with me. We have to explore all of the possibilities here. She left. She was bitter. Nobody, and I mean no one, has known of her whereabouts in the past five years. It’s little convenient, don’t you think?”
I couldn’t believe what he was saying. “She’s your daughter, for Chrissakes. Are we really having this discussion?”
Buck shrugged. “She’ll always be my little girl, but let’s be honest. My little girl died the day I was brought here.”
I remembered that day like it was yesterday. Sawyer came barging into my house, tears staining her cheeks, her eyes red and swollen. I had just woken up, and was standing in my living room in my boxers. One look at her, and I knew it was bad.
She couldn’t even talk to me when I asked her what happened. Instead, she collapsed into my arms. Buck was right. The girl we knew died that day. After the tears settled, anger took over. She was never the same, and then she was gone.
“That may be true, but I won’t believe it.”
Buck smirked. “You’ve always been tough. Carrying a gun since you were sixteen. Going with me on runs, not afraid to take on the biggest guy in the place, but you’ve always had one weakness. My daughter. Sawyer is your Achilles heal.”
I rolled my eyes and went to argue, but Buck held up his finger.
“What did you do when Sawyer left town?”
I narrowed my eyes, but he met my glare with his own. “I went on a binge,” I finally admitted.
“A two year binge. If you weren’t drunk, you were getting into fights, or sleeping with anything that had a hole and tits.”
I loved how, even locked up, he knew everything. “So what?”
“Just making a point.”
“So, I fell off the deep end. I found my way back, didn’t I? Besides, that’s not the point. The point is, Sawyer is being accused of something that I know in my gut isn’t true.” I tapped my finger into the table to emphasis my point.
“I want to be like you… sure that Sawyer would never turn on the MC, but I can’t. So, I’m trusting you to find out the truth, and, if I’m wrong, then great, but if you’re wrong… You have to promise me you will get her as far away from here as possible. Rat or not, she’s still my daughter, and I don’t want her dead.”
I looked at Buck, the man who I always admired for the love he had for his family. Who, even behind bars, still managed to financially support his wife. Over the years, he had done so much for not only his family and the club, but for me too. The answer was simple. “I promise.”
ELEVEN
SAWYER
That night dragged as Mom’s surgery approached. Finally, it was time. I sat with her, holding her hand while she waited to be wheeled in.
“You’ll be okay, Mama.”
She nodded, a tear slipping down her cheek.
I sat up and wiped it away. “No tears. You’re going to be just fine. I promise.”
“Where’s Cruz?” she asked.
“He’ll be here soon,” I lied. I honestly had no idea where the hell my brother was. What I did know was that I would kick his ass if he didn’t show up. I didn’t care about the cut that he wore and the attitude he carried. This was his goddamned mother, and he should’ve been here.
A group of nurses came in. “Mrs. Monroe, are you ready?” A young nurse, no more than twenty-two, asked.
Mom took a deep breath before nodding. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
I tightened my grip on her hand, and brought it to my mouth, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “You’ll be just fine, Mom.”
“I know, mija. Tell Cruz I’ll see him soon.”
“I will.” I’ll be telling him a lot more than that, I thought as they pushed Mom out the door, and toward surgery.
The young nurse came back to the room. Her smile was bright, friendly, and put me at ease. “Hi, I’m Avery.”
“Sawyer.”
“Your mom should be in surgery anywhere from one to three hours. It’ll depend on how invasive the cancer is. You can stay in the waiting room if you’d like.”
I didn’t want to leave, but sitting on my ass in a waiting room wasn’t going to do any good. What would make a difference was finding my damn brother, and dragging his ass to see Mom before she woke up.
“I hate to do this, but I need to run out. Can I give you my cell in case there’s…” I couldn’t say the words. Couldn’t bring myself to spit them out because, once I said them, I’d be jinxing her.
Avery rested her hand on my arm. “Trust me, she’ll be fine. But I’ll take your cell number.”
“Thank you.” I scribbled my number down, and handed it over. “Take care of her.”
“I promise,” Avery assured me. There was something in the softness of her hazel eyes that made me believe she would.
It was barely noon, and I doubted Cruz was at school, so there was only one other place I could think of. I hopped into the car, and headed right to the Raven’s Nest, knowing Cruz was either there, or somebody there would know where I’d be able to find him.
I walked in, and my eyes immediately landed on Ryder behind the bar. He had day old stubble on his face, and instead of the white t-shirt I was getting used to seeing him in, he was wearing black. He looked hotter than ever, and so amazingly perfect that it hurt.
Everyone and everything else faded away as I approached to him. After our last encounter, I wasn’t expecting the slight tug of his lip when he spotted me.
“Hey,” he called, as I approached. “What’s going on?”
“I’m looking for my brother. Mom’s in surgery, and he’s M.I.A.”
Broken (Motorcycle Club Romance): Ryder and Sawyer 1 (Fallen Idols Motorcycle Club Book 3) Page 4