by BE Kelly
Reaper stood nose to nose with him. He was a little bigger than Reap but in a fight, he’d always let Reaper win. Hell, he knew his strengths now that he was a shifter and hurting his friend wasn’t something he’d do willingly. “Why did you come over, Reap?” Ringer asked.
“To make sure my sister was all right. She left Reckoning upset last night and I wanted to check in on her. Why are you here, Ringer? She left the bar alone last night, yet here you are.” Reaper sounded as if he was accusing Ringer of something but that was par for the course. He always sounded like he was reading him the riot act. It was, unfortunately, their give and take now.
“I went to find Ringer at Perdition last night,” Sophie admitted. “And well, the rest is—”
“None of my business,” Reaper said. “Like I already said, Sophie—you are my business.”
“Not anymore,” Ringer said. “She’ll always be your little sister, man but now, Soph and the baby are mine. You have a problem with that, take it up with me,” Ringer barked. Reaper looked him up and down like he wanted to do just that.
“Boys,” Sophie chided. She stepped between the two of them, putting her hands on both of their chests as if that would be enough to keep them from ripping each other apart. “How about you two talk this out like the friends you used to be and not like the cavemen you turned out to be?” she taunted. “Sit,” she said, pointing to the chairs around her kitchen table. Ringer smiled down at her and bent to gently kiss her lips. Reaper groaned and crossed the small kitchen to sit down in a chair, as she ordered.
“Yep,” Ringer said. “I totally fucking love you.”
Sophie smiled up at him and nodded. “So you’ve said,” she teased. “I love you too, Ringer but we can talk about that later.” Ringer couldn’t hear anything past Sophie saying that she loved him. He picked her up and spun her around the cramped room.
“Say it again,” he demanded. Sophie swatted at his chest, giggling the whole time she protested.
“Put me down, Ringer,” she shouted.
“Not until you say it again,” he said.
“For the love of God,” Reaper protested. “Just fucking say it again so we can get on with this shit show. I have a business to run.”
“Fine,” Sophie said. “I love you, Ringer. Now, put me the fuck down.” He kissed her, loving the way she cuddled into his body, wrapping her arms around his neck. For just a few seconds, it was the two of them—well, until Reaper groaned in protest, causing Sophie to giggle.
“Let’s get this all hashed out and then you can remind me where we need to pick up,” Ringer offered. He let Sophie slide down his body and he sat down in the chair across from Reap, pulling her down onto his lap. He knew it made him an asshole but he wanted to leave no doubt in Reaper’s mind that Soph was his.
“I’m a shifter,” Ringer said, jumping right to the point. “I was turned by three other wolf shifters when I took off for a few months, to go camping out west, about five years ago. It happened in Yellowstone and I had no idea who they were or why they attacked me.”
“Wait—you were attacked?” Reaper asked. It was nice to hear the concern in his friend’s voice. It reminded him of the old Reaper who used to give a fuck about him.
“Yep,” he said. “I was out hiking one day and the three of them happened by. I had been on my own for a couple of weeks by that point and it was nice to have the company. We hiked and had a good time and that night I set up my own camp not wanting to overstep my welcome.”
“Did you catch their names or know anything about them?” Reaper asked.
“Just their first names,” Ringer admitted. "Akin, Husk and Nix.”
Reap nodded, “What happened after you set up camp?” he asked.
“They said they were heading out early in the morning and turned in and I did the same. Honestly, I was exhausted and fell right to sleep. I woke in the middle of the night to a sound outside my tent. I was a fucking idiot and just opened my tent to see what was going on. That’s when they jumped and attacked me,” Ringer said. “I must have passed out because when I came to, I was a few miles from my camp and pretty torn up—you know, scrapes and bites. Although, I had no idea that they were bites until later. By the time I hiked back to my camp, the three guys were gone. I packed up my gear and headed to the ranger’s station to report the attack.”
“I’m so sorry that happened to you,” Sophie said. She had already heard this story but it seemed to upset her now just as much as it had when he told her about the attack the first time.
“It’s not your fault, Honey,” Ringer said.
“Did you see who attacked you?” Reaper asked.
“Yeah,” Ringer breathed. “Wolves—three of them. By the time I got to the ranger’s station, my wounds had healed and when I got done telling the ranger my story, about being attacked by wolves, he told me to head on out and find another park to pedal my crazy stories.”
“You mean that he didn’t believe you?” Reaper asked.
Ringer chuckled, “Don’t sound so put out, man. You don’t believe most of what I say these days either. I mean, I was pissed at the time but what else could I do? Besides, getting as far away from that park as possible was my best bet. I needed to figure my shit out and I was stupid enough to believe I’d be able to catch up with the three guys and get some answers.”
“You think it was the three guys you hung out with?” Reaper asked.
“I do. I can’t explain it but when the wolf that attacked me stared me down I could have sworn I knew his eyes. If I was a betting man, I’d lay money on that wolf being Akin. He seemed to be the alpha out of the three of them. Husk and Nix were about half his age and the more I thought about it, the more I started believing that the three of them were related.”
“Like father and sons?” Reaper asked.
Ringer shrugged, “Possibly,” he said. “But I might never know. Obviously, I didn’t catch up with them and after a while, I got sick of searching for them. So, I decided to head back here. I had heard of a little MC shifter pack and I decided to look them up.”
“Perdition?” Reaper asked.
“Yeah,” Ringer said, not hiding his smile. His club had become his life. They took him in and took care of him. He had so much more to learn but without Perdition, he wasn’t sure where he would have ended up. “They saved me,” he admitted.
“So, now you know everything,” Sophie said. “Can’t you just leave Ringer alone, Reaper?” she asked. Ringer could tell from the look on his face that he wouldn’t be able to do what Sophie was asking.
“What happens when he hurts you, Sophie?” Reaper asked. “Am I supposed to just leave Ringer alone then? His explanations don’t make me feel any better. Hell, they make we worry even more. Can you control this, man? Can you promise me that you won’t ever physically hurt my sister or nephew?” Ringer asked.
“Yes,” Ringer promised. “I can.”
“How?” Reaper asked.
“He’s been locking himself up in a storage container every full moon. That way he won’t hurt anyone.” Sophie said.
“Shit,” Reaper grumbled. “You can’t just shift any time you want to? Isn’t that a thing?”
Ringer laughed, “You Googling ‘shifters’, man? I have no fucking idea how all this is supposed to work. I can only tell you what’s been working for me so far. That’s why I jumped at the chance to join Perdition. Once I’m patched in, I’m hoping they’ll trust me a little more and help me figure this all out. Most of the members weren’t turned. They’re full-blooded shifters and I’m kind of an outcast in the club. A couple of the older guys have offered to help but again, I’m new. I need to figure out who I can trust and who I need to steer clear of.”
“I still don’t like it, Ringer. You are a danger to my sister and her baby,” Reaper said.
“My baby,” Ringer corrected. He knew Reap was just looking out for his little sister but the idea of being shut out of Sophie or his baby’s life pissed him the fuck
off.
Sophie stood from his lap and towered over Reaper. “You don’t get to say who I’m involved with, Reaper. I thought we already covered this.” Sophie reached back and took Ringer’s hand into hers. “We appreciate you stopping by but Ringer and I have a busy day. I need to get dressed and I’ll be into work this morning. I’m going to be late but that’s your fault.” Reaper stood as if he knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere with Soph.
“Fine,” he spat, “this isn’t over though.”
“It is,” Sophie countered. “I will quit my job and find another if you bring this up at work. You are stressing me out, Reap and this can’t be good for the baby. You have one choice here—accept us together or don’t.” Ringer felt like he was holding his damn breath at Sophie’s ultimatum. He hated that it came down to her giving her brother only two choices but he loved how she was fighting for him—for them.
“I don’t,” Reaper breathed. “I can’t pretend like I do, Soph. I don’t trust you Ringer—I haven’t for a long time and I can’t just stand by and let you hurt my little sister and nephew. Come into work or don’t, Soph. I obviously can’t force you to do as I say. Your job will be there waiting for you when Ringer fucks up and so will I.” Reaper leaned in to kiss Sophie’s forehead and she let out a small sob. Ringer felt like he wanted to rip Reaper apart he was so angry that he hurt Soph. Instead, he pulled Sophie back into his body and held her as they watched Reaper leave her house.
“Baby,” he crooned. “It’ll be all right.”
“How can you say that Ringer?” she croaked. Sophie buried her face into his t-shirt and sobbed. He couldn’t make her the promise that everything would work out between her and her brother. What he could promise her was that he’d always stick by her side, no matter what.
“Because we’ll get through this together,” Ringer promised. “I love you, Sophie. I’m not going anywhere.”
Sophie
Hearing Ringer tell her he loved her did strange things to her heart. She had dreamed of him saying those words to her for so long and now that it was finally happening, she felt like the giddy schoolgirl who had fallen in love with him as a kid.
“I love you too, Ringer,” she whispered. Sophie sniffled and wiped her eyes. She needed to get herself together and figure out her next move. Reaper all but dismissed her and she wasn’t sure if she still even had a job to go to. “What now?” she asked.
“Now, we go back to bed,” he said, bobbing his eyebrows at her to make her giggle.
“While I love that idea,” she said. “I think I was just fired from my job. So, I’m going to have to pound the pavement and find something else to pay the rent. Shit—” She looked around her kitchen in a panic. “This is Beth’s house. What if Reaper gets her to kick me out?”
“Hey,” Ringer soothed. “How about you let me figure this out? I promised that we’d do this together, remember?”
Sophie nodded, “Sure, but you can’t take care of me like that. I mean, I’ll have to pull my weight.” She wasn’t sure how much weight she’d be able to handle. She was pregnant, showing and knew that the chances of another company employing her knowing she was going to need some extended time off, once the baby got there, was slim to none. She rubbed her little belly and worried that she was already failing as a mom—not even able to provide for her baby.
“I get that you want to hold your own, Honey,” Ringer said. “I think I have some catching up to do. You’ve been carrying the weight by yourself all these months. Let me help you. How about you grow us a human and I’ll make sure the three of us have a roof over our heads and food to eat?” Ringer puffed out his chest like a caveman, making her laugh.
“Shifter,” Sophie corrected.
“Sorry?” Ringer asked, not seeming to make the connection.
“You said I should grow us a human but this baby will be part shifter.” Ringer reached down and cupped his hands over her belly, next to her own.
“I guess we’ll need to figure that out,” he whispered. “Hell, I’ll need to figure out a lot of this stuff, Sophie.”
“We,” she whispered. “Remember, we’re a team?” Ringer nodded and gently kissed her lips.
“We,” he amended.
“So, how are ‘we’ going to afford a place together if neither of us is employed?” Sophie asked.
“I have a job, Soph,” Ringer said. “Plus, I’m loaded.” Sophie had known Ringer her whole life and she knew for a fact that his family didn’t have a ton of money. Sure, their fathers’ business did well, but they weren’t loaded, as he put it.
“Come again,” Sophie asked.
Ringer shrugged again like it wasn’t a big deal. “Yeah,” he said, “I’m not hurting for money. You know that I went to college, Soph. I got my degree in business management, thinking I’d take over my father’s half of the business someday. Well, while I was there, I met a guy who went on to become one of the best investors I’ve ever met. I asked him to manage the money I got when Reaper sold me his half of the company and well, let’s just say that I don’t have to work another day in my life if I don’t want to. But, I like to keep busy, so I consult for companies who need some help. You know—companies looking to grow or ones that are having trouble and need help to rebound. I go in and look at their entire operating system and give them a detailed report on how to fix problems to get back on the right track.”
“Wow,” Sophie said. “I had no idea, Ringer. How can I know you my whole life and not know this side of you?”
Ringer smiled down at her, “It’s not a side I show to many people, Baby. Reaper knew but I guess he never told you. I don’t think too many people look past my tough guy, biker persona to see the real me.”
“I like the real you, Ringer,” Sophie breathed. She went up on her tiptoes and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him down to her. Sophie liked the way Ringer moaned into her mouth. When she finally broke the kiss, they were both panting for air.
“So,” Ringer breathed, “was that your agreement? Will you let me take care of you and our baby, Sophie?” The last thing she wanted was to let anyone take care of her. Sophie had always been an independent woman who could look out for herself. But, if she and Ringer were truly going to be a team, she needed to start letting him into her life. It was the only way this thing between them would work and the only way the three of them could become a family.
“For the time being, yes. I want to pull my own weight, Ringer. But, for now, I’ll let you handle things. I want a full say on everything though,” she amended, pressing her finger into his hard chest.
Ringer chuckled, “Yes, Dear,” he teased. “I would expect nothing less from you, Soph. First up—house hunting,” he said. Sophie wasn’t sure if she had heard him correctly. He couldn’t mean that they were going to buy a house.
“Sorry,” Sophie said. “You mean house hunting as in to rent, right?”
“Nope,” Ringer said. “It’s time for us both to put down some roots, Soph. We’re both from here. I grew up just around the corner and your family is still here. It’s time to settle down and raise our family here.” The mention of them raising a family together made her want to “Aww” out loud but she was sure that Ringer would balk at the idea of anything he said to be “Aww” inspiring. He wasn’t a mushy kind of guy but every time he said something sweet like that, Sophie lost a little piece of her heart to her big, tough, biker.
“You’re looking at me weird, Soph. I’m not sure if you’re considering my offer or plotting my death,” Ringer teased.
“Careful,” she cautioned. “I haven’t decided which way I’m going with this yet.” Ringer smiled and pulled her into his arms, giving her ass a teasing swat.
“Seriously, Soph,” he said. “Let me buy our family a house. Say you and the baby will move in with me. I want to do this the right way.”
“The right way?” Sophie squeaked. She wanted to ask Ringer to spell out exactly what he was asking but Sophie worried she wo
uldn’t like his answer. Were they ready for the next step? What would the next step even be? Sophie never really considered herself the type of woman who’d end up married and settled down with kids and a white picket fence. Her parents had the perfect marriage. They spent every day together since her mom worked for the company he and Anthony, Sr. owned together. It worked for them and when she was little, she dreamed of her knight in shining armor riding in to save her, whisking her off to marry him. But, as she got older, Sophie realized that fairy tales didn’t exist. She watched her father waste away to nothing and leave her mother. Having to see her mother almost destroyed by losing the only man she had ever loved broke Sophie’s heart. Her mom never really found happiness after her husband died and who could blame her? Sophie decided then that she didn’t want to ever experience that kind of heartache. If she never married, she wouldn’t have to worry about being left behind. Since Ringer came back into her life, she was beginning to realize that a marriage license had nothing to do with how she felt about him. She was in love with him and losing him would destroy her, with or without a piece of paper that said they were legally married. It was a big step and one she wasn’t sure either of them was ready for.
“Yep,” Ringer said. “I want us to be a family Sophie. I want you to be my wife, but I can tell by the terrified look in your eyes that you aren’t ready to hear that from me. We’ll get there, Honey. For now, I say we take things one step at a time. House hunting today, furniture shopping tomorrow and then we can talk about you taking my last name and us getting hitched.”
“Ringer, I—” he didn’t let her finish her thought, covering her mouth with his big hand.
“For once in your life, don’t argue, Soph. I don’t want to fight. Although, I hear make-up sex is all the rage.” Sophie giggled at the way Ringer was always able to bring things back around to sex. It was a gift.