Ringer: Perdition MC Shifter Book 1

by BE Kelly

  “Did I do something wrong?” she asked. Sophie covered her belly with her hands and he hated that he made her feel like she needed to hide from him. Damn—he was fucking this all up. He wanted their honeymoon to be special and he was ruining it.

  “No,” he growled. “You just—you make me feel too much and I need to get myself under control. I can feel the wolf inside of me. He wants out and I need to tamp him down.”

  Sophie gasped and took a step back from him. “Does he want to hurt me?” she nervously asked.

  “No,” he breathed. “He wants to claim you.”

  “O—Oh,” Sophie stuttered. “Well,” she closed the distance between the two of them and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I say we let him.”

  “Soph,” he warned. “I can’t do that. Shifting in front of you isn’t an option. What happens if I hurt you?”

  “You won’t,” she promised.

  “We don’t know that, Honey. When I shift, I can’t remember a thing. I can recall going into the container and coming out, but that’s about it.” Ringer knew that he was playing a dangerous game with his woman, not knowing very much about his shifting abilities. Hell, he didn’t know if he was going to hurt her and that was his worst imaginable fear.

  “We’ll find your answers, Ringer. That’s what we’re here for. I know you won’t hurt me—please just love me.” Sophie was begging him to do exactly what he wanted with her.

  “Soph,” he whispered. “You never have to ask me for that. I love you more than I ever thought was possible, Baby.” Ringer lifted her into his arms and carried her to the tub, letting her slowly slide down his body. She watched as he stripped out of his jeans and t-shirt, letting her eyes greedily roam over his body.

  “Beautiful,” she whispered, giving him the same praise he had just gifted her. Sophie ran her hands up his body, eliciting goosebumps and locked her fingers behind his neck to pull him down for a kiss. He loved how she took what she wanted from him. He was more than willing to give her this. Ringer belonged to her body, mind, and spirit and he’d do just about anything she’d ask of him.

  Ringer broke their kiss and shut off the faucet to the tub, taking her hand to help her into the warm soapy water. Sophie groaned as she sunk into the bubbles and scooted forward for him to climb in behind her. He had to admit—it felt damn near perfect to sink into the tub with Sophie after being trapped in his truck for three days.

  They had stayed in hotels along the way, but by the time they got settled, there was no time to relax in a hot bath. Hell, all he wanted to do was sink into Sophie’s body, sate both of them and then fall to sleep. Ringer was looking forward to a few days of being completely immersed in his woman.

  Sophie turned to face him, sloshing water over the edge of the tub. She pressed her body against his, letting her hot core rub over his erection. “Ringer,” she breathed. “I need you.” Soph put her hand on either side of his shoulders, grabbing onto the rim of the tub, lowering herself onto his erection until she was fully seated on his cock.

  “You have me, Soph,” he whispered against her lips. “I love you.”

  “Love you,” she hissed, slowly riding his cock. “So much.” Sophie threw her head back and moaned. It was always like this between them. He knew it sounded corny but Sophie was his other half.

  He pumped in and out of her body, splashing water over the rim of the tub. He loved every little breathy sigh and moan that escaped her lips as she rode him. He could tell she was close. Sophie arched her back giving him access to her breasts. He knew exactly what she liked and how to get her off. Ringer ran his hands down her wet nipples and she cried out.

  “So close,” she moaned. “Don’t stop.”

  “Never,” he agreed. “Come for me, Soph,” he ordered. As if she was his to command, she did as he ordered. He knew that Sophie would never accept the fact that she held all the power in everything they had built together. He’d give her everything, the world if she asked him for it.

  Sophie’s core spasmed around his cock and that was all he could take. He lost himself deep inside of her and she slumped against his chest. “You keep that up and I won’t ever want to go home,” he warned.

  “Is that such a bad thing?” she sassed. “I think we could be very happy here in our little cabin, right?”

  “Sure, but then you’ll never see your wedding gift,” he teased. He was sure she would love the house but that still didn’t stop him feeling a little nervous about telling her he’d bought a house, going behind her back to do so.

  “Okay, that’s the second time you’ve brought up my wedding gift. Spill it—what did you get me?”

  Ringer smiled and stroked her wet hair back from her face. She was still straddling his lap, facing him, and he wanted to take her all over again. He needed to get his unruly cock under control—at least until he sprang the news on her.

  “It’s a house,” he said.

  “A house?” she questioned. “I already knew we’re going to look for a new house, Ringer. The agent has set up more listings for us to take a look at when we get home.”

  “That might have all been a lie,” Ringer said. He smiled and winced up at her. “Sorry, but she was playing along with my whole crazy plan to surprise you.”

  “I’m sorry, I’m not following all of this,” Sophie said.

  “I bought you a house,” he whispered.

  “You bought me a house?” she asked. “Don’t you mean us?”

  “Well, sure,” he agreed. “I bought us a house.” Ringer covered her belly with his hands. “All three of us.”

  “That’s a pretty big wedding gift,” she teased. “I mean, most women get a piece of jewelry or something. I get a whole house. Will I like this house?”

  “I hope so,” he said. “You picked it.”

  “I think I’d remember picking out a whole house, Ringer,” Sophie said.

  “Let’s just say that I could sense how much you wanted the house. Your heartbeat gave you away.”

  “What?” she asked. Sophie turned and sat between his legs. His dick wanted to protest, but he loved the way she cuddled against his body. Ringer wrapped his arms around her, letting the warm, soapy water envelop them both. “You can sense my heartbeat?” Ringer covered her chest with his big hand, feeling her heartbeat. He could also hear the baby’s beating heart and loved the fast pace of his son’s heart compared to that of his mother’s.

  “I can feel both of your heartbeats,” he admitted. “I can hear them both.” He lowered his hands to cover her belly. The baby kicked his hand and he chuckled.

  “He’s always so active after we make love,” Sophie admitted. “It relaxes me but wakes him up.” Sophie giggled as their son squirmed around. “What does any of this have to do with me picking a house for us?”

  “Well, when we were looking at listings, I could hear your heart speed up every time you passed the same listing. God, when we toured the house, I thought for sure your heart was going to beat right out of your chest.” He smiled at the memory of how excited she seemed to be about the house.

  “You knew how much I liked it?” she asked.

  “That wasn’t like, Honey,” he said. “That was love. Hell, I’m not sure your heart beats like that when you kiss me,” he teased. Sophie giggled and reached back over her shoulder to slap at his arm, splashing bathwater up at him.

  “That’s not true,” Sophie chided. “I love you more than I love that house.”

  “So, you know which one I’m talking about then?” Ringer asked. He was fucking up this whole thing. He had planned on taking her back to bed and giving her the folder with all the house details enclosed. Instead, he just blurted it out like a kid who couldn’t wait to give someone a gift. His mom used to say that she couldn’t trust him with the knowledge of presents she had bought for people because he had a big mouth. She was right—if he knew what someone was getting, he’d blurt it out and ruin the surprise.

  “Yeah—the one on Williams Avenue?”
Sophie asked.

  “That’s the one,” he said. “You okay with all this?” She was so quiet, he worried that he had pissed her off with his gift. “If I misread the situation or you want to keep looking, we can,” he offered.

  “Wait—I thought you said you already bought it?” Sophie asked.

  Ringer shrugged, “I’ll put it back on the market or I’ll rent it to someone else. It’s not a big deal, Soph. I told you I have more money than I know what to do with.” He wasn’t ever one to flaunt his money but he wanted her to know the truth. “When you married me, you became well—let’s just say well off.”

  “I don’t want your money, Ringer,” she said. “I didn’t marry you for any reason other than I wanted you.”

  Ringer kissed the top of her head, “And that’s why I love you so much, Honey. But, that doesn’t change the fact that what I have is yours now.”

  “I have nothing to give you, Ringer,” she whispered.

  “That’s just not fucking true, Baby. You’ve given me a chance to be our baby’s father. You gave me a chance to be a part of your life. You married me and agreed to spend the rest of your life with me. You’ve given me so much more than I’ve even thought I wanted and more than I deserve. Honey—you’ve given me everything.”

  “Ringer,” she said. “I love the house and I love you. I can’t wait to start our lives there—just the three of us.” That’s exactly what he had pictured when he walked through the house with her. He saw the potential of every room as she enthusiastically described how she would decorate. When they got to the room they agreed would be the baby’s nursery, she pointed out where the perfect spot would be for the crib and he could see it. He could even picture their little guy sleeping safely in his room while they looked on. Sophie painted a whole picture of their lives together and he wanted every scene, every story, and every dream she showed him. It was beautiful and Ringer knew that was exactly what their lives would look like in that house together.

  “Love you too, Soph,” he said. “We move in as soon as we get back to town. Everything is arranged and the guys at Perdition have agreed to lend a hand.”

  “That’s kind of them,” she said.

  “It’s what family does, Soph. They’re my family,” he said. They were and he knew that no matter what his new brothers would have his back.

  “Then, I can’t wait to get back home,” she said. “Looks like we’ll have a lot to celebrate with your new family. Our wedding, the new house, and this little guy,” she said.

  “It’s only the beginning, Honey,” he said. “Tomorrow, we’ll head into the park station and find the ranger who might be able to help me. He knows more than he’s said and that picture of him and those three men who turned me, proves it. We’ll get the answers I need to figure all this out and then we’ll head back to New Orleans.”

  “Now, that sounds like a perfect plan,” Sophie said.

  Sophie

  Sophie woke up to an empty bed. She hadn’t had a good night's sleep in so long but she fell asleep last night and didn’t wake up until the sun peeked through the window and smacked her in the face. She called for Ringer and found a note on his pillow.

  Went for coffee and food. Be back soon—stay in bed.

  Sophie smiled at how bossy his note was. Her guy sure did like to call the shots. She laid back and stretched, rubbing her bare belly. “Looks like we get a few minutes to ourselves, little guy. You good in there?” Her son didn’t give her any sign that he was up and ready to face the morning. “I can’t blame you little man—I’m not a morning person either.”

  “That’s for sure,” Ringer agreed on his way into the cabin. “I’m hoping our little guy likes the morning. At least, more than his mama.” He handed her a coffee and a white bag she was hoping would have enough sugar to put her into a coma.

  “Your caffeine limit for the day, Wife,” he teased. She missed coffee. Her doctor wanted her to give it up altogether but told her that one cup a day wouldn’t hurt the baby. When she got her womb back, Sophie planned on drinking enough coffee to keep a horse up.

  “Tell me that this bag has donuts or some other bad decisions in it.” Sophie held up the bag and shook it, taking another long sip of her coffee.

  Ringer laughed, “It does,” he assured. “You make a humming noise every time you sip your coffee.”

  “I can’t help it,” she said. “You try giving up something you love and tell me you wouldn’t make a humming noise every time you got to have it.”

  Ringer took her coffee and the bag of sugar from her and pushed her back against the mattress. “Like this?” he asked. He made a long humming, growly noise in the back of his throat that always turned her on. Ringer kissed her like he hadn’t tasted her in years and not just hours.

  When he finally let her up for air she was panting. “Yeah, just like that,” she said. “Now, give me back my coffee and bag of bad decisions,” she said. Ringer chuckled and handed her back her breakfast.

  “How about you eat and shower and then we head over to the ranger station?” Ringer asked. “I want to get an early start.”

  “All right,” Sophie said, taking a bite of her donut. “You think the park ranger you’re looking for will be on duty? I mean what are the odds?” She took another big bite of the sugary confection and looked in the back for another.

  Ringer chuckled, “Don’t worry, Honey,” he said. “I brought you more.”

  “Thank you,” she mumbled around a mouth full of donut.

  Ringer laughed and shook his head at her, eating his breakfast. “Yeah, I think he’ll be working. There are only two rangers for that particular station. We’ve got a fifty-fifty chance of our guy being on duty today. If not, we come up with some lame excuse about wanting to find a good hiking trail and try again tomorrow. I don’t want to give this guy any heads up that we’re sniffing around asking questions.”

  “You’ve planned this all out, haven’t you?” Sophie questioned.

  “Yep—right down to the donuts,” Ringer teased. She could tell he was nervous about tracking down the guys who turned him. So much of their future together rested on him getting the answers he was searching for. His club would be able to help him find his way but Ringer seemed to need more and she couldn’t blame him. If their son turned out to be a shifter he’d need those same answers her new husband was trying so hard to track down.

  “I know you’re worried about all of this, Ringer,” she whispered. “But, we’ll figure this all out.”

  Ringer swallowed his mouthful of donut. “I am worried but I’m also hopeful. Hell, all I know is with you by my side I can do just about anything. Now get dressed,” he ordered. Sophie got out of bed and he playfully swatted her ass causing her to yelp.

  “So bossy,” she teased.

  “You have no idea, Honey,” he growled.

  They pulled up to the little building that reminded Sophie of the cabin they were spending their honeymoon in. It was so small she couldn’t imagine more than two guys working at the station at one time.

  “You sure this is it?” she asked. “It looks like our rental cabin.”

  “I’m sure,” he said. “It’s one of my most vivid memories from that day. Everything else is clouded in fog but this place,” he said, nodding to the building. “This place I remember. You ready for this?”

  Sophie took a deep breath and pasted on her smile. “Yep,” she lied. She wasn’t ready for any of this but it needed to be done.

  “Liar,” Ringer teased. He pulled her in for a quick kiss and leaned back, smiling at her like a loon.

  “What was that for?” she asked.

  “Luck,” he whispered. “Now, let’s go find some answers.” He got out of his pick-up and rounded the front of it to her side, opening her door. It was almost impossible for her to get in and out of his truck. It was high up off the ground and her belly seemed to get in the way. Ringer pulled her into his arms and helped her to the ground.

  “I’m never going
to get used to you having to do that. Maybe we could get a lower vehicle?” she teased.

  “And get rid of my baby—no way,” he said. “Besides, I like having to help you get out of my truck. Having you plastered up against me isn’t a hardship.” Sophie giggled and playfully swatted at Ringer’s arm. He had on his cut so he probably didn’t feel a thing, but he feigned injured, making her laugh harder.

  A man stepped out of the ranger station and looked them over. Sophie could tell that it was the same man Ringer was looking for before she even recognized his face from the pictures he had shown her. “That’s him,” she whispered.

  “Yeah,” Ringer whispered back.

  “Why’d you come back?” the park ranger shouted across the parking lot.

  “For answers,” Ringer yelled back. “You weren’t exactly honest with me last time I was here.”

  “You wandered into my station spouting some bullshit about being attacked by what was it again—wolves?” the ranger said. Sophie could tell that the guy not only remembered Ringer but he was also hiding something. “You were upset and obviously either not in your right mind or high off your ass.”

  Ringer growled and took a step towards the ranger. “It’s Dave, right?” he asked. The guy’s smile faded and he nodded. “Yeah, Dave. Well, I’ve done a little research in the months since you last saw me and you not only know more than you let on but you also know the three men who attacked me.” Ringer reached into his jean pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He found the picture of Dave and the three men who had attacked him and held it out for the ranger to see.

  Dave had the nerve to shrug. “So,” he said, smirk firmly in place. Sophie could tell that Ringer was holding back. The last thing they needed was for him to get pissed off and get into a fight with the only person who could give them answers.

  “I think we need to talk,” Ringer said. “We can do that here or in your office, your choice.”

  “How about I choose to tell you to go fuck yourself,” Dave said. Ringer chuckled and took another step towards the ranger.