Page 51 of Ruin

“Yeah, Taro.”

“Then I am.”

“Good.”

Wanting to hear his voice more, wanting to know him, I asked, “Where did the name Ruin come from?”

Josh snorted. “The prez gave it to me when I was fully patched in as a member. This was after I ruined my first ride and cried about it.”

Smiling, I told him, “That’s cute.”

He nipped at my shoulder. “It ain’t cute; it’s manly. Only a real man would cry over their baby gettin’ ruined.”

I hummed under my breath and got another nip to the shoulder. I gripped his arm around my upper waist and asked, “Do you have any siblings?”

“I do, two sisters. One’s a couple of years older than me, the other younger. Had a shit dad until I was in my early teens. Lucky he died and then Stoke came along.”

“Stoke?”

“A brother from Hawks. Older. My dead dad had been a part of Hawks, but we never got involved with the MC until he died. They came in, took care of some family shit for us, and then Mum and Stoke hit it off. Thank fuck.”

“You sound proud of him.”

“Proud to call him a brother and also a dad. He’s a good guy. The best.”

“I’m glad you have that. Does your sister have someone?”

“Yeah, another brother. He was a dick to start with but got his act together when Nary went through…. Fuck, she was kidnapped, abused, and messed up. Vicious made sure to be by her side after it and has never left.”

Nausea twisted in my gut. “I’m sorry your sister went through that.”

“Me too. She’s good now though.”

Unsure what to say, I nodded. Josh’s life hadn’t been what I thought it would have. I knew I wasn’t the only one to walk through hell when it came to their own father but hearing it from someone I cared for was harder than I expected it to be.

Like I had with my father, my uncles, and all the elders who had put the women through something vile, I wanted whoever had hurt Josh’s sister to pay.

“Hey,” Josh whispered against my shoulder with another kiss. “What are you thinkin’?”

“Is he dead? If not, I will help kill him.”

Josh stilled at my back. His arm tightened around me as he dragged his nose from my neck into my hair. “He’s gone. We made him pay. That’s what Hawks does. Protect our own in any way we can. Even if it comes to killin’.”

Pride swelled inside of me. “When everything is in order in the family, it is how I will run this family.”

“Speakin’ of runnin’ the family, you should get some sleep before you’re wrecked for tomorrow.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

“Babe, I’m always right, just remember that.”

My heart stumbled. “I don’t think I will, pet.”

He chuckled at my back, and it felt like my body was floating. I had never experienced this before and wanted to keep the content bubble Josh provided, but fear gripped my stomach—if I did lose this happiness, what would that mean?

Chapter Fourteen

Ruin

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