Page 61 of Wild Ride

“So, that’s his name,” he says, his lips curving up into a grin.

I’m not sure if Bishop’s name is a secret, but I’m wondering if I somehow screwed up. Then I decide that I don’t care too much. I was literally kidnapped, threatened into a forced marriage, and ran around in front of a dozen bikers completely naked. If his name was a secret, it’s not now, and I can’t be bothered to care.

“Yeah,” I say.

“He’s in that clubhouse, likely murdering every fucker who crosses his path,” he simply states.

My eyes widen, and I blink as I stare at him, unsure of what to do or say as I stand barefoot in the dirt. Looking over to the building again, I watch for a moment, not seeing anything and seeing everything clearly all at the same time… at least, I think I do.

When I find Viking’s gaze again, I ask him another question. “Is he doing this just because of me?”

His eyes widen, and he dips his chin slightly as his brows rise to his hairline. “Do you think he wouldn’t?”

“I don’t know what I think,” I say, and I’m being completely truthful and honest.

Viking chuckles. “I can tell you right now that it’s been a while since anyone in the club had a woman of their own, but we would kill, torture, and maim anyone who came after what was ours. And you’re that, Dakota. You’re his. You’re ours.”

I’m not sure how that makes me feel. Confused. It makes me feel confused. “Yours?” I ask.

“Our family. Bullet’s woman. Nobody shares unless it’s agreed upon, and I, honest to God, have only ever seen Goose and Maverick share anyone who wasn’t a clubwhore. We’re open with sex, but we’re also territorial.”

I’m not sure if that new knowledge makes me feel better. I’m sure it should, but right now, I’m so confused I don’t know which way is up. Viking, thankfully, doesn’t expect me to respond to his words. Instead, he continues to talk.

“You’re Bullet’s woman, Dakota. But you’re also Shade’s kid. Even if we didn’t know you existed, he did, and that’s good enough for us. You’re family. And nobody, not a single goddamn soul, and especially not another MC, fucks with our family,” he states, his words ending on a growl.

“Plus, unbeknownst to us, they’ve been trying to fuck around with our business, and that’s also a punishable offense, though not as bad as what they did with you,” he explains before he leans forward.

His face is only a few inches from mine, his smile playing on his lips. I wonder how many women fall at his feet because I probably would if I weren’t head over heels into Bishop. If my body didn’t sing for him. If I didn’t feel like I was made to be his.

“They were fully aware of what was going to happen to them if we found them. They thought they wouldn’t be caught. Plain and simple.”

“He was going to force me to marry him,” I whisper.

Viking nods once, then he clears his throat, and his gaze shifts over my shoulder and toward the building behind me. When his eyes move back and find mine, he jerks his chin upward then tilts his head toward the side as if to motion for me to get inside.

I do. I climb into the back seat all the way to the other side. Viking follows behind me, locking the entire truck from the inside when he does. He dips his chin, clearing his throat before he speaks.

“Force you to marry him?” he asks.

“Grudge, the guy in charge. That’s what I was getting ready to do before I escaped. He made me take a shower. I didn’t haveany other clothes, so I wrapped a towel around myself, and I ran for my life.”

It’s basically the long and short version of it, the truth without going into detail. Viking shakes his head a couple of times as if he can’t believe I’ve just told him what I have.

“If you married him, then Bullet wouldn’t have been able to take you back. What a fucking bastard. He deserves everything that’s going to happen to him in that clubhouse. He brought it all on himself. You’re going to need to accept that.”

I’m not sure how I feel about it, about a man dying and me having any kind of involvement in it. Instead of saying that, I suck in a breath and hold it for a moment, letting it out slowly again as I lift my gaze to meet his.

“He knows the rules of this world,” I whisper.

And that is all I can give.

“He sure as fuck does,” Viking clips.

And that is that.

We don’t say anything else. Sitting in the back seat of that truck, the air heavy around us, we both become lost in our own heads. Him no doubt thinking of all the ways Grudge is going to suffer. And me, thinking of all the ways that something bad could happen to Bullet and hoping that he’s going to walk out of that building unscathed.

BULLET

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