Page 40 of Laying it Bare Biker Style: Ryder

His fingers tightened around mythroat. “I will have you any way I choose as there is no one tostop me. Maybe right now you need a little taste of how rough Iactually like it. I could spare a few moments to fuck you after Ishove my dick down your throat. You need to learn your placeanyway.”

Bile rising in my throat at his words,almost guaranteeing vomit was about to erupt from me, I used everybit of strength I had and kneed him in the crotch.

He released me, but as soon as my feethit the ground, he punched me in the face, the momentum carryinghis fist across my nose. Blood poured down across my lips, but Icouldn’t bother to swipe it away.

Digging his hands into my shoulders,he threw me in the direction of the far wall where I landed with ahard thud in a sprawl on my stomach. I hadn’t had time to brace forimpact and prayed the collision with the unforgiving ground didn’tharm my baby. For a brief second I wondered if he would care histreatment of me had the potential to harm the baby he had helpedcreate. But he was such a monster, admitting that to him would mostlikely only give him more power over me. And I couldn’t affordthat.

Seeing as I was now a good fifteenfeet from him, this was the opportunity I was waiting for to gainthe upper hand. Fumbling with the hem of my sweatshirt, I hastilyshoved it up so I could wrench my Ruger from the waistband of myjeans. Drawing the weapon up, I quickly twisted to a seatedposition on the floor and trained my gun on Wasp.

A maniacal sounding laugh burst fromhis lips. “Now I know I like the feisty Sage more. But you do knownever to pull a weapon unless you intend to use it, right?” Hiscold eyes grew demonic as he took a menacing step toward me. “And Idon’t believe for a second you are that good of a shot. But maybe acouple of well-placed bullet holes in you will be enough to forceyou to be compliant while I – ”

The sound of my gununloading three shots in rapid succession into Wasp’s chest areawas enough to silence the rest of his threat before he crumbled tothe ground. It was like I was on autopilot when I pulled thetrigger. My time with Ryder on the shooting range had paid off. Hehad told me to be prepared to fire if I ever pulled my gun onsomeone. But I honestly didn’t think I had had it in me to take alife.I took a life. It was that of amonster, but I took a life.

Fear, adrenaline, andrelief surged through me, battling for supremacy, as I kept the guntrained on his unmoving body, my own shaking uncontrollably. Myeyes widened and I slapped the hand not holding the gun to mymouth.I did what I had to do, but wouldthat be how everyone else viewed it? I had no choice.I couldn’t move but I needed to get out ofthere.

“Shots fired! Shots fired!”Someone hollered from somewhere in the distance.Were his brothers going to come to his rescue? Ididn’t have enough ammo to defend myself against anyoneelse.

“FUCK! SAGE!” A voice Irecognized roared from the same general area. And relief washedover me that it wasn’t more of the enemy coming my way.

Footsteps thundered through thebuilding and a few seconds later, Ryder and Grayson burst throughthe door.

Eyes wild with panic and his facetwisted in rage, Ryder’s gaze scanned the surrounding area beforesettling on me. Then he rushed over, dropping to his knees beforeme.

“Put the gun down,Sweetheart. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

Numb and trance like, I hada hard time processing his words.I wasaware I had killed Wasp but my brain synapses weren’t firingcorrectly or helping me make logical connections.

But Ryder gently touched his fingersto my chin and turned my face to meet his eyes. “You’re safe now,Sage. You took that bastard down and we’re going to make his bodydisappear. I’m so proud of you, Baby. You defended yourself anddropped him. You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

Pivoting my head slightly upward andstaring into Ryder’s eyes, his love and relief pouring out, I wasfinally able to center myself.

Slowly, I lowered my gun to the groundand released it. “Will I be in trouble for killing him? He attackedme first. It was self-defense.”

Ryder curled me into his lap andhugged me tightly, his lips in my hair. “No, Sweetheart. You’re notin any trouble. Even if we would use proper channels and go throughthe whole investigation thing, you’re innocent. But we’re not goingto put you through that. His body is going to disappear and we’regoing to go on like nothing happened. But I do need to get Doc tocheck you out.” Leaning back, he took my face in his hands again.“Oh Fuck, Sage. What he did to you. I want to revive him just so Ican kill him again for all he did to you. Are you in any pain? Imean I know your face has to hurt.” Anger poured off of him intangible waves, but his touch remained gentle.

Some tears slipped down my cheeks. “Idon’t know. I think I hurt everywhere. But we need to have the babychecked first. I tried to protect her, but when he threw me acrossthe room; I wasn’t fast enough to land on – ”

“We’ll get the baby checkedtoo. I’m sure the baby is fine, but none of this is your fault. Butlet’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Tucking my gun into hiswaistband, he stood with me curled against his chest.

Grayson popped back into the room – Ihadn’t even realized he had left. “The brothers took care of all ofthe other members. We have some additional help coming to assistwith body removal. Do you need any help with Sage?”

“Thanks, Grayson. Could youdrive the two of us to Dr. Michaels’? She’s in no condition to rideon the back of my bike. I’ll get one of the others to drive mymotorcycle back to our place then.”

Burrowing further into his embrace, Iwrapped my arms around his neck as my body continued to shake andgoosebumps flashed across my skin. “I’m so cold, Ryder. Am Ihurting the baby? Is this normal?”

He kissed my temple as he snuggled mecloser to his body heat. “No, Sage. Your body is just reacting toyour burst of adrenaline. It’s okay. But we have a blanket in theback of the truck. Give me a minute to get someone to take care ofmy – ”

“I’ll talk to one of theguys on our way out of here. You get Sage settled into the backseat with you and I’ll be out in a moment.” Grayson nodded his headat Ryder before rushing out of the room.

Peppering my hair with kisses, Rydercarried me out to the truck. After crawling into the back seat withme, he wrapped a red blanket around my body before curling me ontohis lap and wrapping his arms tightly around me. “We won’t be longwith Doc. And then I can get you home and to bed. I was terrifiedwhen you went missing. I worried I wouldn’t see you again.” Hehugged me closer.

I nestled further into his warmth. “Metoo. I fought with him in the hopes I could keep us there longenough so you could find me. But I wasn’t sure I was going tosurvive his beatings.”

A growl rumbled out of Ryder’schest.

Then a quick flash of memories from atthe club hit me. “Angel and Misti?” Pushing away from Ryder, I shotmy panicked gaze to his. “He and one of his goons pounded the shitout of them too. Are they okay?” Some tears welled in my eyesbefore they fell down my cheeks. “They tried to protect me and keephim from taking me.”

“They’re a little banged upand bruised. Angel has a mild concussion, but they are both goingto be alright in a few days. I got a text on our way here to getyou.”

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