Page 27 of Breaking the Rules (Roaming Devils MC 1)

“Hey, dollface. What’s wrong?”

“Razor.”

Her father sat up in the bed, grunting from pain as he shifted slightly. “What happened?”

She rubbed her forehead. “He told me to stay away from Ryker. It was part of our deal. But I didn’t exactly live up to my end of the bargain. Ryker came to me today needing some help coping with his cravings. He’s been clean for a year or two and for whatever reason, he breathed in some stuff today. He looked really bad. I sat with him. I supported him through it. Then he gets this call and leaves.” Ella pulled up the video on her phone. “A few minutes ago I was sent this video.”

He took the phone and watched the video. “Ella, they’re playing you. You need to leave this guy alone. You can’t save an addict. Clearly, he’s not clean anymore. You need to take this to the police. It’s obvious that’s at the clubhouse. That should be enough for probable cause if they’ve got anything there. They could all be going away for years.” Her father almost bounced out of his bed, he was so happy. “This is what we needed Ella. I never thought we’d get it, but this is what we need.”

She stared at him. Turning the video in wasn’t an option. She knew how Razor played. The only one that would pay for the Roaming Devils’ sins was Ryker. It pissed her off that his own father treated him that way. It was something he just accepted and it wasn’t fair. He didn’t know anything different.

“No.”

“No? What do you mean no?”

“I’m not giving this to the police. I’m not sending him to jail. Razor is the problem, not Ryker.”

“They’re all a fucking problem, Ella.” He took a deep breath. “Listen to me. I know you have a big heart for lost causes. You think you can fix them and you’re optimistic. It’s a great quality to have, baby, it really is. But these men are dangerous. They are not people you fool around with. I tried telling you that five years ago when I busted that little punk for possession.”

She shook her head. Ryker wasn’t like Razor. He made an effort to stay clean. He held her like she was the only thing that mattered to him. Her heart broke at the very thought of him being used for their sick and twisted games. Tears filled her eyes and she turned away from her father.

“Ella,” his voice was softer. He’d gone from being her father to the cop and was now back to being her father again. “Please tell me you didn’t sleep with him. They play people, Ella. They’re great at manipulating others to get what they want.”

Her tough exterior cracked. She brought her hand to her face and tried to hide her shame from her father but it didn’t work. Her sobs were soft as her shoulders shook from the intensity of them. She closed her eyes and tried to gain control of herself, but once the dam broke, it was hard to keep everything back. She was so stupid. It hurt to even think about it.

Her father got out of the bed and came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her. She laid her head against him, letting him comfort her. She knew that he shouldn’t have been standing. He shouldn’t have been out of the bed. He had broken legs and a broken arm. A few broken ribs. It had to be extremely painful just moving.

“Honey, it’s okay.” He kissed the top of her head. “It’s okay.”

When she finally stopped the waterworks, she pulled away from her father’s arms. “Get back into bed. You’re crazy for even trying to get out and comfort me.”

“I’d do anything for you.” He wiped her tears from beneath her eyes. “Even if it hurts like hell.”

She rolled her eyes and helped him back to the bed. She took a deep breath and he reached out to her, squeezing her hand. “I know you thought he was different, Ella. You’ve had a thing for that boy since you were a teenager. Just let it be a lesson learned. They’re all the same. I wish I could tell you differently. I wish I had your optimism. I just know better. You need to take that video to the police and let them bust them. If the higher ranking members are there, then that’s an added bonus.”

“Okay. I need to get back to work. I love you, Dad.”

“I love you too.” He kissed her hand. “Send the video to the police.”

She smiled and nodded, agreeing to before leaving the room. She looked like a complete basket case but it didn’t really matter. She pocketed her cell phone and went back to ER to finish her shift. She couldn’t turn Ryker in. Not until she knew the whole story.

It was the least he owed her as far as she was concerned.

****

After her shift ended, she drove to the club. She parked out front and noticed the party was going in full swing. She could only imagine what kind of lascivious deeds were going on inside. She walked up to the door and the burly guy stopped her.

“You can’t go in there.”

“Razor will want to see me.”

“No, he won’t.”

“Ask him. Tell him I got some candy for his sugar habit.” She smiled at the guy.

Instead of asking questions, he opened the door for her. The loud music was enough to make her head hurt. Every time she walked into the club, she had a sour feeling in the pit of her stomach. She didn’t know if Ryker was dead or alive. She didn’t know if she’d find him balls deep in another woman. Anything was possible and she had to stop her imagination from getting too out of control. Her heart thudded as she glanced around, looking for Ryker. With bodies gyrating to the music, the temperature had increased to the point she felt perspiration gathering on her upper lip. They acted like nothing was wrong. That partying was a way of life and they wanted to live it up. With everything that she was, she didn’t want him dead. It was a risky move for her to steal the fentanyl and her friend had almost caught her this time. She’d had to talk her way out of it while blaming her erratic behavior on lack of sleep and long hours. The risk was worth it if she found Ryker alive. Ella pushed through the crowd, disgusted by the lack of clothed women. Women walked around naked while some spun around on the stripper poles with their legs spread. She didn’t spot either Ryker or Razor, so she pushed deeper into the crowd.

The full-patch members enjoyed the women walking around like servants to them. One man grabbed a female’s tits and licked her nipples without any preamble. They did whatever the hell they wanted with these women and the women let them. As she moved deeper into the room, she saw Razor in the back with a girl kneeling before him. His head was resting on the back of the couch while his arm was out beside him. He was clearly enjoying himself, Ella mused.

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