Page 52 of Breaking the Rules (Roaming Devils MC 1)

He stared into her haunted eyes. “Yes.”

She didn’t say anything to him for a long time. Taking a deep breath, he leaned forward and kissed her. Everything about Ella was so pure. The longer he looked at the sadness on her face, the more he realized just how wrong he was to be in her life. How selfish he was to need her and give in to that need. He couldn’t walk away from her and he didn’t bother trying anymore. But she deserved someone better. Someone that suited her pureness and didn’t corrupt her with the nightmares he called life.

“If I told you not to, would you listen to me?”

He dropped his head back. His heart felt ripped apart the longer she stared at him, expecting him to say no. He didn’t know if he could do it. He didn’t know if he could let his father get away with all that he’d done. Flashes of him hurting Ella flowed into his mind and fueled his rage. Razor liked toying with him. It was an art he’d perfected since Ryker had been a kid.

“No. I would ask you what you wanted me to do instead.”

She swallowed. “Nothing. I just wanted to know if my opinion meant anything to you. I really think it doesn’t and you proved me right.”

Ella climbed off his lap. She blew the candles out and carried her food to the couch. After turning the TV on, she settled on the sofa, watching her favorite show. Ryker needed a smoke. Hell, he needed a fucking hit. Something to take the edge off all the feelings he’d been swimming in for the past hour or two.

“I do value your opinion.” He slammed his fist on the table. “Goddammit, Ella. Everything I do, I think of you. I try to shield you from the bad stuff and keep you safe. But you can’t offer an opinion about something you know nothing about.”

She stared at him. “I know nothing about… How many times have I fucking told you to stay in that bed? I know plenty about medical care, yet you walk around like you’re the damn doctor. You need rest. You need to relax. Your body went through a trauma and it had serious strain on your entire system. You think you feel fine, but I fucking know that you don’t!”

He grabbed his food and stalked to the bed. After getting in, he set the food on her side and held his arms out. “I’m in the fucking bed.”

She snorted. “You’re such an ass.”

“If I’m in the fucking bed, you’re going to be in the fucking bed too.” He stared at her. “Get your hot ass over here.”

She clicked the TV off. “No.”

“Don’t make me get up and carry you.” He bit into his food, daring her to say something else.

Ella stood and walked over to the bed. “I’m not an idiot. I do know more about things than you’re giving me credit for.”

He held her gaze for what felt like an eternity. He teetered between the old club ways and the new club direction. Ella didn’t need to know about the way the club operated under Razor’s rule. He needed to work hard on making it more legitimate. It was one of the things that he sought to do. When he became president, it wasn’t going to interfere with him and Ella. The power that came with the patch created a type of monster he didn’t want to be. With some effort, he wanted to believe he could change it.

She finally looked away from him, smoothing the blanket beside her. “What is so fucking terrible about staying in bed and resting all day?”

“You’re not with me.” He pulled her to him and crashed his mouth against hers.

He shoved her shirt up and dragged his mouth from hers to suck her nipple between his lips. God, she was so damn sweet. Her body was made for loving and he wanted to stay buried inside her for days.

“Stop.” She smacked at his hands. “You can’t have sex.”

“I can have sex.” He slid his hands down, dipping his fingers inside the leg of her shorts to feel her wetness. “We’ll have to get creative with the position, but I can have sex.”

“No, you can’t.” She grabbed his hands and pulled them away from her. “You need to spend at least a month recovering before you are well enough to have sex.”

“Then why save my fucking life? Just kill me now.”

“Funny.” She moved to her side of the bed.

“What if you do all the work? I will lay here and rest while you do all the work.”

She scoffed, turning so that she faced away from him. He reached for her and she pulled away from him.

“I can’t win for losing with you.” Frustrated, he got out of the bed and grabbed his phone. He went outside and dialed Vampire. “Bring the van and get me the fuck out of here.”

****

Ella glanced at the clock three times before she decided he wasn’t coming back. He hadn’t told her where he was going or who he was with. Not that she really expected him to. He probably went to find club pussy to do all the work she wouldn’t do for him. Ella curled up on the couch with her pillow and pulled a blanket over her. It had been a rough few days. She was still trying to process what had gone on at the club, and Ryker wanted to pretend everything was okay. She couldn’t sleep and it had started to affect her at work. If she didn’t do something about it, she was going to lose everything she’d worked so hard for.

Ryker came back around four in the morning, waking Ella up. He went to the fridge to get something to drink while she pushed up from the couch, squinting at the bright light. She wasn’t going to ask him where he’d been. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer.

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