Page 62 of Breaking the Rules (Roaming Devils MC 1)

He shook his head. “That guy was a Young Blood. We all know how they like to use their fists.”

“But you’d tell him, right?” Her mother was adamant about it.

“Yes, Mom.” She glanced over at her father. “After I killed him and am sitting in a jail cell needing bail money.”

“That’s my girl.” He gave her a high-five and Ella laughed.

After dinner, they settled in the living room. She felt like she was a teenager again. Her father turned some kind of crime show on TV while her mother sat in her chair with a book. It was like old times.

“Why didn’t Ryker want to join us?” her father asked. Her mother got up and left the room to answer the phone.

“Well, he doesn’t really like you, Daddy.”

“The feeling is mutual, but we have a truce.” He glanced over at her. “What happened that night? You blamed me for it. What happened?”

She propped her head up on her hand. “Razor had me kidnapped. He tried to blame me for turning the Roaming Devils in—because of you—and told Ryker to kill me.”

Her father didn’t say anything and she continued.

“Ryker refused. Razor called in prospects. Told them to shoot me. They didn’t. He offered his entire club money to kill me. Sonny was the only one that stepped up and Razor gave him an unloaded gun and he pulled the trigger a few times while pointing it at my head. He gave the club a message about loyalty and doing what you’re told instead of having feelings about it. But when he came at me with a knife and was going to kill me himself, Ryker stepped up and told him that he would do it. Instead, he stabbed himself, taking the blame.”

She licked her lips. “I started screaming for someone to call an ambulance and everyone left. I rode to the hospital with my hand inside Ryker’s abdomen, plugging his artery so he didn’t bleed out.”

Her father ran a hand over his face. “I know you’re not going to listen to me when I say you need to stay away from them. But I’m going to say it anyway. You need to stay away from them.”

Her mother returned with something for them all to drink. Ella thanked her and sipped her lemonade. “They’re not all that bad. Definitely some rotten apples in the barrel but not all of them.”

“We’ll agree to disagree.”

She smiled. “I knew you would say that. I really need to go home. I don’t like being out at night by myself.”

“You can stay here.” Her mother lifted her drink to her lips. “Your room is upstairs.”

“I can’t stay here.”

“Why not?” Her father glanced up at the clock. “Ryker can take care of himself. He’s a big boy. Call him.”

She laughed. He wouldn’t like that much. She pulled her phone out of her jacket pocket and dialed his number.

“Hey.” She sipped her lemonade. “I’m going to stay with my parents tonight.”

“What? Why?”

“Because it’s late and I don’t want to drive home by myself in the dark.” She stood and walked to the kitchen.

“Nobody is going to hurt you.”

“Maybe not. But I’m staying. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“I don’t want you to stay.”

“Too bad. You should have come with me.”

Silence filled the line. Then, “Is that what this is about? You’re mad because I didn’t go to dinner with you?”

“I’m not really mad. I just think it’s childish. You can have dinner with my father. He said you had a truce.” She leaned on the kitchen island. “I hate to break it to you, but if I’m in your life, then he is too. You don’t have to be friends, but you do have to respect that I have a relationship with him, that I love you both.”

He sighed. “Okay. I get it. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

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