Ryker wanted to tell the bitch to back off but Ella was already moving toward a chair along the far wall and dragging him with her. She sniffled as big, fat tears rolled down her cheeks. Ryker cupped her face and leaned in to kiss her forehead.

“Maybe you should call your mom.”

She took a deep, shaky breath. “Yeah. Maybe.” She glanced down at the black shirt he wore. “You have blood on you.”

“I helped lift him into the van.”

She nodded. “You didn’t punch him or anything, did you?”

Ryker snorted. “Not this time.”

She grabbed his hand with both of hers and pulled it onto her lap as she laid her head against his shoulder. Every time he breathed he smelled her. He ached to touch her. To kiss her. To wrap himself around her and protect her.

“I need to go, Ella.” It physically killed him a little inside to extract his hand from hers. “Call your mom.”

Simply because he was weak, he leaned in to kiss her wet cheek. He tasted her salty tears and a small part inside him resisted leaving her. He had other shit to do. The longer he stayed at the hospital, the bigger the chance the cops were called and he’d be questioned. It still might happen anyway.

When he finally got enough courage to pull away from her, he stood and went to find Vampire. Instead of saying anything, the two men walked out the waiting area’s door and straight to their bikes.

“Do you want to explain how she knows you like ham and cheese with only two pickles?” Vampire asked.

“No.”

Vampire nodded. “I didn’t think so.”

They rode off, heading back to the warehouse. Ella fucked with his mind more than any other bitch. He didn’t know why either. He’d thought it was a little obsession he had for her. The need to conquer all the pussy in the land or some bullshit. But instead of jumping her like a horny asshole, he found himself wiping her tears and giving her tender kisses on her forehead. He couldn’t recall ever kissing someone’s forehead, or cheek for that matter. He couldn’t recall letting them hold his hand either. He’d spent the better part of his adult life trying to push his thoughts away from Ella, but she crept up on him. Crawled under his skin and got to him unlike any other person in his life.

That alone was enough to frighten the shit out of him.

He parked his bike and went into the warehouse. Razor sat at the bar with a drink in his hand, glowering at him. “Where have you been?”

“I had to—”

“Shut the fuck up.” Razor held his hand up. “You were supposed to bring the money that bitch gave you to me. Instead, Superman comes in with the bag and you’re nowhere to be found.”

Ryker didn’t know what to say. His father was angry and when he got real bad, he was a sadistic bastard. There was nothing he could do to get on his good side at the moment, so Ryker didn’t try.

“I’m not going to tell you this again.” Razor pointed his finger at him. “Leave that bitch alone.”

Ryker stood there, staring at the man that was responsible for bringing him into this world. He had no real power against him. As the president of the charter and one of the higher-ups all around, he had loyal followers that marked him almost godlike. His whole rule was to make Ryker his puppet. He knew this. It didn’t bother him that much, either, except for this. Ella was not a bitch and him even calling her that provoked his temper. She wasn’t like the other girls in his life. She was different. Special.

But quite honestly, it was for the best that he left her alone. She didn’t deserve to be part of the life he led. He was born into it. She had the choice to stay away and he needed to push that idea on her. He didn’t need to hold her when she cried or to kiss her tears away. He needed to walk away and forget that she ever existed.

“It won’t happen again.”

Ryker left him and went to find an empty room. The one he chose had a club bitch standing naked doing rows off the dresser. She glanced up at him when he came inside, her eyes bloodshot and red. She smiled at him as she wiped her nose. Her tits were real and they were big. She had tiny nipples that were perfect to suck on. Her hairless pussy felt great sliding along his dick while she rode him. Ryker swallowed hard.

“One more row and I’ll do whatever you want.” She took an old credit card and made herself a row. He watched as she used a Bic pen casing to snort the white dust into her nose.

That hunger he felt wasn’t for her sexually. He remembered what a rush it was to suck in the cocaine. He squeezed the doorknob until his knuckles went white. That craving would never go away. He’d been a heavy user for at least three years and drying out in a jail cell had done him some good. He had connections to get him what he wanted, but he chose to punish himself for fucking it up with Ella, instead. Somewhere in his fucked up mind, he thought Ella wouldn’t want to be with a drug addict. He’d pushed himself on her that night and when she’d said no, he really hadn’t wanted to listen. Her father got the idea through his drug-induced fog, though. That was all he’d thought about for next few months. The prison doctors had been worried about him and his health. He stayed in the infirmary until he was strong enough to finish the fucking mission he’d been given and he’d been clean ever since.

“Come on, baby.” She came toward him and pulled him away from the door. “What do you want me to do for you?”

He went into the room and let her push him down to the bed. There were rules for women fucking patched members. The men sought them, not the other way around. Not only was this coke whore in the wrong by coming on to him, he didn’t have the strength to push her away.

She undid his pants and stopped. “Oops, I forgot you like condoms now. You’re the only guy I’ve been with that uses them. Most like bareback.”

He didn’t say anything as she reached in his pants and wrapped her hand around his dick. She stroked him, trying to get him hard, before wrapping her lips around the tip of his cock and sucking.