Page 70 of Breaking the Rules (Roaming Devils MC 1)

“You like it?” Ella smiled.

“Yeah.” He took another bite. “Are you taking up baking now?”

“I’ve always baked.” Ella leaned against the kitchen island. “I just never have time or the groceries anymore.”

“Did you work at the clinic today?”

“ER.” She glanced over at the clock. “I pulled a twelve-hour shift. I’m really tired, but I wanted something sweet to eat.”

“You work too much,” her mother commented. “Margie said that her brother went to ER two nights ago. He saw you saving some man’s life in the trauma section.”

“Yeah?” She propped her chin on her hand. “I didn’t know he knew me.”

“I think it was your last name.” Her mother set the cupcakes she’d been working on aside. “He worked at the police station for a while with your dad.”

Ella shrugged and turned to Ryker. “Are you hungry? Mom fixed some beef stroganoff.”

“Uh, sure.” Ryker glanced over at her mother. “If that’s okay.”

Her mother gave him a tight smile. “Why wouldn’t it be okay?”

Ella ignored her and grabbed a plate. The food was on the stove and she dished him out a plateful with two bread rolls. She carried it into the dining room and set it at the table.

“I’ll get you something to drink.”

Ryker reached out and caught her hand before she could move away. Instead of saying anything, he leaned in to kiss her. His Ella. Everything felt right again when he had her in his arms.

“Are you planning on staying here tonight, Ella?” her father asked.

She jerked away from Ryker and turned. “I don’t think so. I need to do laundry. I’m running out of clean scrubs.”

He eyed Ryker. “You can wash the ones you wore today, here. You don’t have to go.”

“I don’t know. I’ll think about it.” She left Ryker with her father in the dining room.

For the first time of him ever getting close enough to a woman to meet her parents, he just had to choose a woman with a cop for a father. Ryker stood there, hands in his pockets, trying to figure out how to make that work. It was a rule of thumb that absolutely no cops were involved with the club. Not that Ella was really involved or, worse, her father. But the idea of having a cop in the family made other members twitchy with distrust.

“I know she left you to come here.”

Ryker took a deep breath. “Yeah. I’m sure it had nothing to do with what you told her either.”

“What I told her was the truth.”

Ryker snorted. “According to whom?”

“According to anyone with morals.” Her father turned so that he faced Ryker more. “You may think that it’s okay to play on the wrong side of the law, but you’re not going to drag my daughter down with you. She is a good person inside and out. She’s doesn’t belong in your gang.”

Ryker glanced toward the kitchen. “You think I don’t know that?”

“Then why drag her into your life?” He tilted his head. “Does she know about Razor going missing?”

Over the years, Ryker had learned to keep his expression neutral. It served him well when cops were around. “Why would she need to know that?”

“Because you killed him.”

Ryker met his gaze. “You have no proof of that.”

“Maybe not, but I know how things work. Razor was an evil bastard but he offended you. You wanted his title and you took the crown.” The disgust on his face didn’t surprise Ryker. “What kind of person are you?”

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