Page 76 of Breaking the Rules (Roaming Devils MC 1)

She tightened her towel around her. “I don’t feel adequate enough for you.”

“Why?”

She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I don’t know. Experience.”

He laughed. “You’re fucking adorable right now.”

“Don’t laugh at me.”

He moved away from the vanity. “I’m not laughing at you. I just find it fucking unbelievable that we’re having this conversation in your parents’ house. If we were at home, I’d give you all the experience you want, baby, but I really don’t want to relive the past while we’re here.”

She snorted. “We didn’t do anything that night.”

“We came pretty fucking close.” He walked to the door and opened it.

That night. She wondered what he thought about it. She’d been mad at her dad and wanted to pay him back by having him catch her fucking the boy he didn’t like. It was wrong and she knew it. She’d felt so guilty about it afterward too.

“I set you up that night.” Ella walked with him to her room. “I wanted my dad to find us. I wanted him to get mad.”

“Well, you got your wish.” He walked into the room and took off his shirt. “Why? Rebellion?”

“Somewhat.” She dried off and pulled her tank and shorts on again before climbing into bed. “I was mad at him. I knew he didn’t like you and I wanted to rub it in his face that his little girl wasn’t so sweet and innocent. It backfired. I couldn’t even do that right.”

Ryker climbed into bed wearing his boxers. “Why the fuck do you want to be different than what you are? You’re worried about sex. You’re worried I don’t want you. You want to be a bad girl when there isn’t one fucking bad bone in your body. You balance us out, babe. I’m bad, you’re good. If you were bad, we wouldn’t work.”

Ella rolled her eyes. “If you say so.”

He pulled her to him and smacked her ass. “You’re perfect just the way you are. Don’t ever change it.”

She smiled and kissed him. “You make me feel safe,” Ella admitted.

He stared at her. “I’ll protect you with all that I am. Don’t ever question it.”

“What if…”

He pressed a finger against her lips. “Nobody is going to hurt you. I promise you that.”

He leaned in, cupping her face as he kissed her. She believed him. He’d kill them before he let them hurt her, and a small part of her took comfort in that.

****

Ryker moved Ella’s entire apartment—or what was left in it—into a new place that was in a better neighborhood. He also had a security system installed so that she’d feel safe when he wasn’t there.

It’d been a hellish day, but he and the guys got the job done. Since they had some club business to deal with that night, he figured sharing a beer on the balcony with his friends, while they were still his friends, was in order.

“We’re the dream team.” Vampire drank from his beer. “The vote should go according to plan.”

Ryker named Vampire as his VP, while Superman got the sergeant-at-arms position. He still needed to be voted in, but that was semantics. Nobody else wanted the position and it made sense since so many chapters were looking up to him as their leader as well.

“There’s still some questionable members.” Ryker rubbed his eyes. “I don’t fucking know why they were obsessed with my dad, but they’ve been part of the club longer than I’ve been alive.”

Ella came up the stairs and stopped. “Uh, you guys aren’t moving in with us, are you?”

Vampire grinned. “I’m into threeways if you are.”

Ryker kicked his friend’s boot off the small table he’d propped it on. “Knock it off.”

Ella walked toward him. “Hey.” She kissed him briefly before pulling back to meet his gaze. “I need to talk to you for a minute.”

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