Page 29 of Keeping What He Wants

After slipping off his leather jacket, he wrapped it around her wet body. Her jaw quivered with the chill of the rain, and he turned the heat up. Ryker drove them home, stopping briefly to get something to eat. Ella curled up on the passenger’s side of the van, wrapped in his jacket. She was asleep by the time they got home.

“Hey.” He smoothed his hands along her thigh. “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.”

Ella moaned and sat up. “I’m tired.”

“I figured.” Ryker grabbed the food and drinks. “We’re home though. So you can go upstairs and go to sleep.”

She glanced at the bag in his hand. “We stopped for food?”

He smiled. “Yeah. Come on.”

The rain flooded the area around them and both were soaked by the time they made it inside their apartment. Ryker sat the food on the coffee table before pulling his shirt off and tossing it toward the laundry room. Ella kicked off her shoes and hung his jacket on the hall closet doorknob as she went toward their bedroom. A few minutes later, she came back in pajamas.

“Food, then bed.”

She curled up on the couch with the fluffy blanket she favored. He handed her the fast-food dish they’d gotten and sat in the recliner, propping the footrest up.

“My day’s been crappy.” She dipped her fork into the food and took a bite.

Ryker lifted his drink to his lips. “You’re amazing.”

“Tell that to the guy that cussed me out.”

He glanced up. “I can. Give me his address.”

“So you can go beat him up? No. I don’t want him back in my ER.” She took a bite of her food.

He grinned. “There are other hospitals in Atlanta.”

“I should be used to people yelling at me. Everyone hates the ER, and the doctors can never please anyone. They don’t freaking understand I’m not their primary care provider. I’m there to keep them alive. But this guy really got under my skin. I did everything in my power to try and help him, and he blew up at me. The worst part is that he can’t blame it on drugs or alcohol or mental illness. He was completely fine, just a complete asshole.”

Ryker’s phone rang, and he groaned. He pulled it out to see Superman’s number.

“Yeah?” He sat his food on the coffee table.

“We got a situation.” Superman didn’t sound too happy about it. “One of the prospects said that a member was messing around with Young Blood’s women. He said that he thinks that he’s a rat.”

Ryker frowned. “A prospect said that? Who is it? Is there any truth?”

“Mad Dog.”

Ryker sighed. “That’s a big accusation. Please tell me the prospect has some proof?”

“Proof is sketchy.”

Ryker rubbed his eyes. “So you’re telling me I need to come handle it?”

“Yep.”

After blowing out a breath, he said, “I’ll be there in a minute.”

He hung up and glanced over at Ella. She frowned at him but didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to think about the accusations, but the quicker he handled it, the better it would be for everyone. There was no place for a rat in the club.

“I need to go, but I’ll be back in a little while. You okay? I can drop you off at your parents’ if you don’t want to be alone.”

“I’m okay.” She smiled at him. “Go.”

“Love you, babe.” He kissed her forehead. “I’ll try to make it quick. Get those wet clothes off and put something dry on. Maybe take a bubble bath. It’ll make you feel better.”

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