Page 18 of Liv and Ripper

CHAPTER 10

LOTTIE

My heart was beating out of time as Tylan and I sat in the enclosed car. It was sweet, and as much as I wanted it, I knew I would never get it. Tylan was my mate. Wasn’t a hidden fact between him and I. He knew. I knew. But there was never going to be a future for us.

We used each other. Only seeing each other when we had to, because of the bond. If we hadn’t met in that café all those years ago, I doubted we would have crossed paths at all. Normally I stayed away from the ‘upstanding’ side of town, because I was a biker’s rouge daughter.

The pack didn’t want me, nor did I want them. I loved the freedom of the MC. And Tylan was in deep with the pack.

I never asked what position he was in it. Never asked once if he was blood to the Alpha. Because we just didn’t go there.

He knew nothing about my parents. That my father was acting President of the MC right now.

We didn’t do personal details. We just met and had sex, and then went as long as possible till we had to do it again. Not that the sex wasn’t great—it was mind-blowing. But every time I had to fight with myself to not bite him, to not mark him as mine. And it drove me mad.

Arriving at my house, I didn’t expect anyone to be home, but Liv’s bedroom lights were on. Which meant Tylan and I were saying goodbye now, and not later.

“Um . . . so,” I turned and looked at him, inhaling sharply, “thanks for tonight.” As soon as I spoke the words, I wanted to slap myself. Did I seriously just thank my mate for having sex with me in a hotel and driving me home? I shook my head. “This is fucked-up.”

And he didn’t say a word. I got out of the car, slamming his Porsche’s door.

Fuck this. I was going to do everything in my power to try to last longer without his touch this time.

Maybe I would get lucky and never need him again.

I glanced over my shoulder, and he was still gripping the steering wheel, not doing what I wanted him to do, which was come after me.

My hand went to the front door, and an urgency overcame me and I broke it down. Not unlocking it—no, I broke it down and ran up the hall. I was never intuitive, but something was pulling me to Liv’s room. I didn’t even knock. I just broke another door down.

She was lifeless on the floor of her bedroom, blood trickling out of her mouth. Falling to my knees, I started to frantically search for an injury, but there was nothing.

And then I saw the brown bag, and felt the burn of the silver on my skin.

The dangerousness of this situation now fully hitting me.

I pulled her in, trying to feel her heartbeat. My own heart stopped beating as I searched for hers.Please God, don’t take her.

Tears slowly ran down my cheek. I didn’t know what to do. I was so in over my head. I wrapped my arms around her.

“Please, Liv, come back, don’t go.” My hands were shaking as I searched for her pulse. “Please, Liv, hold on. Please hold on,” I begged. It was when I didn’t feel a heartbeat, a pulse, nothing, that I was sure my sister was dead.

“Charlotte! You okay?” Tylan’s voice was in the room, and I was struggling to breathe.

“Charlotte, it’s okay.” Tylan placed his hand over mine, which was crawling into Liv’s. “I’m right here,” he said soothingly.

“I can’t feel a pulse. I can’t hear her—” I couldn’t say the words.

Tylan snapped into a mode I hadn’t seen before. He took her from me, lifting her up, but I wouldn’t let go of her hand.

“We need to call an ambulance.”

“Human’s won’t be able to relive her. She needs the pack. We have a club doctor—”

I started to protest but Tylan cut me off. “Lottie! Do you want your sister to die!” He locked his cool blue calculating eyes with mine. “Because that is what is going to happen if we don’t get her to the pack. Do I have your permission to take her there?”

How could it be that the pack would be the ones to save my sister? How, when we had spent our lives fighting them? Not standing up for what they believe in? We went against their every belief. But my sister’s life was on the line, so I nodded my head.

“Yes, you have my permission.”

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