Page 2 of Ripper's Property
I’m trapped. A prisoner in my father’s world.
Raid takes a seat next to me, patting me on the head like I’m a child. They all see me that way. I’m their little princess. Not a young woman about to turn nineteen. Not a girl who has dreams and aspirations, who wants to live life and experience the world. I have wants, feelings, and needs, but I’m trapped intheir overprotective bubble. Too young. Too naïve. Too weak to protect myself.
“You want to tell me what’s going on, sweetheart?”
He yanks the cigarette from my hand and takes a drag, not giving it back.Thief.
I don’t really want to talk about it. What’s going on inside my head is a fucked-up mess. A world of confusion and utter chaos. Forbidden thoughts that are strangling my emotions.
Ripper has been like a father to me. He’s been my guard, my protector ever since I was a little girl. But somewhere along the way, my feelings morphed into an insane longing. My emotions stepped into the dark, traveling down that forbidden path, and now I’m lost. I can’t find my way back. And tonight, I got the pleasure of watching him fuck the queen bitch of all the groupies, “Cherry.” His favorite sweetbutt.
And I hate her for it.
She hasn’t paid her dues. She hasn’t spent years with him, getting to know what makes him tick or where he came from. What his past was like. She doesn’t know the reason he joined the club. She doesn’t know anything beyond the black leather cut and dark tattoos. All she sees is his incredibly handsome face, dark hair, toned body. His intense eyes. She doesn’t deserve to be with him. And yet, she was the one gripped in his possessive hold. The one getting to feel his intense power as he fucked into her. She was the one receiving his pleasure. Feeling the tension of his desire. She was the one connected to him in the most intimate way.
“I’m just worried about my dad,” I lie, realizing Raid is still waiting for me to speak. Still looking at me with so much concern crinkled around his thoughtful eyes.
“He’ll be fine, princess. The East chapter just needs some help with a few things. I’m guessing King will be back in a couple weeks. A month tops.”
A month?I thought he was only going to be gone for a few days. That’s long enough for me to take a trip and get back before he even finds out I was gone. But Ripper would never allow it. Honestly, he’s worse than my dad. Stricter. Grumpier. Although, when he’s dick deep in that slut, he’s oblivious to anything concerning me. I could’ve walked off the compound and he wouldn’t have known. Though the guards would’ve alerted him the moment they saw me coming. Then he wouldn’t have just been pissed I broke the rules, he’d be pissed I interrupted him.
“Raid, what’s Disney World like?” I no longer want to think about the villain inside the clubhouse. The one terrorizing my thoughts.
Disney is a place of magic. It’s where all the fairy tale princesses live. My only female role models as a kid. I used to watch the classics on repeat, studying their smiles and the way the princesses held themselves. Learning how I should behave as one of them. I used to think I was as smart as Belle, as sweet as Cinderella, and as strong and brave as Merida. And I looked like Elsa with my long blonde hair, but I had Ariel’s big blue wondrous eyes.
But now…I’d say I’m more like Rapunzel. Locked away from the world, staring out at the sky and seeing how vast the universe is, but never knowing any of its beauty or wonders. My universe is a total of two hundred acres with barbed wire fencing lining the perimeter and a few warehouse-looking buildings scattered throughout the property. Although, there are a bunch of beasts in my world. All rugged and burly with their long hair and grizzly beards. Bodies covered in tattoos, marking their anger, reminding them of their past sins.
Raid crushes out the butt of the cigarette and flicks it across the yard. The sweetbutts will be cleaning them all up tomorrow when they’re on trash duty.Pity.
“I’ve only been there once as a kid.” He hugs his knees. “But I remember it being one of the best days of my life. The rides were fun. Every section was themed. It was a good time.”
Sounds exciting.
“Do you think I’ll ever get to go?” It’s a far-fetched dream. One I wished upon the stars one too many times as a kid.
He turns to me, sighing. He’s always been the nice one. My two guards: Ripper and Raid. Ripper: demanding and controlling. His strong jaw locked tight. Dark eyes glaring. Watching everyone who crossed my path. Shoulders stiff with tension, locked for war. And always telling me “No.”
And then there’s Raid. The sweet one. The guy with the big heart and an even bigger smile. His eyes are aged with little lines around the edges but are always kind. His whiskers are peppered with gray straggly hairs, making him look like an old grizzly bear, but he’s just a big teddy bear at heart. Always bringing me candy and presents from town. Always making sure I’m smiling. And I know if it were up to him, he’d take me Disney. He’d take me anywhere I asked.
But it’s not up to him. And the ruler of my life will say “no.”
“You want to go to Disney?”
“Disney, the beach, the mall, out to eat. I don’t really care. It would just be nice to go somewhere.” The last time I was taken off the compound was almost three years ago. My sweet sixteen. They took me to the medieval fair, and it felt like I hadn’t even left the compound. People were dressed in black leather. Men were walking around looking dangerous and lethal. Women were scantily clad with their chests nearly popping over their leather corseted tops, all of them smiling and eyeing the Knights. Flirting for their attention just like the sweetbutts. There was barbecue and beer, and the stench of smoke hung in the air.
It would never have been how I would’ve chosen to spend my birthday, but the choice wasn’t mine. It never is.
“It’s been a while since you’ve been out, huh?”
I turn my head. A while is an understatement. Three years is a jail sentence.
“Let me talk to your dad, princess. See what I can do.”
He should talk to Ripper, because he’s the one who will ultimately decide. He’s more protective than my father. And over the years, he’s come to be the one in charge of my life.
“Talk to King about what?”
Speaking of, the devil himself just appeared.
