Page 99 of Ryder
“She’s my old lady now. She goes where I go, and I live here. So this is her home now.”
My father set his glass down with a heavy thud.
“That sounds exactly like you’re claiming ownership of my damn daughter. She makes her own decisions, something she just made perfectly clear.”
I nodded. “And I want to be with Ryder, even if I have to be called a damn old lady while I’m still young.” I pressed my face against Ryder’s chest, a giggle bubbling out of me, surprising both of us.
Suddenly there was movement; my father had risen from the chair he’d been in, and I held my breath, wondering if he was about to do something arrogant and foolish. Something that couldn’t be undone. Instead, he simply straightened his tie and smoothed his jacket, nodding at the two goons who’d loitered across the room.
“Well, I guess I’ll be going then. I hope you’re going to keep in touch now, Victoria? Now that you don’t fear some lesser family being able to overthrow me?”
When he put it like that, it sounded so dumb that I’d ever feared Dominic Casetti. Ryder nudged me, and when I looked at him, he gestured for us to get up.
Once we were standing, he backed up and let me approach my father for another hug. It felt like heaven to be able to see him again, and feel his strong arms around me. I wished that I’d gone to him with the truth back then. I wished that I’d never hiddenwho had attacked me. Maybe if I had, the bastard would have been dead almost a decade ago. I’d been a fool, and we all knew it.
“You should have told me. I would have made him disappear, and you would have been safe. You didn’t need to go through everything alone,” Daddy was murmuring these things into my ear as he held me, and he was right. About all of it.
If I’d just trusted that his people could wipe out the Casetti family, none of this would have happened, and maybe Ryder would have found me anyway, instead of having to rescue me.
Ryder
As soon as Icould get her out of there, and back to our room, I did it. I could tell that she was exhausted. Freaked out about being around so many people at once, and overwhelmed over her dad turning up. Smug bastard. Honestly, I’d disliked him instantly, but he grew on me a little, especially when he made it clear that he’d have avenged her if he’d known.
I guess, in my mind, I’d figured that any bastard who could let his daughter’s rapist live had to be a complete douchebag, or just a total waste of space, but she’d never told him? It made me wonder how Ice had found out, if it hadn’t been common knowledge, but then the things that bastard could snoop into would terrify people if they knew.
The important thing was how she’d reacted. When she’d freaked out, she’d curled up in my fucking arms, and wanted tostay there, and that was what I wanted, all I wanted.To be her safe place.
“How are you doing after all that?” I asked her as we closed the door, and were alone again at last.
She’d walked to the window, watching something outside.
“It was strange seeing him after so long, but he’s just the same as he always was.”
“He’s got that scary calm thing going on. You know the ‘I’m smiling at you, but in my head I’ve already sliced your head off, and I’m pissing on your corpse’ thing.”
She turned to look at me, her frown disappearing as she laughed.
“You have a way with words, Ryder, but actually I think that’s pretty accurate. He’s a very dangerous man.” Yeah, no shit. I’d figured that out the very second I met him.
I moved closer, enjoying the fact that she didn’t retreat or look nervous. I stopped just in front of her, tucking her hair behind her ear again, because I just loved doing it, and she stared up at me, her eyes widening a little. There was no fear though, just wonder.
“Why did you never tell him about Casetti? Did you really think he couldn’t take him out?”
She sighed, her eyes drifting closed for a moment.
“I feel so fucking stupid now. Back then, that bastard had worn me down so much that I believed the things he said. The way he detailed how he’d destroy my father, and the entire family, until there was nothing left but him. He’d broken me, Ryder. I truly believed he was capable of anything, because of the things he enjoyed doing to me. If he could do that, then… maybe he could do everything else he threatened too.” She trembled, and I took the opportunity to draw her against my chest, and hold her. It felt right when I did that. Like she was meant to be right fucking here, pressed against me.Mine.
“He abused your mind as well as your body, babe, but he’s gone forever. And you’re now gonna be the old lady of a badass biker, so you’re never going to be hurt by anyone again.”
She giggled, and leaned back to look at me.
“Badass, huh?”
I shrugged, not releasing her from my arms.
“I mean, apart from what a wuss I am around a certain lady, yeah. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to protect you,because you’re mine.”
“Does that mean you’re mine too, though? I mean, I don’t know how this stuff works, but are you going to be doing other women, and I’m just supposed to accept it?”
