Page 47 of Ripper
“This place is amazing,” I said.
“It’s been around for a long time. This is the one thing I think of whenever I picture my childhood.”
“You’ve been coming here for years, huh?”
“Ever since I was seven. Whenever my mom would forget to feed me, I’d come down here and the owner would always sneak me something. She’s not here anymore, but she was the closest thing to a mother I ever had,” he said.
I reached across the table to rest my hand on his. I brushed my fingertips over his warm skin, watching as he glanced up at me with a smile. The waiter brought over a small basket of focaccia bread, and Ripper tore off a piece, feeding me. My mouth nearly exploded with flavor, and I knew right then that the rest of the meal would be absolutely unforgettable.
Our gnocchi came out hot and fresh a little while later. I thanked the waiter as he poured us both a heaping glass of wine. We enjoyed every bit of our food, cleaning the plates, and I grinned at Ripper, knowing well that our night was just beginning. My cheeks grew hot again at the thought of his skin on mine, and I instantly began to crave him, wishing we could just get out of here. Though, before we could, Ripper’s phone started to ring.
“Hello? Tank? Wait, slow down,” I heard him say.
He covered the speaker, hoping to muffle the sound from the other tables that were busy enjoying their meals and their wine. I watched the expression on Ripper’s face change completely. There was a flash of shock and worry as he pressed his lips together, sighing deeply.
“I’ll be right there,” he said, hanging up.
“What happened?”
“There was a break-in at one of the warehouses. Apparently, some of those Freeway Fucks found their way in and they vandalized a lot of our shit, stole some of it too. I’m so sorry, Ronnie but I’m gonna have to drop you home and head there.”
“That’s okay. I understand, Ripper.”
He smiled softly at me, but it couldn’t hide how truly worried he was. My heart sank into my stomach when it hit me. I thought about the man on the phone, the one that had Uncle Axle, and the demands he made for me to gather information on the Rebels.The Freeway Kings? Fuck.
The entire ride back to Uncle Axle’s house had my heart beating out of my chest. I was practically shaking when Ripper planted a kiss on my lips, taking off to go deal with all of the chaos I caused. I collapsed onto the couch, clutching the throw pillow to my chest tightly trying not to cry, and that’s when I heard the doorbell ring.
I walked over to it, glancing through the peephole to see Anna standing there with her arms folded across her chest. I wiped the tears from my eyes, opening it up.
“Anna? What are you doing here?”
“I just came to check in on you, Ronnie. Haven’t heard from you in a couple days, and you haven’t been returning any of my calls,” she said.
I heard the slight snappiness in her voice, and I sighed deeply, knowing this was the last thing I needed to deal with right about now.
“I’ve been a little busy.”
“Yeah, I can see that. Look, after what you told me, I just wanted to make sure you weren’t getting yourself into any trouble. It’s the least I can do for roping you into something you weren’t ready for,” she said.
“I’ll be fine. I have the Rebels watching my back now.”
“Yeah, the Blazing Rebels. They’re just like every other club, Ronnie. They’ll chew you up and spit you out eventually. That’s how they work. They keep all their secrets locked away in the president’s office while their prospects do all the dirty work with little to no reward. I’ve been there, and I’m so glad I don’t have to deal with clubs like them anymore. Trust me when I say, they’re all the same.”
President’s office?I pictured my last visit to the clubhouse, remembering the door hidden away under the staircase, and I only ever caught a glimpse of the large wooden desk behind it. I’d seen Tank go in and out of there a couple of times, and I wondered if that was the place I needed to go looking for real information. I needed something soon before I’d lose Uncle Axle forever.
“I really don’t think that’s true, Anna. Look, I appreciate you coming all the way out here to check on me, but I’m fine. Really. I should just get some rest. We’ll talk some other time,” I said, flashing a quick smile before practically slamming the door in her face.
I need to find a way into that office. Fast.
Chapter Eleven
Ripper
I followed Tank in through the metal doors to see the fucking shitshow those Freeway Fucks left for us. There were open crates scattered across the concrete floors, and I peered into each one to see that half of them were empty. My blood was boiling at the thought of how much fucking money the club lost because of this. Now more than ever, all I wanted to do was fight back.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. How did this happen? Arch! You were the last one here with those prospects. You see anything suspicious?” I asked.
Tank was lifting up each crate, probably hoping those fuckers didn’t take everything, but it looked like they took everything they could fucking carry.
