Page 14 of The Biker's Forbidden Love
“Stop it!”
I try to get between them to make it stop. I'm a big girl, and I can throw my weight around. But when I try and pull them apart, Dad shoves me out of the way. It’s not rough, but it’s still a shock.
No one's listening to me, so I do the only thing I know of that will get Dad's attention.
Dad loves the people in his life fiercely, but his love for his bike is a close second. Grabbing his keys from the table, I dangle them in front of his face.
“If you don't stop right now, I'm gonna take your bike and crash it.”
He gives me a sideways glance, but I can tell he doesn’t think I mean it. I’m mad as hell at him. He’s not giving us a chance to explain. No wonder Jesse waited so long to be with me. This is a side to Dad that I’ve never seen, and I don’t like it.
Suddenly needing to be away from here, I race out of the house. I need to get away from this violence, away from this male energy that thinks everything can be solved with fists.
I jump on Dad’s bike and don’t bother with the helmet. The wheels kick up the gravel as I turn her around and speed off down the driveway.
I don't want to be around this, and if there’s one thing that will get Dad’s attention, it’s taking off on his bike. I only hope that it stops the violence that's going on inside.
9
JESSE
My cheek stings, and there’s the taste of blood in my mouth. I think my nose is broken, but I still don’t fight back. I deserve this. Every hit is a reminder of the betrayal of my best friend. And every hit makes me more determined to be with Lily.
It’s only the sound of a bike tearing up the gravel outside that stops Bruno’s fists. The door’s wide open, showing Lily on Bruno’s bike snaking down the gravel drive and kicking dust up behind her.
“Shit.” Bruno strides to the door, but she’s already long gone. “She’s not wearing a helmet.”
“Lily can ride.” I try to reassure him, but I don’t feel crazy about it myself. Lily’s been on a bike since she was a baby, but Bruno’s bike is a beast, and I don’t know how she’ll handle the turns in the road.
“That woman is a handful, I swear to God…” Bruno sags against the doorframe, the fight going out of him.
If Lily’s intention was to stop him from beating me up, then it worked. His anger has turned to concern, and it may be the opportunity I need to get through to him.
“I didn’t mean to disrespect you, Bruno. I denied my feelings for three years. But we love each other.”
He runs a hand through his hair, and I see the torment on his face, the father not wanting to let go.
“She’s a child, Jesse. She’s half your age.”
“She’s the same age as your wife.”
He shoots me a dirty look, not happy that I’m bringing up Scarlett.
“This is different.”
“Is it? How?”
“Because Lily’s my daughter.” Even as he says it, I can see he realizes how unreasonable it sounds.
“She’s an adult, Bruno. A woman who can make her own decisions. I want to make her my old lady. I want to marry her. It’s hard, I know, but you have to let her go.”
He lets out a deep breath and gazes up the driveway. Lily’s long gone, but the dust still hangs in the air.
“Is it what she wants?”
I think back to the last few days, how she made me jealous to get my attention. The good times we’ve been sharing, the promises we’ve been making to each other. I hope like hell she means them like I do.
“Yeah, I think so.”
