Page 82 of Lexi, Property of Rhyder

Mr. Ambers stares at me for a while, and I sense he wants to talk to me about something. “Son, Alexandra has been through a lot. As you can understand, she needs some space right now, and surely, I don’t have to tell you that.”

“Sir, I care about your daughter.”

He stands there with his suit pants and a white button-down shirt and places his hands in his front pockets. “I know you do, son. But this can’t go any further. I’m willing to pay you a sum of money for your trouble.”

“Money? I never did this for the money, sir. I have feelin’s for your daughter.”

Mr. Ambers looks down at the ground then back up to me. “I’m sorry, but the two of you can never happen. Lexi has her life mapped out ahead of her, she’s come too far to throw that all away.”

Furious that Mr. Ambers is trying to cut me out of Lexi’s life, I look around the front of the house and windows and yell out, “Lexi.”

“Stop it,” he grunts. “She doesn’t want to see you.”

“She doesn’t, or you don’t want her to?”

“Does that matter? Either way, here is a check for your trouble.” He hands me the piece of paper, and I can’t believe my eyes when I read one hundred thousand dollars.

I snicker. “You can keep your fuckin’ money, sir, I don’t want it. All I want is Lexi.” I flick the piece of paper at him, then make my way down the steps toward my bike. I straddle the bike and yell out, “Not you or your money can keep me away from Lexi, and that’s a promise.”

Mr. Ambers stares at me with anger, and I start the bike, and notice Lexi upstairs in a window looking down at me.

It all makes sense now.

Why she was acting so strange at the door and why she never came to see me or call.

But don’t you worry, Lexi, I’m not giving up.

***

A couple of months have passed since I saw Lexi. I’ve tried calling her, but she won’t return my calls. I’ve driven past her house even though her old man told me to stay away, but that’s not going to happen. I need to see Lexi and have a talk with her.

Just when I found her, I lost her all over again.

I’m going out of my fucking mind.

I know her dad is behind all this, and to be honest, I get it. However, she’s eighteen, and surely, she can stand up to her dad. I take a swig of my beer at the bar.

Prez and Torch convinced me to come down to Mike’s Bar for a drink. They want to celebrate my return from the dead, and even though I didn’t feel like celebrating anything, I figured it’s the least I can do. My brothers put their own lives on the line to rescue the girl I love.

Wait a fucking minute! Did I just use theloveword?

Fuck. Me.

Never thought those words would come out of my mouth.

I’m listening to Gunner as he talks to me about some fight or other he got into the other day. I look over his shoulder seeing Blaze and Tess flirting with one another and Trigger and Charity. Jasmine and Luisa are here somewhere, and I can’t help but feel like I’m missing out on something. I want to have that something with Lexi. I want her here by my side. I want her to be my ol’ lady, my woman, and the one who’s on the back of my bike. I don’t care if she’s college material, she can still study to become a doctor. I would never stand in the way of her fulfilling her dreams. I just want to make sure I’m the one beside her when she does.

“Cheer up, brother. This is for you.”

I look up at Torch who’s just entered the bar. “Where have you been, bro.”

Torch smirks. “Do I have to explain where I’ve been?”

“Nah, actually, you don’t, probably in some chick’s pussy.”

Torch laughs, then orders a beer. “You would be right, brother.” He looks around the bar, and I am not sure why.

“What are you looking for?”

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