Page 74 of Biker's Prisoner: Property of Bucky

I can’t let him kill someone who didn’t hurt me. We both have to draw the line somewhere. I’m not trying to be Harley Quinn over here. Wecan’t.Not with Eden.

Then again.

Maybe there is no “we”.

Ruger kissesmy neck hard enough to leave a mark and then withdraws from my entrance. I feel empty without him and worse when he climbs out of bed, leaving me alone. I shouldn’t be this desperate to cuddle him but after the way he just fucked me from behind, I need some type of reassurance from him.

He doesn’t even look at me. He does look at the door that I fucked up with the ax. I try to hide my smile, not like Ruger notices because he’s smiling at the door. He makes an approving grunt and then walks out of the room. I feel empty. I don’t know if he’s going to come back and I resent both of us for making me care.

What does it say about me that I would fall for this man? I think it says more about men than it does about me, honestly. Because Ruger has been kinder to me than any other man. His brutality is complicated. Like mine. But he has no reason to envy my ex-boyfriend. I don’t even know where that man is.

I lose my train of thought when Ruger returns shirtless with just his boxer briefs plastered against his pale, sweaty body.Why is he so sexy?He looks like a viking in this dark, bluish gray light. I can’t stop looking at him, practically begging him to make eye contact with me. When he finally looks at me, I’m filled with regret. His gaze is hard. Empty. I know he has feelings somewhere underneath, but I know the look on his face just as well. He won’t let me into his heart if he doesn’t want to.

“I’ll killthe last one alone,” he says. “It’ll take some work and I need you to stay here with Eden while I’m gone.”

I hate myself for how pathetic I sound. “When are you coming back?”

My heart flipswhen he walks over to the bed instead of leaving the room again. He pulls me up so I’m positioned on my knees on the bed. Almost at his eye level. He grabs my chin and kisses me. But there’s no answer yet. Just this hint as to his emotional state.

“When I’m done,” he says. That wall is up. And nothing I do right now can make it come down.

“Eden will miss you. What do you want me to tell her?”

And what about the dog? What if he runs into a bear out there in the woods?I stiffen my body so he doesn’t realize how scared I am to be alone without him. I told him that I loved him and all he did was fuck me hard and clam up. I should do the same.

Even if Iknow what it means.

“Tellher that when I come back, I expect your shit packed. I’ll take you to Missouri and let Southpaw handle you.”

He kisses me again.I’m so confused.His tongue goes into my mouth and he grabs my cheeks. When he pulls away, I swear there’s a tear in Ruger’s eye. Maybe two.

“I love you,” he says. “But I know my heart.”

I can’t believe he’s doing this. Walking away. I don’t want to act like I’m pathetically in love with him. My feelings for Ruger are nothing like those “in love” feelings I had before. This is something more earth-shattering. I am a completely different person when I’m around him. I’m the safe version of myself. Brave enough to hold a gun to my rapist’s head. Brave enough to watch the men who hurt me die.

It feels so much better than turning the other cheek and letting the justice system paint me as a harlot for being subjected to a crime. I can’t say any of that to Ruger. He doesn’t understand my “complex thoughts”. Everything about him is purely masculine, yet emotional. I want to convince him to stay without begging him. I can’t bring myself to do it, even if I care about him.

I want him tochooseto stay. Tochoosenot to leave me alone here.

“Will you say goodbye to Eden?”

“Yes,” he says, his voice getting soft and so warm that I almost feel tears coming. “She’s my daughter. Of course.”

My heart isheavy as fuck when he walks out the door. I don’t want to get out of bed. I don’t want to watch him walk out of this house. I just listen to him walking around. Packing his shit. He starts the bike and then just like that… he’s gone. I don’t even know how much food this man left behind.

Ruger is just gone.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Gideon

Ialways knew Ruger’s mental state would deteriorate, but my cousin has taken it too far. Tamiya hasn’t spoken a word to me in hours, making the drive to my cousin’s rural hideaway even more painful. Not even the best passenger princess treatment improves my wife’s mood. Why does she have to ignore me while looking so pretty? I reach over to touch her thigh and she doesn’t swat my hand away for the first time the entire drive.Yes.

I celebrate my success far too soon.

“I told you his crazy ass would go too far.”

“Zayna is alive and well.”

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