Page 15 of Ink & Reina

Because I wouldneverdate another Yeller again—not after what Jordan had done to me.

Chapter Nine

Reina

“Reina, come on. Wake up,” Ink crooned in my ear. His voice was low and gravelly, husky with sleep.

“What?” I mumbled, slowly ripping my eyes open to stare up at him. He knew how much I hated being woken up, and I was socomfortable. And he had beenso warm.

“I need to get to the clubhouse, and I need to get you home. Come on, sweetheart,” he coaxed.

I groaned, not wanting to leave this sanctuary with him, but I was beginning to learn that when the club called, Ink went.

It was what you did for family, and for Ink, that club was family.

Ink stood and helped me up from the ground before snatching up the blanket. With his hand on my lower back, he led me over to his bike. I was still pretty tired, so he helped strap the helmet to my head before sitting down, straddling the machine so I could get on behind him.

When he got me home, he carried me inside up to my room and tucked me into bed. I swooned and smiled. Ink couldn’t bemore incredible and sweeter, even if he tried. “Call me if you need me,” he said softly, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

I just sleepily smiled wider and nodded my head, mumbling something along the lines of “be careful,” before I fell asleep.

“Reina, get the door!” Dad shouted from his office, rousing me from my nap on the couch.

With a groan and a muttered curse, I slid off the couch and padded barefoot to the front door. I hadn’t seen Ink in a couple of days—not since my graduation. He said he was tied up with something with the club, so I knew it wasn’t him at the door. Besides, he would have just walked right in anyway.

I swung open the front door, not even bothering to look through the peephole.

And my face paled at the sight of the person standing on the porch.

“Jordan?” I whispered, completely shocked and blown away by his presence. He was just standing there like he hadn’t left without a word except for a fucking note, like he hadn’t just beengonefor two fucking years.

“Reina, baby, let me explain,” Jordan pleaded.

Anger rolled through me. It happened so fast that it made me slightly dizzy. “Explainwhat?” I seethed. “You got what you wanted from me, and youleft. That’sallthe fucking explanation I need from you, Jordan.”

“Ink set me up,” he blurted when I got ready to slam the door shut in his face. I stopped, looking up at him again. He was looking at me imploringly, like he was begging me to believe him—to trust him.

But Ink wouldn’t have set my boyfriend up, would he? He wasn’t that kind of guy. He wouldn’t hurt me just because of some brotherly feud.

Then again, both he and Johnny hated Jordan’s guts for reasons I never understood.

“I’m listening,” I gritted, crossing my arms over my chest like it would serve as a barrier between Jordan and my heart.

“I overheard Ink on the phone with one of the guys from the club. He found out I was going to a party—they set me up with drugs. There were underage girls there.” When I clenched my jaw in disgust, he quickly rushed out, “Reina, I never touched anyone there; I swear. I love you, baby. I didn’t know those girls were there until the cops showed up.”

Fuck, my heart. I was a sucker for his terms of endearment.

“I had known for a while that Ink was trying to do something to me; I just didn’t know what. But I wanted my brother back. We used to be so close, Reina.” He sighed, sadness clouding his eyes. My heart clenched for him. “But Ink was jealous because you fell for me instead of him. He turned everyone against you, sent me to prison, and I’m sure he’s been acting like your knight in shining armor while I’ve been gone.”

I wanted to cry. Everything Jordan said was on point.

“Then, why did you go?” I asked him. Why in the hell didn’t he call me? Why didn’t he explain what he was doing? Why did he just leave a note and then disappear?

“Because I wanted to show my brother that what you and I have together is real, baby.” Tears blurred my vision. “I wanted to prove to him that our love can withstand the test of time, and it can also make it through anything.”

I launched myself into his arms, crying against his chest. He held me close, gently rocking me side to side. “God, I missed you, babe.” I hiccupped, crying too hard to speak. “I want you to come with me. We’ll get the fuck out of this little hick town. You canlive with me until you start college. You won’t have to deal with your mom anymore nor your asshole of a dad, and you won’t have your brother breathing down your neck. It can just be you and me, babe. You can befree.”

Oh, God, I wanted that so badly.

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