Page 16 of Ruckus

“Come with me,” I interrupt her, reaching out my bloody hand for her to take.

She stares at it in a trance.

“Freya, come with me,” I say it again, scared to what lengths I’d be prepared to go to if she refuses. This girl is a hazard to herself. She’s not safe here. At least at the club I can protect her and I need her to let me do that.

“I can’t.” She shakes her head, looking scared.

“Freya,” I reach out and grab the top of her arms. “If you don’t come with me, I’m gonna kill him. I don’t care about who watches. I don’t care about going to jail. I’ll end him,” I warn her, and it ain’t an empty threat.

“I can’t come back to the club, Ruckus. I’m too scared,” she admits.

“Scared? Scared of what?” I know time is running out, word will have gotten around by now, and if the police don’t get here, those men who were at the gate earlier sure will. Not that they will change anything, it just means more fighting.

“I can’t go back… Dad, he…”

“Your dad is dead, Freya. Wrath told you that. Raze is president now, your brother is VP. You don’t fucking belong here.” I leave bloody fingerprints on her skin as I shake her in frustration.

“I… I…” She shakes her head, looking unsure and so fuckin’ scared that my primal instinct takes over. I raise my hand and stroke it over her bruised cheek, focusing on her swollen, split lip. “I’m sorry, but I’m takin’ you with me,” I warn before Ikiss her, right in the center of the ring for everyone to see. She remains static, and when I pull away, I give her no time to argue, heaving her up and over my shoulder. I carry her back out the way I came and as I make my way outside, two guys rush toward me.

“I’d head back in the direction you came from,” I tell them both, and when they see the blood on my hands they stand still and let me pass right by ‘em. The ticket seller does nothing, just leans his head out of his booth and watches me carry her to where my bike is.

“Ruckus, stop, just think about this.” I place her on her feet and hate that his blood is on her skin from where I’ve touched her.

“You need to be the one who thinks. You’ve been letting that prick beat you. That’s not the girl I knew,” I remind her.

“I can’t go back to the club, please don’t make me,” she begs, and I can see from how fast she’s breathing that she’s starting to freak out on me.

“Fine, I won’t take you back to the club. But you're still coming with me.”

“Going where?” she asks with a bewildered, scared, and slightly hopeful look in her eyes.

“Back to my place,” I tell her as I sit on my saddle.

“You want me to—you want me to ride on the back?” she whispers as if it’s some kinda sin.

“Well I sure as hell don’t want you riding in the front.” I snigger, looking past her shoulder and seeing an army of men is coming toward us.

“Just get the fuck on, Freya.” I start my engine and wait for her to clamber on the back, before pulling the throttle and heading toward home.

I have to ignore how good it feels to have her clinging to my waist. Instead, I focus on the fact I should have ended that prick in the middle of his circus. Freya was right, there would have been far too many witnesses there for me to get away with it, but the thought of him still breathing is making me want to go back and end what I started.

But first I need answers. I need to know why the sassiest, most stubborn girl I’ve ever known has put up with being treated this way. Freya Adams would never have let a man look at her disrespectfully, let alone hit her. When we get to the gym, I cut my engine and wait for her to climb off behind me.

“This is where you live?” She looks up at the warehouse the club has converted. “Of course it is.” She shakes her head and laughs when she sees the gym sign.

“Ruck, I’m so glad you're back.” Corey comes rushing out the door, and I guess you know a kid’s seen far too many females in his life when he pays no attention to the girl in the sequin leotard and fancy headdress standing beside me.

“Burlusconi’s sister’s here, she keeps asking me to help her with her stre—Jesus, what went down tonight?” He stops himself mid-sentence when he sees I’m covered in blood.

“Nothing for you to worry about, get back to Burlusconi’s sister.” I gesture my head to the door.

“I can’t. She’s…Well you know how she is.” He looks at Freya and smiles awkwardly.

“Just grow a fuckin’ pair and help her out.” I barge past him.

“Ruck—”

“Get back to work,” I shout out, opening the door and leading Freya straight up the stairs to my apartment. Once we’re inside,I pull the blinds down over the glass windows that look over the gym floor, and head for my chest of drawers.

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