Page 20 of Ryker

“Can I go to your next appointment with you?”he asked.

“I’d really like that.”

“I should go, and let you get some rest.”Ryker stood, but I clung to his hand.

“Take me with you,” I said.“Flicker will be gone for hours, maybe even all night.I don’t want to be alone, Ryker.And… I just got you back.”

He pulled me to my feet and placed his hands on my waist.“I’m not going anywhere, Laken.Not as long you want me here.But I don’t want to take things too fast either.We did that already, and I made a mess of things.”

“Ryker, please.Take me home with you.I’m a big girl, and I know what I need and what I want.”

He smiled a little.“All right, but I brought the bike.I’m not sure you should be riding on one while you’re pregnant, especially after a head injury.”

“You’ll be careful, and you can go really slow,” I said.“It’s not like I’ve never been on a motorcycle before.”

His eyes narrowed a little.“You better have only ridden with Flicker.”

I bit my lip.Maybe the caveman side of him wasn’t completely gone after all.Was it wrong that I got a little thrill that he was a bit possessive of me?Maybe he really did care about me.I could hope anyway.He seemed sincere and like he’d changed.The Ryker I’d met at the bar had been a total playboy, but the man standing with me now?He was different, and in a good way.

“Come on,” he said, tugging on my hand.“I’ll take you to my place, but don’t expect much.I haven’t even checked the kitchen to see if it’s stocked with food and drinks.”

“We could take one of the trucks and pick up a few things,” I said.“Anyone can use them.You’d just have to take me to the clubhouse on your bike.They keep the keys behind the bar.”

“Any place around here that sells furniture, towels, and food?”Ryker asked.

“There’s a twenty-four hour store not too far from here.They have everything.Well, except live animals, but they have a gardening section, furniture, kitchenware, food, movies, clothes.”

“Sounds like the perfect place.”Ryker smiled.“All right.But if you get tired or start getting a headache, you let me know, and we’ll come back.”

He led me out to his bike, and I swear there were snails passing us he was driving so damn slow.It touched me, though, that he was trying to be careful with me.When we reached the clubhouse, he left me in the parking lot with a promise to wait for him.I wasn’t sure if I should be amused or upset.It wasn’t like I didn’t have a clue what went on inside the clubhouse, but honestly, part of me was glad I didn’t have to deal with the club sluts.It was sickening, watching them hang all over the bikers I considered family.

Ryker returned a few minutes later, keys in hand, a smudge of lipstick on his neck.My eyes narrowed as I stared at those lip prints.The color was rather distinct too, so I knew just who had left it there.I brushed past Ryker and stormed up the steps and into the clubhouse.After scanning the room, I found just who I was looking for.Bambi.I still didn’t think that was her real name, but it’s what everyone called her.

I shoved my way through the crowd and walked up to her.She looked me over, then dismissed me, but that was a huge mistake on her part.

“Hey, bitch!”I snapped at her.“Keep your nasty ass lips off my man.”

She smirked at me.“Yourman?”

I felt a hand at my waist and a hard abdomen pressed against my back.

“She means me,” Ryker said over my head.“And I’d have to second what she said.Stay the fuck away from me.”

“Oh please, honey.Like that mousy little girl can give you what you need,” Bambi said.“When you’re ready for a real woman, you know where to find me.And I promise, I will do anything you want.”

I lashed out at her, my hand cracking across her cheek, and making the room go dead silent.The footsteps of half a dozen bikers drew closer.

“What the fuck is going on?”Zipper asked.

“This slut insulted my woman, so Laken decided to teach her a lesson,” Ryker said.

“Your woman, huh?”Zipper asked, smiling a little.“That means I’ll be doing some ink soon?”

“Ink?”Ryker asked.

“Dixie Reapers ink their women,” Zipper said.“Hades Abyss doesn’t do that?”

I felt Ryker shrug behind me.“Never had a woman before, and my dad never really claimed my mom.I have no fucking clue what Hades Abyss does for their old ladies.I was gone more than I was there.There are some brothers with old ladies, but I was never around when those women were claimed.”

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