Page 4 of Hellbent
“You won’t find trouble here,” says the older man, though his eyes suggest he’s reserving judgment. Across the table, the blond one just watches me, his expression unreadable.
“You got a name?”
“Maxwell,” I say. “Max.”
“Max,” he repeats. “Okay. I’m Wyatt.” He nods toward the black-haired man. “That’s Damian. And Jake behind you.” His gaze flicks to the blond man. “And this is Ryder.”
He introduces Ryder last. A subtle show of deference.
I give them each a small, polite smile in turn.
“Get you a beer?” asks Jake.
“Just water, thanks.” My throat is dry. I need food, too, but I’ll figure that out later.
Jake fills a glass at the sink. “Ryder found you on the porch,” he says as he sets it in front of me.
I lift my eyes to Ryder. His dark stare is unflinching, and something about it makes heat rise to my cheeks before I drop my gaze. I wish he didn’t intimidate me, but he does.
There’s nothing soft in his expression. Damian watches me with curiosity, Wyatt with wary kindness. But Ryder looks at me like he already knows something about me, and he doesn’t like it.
I take a sip of water. “I think—” I clear my throat. “I think someone gave me a sedative.” The words feel awkward in my mouth.My boyfriend drugged me.How do you tell someone that? “Anyway, I…I’m sorry to intrude. And thank you.” I dart another look at Ryder. “For bringing me inside.”
Damian’s dark eyebrows knit into a frown, but nobody speaks. The silence stretches, until Ryder finally breaks it.
“You got somewhere to go?”
His dark eyes bore into me relentlessly. But there’s something there now—a flicker of softness.
“I’ll, uh…I’ll figure something out,” I stammer. “It’s fine.”
Fuck.
Ryder narrows his eyes. I catch Wyatt and Damian exchanging glances.
“Is there someone you can call?” Jake crouches down so we’re eye-level, and to my horror, tears sting my eyes. I blink them back and look at the table.Be cool, Max.
I shake my head. There’s no one.
I don’t want to go back. I don’t want Billy to have that power over me. But how do I survive with absolutely nothing?
“I don’t want to go back,” I say softly. It surprises even me. I hadn’t meant to say it out loud.
Jake nods, pressing his lips together. He shoots a look at Ryder.
“Why don’t you sleep on it?” Jake suggests. “We’ll figure out what’s next in the morning.”
I glance at Ryder, unconsciously checking for his approval. I hate that I do it, but there’s nowhere else for me to go.
Ryder sees the question in my eyes. After a pause, he nods.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
CHAPTER TWO
I BLINK AWAKE to a shaft of sunlight piercing through the curtains and pull the thick comforter over my face. The weight of it cocoons me in warmth, making it hard to summon the will to move.
Sleeping here is nothing like the clubhouse, where noise filtered through the walls at all hours—drunken laughter, music, motorcycles rumbling. But here, the silence is total. It wrapped around me as I slept, dense and unfamiliar, pressing against my ears. I slept like the dead.
