Page 21 of Ruined (The Knights of Ruin)

CHAPTER SIX

Smoke

I FELTLIKEshe’d kicked me straight in the balls. The pain was so bright, so raw. I acted on instinct, taking her by her forearms and spinning her around, pushing her up against the brick wall of the building next to us and holding her there.

‘You’d really say that to me?’ I couldn’t keep the pain out of my voice. ‘Fuck you, Cat. I knew that kid before she was born. I spent more time with her than Justin did. Hell, I’m more a father to her than he ever fucking was. So don’t you dare tell me I don’t get a say!’

Her eyes had gone very wide, the green in them darkening as she stared at me in shock. Like she saw a stranger standing there instead of me.

Like Justin maybe? Have you got more of your old man in you than you thought?

I went cold. No way. No fucking way.

Letting her go, I stepped back and turned away, trying to get a goddamn grip.

I knew Cat was angry—and yeah, putting that asshole boss of hers in his place and getting her fired hadn’t been my best move. But Annie was a daughter to me in so many ways that it hurt to be told I had no right to help her.

So Cat had issues with the club. After what her old man had put her and her mom through, I couldn’t blame her. But the Knights were different from the MC her dad had been in, and I sure as hell wasn’t him.

You’re just pissed she didn’t fall gratefully into your arms when you told her your idea.

Couldn’t deny it—there was a part of me that wanted that badly. That hoped she’d put her arms around me, tell me that being my old lady was what she’d been dreaming about all her life.

Yeah, I was fucking toast for her, and the fact that she hadn’t done any of that only added to the pain.

‘Smoke?’

Cat’s voice was behind me—not so angry this time, more uncertain.

I didn’t reply, not trusting myself not to say something stupid and make things worse.

There was a feather-light touch on my back, brief and over far too fast.

‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. You do get a say. I’m just... You know I don’t like the club and you know why. And this whole situation with Annie is scaring the shit out of me.’

Typical Cat. She blew up like a volcano when she was scared.

My normal thing would have been to turn around and give her a hug, tell her she didn’t need to be afraid, that all she needed to do was trust me. But she’d got me where it hurt and I was still pissed.

You know what you want to do.

Yeah, I totally did. I wanted her to get down on her knees and apologise the old-fashioned way. With my dick in her mouth.

Another light pressure on my back and this time it was staying there.

‘Smoke? Please. I didn’t mean it. You know I didn’t.’

But that was the thing. I didn’t know. Because she was right. Annie wasn’t my kid. Either Cat or that asshole Justin could take her away and there would be nothing I could do about it.

The light pressure increased as her palm settled between my shoulder blades.

‘I wish you were her father. You’re a damn sight better dad than Justin ever was.’

If I had been Annie’s father, we wouldn’t be standing here right now. I’d be at Cat’s place and Cat would be naked under me.

Something hardened in me at the thought, and for once it wasn’t my damn dick.

This was going to happen. Cat was going to be my old lady, and I didn’t care if she didn’t want to be or not. She was a grown woman and she could make her own decisions, sure, but Annie was still a kid and she needed protection. Which meant if Cat was going to let her own issues get in the way of helping her kid, I was going to call bullshit on them.

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