Page 37 of Ruined (The Knights of Ruin)

There were plenty of people milling around, talking and drinking, some dancing to the music that was blaring from the outdoor speaker system. The smell of cigarettes and weed was in the air, combining with the scent of burning wood from the fire, reminding me of what I loved about the club so much.

It was home. It was friendship. It was having people at your back who you could trust with your life. It was being part of a family. It was everything I’d never had as a kid.

And now it would be Cat, too.

I led her through the crowds, spotting Keep’s tall figure over by the fire. He was talking to Big Red, the VP, and Chase, the president of Demon’s Share.

Some of the brothers were beginning to stare at us, nudging each other and grinning.

‘Fuckin’ told ya,’ someone muttered as we went by.

I ignored all of them, catching Keep’s eye as we approached, tightening my fingers around Cat’s.

His brows rose, his gaze flicking to Cat, then back at me. ‘What the fuck is this?’

I could feel Cat stiffen beside me, so I ran my thumb over the back of her hand in reassurance. Keep had met Cat a couple of times before but only in passing.

‘It’s exactly what you think it is,’ I said.

Keep didn’t take his eyes off me. ‘Why don’t you get Leanne to show Cat where to find a drink, Red? I need to talk to Smoke here for a second.’

Leanne was Red’s old lady, and the fact that Keep had asked her to look after Cat was a sign he thought she was more than a casual fuck. But the look on his face was not friendly. Luckily it was directed at me, and I could handle it.

He might be my president, and my uncle, but he wasn’t going to tell me who I could and couldn’t have as my property. He mightn’t like it, but in this case he was going to have to suck it up.

‘Smoke—’ Cat began, obviously not liking where this was going.

‘It’s okay.’ I turned to meet her uncertain green eyes and cupped her cheek in my palm, blatantly taking advantage of our pretence to touch her. Her skin was so soft and so warm, and I allowed myself to enjoy the feel of it. ‘I’ll come find you in a second.’

I could tell she didn’t want to go, but after a gesture from Red brought Leanne over, she allowed herself to be led off.

‘Mind telling me why she’s here?’ Keep asked in the quiet voice he only used when someone was in deep shit.

Everyone else suddenly found other things to do, melting away into the rest of the crowd, leaving Keep and me alone.

I stared back, holding my ground. I knew he was going to be pissed, but I wasn’t budging when it came to Cat and Annie’s safety. I’d do anything I could to make sure the pair of them stayed where they belonged. With me.

‘I think you know why she’s here,’ I said flatly. ‘Going to make her my old lady.’

Keep’s expression didn’t change. He was a man who kept his feelings close to his vest. A family trait, that.

‘This got something to do with what we talked about last week?’

No point in denying it. ‘Yeah.’

His eyes had got cold. ‘So you’re willing to put at risk everything we worked for—everything I worked for—to save your friend?’

He said it casually, like it was no big deal. Generally that was a sign that it was a hugefucking deal.

I knew that. I knew what bringing Cat here would mean.

‘It’s not just her. It’s the kid, Keep. It’s Annie. She’s six years old. You really want her to go back to her violent old man?’

It was a low blow that went deeper than just Annie and Cat, and Keep knew it.

I was talking about my dad. About how everyone had known he was handy with fists, that he knocked me and Mom around, and yet no one had done anything. Not until the day he hit Mom once too hard and she went into the hospital and never come out again.

It was only then that someone tried to do something.Me.

---