Chapter Eight
Liss
My cheek still burned from when Ryan backhanded me. I tenderly touched my face, checking for blood. I should have stabbed him in the goddamn throat when I saw him. I should have bolted the other way.
Now, I was back in his clutches again, and he would never let me go.
Ryan sat across from me at the table, hunched over his plate. He shoveled food into his mouth without pausing to take a breath, slurping at his coffee. I didn’t even have a glass of water.
Oh, nothing for my little sis, Ryan had told the waitress with his most charming smile. She’s having a tantrum today, so she gets to sit there and think about what she’s done.
I was surprised Ryan was willing to stop for food. It seemed risky, especially after the shootout last night. I expected he would take me straight back to the trailer and lock me up so I couldn’t escape again. On the other hand, he always acted like he was invincible. By refusing to allow me to eat with him, it served as a reminder that he held all the power in this dynamic and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it,
“Starving,” he grunted into his meal. “Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you? I’ve been worried sick. Completely lost my appetite.”
I rolled my eyes. Yeah, right.
“Tell me,” he said with a sniff. “How did you think this was going to work?”
I clenched my teeth, silent. He’d tossed my backpack in the ditch, but he hadn’t checked my boot. I still had my knife. I could turn this around in my favor.
“Were you going to whore yourself for money to get out of town?” Ryan added.
“That would be your department, not mine,” I countered. “You’re the one getting cozy with every junkie and addict within a hundred miles.”
He clutched his steak knife and pointed it at me.
“Watch your fucking mouth. After everything I’ve done for you, I deserve a little respect. Is this how you repay me? You just leave?”
“I thought you would have been relieved. No more little sister to worry about.”
“We’re family,” Ryan spat. “That means we don’t abandon each other.”
God, he disgusted me. Holding it over my head that we were siblings and we had to stick together while the bruises bloomed black and blue all over my body because of him.
“I’m not going to be your little worm on a hook anymore, Ryan,” I shot back. “Find someone else to use as bait.”
He slammed his fist on the table so hard that the silverware rattled. A few nearby customers glanced in our direction with startled looks. Ryan pretended to flick a bug onto the floor.
“Spider,” he said. “Pesky little things.”
His gaze shifted to me, cold, hard, and narrow. Then he lowered his voice.
“I raised you. I fed you. I put a roof over your head. I worked my ass off to keep us alive. You owe me.”
I could scream. The diner wasn’t full, but there were a handful of people nearby who might be willing to interfere on my behalf. On the other hand, I knew Ryan had a gun. He’d jabbed it into my ribs hard enough to hurt.
“Don’t even think about it,” he warned. “If you draw attention to us, I’ll put a bullet in your lungs and you’ll drown in your own blood.”
I shook my head. It didn’t make sense. Why would he track me down, bring me home, and keep me as his pretty little pawn to sell drugs, when he was willing to shoot me if I acted up?
“Just let me go, Ryan,” I said.
“No,” he hissed through his teeth. “Mom died. Dad didn’t want anything to do with us in the first place. You are never going to leave me.”
Ah. There was the truth of it. Ryan was grasping at straws to gain some semblance of control when our lives had been nothing but chaos.
I almost felt sorry for him. We’d been through hell together. But he didn’t want a better future for us. He didn’t want to be happy. He was angry—at the world, at our parents, at life—and he wanted to stay that way. It was easier to cling to the hatred that had helped him survive, rather than face the heartache of everything we’d endured.
“You can make it up to me,” Ryan said.
“I have nothing to apologize for,” I replied.
He leaned back, spreading his legs wide as he crossed his arms.
“Don’t play hard to get. It’s not cute. This gun dealer in Wyoming contacted me. He agreed to pay triple the price for his personal shipment of drugs every month, as long as I sweetened the pot for him. He was very interested when I told him I have a sister.”
My blood ran cold.
“I hate you.”
Ryan shrugged.
“This is what I have to do to take care of you, little sis.”
I wanted to lunge across the table and strangle him with my bare hands. He smirked.
“Don’t act like you haven’t done this shit before. You’ll open your legs to any man who’s willing to offer a quick fuck ‘cause you’re a damaged little girl with daddy issues.”
“You fucking pig—”
I broke off when I caught a glimpse of movement at the window. Gideon was headed straight for the diner. Kingpin and Vlad flanked him. With Ryan facing the door, he would see them as soon as they stepped inside.
No, no, no.
I wanted nothing more than to run into Gideon’s arms and beg forgiveness for our stupid fight earlier. Of course he’d been protecting me, watching my back. But it had spooked me, realizing he knew all of my dirty secrets before I was ready to tell them.
And now, he was here. Ryan had already shot him once. I couldn’t bear it if Gideon took another bullet because of me.
Before I could come up with a plan, Ryan’s gaze flicked to the diner’s entrance. A split second later, the bell over the door chimed. I twisted in my seat to see Kingpin, Vlad, and Gideon step into the diner. Crash waited outside, shifting in place nervously.
“Well, look at this,” Ryan said. “The cavalry has arrived.”
Gideon ignored him, striding up to our table. He held his hand out to me.
“Come on, Liss. Time to go home.”
Ryan shot to his feet, standing nose to nose with Gideon. It pained me to see how different they were. Gideon was calm under pressure, confident in his ability to handle whatever came his way. Ryan was restless, jittery, as if the urge to prove himself swarmed under his skin like fire ants.
“You’re not taking my little sister anywhere without my approval,” he replied.
“Your little sister is a grown woman,” Gideon countered. “She can make her own decisions.”
I placed my hand in his palm. He pulled me up to stand beside him. Ryan’s eyes flashed with anger.
“Oh, I see how it is. Do you really want to be kept like a little sex doll for this old guy, Larissa?”
“Don’t talk about her like that,” Gideon growled.
“Or what?” Ryan lifted his shirt, displaying the gun tucked into the front of his belt. “I’m not afraid to go down shooting. Are you?”
In a flash, Gideon grabbed the handle of Ryan’s gun and hooked his finger around the trigger. Fear flickered in Ryan’s eyes.
“If you knew a damn thing about handling a gun properly,” Gideon bit out. “You wouldn’t be wearing it so close to your microscopic dick.”
Ryan gulped and seemed to shrivel on the spot.
“One twitch of my finger, Coleman,” Gideon went on. “And you can say good-bye to your balls. Now, I’m going to walk out of here without any trouble from you, and I’m taking Liss with me. If you come anywhere near her, if you even breathe in her fucking direction–”
He tightened his grip on the gun. Ryan flinched.
“We will finish this conversation,” Gideon added. “And you won’t like what I have to say. Is that clear?”
Ryan nodded.
“Speak up,” Gideon snapped.
“Yeah! Yeah, I got it. I understand.”
Gideon let go of Ryan’s gun and guided me ahead of him. Kingpin and Vlad closed ranks around me.
Then Gideon hauled back and punched my brother in the face. Ryan hit the floor with a groan, blood and spittle staining his lips.
“The next time you want to use your fists,” Gideon said. “Pick on someone your own size. I’ll be ready for you.”
***
It felt so good to wrap my arms around Gideon as we rode. I didn’t pay attention to where we were going, with my cheek pressed between his shoulder blades, and my palm resting over his heart. He covered my hand with his own, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles.
To my surprise, we rolled up to the Blackjack clubhouse instead of Gideon’s place. Gatling lingered by the door, a can of beer dangling from his fingers.
“I expected you boys would have hellfire on your heels.”
“Give it time,” Kingpin said. “Big G threatened Coleman’s manhood and knocked out a few of his teeth. This party is just getting started.”
“Well, it’s nice to see Big G hasn’t mellowed out much in his old age,” Gatling replied.
After Gideon parked his bike, I used his shoulders to steady myself and climbed off. I chewed the inside of my cheek as I fumbled with my helmet straps. Guilt sat like a lead weight in my gut.
“Don’t do that,” Gideon said, brushing my hands away.
“What?”
“Beat yourself up.”
He unhooked the straps easily and removed the helmet, setting it aside. Then he cupped my face in his hands and kissed my forehead. I released a long, low breath and melted into him.
“I was so stupid,” I muttered. “Ryan was just waiting to pounce as soon as he could get me alone, and I gave him the perfect opportunity after storming off like a spoiled child.”
“You were upset,” Gideon said. “Next time, we’ll both be honest right from the start, okay?”
I didn’t say anything, struck speechless by how much my life had changed after meeting this man. Being honest always got me hit before. And yet, despite my screw up, despite my tantrum, Gideon wasn’t even angry.
“You’re not mad?” I whispered.
“No. A little disappointed though.”
I winced and glanced away.
“That’s worse.”
Gideon hooked a finger under my chin.
“If you really want to get out of Buckeye Junction and start fresh somewhere else, I understand. But you tell me that. To my face. You don’t just disappear on me, all right?”
I nodded. Gideon sighed and pulled me into his chest.
Deep down, I knew what I wanted. I could build a good life with this man. If I stayed in this little town though, I would be looking over my shoulder, waiting for Ryan around every corner. My past would haunt me and poison the happiness I’d found with Gideon.
“Your face is still red with your brother’s handprint,” Gideon said, his voice tight.
I touched my cheek self-consciously.
“It’s not too bad. I’ve had worse.”
He arched an eyebrow, displeased.
“I know.”
Baby Doll whistled from the doorway of the clubhouse.
“Are you two lovebirds coming inside? Or do you intend to keep feeling each other up in the goddamn parking lot?”
Gideon huffed a laugh and draped an arm around my shoulder.
“Be there in a minute,” he called.
“We’re staying here?” I asked.
He nodded.
“Just until shit hits the fan and things turn bloody. You won’t get a lick of privacy, but it’s the safest option.”
That worried me. I fiddled with a button on Gideon’s vest. He curled his hand around mine protectively.
“I don’t want anyone else getting hurt because of me,” I whispered.
“We know what we’re up against, baby,” Gideon replied softly. “We’re not scared. This is what it means to be part of a family. You defend them to the last breath.”
I went quiet, letting his words sink in. This is what it was like to be part of a ride-or-die family. This is what I was supposed to have all along.