Chapter 16
Baddy climbed the fire escape, skipping two iron rungs at a time. His pulse ran hot. He hated the idea of scaring Lydia, hated the idea of showing up like this, but he needed to talk to her face-to-face without the others around. He needed her to hear him. Needed her to understand.
He tapped the window once.
It slid open a second later.
Lydia moved back and sat cross-legged on the bed, wrapping her arms around her middle as if prepared for the fallout of their upcoming conversation. Black leggings hugged her legs, and the Harley-Davidson shirt hung off one bare shoulder. She looked as if she was braced for bad news.
And he didn't know if she was reacting to him or because she already sensed something was wrong.
He stepped inside, boots scuffing the floor softly. She refrained from peppering him with questions.
He sat on the edge of the bed in front of her, close enough to feel the warmth of her legs. He cupped her face gently in both hands.
Her breath hitched.
He kissed her softly. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her more pain.
When he pulled back, her voice cracked. "What's wrong?"
He exhaled, unable to keep the information from her. "Sonny wants you back."
She jerked as if he'd struck her. "No." Her voice shot up, panicked. "No. I'm not going back. I'm not—"
"Sweetheart."
She scrambled off the bed so fast she nearly tripped, shaking her head, breathing too fast. "No. No way. It was my mom who belonged to him." She slapped her chest. "Not me."
He caught her wrist and pulled her back down beside him, wrapping an arm around her waist and holding her against his chest. She was trembling.
"Lydia," he murmured, tightening his hold, "Listen to me. I'm not giving you back."
She froze.
Her breath stuttered against him.
"A deal was struck," he said. "You're not his anymore. You're not going anywhere."
She swallowed hard, fingers curling into his shirt. "Then why did he—?"
"Because Cusclan doesn't play fair," Baddy said, voice low. "They don't care about deals. They don't care about rules. They want what they want."
She shivered.
He smoothed a hand down her back. "I need you to be aware of who comes into the diner. If any Cusclan members show up—colors or no colors—you call me. Immediately."
She nodded against him. "I never wanted to stay with him, but after my mom left, I had nowhere to go."
"Where's your mom now?" he asked.
She snorted. "I have no idea, and I don't care to know where she is."
At least at the diner, Lydia had a support system around her. Other people could protect her. Royalla Motorcycle Club was down the street.
"Patty knows what's going on." He lowered his voice. "She'll keep you safe. She's not letting anyone near you."
Lydia pulled back. "Do you really think he'll come here?"
"Whether he does or doesn't, I won't take a chance of him coming near you." He brushed his thumb along her cheek. "I want to protect you."
"Why?" When he didn't answer right away, she said, "I was serious when I told you I'd pay you back for the money you gave Sonny." She swallowed hard. "I won't belong to any biker."
"Right now, all you need to do is pay attention to what's happening around you." He kissed her forehead. "Don't leave the diner alone until this is over."
There was a fine line he was walking. He didn't want to scare her, yet she needed to stay aware of the dangers.
"I know how Sonny works." She sniffed. "He does whatever the club tells him. He doesn't think on his own."
He grunted. It was a real possibility that Cusclan was the one starting trouble with him, and it wasn't Sonny leading the fight. If that were the case, the danger could be bigger.
She leaned into him again. "I hate this."
"It'll be over soon." He held her tighter. "And then you'll have your life back."
"I don't even know what it means to have a life," she muttered.
He hid his amusement. She was young. She'd figure it out.
Right now, he needed to get through tomorrow, and then he'd know how she could go forward with her life.
Baddy kept his arm around Lydia until her breathing evened out again. She was still tense, but at least she wasn't acting on emotions now. He brushed his thumb along her side once before pulling back enough to look at her.
"Have you eaten yet?" he asked.
She pointed toward the small dresser by the window. "I grabbed a burger and fries from the kitchen before we closed."
"You should eat."
Lydia shifted. "I don't feel hungry anymore."
That was his fault for laying bad news at her feet. He smoothed her hair off her forehead. He would try his damnedest to protect and take care of her. Including making sure she eats.
"Patty's burgers could feed two people. How about we split it?" he asked.
She nodded and padded barefoot over to grab the Styrofoam container, handing it to him with both hands like she was offering something precious. He tore the burger in half and handed her the larger piece. She blinked at him in surprise but didn't argue.
He'd barely taken a bite when a knock sounded at the door. Lydia stiffened instantly, and he motioned for her to stay back.
As he moved toward the door, she jumped in front of him and whispered, "It's probably one of the girls. The diner's closed."
He forgot that there were two other waitresses who lived above the diner. Motioning for her to open the door, he stepped out of the way.
Lydia cracked open the door.
"Hey! Hannah and I are doing nails in my room. You wanna hang out?"
Before Lydia could answer, Baddy stepped into view behind her.
Madison's eyes widened. "Oh. Uh... hi, Baddy."
He dipped his chin and popped the rest of the burger in his mouth.
Lydia looked up at him, obviously torn. "I was... we were just—"
"Go," Baddy whispered.
She blinked. "But dinner—"
"I'm done." He picked up her hand, curling his fingers through hers. "Take the food with you, eat, and have fun with the girls. I've got shit I need to do."
Her brows pulled together. "You'll... talk to me later?"
"Yeah." He cupped her cheek and kissed her forehead. "I'll find you."
She hesitated for a second before grabbing the rest of the food and stepping into the hall. Madison shot Baddy a curious look before tugging Lydia down the hallway.
Baddy watched until they disappeared around the corner. Being with the other girls would get Lydia's mind off her troubles.
He only wished he could forget about the meeting tomorrow.