Chapter 16
RILEY
Iwiped my hands and straightened, rolling my shoulders with a satisfied stretch. The suspension job I’d just finished looked solid. My back popped, but the real attention-grabber was the demanding growl that came from my stomach.
I’d been craving a burrito bowl from a local place one town over all morning. I could practically taste the queso and cilantro ranch. Luckily, it was officially time for lunch.
Piston was under a hood nearby. “Hey, you seen Ryot?”
He straightened, tilting his head toward the door leading to the offices. “Yeah, he’s tied up in a meeting with a client. Might be a while. Why, what’s up?”
I shrugged. “I was gonna grab us lunch.”
Piston grinned. “I’ll let him know if he comes looking.”
“Thanks.” I flashed him a quick smile, already heading for the door.
I ordered online from my phone so it would be ready, then hopped into my Mustang. The drive was quick, but the parking lot was pretty full, so I had to snag a spot toward the back. After picking up the bags, I headed back to the car with the smell of the burrito bowls making my mouth water.
I was almost to the Mustang when three big, scary-looking guys stepped out from between two parked cars, blocking my path.
The tallest one smiled, but there was no warmth. “Riley Mercer. You’ve been a real pain in the ass for our friend Shawn.”
I took a step back, my pulse roaring in my ears. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Cute.” The one on the left chuckled. “Here’s the deal. You turn yourself in. Keep your mouth shut about everything you think you know. Or we’ll make sure you regret it.”
The third man cracked his knuckles, his eyes cold. “Clock’s ticking. Make the smart choice. We won’t be nice if we have to come back.”
I felt sick, and my hands shook so badly I nearly dropped the food. I backed up until I felt the car behind me, fumbling for the door handle.
The jerks laughed at my discomfort, and I scrambled into the Mustang, locked the doors, and peeled out of the parking lot as fast as I could. My stomach churned the whole way back to The Pit.
By the time I parked, I was barely holding it together. Luckily, I made it inside The Pit before my stomach finally rebelled.
I dropped the takeout bag on the nearest workbench and bolted for the bathroom, barely reaching the toilet before I threw up. My hands shook as I gripped the seat, the threats from those men echoing in my head.
I didn’t even hear Ryot come in until I felt his warm hand gently gathering my hair away from my face. He knelt behind me, rubbing slow circles on my back as I finished throwing up.
When I was done, he helped me stand, flushed the toilet, and handed me a damp paper towel to wipe my face.
His jaw was tight, eyes dark with concern. “Better?”
“Yeah. Breakfast didn’t sit well, and I’m starving.” I let out a shaky laugh. “And my trip to grab lunch didn’t go so well.”
Ryot cupped my face, his thumb stroking my cheek as he searched my eyes. “Talk to me, Riley. What happened?”
I hated dragging him into this even more, but I’d promised to trust him. So I told him everything, and his expression darkened with every word. By the time I finished, fury was rolling off him in waves.
He pulled me against his chest for a tight hug, then took my hand. “Come on. We’re going to the clubhouse. Right now.”
The thought of getting back into a car made my stomach roll again, but I nodded because I trusted him with my safety. “Okay.”
Holding my arm, he guided me outside and over to the passenger side of the Mustang. Proving how rattled I was, I didn’t even argue about him driving my baby.
After getting me settled, he circled the car, climbed into the driver’s seat, and pulled out his phone. “I’m gonna send a message to Jax so he can pull up security video of the assholes who dared to threaten you.”
He fired off a quick text and then looked down and saw the key still in the ignition. A muscle jumped in his jaw at the proof of how freaked out I’d been when I parked.
He reached out to squeeze my hand. “It’s gonna be okay, baby.”
Ryot didn’t let go the entire drive to the compound. The second we walked into the clubhouse, he led me straight to Jax’s office, where he was already at his bank of monitors.
Jax looked up as we entered, grimacing when he saw my face.
“Got the video pulled up already. Matches what we’ve already dug up.
These guys work for underground gambling financiers.
They bankroll racers, fix races, loan money at insane rates, and collect debts when people can’t pay. Real nasty crowd.”
“Fucking hell,” Ryot growled.
Jax leaned back in his chair. “My guess? Shawn ran straight to them after your little visit. Told them where to find Riley instead of turning himself in like you demanded.”
Ryot went dangerously still beside me. “He sold her out.”
The rage in his voice made me shiver. I’d never seen him this angry.
Before I could process it, my stomach rolled violently again. I barely made it to the trash can in the corner before I was sick. Ryot was there instantly, holding my hair away from my face and rubbing my back.
When I finished, I wiped my mouth with a shaky hand. “You went to see Shawn?”
Ryot’s jaw flexed, but he didn’t deny it. I was hit by another bout of nausea, but at least nothing came up this time when I gagged over the trash can. Not having the chance to eat my delicious burrito bowl turned out to be a lucky thing.
Jax watched us both. “We need to move fast. These aren’t the kind of people who make empty threats.”
Ryot pulled me against his chest, holding me tight like he could shield me from the whole world. “They’re not getting anywhere near you again.”
But even with his arms around me, I couldn’t stop shaking. “I know.”
His brows drew together as he scanned my face. “You’re pale, baby.”
“Yeah, cause she just threw up,” Jax pointed out.
Ryot brushed his thumb across my cheek. “At The Pit too.”
Jax dipped his head toward the door. “Cage just stitched up Wrench’s thumb. One of his students somehow managed to slice it open while sparring. He’s probably still in there.”
“I don’t need a doctor,” I mumbled.
Ryot wouldn’t take no for an answer. Despite my weak protests that I was fine, he scooped me up and carried me straight to the on-site clinic. Cage was there, leaning against a counter flipping through a chart when we burst in.
“What happened?” Cage asked, straightening immediately.
“She’s been throwing up after a bad scare.” Ryot set me gently on the exam table but stayed right beside me, one hand on my back. “Twice in the past hour.”
Cage asked me a few quick questions about how long I’d been feeling off and if I had any other symptoms. Then he chuckled and walked over to a cabinet.
“Good thing we stay well stocked with these.”
He pulled out a pregnancy test and tossed it to Ryot with a grin.
I stared at the little box in his hand, completely stunned. “Wait, what?”
Ryot looked smug as hell as he handed the test to me. “Go on, baby. Take it.”
My hands were shaking as I went into the small bathroom and followed the instructions. When I stepped back out, Ryot pulled me into his arms while we waited. Cage leaned against the counter, arms crossed, looking amused.
Three minutes felt like forever. The timer on my phone finally went off.
Ryot followed me into the bathroom, and we looked down at the test together.
Two pink lines. Positive.
I blinked, staring at it in shock. “Oh my gosh.”
Ryot’s arms tightened around me. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head, his voice full of satisfaction. “Told you I was gonna knock you up and keep you forever.”
Cage chuckled. “Congratulations, you two. I’ll give you a minute.”
As the door to the clinic clicked shut behind him, I looked up at Ryot, overwhelmed. “I’m pregnant.”
His eyes were filled with joy as he grinned at me. “Yeah, baby. You are.”
For a moment, all the fear and chaos of the day faded. There was just us…and the tiny new life we’d made together.