CHAPTER TWENTY

Rhyan

Two Hours Earlier

My breathing becomes heavier, my skin prickling in goose bumps. A shudder runs down my spine, and a flash of me in bed with Noah rolls through my mind again. The pleasure he gave me without him even being inside me was immeasurable.

I can't wait until we can finally be together.

I have a feeling it's going to be explosive.

"That's all for our class today. I'll see you guys tomorrow. We're going to visit a morgue and talk with the coroner. It should be an interesting day. So have all your questions ready," my teacher instructs, snapping me out of my daze.

Grinning, I close my textbook, slide it into my backpack, then stand. Autumn steps up beside me with a chuckle. "I swear I'm so excited for this field trip tomorrow. I don't know what it says about me that I'm looking forward to going to the morgue."

Snorting out a laugh, I nudge into her shoulder playfully. "Quietly, I'm excited too. We can be weird together."

Autumn chuckles, throwing her bag over her shoulder, and then slightly lifts her chin. "See ya tomorrow, biker brat."

"See ya," I call back, then grab my cell out of my pocket and begin scrolling through my socials, seeing Clover has posted a bunch of new content today.

Giggling, I keep my head down and walk toward my car. Reaching for my keys, still scrolling with one hand and fumbling through my bag for my keys with the other, I laugh at Clover and Poppy dancing on the app. Finally, I find my keys and go to put them in the car door, but I accidentally drop them because I'm too busy paying attention to my cell. "Okay, put the phone away, Rhy," I mumble with a half laugh, half snort.

Bending to fetch my keys, I reach out, but a set of white sneakers step right into my view. My eyes widen as I gasp from the shock. My head snaps up, my cell dropping out of my hand onto the concrete.

"Hey, pretty girl," the guy says.

Unease washes over me as I glance at my cell. I move to pick it up, but his foot comes out, stomping on the phone, smashing the screen instantly. I jump back, my body slamming into the side of my car, my lungs frantically fighting for air. "I don't know what you want, but I'm not the kind of woman you should be messing with," I warn.

He bursts out laughing, glancing from left to right. "Why? Because of your big, bad, biker friends? Where are they now, pretty girl?"

My bottom lip trembles as I slowly rise to his level. He is definitely at an advantage if I stay crouched down like this.

His eyes watch my slow movements, my hands raise so he knows I won't do anything stupid while I try to keep as calm as I possibly can. "You seem to know who I am. But, who the hell are you?"

He grins menacingly. "Your little friend, Noah… we go back a ways, me and him. Thing is, he owes me. Doubly so now for the shit you all pulled in New York."

A slow gasp escapes me at the realization. "Atlas?"

He chuckles. "Pleased to meet you, Rhyan. Now, are you going to do me the pleasure of fighting me, because Lord knows I love it rough. Or are you going to come with me willingly?"

I glance around the parking lot, but there's no one around. We're completely alone. If I call out for help, no one will hear me. No one can come to my aid. My cell is broken, and I can't make any calls or texts. The right thing to do would be to go willingly so he doesn't hurt me.

But if there's one thing I have learned from my time with Noah, it's that you have to live every day for the moment, and if there's even a slight chance I can get away from Atlas, I must take it.

My heart hammers in my chest so fucking fast it's difficult to concentrate, but I know what I have to do. I step in, closer to him. He stinks of body odor and some kind of chemical smell I can't quite put my finger on. It's extremely off-putting, but I push it to the side as his eyes narrow down on my cleavage.

Bingo!

"Atlas?"

"Yeah?" he asks, a slow grin forming.

"This… is for Noah." I reach out, grab his shoulders, and thrust my knee up between his legs, straight into his balls. He groans out loud, hunching over in obvious pain as I take off running as fast as fucking possible back toward the building.

I pant, racing with everything I have, tears building in my eyes, threatening to overflow, but I don't have time to cry.

I just need to reach the damn door.

I'm breathing so fast that I feel like I'm hyperventilating.

I'm almost there when my hair is ripped back. I let out a loud scream as my entire body lurches with the force. I fall backward, the tears not stopping this time as Atlas hurls me onto the ground.

"You stupid. Fucking. Bitch!" he yells in my face.

Heavily sobbing now, I spin over onto my stomach and begin crawling away from him, but his foot slams into my ribs. Hard. Winding me. I flip over onto my back, gasping for air that isn't coming as he leans over the top of me, his eyes cold, vacant, full of rage while his top lip snarls. "Rough it is!" He growls, his tone laced with venom.

Then I see his fist clench above me.

I tense, and everything goes dark when it slams into my face.

Present Time

Warmth floods through my body, my eyelids trying their hardest to stay open as my head flops back, hitting something. I have no clue what it is. Everything is spinning. I can't figure out what the fuck is going on as I open and close my mouth, trying to gain some moisture. It's so damn dry. A wave of nausea rolls over me. Then there's a screeching sound, and my eyes open wide, but I can't control the movement when they roll around in my head.

The sound of a door opening registers before someone grabs me, yanking me from what I gather is a car. I have no clue how I even got in a damn car. "W-where am I?" I mumble.

A hand comes out, smashing across my face. The hit felt like it should be hard, but I have no idea. I have no balance, so I instantly drop to the ground, the pebbles tearing at my flesh. But much like the slap, I feel none of the pain, just an intense feeling of euphoria.

I giggle as Atlas squats beside me, his hand gripping my chin, forcing me to look at him. "You tell Noah, if he keeps ignoring me, next time, you come back in a body bag." He pushes me away from him into the pebbles and dirt on the ground, but I am too out of it to get myself up.

My head spins while I lay on the ground, my fingers clenching the dirt as Atlas and his men return to their car. The tires kick up dirt, which flicks all over me. I have to tighten my eyes to avoid getting debris in them as he takes off in a hurry.

Panting frantically, my orientation is off. I have no clue what the hell he's done to me, but I know I don't feel right. Coughing as I lift my torso off the ground, I glance ahead to the gates of the clubhouse, and I can't stop the small giggle erupting from my chest.

A giddy sensation washes over me at seeing my home while tingling surges through my body at the thought of my family being so close and yet so far away. The thing is, I am so out of it I can't find the strength to get up on my legs and walk to the clubhouse.

Even though it feels like the entire city of LA is spinning, somehow, I use my hands, reaching each one out in front of the other, the dirt thrusting through my fingers as I drag myself along the edge of the feeder road.

It takes all my strength to haul my heavy-as-fuck body along the road. I know my skin is tearing, but I can't feel it. I can't feel anything other than this undeniable sense of elation that I am so close to home.

"R-Rip," I call out, hoping he's on the gate and can hear me. My voice sounds like a melody, playing the chorus of a song. It makes me smile as I stop crawling, slumping down on the pavement, laughing, and humming along to the tune in my head.

The song's bass begins to thump louder, so I hum along to keep time with it, but it comes to a crashing halt when someone skids in beside me, their hands on my back. I realize the thumping was Rip's boots running toward me.

"Fuck, Rhy?" Rip whispers, slowly turning me over onto my back.

My eyes roll around in my head, but then focus on his and I softly chuckle. "I'm home?" I question.

"Yeah, Rhy, you're home. Let's get you inside. The guys are totally jacking it in there. You're looking pretty gnarly, babe. The fuck did they do to you?" he asks, but the words he's saying sound so funny that I can't help but laugh, my hand coming out to caress his face.

"Did anyone tell you, you look like a Norse God?" I blurt out through my giggles.

Rip furrows his brows before he bends and hoists me into his arms. I let out a small gasp, wrapping my arms around his neck. "C'mon, Rhy. I need to get you inside. Right now! "

"Party pooper. Take me to Asgard, Norse God!" I giggle, my arm shooting out and pointing toward the clubhouse.

Rip shakes his head and takes off, carrying me in his arms. I cradle into his chest, letting myself relax completely.

I feel so fucking good right now.

I don't ever want this feeling to end.