Chapter Two

Ruin

My buddy Country is one of the few guys I can be real with here in the MC. Sure, Outlaw is my closest friend, but lately things have been happening that I can't talk to him about. Things I shouldn't even be saying out loud.

"You're fuckin' crazy." Country laughs and leans back in his recliner. The dude is six foot five and probably two hundred and eighty pounds. We call him Country because he's from the deep south. He relocated here about six years ago, but he never really talks about why. "You let me know when you plan to tell him. I wanna be there when he stomps you all o'er creation."

I drag in a deep breath. "I know… but I can't let her go alone. She's twenty-three. A place like that…"

"You sure that's the only reason you wanna go?"

I shake my head and look at the ground. "It's a fucking struggle, man."

"Shouldn't be. She's basically family."

I sit in the wooden dining room chair behind me. Country lives in a small cabin out by West Lake. It's a modest place, but he's done all the work himself and I admire that.

"Listen," I groan, leaning forward, "I fucking know. I should've backed away years ago."

Country leans into a magnifying glass set out in front of him and winds wire around a lure with a pair of plyers. I kind of appreciate that he's busy with his hands while I'm talking. I don't think I could take direct eye contact right now.

"If Carmen asked you, what would you do?"

He laughs. "Shit… I'd probably go, but does she want you inside?"

"I don't know. She said she needed security and moral support. Maybe she just wants me in the parking lot waiting for her. But … I can't fucking do that. The thought of her all over some other guy, or some other dude all over her, makes my skin crawl."

Country sighs. "You've gotta get this out of your head. She's not an option. She's what… twenty … twenty-five years younger than you? She's your best friend's baby sister. It ain't happenin'."

I swallow a lump that's formed in my throat. He's right. I'm not thinking straight. The sooner I get this out of my mind, the better. "You on the hunt? How's the bounty you've been going after?"

"It's a big one. Twenty grand. Bro's been sellin' illegal guns. I found his ex, so I'm gettin' closer. What about you?"

I nod. "I'm taking in a couple lower end bounties this month. Nothing big like yours."

He clasps his lure shut and pushes the magnifier out of the way. "I got a line to cast, man. Think about what I said. If you don't go, chances are she won't go either. She's young. She doesn't know what she wants."

I stand from the chair and nod. I don't expect him to understand. Hell, I don't understand myself. If I were the man I thought I was, I'd have rejected this idea already. "Thanks for listening. Good luck landing the big one."

Country gives me a lingering glance, then turns toward his back room where he keeps his gear. Understood or not, I'm thankful he talked to me about this shit. If he hadn't, I'd probably have cracked by now.

The trouble is… none of his advice is going to sink in. When I'm here, listening to him… I know what he's saying makes sense. Carmen"s life is just beginning. She's got a whole world of men and emotions to explore. The fact that I'm even remotely possessive over her is fucked up. I've lived my life on the muzzle of a gun. If I was set on someone, it never ended well.

I don't deserve a sweet girl like Peach.

I climb onto my bike and wind through the pines back toward my place. It's a little bungalow tucked away in the forest. It was a simple little thing when I bought it, but since then I've really made it my own. There's pride in that adventure. An adventure not unlike what Peach says she needs.

When I'm finally home, I check my messages and grab a beer from the fridge. This weekend I need to hunt. The guy's only worth ten grand, but I believe he's going to be easy to find. Folks say he's staying up near Eagle Rock. He's not a violent offender, so I expect him to go down without much of a fight. Though, historically, the second I start expecting things is the second everything goes wrong.

My phone buzzes on the side table and I lift it to check the message. It's Peach, and my cock throbs just knowing she was thinking about me.

Peach: ‘You make a decision yet? I'm leaving tomorrow night after work.'

She inserts a smiling face.

Peach: ‘What do you think of this? Should I wear it?'

She attaches a photo of herself in a short black dress that curves at the hips and shows way too much fucking cleavage. I swear she does this shit on purpose. Photos like this are dangerous. If she only knew how sick of a man I can be.

Me: ‘No.'

I toss my phone down and drag a hard gulp of beer, trying to forget the picture I just saw. If I'm going to move on and stop thinking of Peach like I do, I'm going to need to distance myself from sexy photos.

My phone buzzes again. I shouldn't look, but I do it immediately.

Peach: ‘What does that mean? No, what?'

Me: ‘You can't wear that dress.'

My cock hardens as I glance up at her in the clinging fabric. I can't fucking do this. There's no way I'm going to that club.

Peach: ‘Oh, so I can't wear the dress, but you'll come?'

I'll come alright.

Me: ‘No. You can't wear the dress and you can't go to the club, but I will be the designated driver for you and your friends if you want to hit the bars in the Springs.'

My phone rings. It's Peach.

I blow out a heavy breath and answer, though I know I shouldn't. "Hey."

"You can't be serious." Her tone is playful, but curt.

"I am, you're…"

"Google it."

"What? No."

She sends me a link. "Click on it. It's clean and they regulate everything."

"This isn't what I'm worried about. I told you, it's fucking weird. I'm not going to sit next to you while we watch people fuck."

"You know the ancient romans did this, right? They just watched people have sex and everyone was cool with it. But I had to be born here, so I guess I get to be boring."

I laugh. "You're comparing yourself to the romans now? You realize they also used urine like mouth wash and ate goat shit, right?"

"Whatever. No, they didn't."

I laugh. "They did, and they used gladiator blood like cough syrup. So… I'm not sure you should be taking advise from the romans."

"Ruin, can I tell you something? Something real. Don't get weird like you did earlier."

Fucking hell. I don't want to know anything else. Knowing things makes me want her more, without fail, every time.

"What's up?" I groan.

"Look, I'm twenty-three tomorrow. Twenty-three and I haven't even had sex yet. It's embarrassing."

My heart picks up its pace and I stagger in a breath, attempting to control my breathing. I'm glad she can't see me right now. "That's not a big deal."

"Yeah, it is!"

Air won't filter back into my lungs. "Honey, why do you want to do this so badly? Don't you want your first time to be special?"

She laughs under her breath. "No, I don't. I want to take control. I want to have fun. I want to do crazy things and have an adventure."

I could give her an adventure.Calm the fuck down, man.

"I want to be wanted, Ruin." She pauses and sighs. "I read online that virgins are like… a top commodity at this place."

I clear my throat. "Why not try a dating site? You could hook up with a guy your age, go slow, get to know each other, and do it right."

"I don't want a guy my age. Guys my age are fucking assholes. They drag their feet, they don't know what they want, and they talk like idiots. I want someone who's already figured all this out."

A wave of jealousy rolls over me. I don't own Peach. I can't own her. I know that. I know she's not mine. That said, none of that reasoning stops the explosion rattling up through me.

To the world, she may not belong to me… but she's mine.

I roll my neck in circles and glance up at the ceiling fan whirring above me. This is a horrid idea, but I can't let her go alone. I couldn't sit here knowing some filthy fuck had his hands all over my peach. "I'll take you, but I'm coming inside, and I stay next to you the whole night."

She swallows hard. "The whole night? You're not weird about it? I thought you were?"

"I love you, and I don't want anything to happen to you."

I expect her to squeal with excitement, but instead she gets quiet. "I love you, too. This'll be fun."

"You don't sound so sure anymore."

"No, I am. I just… you're so much more experienced than me. And, I don't know, I hadn't thought about how the women at that place will be all over you."

"Is that a problem?" I don't know why I like the jealousy in her tone, though I might be misreading it.

"No." She clears her throat. "You're clearly not disgusting. Look at you."

"What's that mean?"

"Well, you're covered in ink, you've been in jail, and you ride a motorcycle. Everyone can tell you've had wild sex before. I'm just… I don't want to be overshadowed again, I guess."

I laugh. "So, you're worried I'm going to take your spotlight? Nothing beats a pretty little virgin, Peach."

She pauses and silence sits in the air like the wind picking up before a thunderstorm. What did I just say?

"You think I'm pretty?" she squeaks.

Have I never said that before? "Of course I do. I, ugh, anyway… women can throw themselves at me all they want. I got tired of easy pussy years ago."

I can almost hear her eyes roll. "Whatever! You're so full of it. Men love easy sex. It's like a thing."

"Boys like easy sex. It's great when you're young, but trust me, you get to a point where the hormones level out and you realize that life isn't all about sex."

She huffs. "You realize I'm still young, right? I want to be someone's easy pussy."

I hate those words coming from her mouth. "Stop! No, you don't."

"I do!" Her tone is light and playful again. "It's my goal for the year."

She has to be fucking with me now.

I roll my eyes and groan. "I'll pick you up at five. If anyone asks, I'm your designated driver. Got it?" Guilt rattles through me the second the words are out of my mouth.

"Okay." There's a smile in her tone. "I'll pick out another dress with respect for you in mind."

The dress. That cute, tight, little dress. My cock is so fucking hard. "You looked good in it. Don't change."

"Okay." Her tone is sweet and innocent. "Can't wait to see you."

"Same," I manage, rubbing my hand over my erection. I'm a fucking mess. A huge fucking asshole of a mess, and the sooner this whole thing is over, the better.