Chapter Nine

Ryder

She's hesitant, I can see it in her eyes. "You've got every reason not to trust me," I tell her. "But give me a chance to prove I like you."

"You're offering me a fairy tale," she says quietly. "You're going to be my knight in shining armour to rescue me and my baby girl." I nod. She slowly pulls her hands from my grasp and places them in her lap and my heart sinks. "But fairy tales aren't real, Ryder. There is no knight and the only real part, is the big bad wolf waiting to ruin my life. He's real. Finn will never allow me to be with you, of all people."

"Finn doesn't get a say," I snap. The fear she's pulling away scares the shit out of me and that's how I know this is real. "I feel more for you in a couple of weeks, than I've ever felt for anyone. I know I sound crazy, and if my brothers could hear me now, they'd think I've lost my mind. But I've wasted years of my life and I won't waste anymore waiting for the right moment. I know how I feel about you. Just take a chance, Neve."

"And when Finn starts kicking off?"

"I'll handle it."

"How?"

"Does it matter?" I can't tell her the level of violence I feel when I see that prick, so I'll be welcoming the day he kicks off, just so I can lay into him.

"He'll take Harlee from me," she mutters, her words laced with worry.

"That's not going to happen, Siren. I won't let it. Just say you'll give me a chance and I will protect you from him."

"You can't," she whispers.

"I can. I promise. There'll be no more phone calls with him checking on you, no more threats to take Harlee away. Agree to be mine and that all stops."

"Yours?" she repeats, almost looking amused. "What does that even mean?"

"It means you become my ol' lady," the words tumble out before I've thought them through, but they feel right. "And I protect you with my life, and so do my club."

"Just a few hours ago, I found out you were using me to get to Finn. Now you're basically telling me you want to look after me and spend forever with me?" she asks, arching a brow. "You don't even know me."

"I know enough to know we deserve a chance to explore whatever's going on between us. You must feel it too, Neve. We've got something." She bites on her lower lip and I know I've got her so I smile, reaching over the table to tug her lip free. "Yes?" She gives a nod, a small smile playing on her lips.

I stand, pulling her with me and wrapping my arms around her. I kiss her hard, lifting her off her feet. "Thank you," I whisper against her lips. "You won't regret it."

I'd dropped Neve off at Mya's with the promise to call by later. And now, sitting at my desk in my office, I can't help the permanent smile on my face. I'll give it some time before I announce to the club I've taken an ol' lady. I don't want to scare Neve off completely, but I can't fucking wait to have her here with me.

A knock at the door breaks my daydreaming and Griff comes in looking pissed. The last few days he's had a frown fixed on his face but we're not the sort to talk feelings. Or at least we weren't before I got sent down. We've never been like that, even though we're close and have always been since the day he was born. I take a deep breath before asking, "You okay?"

He frowns, looking at me like I've lost my mind before muttering, "Yeah, you?"

"I'm good," I say, "Me and Neve are working things out." I'd told him about the fact she'd discovered my plan.

He looks surprised. "I didn't see that coming, she always seems so hard faced. How did you manage to convince her you're not a total dick head?"

I snigger. "Because I'm not." He scoffs and I laugh. "I like her, Griff," I say more seriously. "When I'm with her, the world makes sense. My heads been fucked for so long and she calms the crazy. I haven't felt like that since . . ." I trail off and Griff gives a sympathetic smile.

"What about Finn?"

I smirk. "Finn is going to get what's coming to him. Did you know he makes Neve call him every night to make sure she's alone?"

Griff shudders, "The bloke gives me the creeps. When I first saw him with her, I didn't like the way he was with her, like she's his property. And the kid looks terrified of him."

"Yeah well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to him finding out about the two of us," I admit. "I've agreed to let her do it in her own time, she's shit scared of him. But I have a feeling he'll know sooner rather than later. I'm not a patient man when it comes to claiming what's mine."

Griff laughs. "Careful Pres, that sounds a bit like you're laying claim." I arch a brow and he sits straighter. "You're fucking laying claim?"

So much for me keeping it to myself. "Like I said, I'm impatient."

Neve

Work is hell. It's chaotic and this is the fifth complaint I've had to deal with in less than an hour. I wave to get the porters attention and he rushes over. "Can you go to the holding rooms and see if you can find a bag belonging to Mr Hart, it hasn't arrived in his room yet." He gives a nod and rushes off. I turn back to the angry customer. "I apologise again, Mr. Hart. Please go to your room and someone will bring your luggage right up."

I've been working at the Hotel Le Pruzé for the last two years and I love it. I can fit my shifts around Harlee's nursery and my boss is pretty relaxed. But as I step out into the busy London street after my busy three-hour shift, I sigh in relief. All I've thought about all day is getting home to snuggle with Harlee. And the fact Ryder is calling around later tonight is also putting a spring in my step.

"We need to talk." Finn steps in my path, halting me. My heart drops like it always does when I see him. When I spoke with Ryder on the phone last night, I'd agreed to try and be stronger around Finn and not let him push me around so much, but it's easier said than done when he just turns up like this and I'm unprepared.

"I have to get back for Harlee," I say, coldly. "I get charged extra if I run over her time slot with the childminder."

"Call her, I'll pay the extra," he says firmly.

There's not point arguing with him when he's got a steely look of determination on his face so I pull out my mobile and send Mya a quick text telling her I'm running late. I've never had a childminder for Harlee, which just shows how much he takes notice of where his daughter is. When I have an afternoon shift, one of the girls usually grabs Harlee from nursery for me.

He gets out his wallet and pulls out two fresh twenties, handing them to me. "My office," he adds, walking ahead.

I reluctantly follow with a heavy heart. We go into the large building and his receptionist automatically stands the second she sees Finn. I always thought she did this out of respect, but looking at her face now, I think it might be fear. I give her a sympathetic smile as he completely ignores her and goes into his office.

He waits for me to step in before slamming the door and locking it. For a second, I panic, wondering if Ryder's told Finn about us but as he closes the blinds to the window looking out over the open plan office, he says. "Harlee told someone at school I hit her."

I stare open mouthed. Harlee refused to speak to me about it, but she's told someone else. "Who did she tell?"

"Her teaching assistant."

"Okay, well what did you say?" I ask, my heart hammering in my chest.

"I said that she was lying," he snaps, "What was I supposed to say?"

I gasp. "The truth," I screech. "You should have told the truth. Now they'll question us all and it'll look suspicious," I yell angrily.

I don't see his hand until it connects with my cheek and I fall back, hitting the wall. Pain shoots through my shoulder and my cheek burns. I grasp it, wincing as I try hard to blink away the tears that threaten to fall. It's been a long time since Finn's hit me and I can't say I've missed it. "I'm not a fucking idiot," he spits angrily. "Don't talk to me like I am," he warns. I wait for him to move out my face before taking a calming breath. Finn paces. "You need to tell them she's lying. Say she's been doing that a lot lately for attention or some shit."

"No. They'll know that's not true."

"How?" he bellows and I flinch. "You're her mother, they'll listen to you."

"They'll have already questioned her, Finn," I say firmly. "They'll have written everything down. You have to tell them the truth."

"Say someone else did it," he says with a shrug. "I don't know, tell them your biker friends did it."

I stare in disbelief. "I can't do that, Finn. I can't lie."

"You'll lie or I'll make your life hell," he warns, sneering.

I scoff. "You already do, Finn."

He moves close again and I turn my head to one side to avoid the feel of his warm breath on me. He runs a finger down my arm. "I miss you," he whispers, "And it's been a while since we fucked," he adds. I shiver with repulsion. "Don't make me do it in anger, baby, you know that hurts us both."

"I'll sort it," I whisper, my voice shaking in fear.

"Sorry?" he asks, and I can feel the smirk coming from him.

"I said I'll sort it with the school," I say a little louder.

He steps closer until his body is pressed against mine and I flinch, pressing myself as hard against the wall as I can just to try and put an inch between us. "Good girl," he whispers, pressing his nose into my hair and inhaling. "I knew you'd see sense." He steps back and I sag in relief. "Now run along and sort this mess out. Call me when it's done."

The second I step outside, tears roll down my cheeks. I swipe at them angrily. He doesn't deserve anymore tears of mine. I pull out my mobile and call the school, asking to speak with Harlee's teacher. She's a wonderful teacher and Harlee adores her, she reminds me of Miss Honey from Matilda and when her softly spoken voices fill the line, I can't help but smile.

"Hi, I just spoke with Harlee's father and he said she'd told the teaching assistant he hit her?" I push my way into the busy street, heading for home.

"Yes, that's correct. We were very surprised when he told us she was lying."

"I think it was a misunderstanding," I explain. "They were play fighting and he did tap her on the leg but it wasn't hard and by no means a punishment."

"Harlee was pretty clear that it hurt."

I give a laugh. "I know, she came right to me after it happened and said the same but I was there," I lie, "And it really was a playful tap. I think she was being a little dramatic. She's finding our split hard."

"I understand. Thank you for clearing it up."

I disconnect the call and sigh with relief. Then I send a text to Finn telling him I've sorted it.

By the time I get home, I've managed to compose myself. "Hi hunny, I'm home," I call out to Mya as I make my way through to the kitchen and grab a pack of ice, pressing it to my cheek.

"Are you okay?" she calls back.

I go into the living room where she's sitting with Harlee watching television. I lean against the door frame and force a smile. "All good. You?"

She watches me with suspicious eyes. "That his handy work?" she asks, giving me a pointed stare.

"I'm fine," I mutter. I lean over the back of the couch and kiss Harlee on the head. "How was your day, Popple?" I ask.

"Good," she says on a yawn.

The doorbell rings out and I glance at Mya nervously. If Finn's here, I can't deal with him and as if she reads my mind, she gets up to answer it. A minute later she calls to me, "It's Ryder."

My heart does a happy leap and I go through to the hall, "Then let him in," I tell her and she steps to one side.

Ryder's eyes fix on the ice pack and he immediately tugs my hand away to check. "What happened?"

I shrug, "I fell, stupid really," I lie.

Mya closes the door, "I'll watch Harlee," she mutters going into the living room and closing the door.

"I stopped by the hotel to give you a ride home," he says, following me through to the kitchen. I wince, keeping my back to him as my mind races to think up another lie. "And imagine my surprise when the guy on the desk told me you left with Finn."

I turn to face him, "Sorry. I didn't say because I didn't want to argue about it."

He moves closer until I'm pressed against the counter and his body his flanking mine. "And this," he asks, gently rubbing a thumb over my cheek.

"Harlee told the nursery that Finn hit her," I say, trying to distract him. "I had to call them and sort it out . . ."

"The mark on your skin, Neve," he says, more firmly.

"And things got heated between us because he was stressed and . . ."

Ryder pushes off the counter with a deadly look in his eye, and heads for the door. I rush after him, grabbing his arm frantically, "No, don't go to him," I beg. "Please, you'll make it worse."

He shrugs me off and my bruised shoulder hits the wall again, this time I cry out, gripping it. Ryder frowns, taken my wrist in his hand and holding me still while he lifts the sleeve of my shirt. There's a deep bruise forming and he arches a brow, waiting for me to speak. "Please," I whisper, tears springing to my eyes. "Don't go there and cause an issue."

He sighs, pulling me against his chest and holding me. "Siren, this can't go on. He put his fucking hands on you. I can't let that slide. What did you tell the school?"

"I lied," I admit, feeling shame wash over me. "I said it was play fighting."

"Jesus. And what happens when he does it again?"

I cry harder. "I know, okay, but I was scared and I didn't know what else to do."

"You have me now, Neve. Next time, you call me. Next time, you don't go anywhere with him alone. Next time, I'll make sure I'm there to make shit clear. That man stays the fuck away from you and if he lays a hand on you or Harlee again, I'll cut them off." He presses his lips to mine and walks me back to the kitchen. "Tomorrow we go to the school and speak to the head teacher. She needs to know the situation."

I shake my head. "She hates me, she's a witch."

I grin. "I know her well, trust me, she'll listen."

I frown, wondering how someone like him could know someone like Miss Hind. She's a stuck-up cow and I can't think of any situation that would mean her and Ryder are friends.