Page 72 of Wild Ride
“What did she say to you?” I ask.
“She?”
I squeeze her hand then release it and take a step backward so that I can really look into her eyes. “What did she say to you, Briana?”
“That her purpose here is to have sex. She’s a whore, Dakota. A body for those men. And I have to tell you that it makes me think of my own past and it makes me feel sick to my stomach. Downright violently ill. I don’t want this life for you, but if you’re insistent, I can’t stand by and watch you live it, either.”
Her words sting because she’s all I have. She’s all I’ve had for years, and now she’s standing in front of me saying,Choose this new life and lose me or come back to your old one. And I understand that she’s concerned about how quickly this is moving and the lifestyle and all of the above.
I have my own reservations, but none of them outweigh my feelings for Bishop.
Because those feelings for him are stronger than anything else I’ve ever had in my life, and I can’t walk away from them. As much as I know that I probably should, I just can’t. I know without a doubt that my regrets for leaving will overcome anything that could happen to me.
“And just in case you were curious, not that I think it’s going to matter to you at this point, but that woman wants to be here. She’s not forced to do anything. She hates me because she wants Bishop for herself. She attacked me, but if you want to believe her manipulations, then go for it.”
Briana doesn’t respond. She’s already made her decision. Her mind has been made up, and there is nothing I can do to change that.
“Maybe that’s the case. She seemed like a real bitch, but that doesn’t negate the fact that she’s here to sell her body for something. A place to live, food, whatever it is, doesn’t matter. She spreads her legs and does what they want. I know what that life is like. So, even if she’s a bitch, I can’t be around anyone who thinks that’s okay. Ever. For my own sanity and sake.”
I can understand that, and I hate that I can.
“I love him,” I whisper.
Her lips press into a thin line, and then she relaxes them. “I can tell. I see it in your eyes, and I want to be happy for you. I really do. I just can’t.”
I walk toward her but don’t say a single word. I wrap my arms around her and just hold her.
“I’m sorry they hurt you,” I whisper.
She stands for a moment, her muscles rigid. Then, after a moment of just hugging her, she lifts her arms and hugs me back. We stay like that for a while until it gets slightly awkward, but not enough that I want to step away from her.
This might be my last hug from the woman who saved my life.
My heart squeezes at the thought. I love her. She’s my sister, my best friend, and more of a mother than I’ve ever had in my life. The idea that she wouldn’t want to be in my world any longer makes my whole body ache.
BULLET
“Ralph is dead,” I announce. “The Richmond Bloodhound clubhouse is burnt to the ground, and everyone inside of it went down as well. That being said, Viking has been working on getting our shit straight from suppliers and cutting out the middleman. It’s going to take our brothers in Wilmington to help us, but we’re here to build on a legacy, and I’m going to do everything in my goddamn power to ensure that happens.”
The collective silence in the room would worry me if I thought this wasn’t a good thing. I know it is, so it doesn’t. Piggy stands, placing his palms on the center of the table as his eyes meet mine. I’m not sure what he’s going to say, but his expression is serious as fuck, so I wait.
“That is probably the best thing we can do. There is no reason to have any more liabilities than we already have in this business. I never understood why we had Ralph, and obviously, he did us zero favors and had no loyalty at all.”
“None,” I grunt. “Not a goddamn ounce.”
I take this moment to enlighten them on the cartel and the fact that this fuck was washing money for them. I would like to say that anyone in this room is surprised, but they aren’t.
“What does this mean for us?” Ivy asks. “Because that’s one group that I don’t want to go to war with. Sure, I don’t want to go to war with anyone, but we can handle the Bloodhounds. The cartel is a beast I’m not sure I want to go against, ever.”
With a snort, I jerk my chin toward him because I agree wholeheartedly. That is a beast I know, without a doubt, I want no part of.
“What about the sister?” Piggy asks.
“She’s still got a nomad looking after her. I’m going to leave it up to a vote on what you want to do about that. I assume she’s innocent, especially since she doesn’t live here and Ralph is no longer breathing, so our deal with him is no longer valid,” I say.
I’m surprised when Viking is the one who speaks first. “I vote that it’s up to the nomad’s discretion. If he thinks she’s safe, then he can walk away. If he thinks she needs protection and whatever that looks like, then he can make the call.”
“I second Viking’s suggestion,” Piggy says before I can even think of a response. Before the words even settle.
