Reaper's Legacy (Reapers MC, #2)(60)

“Okay, we got things clear now?” he asked. I glared up at him.

“What the hell are you doing?” I hissed. “Jesus, Ruger, let me go. I need to get on my clothes. I can’t believe they saw me like that.”

“Like you’ve got anything they haven’t seen before?” he asked, smirking. “You worry too much, Soph. These are bikers, they’ve seen people f*cking. And it’s a damned good thing they saw, too.”

“How do you figure?”

“Because now they know you belong to me,” he said. “I was so f*ckin’ worried about Noah, I didn’t figure it out until today.”

“Figure what out?”

“That this thing between us is already out there and it’s already real. We can’t make it go away. We’re together and we’ll make it work. Or we won’t. Sex is the least of it, though. This goes way past sex.”

Sudden hope hit me, then I shook my head, reminding myself not to be stupid. This was Ruger. I might love him, but I wasn’t blind …

“Are you saying you care about me?” I asked skeptically. “Like, really care?”

“Well, yeah,” he said, wrinkling his forehead. “I’ve always cared about you, Soph, no secret there. I mean, I f*ckin’ held you on the side of the road while you pushed out a baby. Don’t wanna sound like a dick here, but the fact is not every guy would do that. Somethin’ happened that night. We pretended it didn’t for a long time. Now we’re done pretending.”

“You’re a giant slut,” I said flatly, hating the words even though they needed to be said. “I won’t be with a guy who sleeps around, yet here we are at a party where some random couple f*cking in a shed doesn’t even hit the radar. You plan to keep it in your pants?”

His eyes were dark and cool, and I knew my answer before he even opened his mouth.

“I won’t bring anyone home,” he said. “Right now I can’t imagine wanting to f*ck anyone but you. But this life, it’s about freedom. I became a Reaper so I could make my own rules. Not looking to put my dick on a chain and hand it off to some woman like it’s a damned puppy or something.”

Pain ripped through me, and I thought about what Maggs had told me.

Lay it out for him. Either he’s on board or he’s not.

Clearly, Ruger wasn’t on board, which meant this was one big, fat dead end. My missing sense of self-preservation finally kicked back in. God, I was such an idiot.

“You gonna untie that belt or what?” I asked, forcing myself to detach. Ruger and Zach might be very different men, but they had one thing in common. They both saw me as a thing to own, a possession. Ruger narrowed his eyes.

“Don’t get all pissy,” he said. “I’m not saying I plan to sleep around, but I don’t think—”

“Let me up, Ruger,” I said, my voice soft. “I need to put on my clothes and get cleaned up. Then I want to go visit with my friends and pretend this didn’t happen.”

“This happened.”

“Let me up.”

He scowled at me, but he reached over and loosened the belt. The instant my hands came free I sat up, pushing at his big, stupid chest to get him out of my way. I hopped off the counter and grabbed my panties and shorts, sliding them on. Then I started walking away. I needed to find a bathroom, clean myself up. He hadn’t even worn a f*cking condom.

Shit. SHIT.

How stupid could I be? At least I was on the pill … No little brothers or sisters for Noah, thank God. Still, I’d need to get tested. Idiot. Thankfully, I knew he usually wore condoms—I’d certainly found enough of them around his house.

I’d talk to him about that later.

“Stop.”

I ignored him.

“Sophie, I said to f*ckin’ stop,” he said, his voice harder. One of the men across the shed glanced up, speculation in his eyes. Great. I guess giving the locals the first show wasn’t enough. We were still on Ruger’s turf, though, so I’d follow his rules. For now.

“What?”

“We’re together now, you get that, right?” he asked. “I’m serious, Soph. You’re my property.”

“I’m my own property,” I said slowly and clearly. Time to make a break before things got even worse. “I didn’t plan for this to happen, but I have to give you credit. You’re pretty good at getting a girl off. I enjoyed every second of it. And I think you’re right about Noah, too. He needs a man in his life. But us actually screwing doesn’t really change anything—we’re not working out. That doesn’t mean he needs to suffer. You guys keep doing your thing together. I won’t get in your way.”

“The situation is finally working for the first damned time.”

I shook my head, resolute.

“Let me tell you what’s going to happen in the next few days,” I said. “I’m going to find a job, and then I’m going to find a cheap place to live. Get out of your hair.”


“That’s f*ckin’ bullshit.”

“No,” I replied. “That’s reality. You want the freedom to sleep around. I’m not willing to give you that—I want more. Sounds like we have a fundamental difference of opinion here, and I’m not going to try to change you. But I’ll tell you one thing, Ruger—I deserve to be with someone who gives a shit about me, as a person. Someone who values me enough not to f*ck other women. I’d rather be alone the rest of my life than settle for what you’re offering. Consider yourself a hell of a booty call, but that’s it. We clear?”