“Yeah, I know. I just…” Hayden blew out a breath and crossed his arms over his black leather kutte. When Ryker looked at his brother, really looked, he saw the sadness around his eyes. If they were alone… No, fuck that. This was his brother, and Ryker didn’t give a shit who was watching. He stepped up to Hayden and pulled him into his chest, wrapping his arms around him. Hayden stiffened for a second, then he relaxed against Ryker. Hayden grabbed hold of Ryker’s hips, his fingers squeezing into Ryker’s sides.
“Talk to me,” Ryker urged.
Hayden stepped back and cleared his throat. “I’m not sure how to explain it, but ever since Jenna brought the twins back to Mav, I’ve felt like something is missing in my own life. I want that. The mate and kids. Going out and fucking for the sake of getting fucked has never been my thing. It’s like every date I go on ends in the female getting mad because I’m not what they expected. Just because I’m a biker, they expect me to be and act a certain way. Hell, the last woman I asked out got pissed when I wanted to take her to dinner. I want someone who can see past the leather and the bike to the male who likes to have fun on occasion, but one who’s a gentleman too.”
“And she’s out there, I promise. You’ll find her when you least expect it.” Rhiannon immediately flashed in Ryker’s mind. As much as it pained Ryker, he said, “Come home with me. I need to get there and introduce Rhi and Mac. I’d like you or Kyllian to be the one to ask Rhiannon about her time at the compound.”
“Why?”
“Kyllian’s not nearly as abrasive as I am, and you have a way of making people smile. She’s going to be telling some hard truths, and I’m going to get pissed off, grunt, and scare the girl.”
Hayden grinned, even though the sadness was still in his eyes. “You’re not wrong. Yeah, okay. I’ll come with you.” Hayden strode to his bike and climbed on. Ryker’s Gryphon cursed him ten ways to Sunday, but Ryker knew he was doing the right thing. He wasn’t the right male for Rhi. Hayden might not be either, but Ryker wouldn’t stand in his brother’s way if he and Rhi hit it off.
Rhiannon
The closer they got to Ryker’s home, the more nervous Rhi got. Rory and Sutton had done their best to make her comfortable, and Rhi enjoyed talking with the couple. She still couldn’t believe they were old enough to be Ryker’s parents, good genes or not. If Ryker didn’t look so much like his father, she would have chalked it up to him being adopted. She thought back to a book series she’d read when she was younger where a group of vampires had young-looking parents, and Rhi snorted at the thought of Ryker and his family being less than human. There were no fangs or sparkly skin. Ryker and his parents had enjoyed their meal. They walked freely in the sunlight.
Rory kept Rhi’s thoughts busy with talk of all their grandchildren. Rhi didn’t miss the wistfulness in the woman’s voice when she spoke of her daughters who still lived in Texas. Rhi couldn’t imagine Daisy moving hundreds of miles away leaving Rhi behind. She would have followed her mother to the ends of the earth to be near her. All six of Ryker’s sisters had husbands and children. Maybe that would have been the one thing keeping Rhi from her mom — a family of her own. Ryker’s stern face popped into her mind, but she knew he wasn’t interested in her. How could he be? He was a badass biker. An older man with a daughter nearly Rhi’s age. He probably saw her as a kid. Besides that, she had nothing to offer someone like him, or any man for that matter.
When there was a lull in the conversation, Rhi asked, “If Josiah finds me, can he make me go back?”
“No. You are of legal age and can make your own decisions. Lucy is already working on getting a copy of your birth certificate and Social Security card. If Josiah is looking for you, that helps us in finding him. Do you know of any others who aren’t there of their own free will?” Rory asked.
“Other than Elijah? Not really. We were taught to keep our thoughts to ourselves. I kept to myself because nobody liked me.”
“Because you’re pagan?” Sutton asked.
“I never came out and said I worship the goddess. It’s not that I’m ashamed of my spirituality, but when everyone around you believes something different, it’s easier to keep it inside. I saw enough opposition from my grandmother when she spoke hatefully about and to my mom. Since she was the one who convinced my dad to go to Josiah, I knew better than to speak out. No, it was because I talked to the plants and trees when I first got there. The other kids thought I was weird, and the adults… Let’s just say they called me worse names than the kids did.”
“What about your father? Did he not try to protect you?” Sutton looked at her in the rearview mirror, his eyes narrowing.
“No. He told me to keep my head down and stay out of trouble. He went off with the other adults, leaving me to live with the kids. I rarely saw him after we entered the community.”
“Rhi, I know you were young when your mom died, but do you know if your father was having financial troubles?”
“Not that I know of. He went to work every day. We lived in a nice-enough house in a good neighborhood. Mom didn’t have a job outside the home, but I never heard him mention her getting one or that we didn’t have enough money.”
“What did your dad do for a living?” Rory asked.
“He worked with computers.”
Rory and Sutton shared a silent look, and Rhi wondered what they were thinking. She didn’t get the chance to ask about it because they pulled into a driveway and parked next to three motorcycles. Rhi looked out the window at the two-story house. “Is this Ryker’s home?”
“Yes. He’s already here, and so are Hayden, Mac, and Kyllian.” Rory unbuckled and turned to face Rhi. “I want you to know you are safe now. You might get overwhelmed with our family, but I promise, every one of my sons, their women, and all the Hounds have your back. You are one of us now for however long you want to stay around.”
Rhi’s eyes watered, and she swallowed hard. It had been a long time since she felt like part of a family, but Rory’s words rang true. Josiah’s community was supposed to have been home, but it always felt like a prison. Sutton opened the back door to the SUV and held out his hand. Rhi grasped it, welcoming both the strength and warmth. He was a slightly older version of Ryker, and although quite handsome, Rhi didn’t feel the same draw to him. Not that she would have sought a married man. She was merely making a comparison between the two men in her mind. During the three-hour drive, she had compared Ryker to all the men at the compound. Sure, some of the men had been nice-looking, but none compared to her biker. He’s not yours.
Speaking of the man, Ryker was waiting on the front porch alongside a young woman Rhi assumed was McKenzie and two younger men. One was dark-haired like Ryker and Sutton, and the other was blond like Rory. From listening to Rory speak about her sons, Rhi knew the blond was Hayden and the other was Kyllian. Or Havyk and Kayos as they were also known as. Both were handsome, but neither held a candle to their older brother. When Rhi caught sight of McKenzie, she forgot all about the Lazlo brothers. Mac had a scar on her face. It was visible, but it didn’t detract from her beauty. Her eyes were haunted, and Rhi vowed then and there to do everything in her power to see some happiness on the other woman’s face. With Rory on one side and Sutton on the other, Rhi approached the steps.