Ideally, she’d love to find a place that she could rent on her own but she knew that was going to be nearly impossible. Apartments around the area rented for more than what she made monthly. That was why she had to find a roommate to sublease a room from, and how she ended up with an asshole roommate like Hugh. Tatum was determined not to rent from someone like him ever again but she knew she might not have a choice in the matter.
“You’re awfully quiet,” Ryder said.
“I’m just not sure what to talk about, Ryd,” she admitted.
“I saw your brother today,” he said. “Hart said he’s been trying to call you but you won’t answer. What’s that about?” he asked.
She shrugged and pushed her empty plate back from in front of her. “I don’t have anything to say to him, Ryder. He forbade me from moving in with you,” she reminded. Her brother liked to tell her what she could and couldn’t do but that wasn’t his place anymore.
“And you did what you wanted, so what’s the problem?” he asked. “He just wants to talk to you, Honey,” he said. “He’s worried about you.” Sure her brother was worried that she was being corrupted by the big bad biker sitting across the table from her. Jackson didn’t want them together, not that it mattered since they weren’t—not like the way her brother thought they were. It was still so frustrating to have Jackson bossing her around like when she was just a kid.
“I’d love to know what you’re thinking, Tatum,” he whispered. “I can see your mind racing. Just think about giving him another chance,” Ryder said. “Everyone deserves a second chance in life, Tatum. Including me.”
“I’ll think about giving Jackson a second chance, but I’m making no promises,” she said.
“How about me, Tatum?” Ryder asked. “Will you give me a second chance?”
“A second chance at what?” she asked.
“At you,” he whispered. The waiter came back to their table and took the dirty dishes.
“Will either of you be having dessert tonight?” he asked. Ryder smiled over at her and she giggled. He looked so hopeful; she knew her answer even before it as even out of her mouth.
“Yes,” she said. “I’d love some dessert.” The waiter took her order and when she told him to wrap it up to go, she looked at Ryder and winked. “How’s that for a second chance?” she whispered across the table when the waiter walked away and for the first time all night, Ryder was speechless.
Ryder
Ryder wasn’t sure what he had done to earn him a second chance with Tatum, but he wasn’t about to ask too many questions. The last thing he wanted to do was give her a chance to change her mind. The waiter brought back her dessert, boxed and bagged, and handed him the check. He couldn’t get his credit card out fast enough to pay the bill.
“Ready?” he asked, standing from his seat to grab his crutches.
“Yes,” she breathed. “You sure this is a good idea, Ryder?” she asked.
“Oh, Honey,” he said, “dessert is always a good idea.” He winked at her and she giggled. He had convinced her to leave her car at work and ride with him in his pick-up on the way to dinner, promising to take her back for her car afterwards. But now, that seemed like a horrible plan. It would give her time alone to think and possibly change her mind. That wasn’t something he could let happen.
“How about we go home and I’ll run you to work in the morning?” he asked. She clutched the bag with her dessert like it was a lifeline. “You have all the say here, Honey,” he promised. She did to. Tatum had all the power when it came to him and what they were about to do. He liked to think he was in charge of just about everything in his life. He really wanted to be in charge of her but he was also sure that Tatum wouldn’t allow that. What she didn’t know was that she held all the power when it came to him. Ryder pulled out of the parking lot and started toward his house, not waiting for her to give him an answer about leaving her car at work.
“You seem to be in a hurry, Ryder,” she teased.
“Just a little bit,” he admitted. “I just don’t want to give you a chance to change your mind, Tatum.” He was giving her his honesty and hoping that she wouldn’t run from him or put up her walls again because he was done waiting for her.
“I’m not going to change my mind, Ryder,” she whispered. “I want this. I want you.” God, hearing her say those words out loud made him half crazy with lust.
“Thank fuck, Baby,” he breathed. “I want you too.”
“What about my brother?” she asked.
“He’s not my type,” Ryder teased. She giggled again and slipped into the passenger side of his truck. “I still think you should call your brother, Tatum,” he said. “He’s going through a lot right now and he’s worried about you.”
“Because I’m living at your place,” she griped.
“No,” Ryder said. She might not like this next part but she had a right to know if she was in danger. “Your brother helped our club’s Prez, Savage, out a while back. He and a guy named Cillian went into a rival club—the Dragons, to get Savage’s little girl, Chloe back. They took her and were going to sell her off—you know, as in human trafficking?” he asked. Her gasp filled the cab of his truck. “Your brother went in with Cillian and got Chloe out of there before they could do anything to her. It was a shit show but Hart helped save that little girl’s life.”
“I knew he was a hero but I had no idea,” Tatum admitted. “He never really talked about his work with me. I guess he didn’t want to upset me.”
“Yeah,” Ryder breathed, reaching across the center console to take her hand. He had a feeling that this next part he was about to tell her was the reason Hart never told his sister about his job. “There’s more though,” he breathed. “The Dragons are affiliated with a larger group called the Anarchy Kings and apparently, they want revenge for your brother’s involvement in taking down their trafficking business.”
“Oh God,” she whispered. “Is he all right? What’s going to happen to Jackson?” she asked.
“He’s fine, Tatum,” Ryder said. “Your brother can take care of himself. It’s you he’s worried about. They threatened to go after his loved ones to make him pay for what he did to them. He’s worried that you’re in danger.”
“He told you all of this today?” she asked.
“Yes,” Ryder admitted.
“And that’s why you showed up at my work, wanting to take me out to eat,” she assessed. She wasn’t wrong but he wanted to take her out for two weeks now, not just since finding out about the threat to her and Hart.
“Not exactly,” he admitted. “You did agree to go out with me two weeks ago,” he said. “I just found out about this shit with the Anarchy Kings this afternoon. I showed up at your work to make sure you were safe but asking you to dinner had nothing to do with that.” Tatum looked as if she didn’t believe him and he worried that they had hit another bump in their already rocky relationship road.