Chapter 1

Lily

"The number you are trying to call is not reachable at the moment, please try again later."

"You must be fucking with me, Harry." I cursed as I dropped the phone on the couch and raked my hands through my hair in frustration. I returned home from my night part-time job to find it all messed up and empty. First, the spoiled brat twin brother of mine made all the mess. Secondly, he was nowhere to be found. At the late hours of the night. All Harry does is use his allowance on video games and betting with his friends. No one frustrates my life pass Harry.

No matter how much I scold and kick him, it doesn't stop him from messing around. He does it in school and at home too. Move around with dangerous gangs.

I can never forget my first encounter with the gang leader. Ryker Oscar, the notorious and most popular bad boy in the whole high school. I was going to take out customer's orders at the restaurant I work as a waitress. I mistakenly spilled the milkshake on his shoes. Topped with the fact that I was at fault, I apologized but Ryker Oscar asked me to go on my knees and wipe the dirt off his shoes. As the spitfire girl I was, I ended up hauling insults at him.

The following day, I found out he was the bad boy everyone was talking about in school. I was completely shocked. He never attended classes or should I say I never pay much attention to the gang group. Tell me why I won't get agitated at every little thing. And why won't I be pissed with the fact that my twin brother is trying to involve himself with a dangerous gang like Ryker's.

Life hasn't been good since the death of my parents. They died in a car accident. I remembered the day. Harry and I were just 11. One phone call from an unknown number changed everything. The news of my parents' sudden death had done a lot of damage to my life. First, we weren't that rich. My father was a security guard at the city hospital whereas my mother worked as a hairstylist in a beauty salon. We were barely coping with life. And after that accident happened, we moved in with our grandmother and she took care of us for five years before she later passed away too. The responsibility was now left on our shoulders. I was barely concentrating in school because I had to go from one part-time job to another. To raise money for us to keep our lives moving. I skipped classes sometimes just so I could go to work and earn money. But my twin brother does nothing. He doesn't take his studies seriously neither does he have any skills. I arrived an hour before Harry but he acts as if he was the big brother. Maybe because he sees himself way taller than me.

"I will kill Harry today!" I exclaimed picking up my phone to try his number for the third time. I was about to dial his number when a call came through from an unknown number. My mind thought it was Harry because he had used his friend's phone to call me countless times. Whenever he gets into trouble.

"I hope this boy didn't get into trouble again," I muttered before picking up the call and placing it to my ears.

Nothing was hitting my chest but pure anger—no rage should be the right word to describe what I was feeling. I know for a fact that I would kill Harry. I don't know how but I will make sure I break one of his bones today. Despite the anger hitting me, I was a bit nervous about what I was going to meet. After getting the call, the only words I heard were. "You might want to save your brother's little ass." And then the line went dead with a text that followed with an address.

A little shiver ran down my spine when the car stopped at a dark alley. "Is this the place you are supposed to drop me off?" I asked the man wanting to be sure it was the address I gave not the wrong one.

"Yes." His answer came short and sharp. I paid him his f*e and slowly got out of the car. I hadn't gotten to move away from the car when he took off. "What a crazy man!" I hissed throwing a glare at his faraway car.

I glanced around at the unfamiliar surroundings. The place was rough around the edges—gravel crunching under the tires, the air thick with the smell of gasoline and leather. Rows of motorcycles lined up like soldiers, their metal frames glinting in the sunlight.

People in worn leather jackets and faded jeans stood around, talking in low voices or laughing loudly. Some leaned against their bikes, others sat at old wooden tables under a makeshift tent, sipping on beer or coffee.

Confusion gnawed at me at the strange and dangerous surroundings. Why would Harry come here? There was no doubt, I stumbled into the world of bikers. I didn't want to jump to conclusions yet but the thought of Harry joining the gang gives me chills.

My phone rang in my hand from the same unknown number. I placed it to my ears and awaited the deep voice from the other end. "I assumed you have arrived at the location." I don't know why but the voice sounds oddly familiar. Like I've heard it somewhere.

"Did you see the dirt road to your right?" I turned around and saw a long road. "Yes," I answered.

"Good. Follow the road until you hit gravel. Walk straight towards the tent. Someone will meet you there."

"Why-" Before I could complete my statement, the line went dead. What the hell was going on? Who knows maybe it was a trap, Lily. You shouldn't have come. A voice in my head rang. But who would trap me? I have no enemies.

Your brother always gets in trouble. It might affect you. The thought of my brother joining the biker gangs triggered my anger more. I stormed towards the directions given to me and found myself in a tent. I was met with a big man whose body physique was enough to scare the living shit out of my body. The man looks dangerous just from his body frame. Broad shoulders, arms like tree trunks, and a face that looked like it had seen one too many fights.

"The boss is waiting for you. Follow me." He said not giving me the chance to ask whether I was at the right place. You are in a dangerous territory, Lily. Another voice in my head rang.

More reason why I needed to break Harry's bone if he dared put me in trouble.

We reached a large metal door at the back of a weathered building. The big man knocked once—three sharp raps—and the door creaked open. He motioned for me to go first.

Inside, the air was cooler, dimly lit by a few hanging lights. The smell of smoke and stale beer hit me immediately. My heart pounded in my chest as I moved deeper into the den. It felt like stepping into a lion's cage—dark, suffocating, and full of danger.

I walked down a narrow hallway, and then into an even darker room. That's when I saw him. Ryker Oscar. That was why his voice sounded familiar on the phone.

He was sitting in a worn leather chair, the kind that looked like it belonged in an old detective's office. His presence filled the room, larger than life. He was tall, with a muscular build that was obvious even under his black t-shirt. His arms were covered in tattoos.

His face was rugged, with a strong jawline, a scar that ran from his eyebrow to his cheek, and eyes that seemed to pierce right through me—cold, calculating, and more than a little dangerous.

He looked up at me slowly, his eyes narrowing as he took me in. I felt a shiver run down my spine, every instinct screaming at me to turn around and leave. But I was rooted to the spot

"You are finally here," he said, his voice low and gravelly. It was the kind of voice that commanded attention, and I felt the tension coil tighter in my stomach.

"Why did you call me here Ryker." The question left my mouth faster. The memories of my encounter with him flashed before me, the same smug he had the other day was playing on his lips. "I assumed you're here to save your brother's little ass."

The dots clicked in my head so fast and I found myself walking forward to his desk. "Where is my brother?"

"Good question. Mark!" He yelled and a door was opened with the appearance of my brother. Hands tied and mouth covered with a cloth. My blood instantly quickened up. As I proceeded to rush to him, the man's deep voice halted me. "Stop right there."

"Are you crazy? Why is my brother here? Why is he tied up and-"

"Because he stepped into my territory. Your brother touched what belonged to me. And to save his ass, you have to bear the consequences."

I was confused for a short while and didn't even have time to process his words when he dropped a bomb. Right then and there, I concluded that Ryker Oscar might not be completely okay in the head. "Be my girlfriend."