Ruined 16

Ruin

My bike pulled in behind the sleek silver sedan at almost the same time, you didn’t need to be a rocket scientist to know who the man driving it was.

Avery’s husband.

Ex-husband or soon to be, I reminded myself as I swung my leg over the bike. My eyes narrowing as I squinted into the car, all pretty futile with the darkly tinted windows. And somehow the fact I couldn't see him made me so angry it was a struggle not to drag him from the car just so I could see who had been sleeping next to Avery every night and bringing up my son for the last god knows how many years. 

Not that I could do any of that. But it was tempting. 

“Ruin.” Avery took a step out of the front door and froze as she caught sight of the car in front of me. 

The man who stepped out looked back over his shoulder and his clean-cut face broke into a wide grin. Like he was honest to god pleased to see me. 

“Hello, Ava.” His voice was deep, a rumbling of an accent making it thick although I couldn’t quite place it. I had heard the accent when I had spoken to him on the phone but it was thicker now. 

Avery didn’t move. She seemed frozen to the spot. Unsure on which one of us she should go to. And it hurt that she had to think about it but I wasn’t about to be an asshole and make her feel bad about it.

“You’re here.” Her words were soft, barely above a whisper. 

I made the decision for her. “Hey babes.” Curling my arm around her waist I pulled her to my side. She didn’t fight against it but she didn’t look at me either. Her eyes were trained on the man staring at her with his impossibly dark eyes. His face impassive. Still, if she wanted me to let go of her I would have. 

I might want to stake some lame macho claim but I couldn’t force her to be mine. 

“Well our son is missing, where the hell did you expect me to be?” Finally, those dark eyes rose to me and there was no doubt the challenge in them as he stared at me. Not that he said anything, he just carried on smiling at me. 

What the hell was that all about? I had my arms around his wife and he just smiled. Then he stepped forward, his hand outstretched.  “You must be Colton.”

What. The. Fuck?

I darted a glance down at Avery’s stunned face. what the hell was going on here because I had no clue. How did he know my name?

No one called me Colton, they hadn’t for a very long time.

“I’ve heard a lot about you.” He dropped his hand when I made no move to shake it. “You’re Parker’s father?” He chuckled and somehow it was worse than his smile. “Ava has told me all about you, I’m not surprised she decided to look you up. She always did like slumming it.” He held his hand up and the smile never slipped. “She tries and acts like she’s different but bikers … she always goes back to them. Now don’t go getting angry friend. You have no right. You knocked up my girlfriend thirteen years ago and have your arms around my wife now. If anyone should be angry it should be me.” 

My hands slipped from her waist. I didn’t mean for them to.. or maybe I did. Not that the son of a bitch gave me a chance to say anything and who was I kidding there was nothing I could say.  “Avery do you want to catch me up on what’s going on with our son?” 

She didn’t say a word, just stood there alone between the two of us. And then her shoulders slumped and she nodded once. “Sure, come on in .” She didn’t even turn to me. “Ruin my father and Wicked are in the garage. Did you want a coffee brought out?”

What I wanted was to wrap her in my arms and smash my lips to hers. But I couldn’t do that now. Her husband had drawn a line in the sand. And I had taken a step back again, leaving her alone in no man’s land.

     ***

“Is that her husband?” Cutter didn’t even bother looking up. So I didn’t bother with a reply. What the hell could I say anyway? 

Sure his words had come as a shock but was I really going to punish her for something that had happened in the past? So eighteen-year-old Avery hadn’t mentioned a boyfriend? Twenty-two year old me wouldn’t have cared anyway.  

“She’s in there with him and you are out here with us?” Wicked raised an eyebrow. “Traded you in already brother? I knew she would.” He shook his great shaggy head and I could do nothing but stare at him. “What do you mean by that?” Finally, I found the words. 

Any other man would have backed down,  but not Wicked. I had never see himn back out of a fight in his life. His whiskey coloured eyes met mine. “She isn’t right for you Ruin. She makes you weak. And she makes you a laughing stock…”

Did she? Did my brothers think I was weak because I was besotted with her and that was exactly the word I would use. Besotted. 

Or was something else going on with Wicked, that I had no clue about. Why the sudden hatred for Avery? Why now?

“A laughing stock?” I could feel my eyebrow disappearing into my hair as I stared at my oldest friend. 

“Yeah, she’s playing you. She played Truth just to get to you and now… Jesus, we’ve been around sluts like that our entire life Ruin. Good pussy is just that good pussy. It’s not enough to ruin your reputation over.”

Blood spurted from his nose before he had even finished the sentence, cutter drew back his fist again but didn’t make another move. “That’s my fucking daughter your talking about Wicked. Watch your tone.”

“Is it my fault your daughters a slut?” Wicked’s voice was mocking and I knew what he was trying to do. Starting a fight was what he was good at. It always had been. Ever since we had been teens causing hell together. 

He was my oldest friend and closer than a brother but my hand curled around his throat before I could ever think about it. “Cutter said watch your fucking tone and I’m saying….”

“What are you saying Ruin?” He didn’t make a move to shake my hand off him. We just stood frozen. 

I didn’t even know what I was saying. Never in our entire twenty year friendship had I ever attacked him over a woman. “I’m saying keep a civil tongue in your head when you’re talking about her.”

Full lips curled. “Why if she ain’t your old lady?”

“I’m warning you Wicked. Not another word….”

“If she isn’t your old lady then I want a go, if she is… well you’ve left her alone with a man who’s beat her more than once.”

All I could do was stare at him shock.

Fuck.

      ***

 I had done exactly what he wanted me to, the asshole had wanted me out the way, so he could be alone with Avery, and like a fool, I had fallen for it. 

I had left her alone and unprotected and it had taken Wicked being an asshole to make me realise my mistake. I couldn’t even be sure Wicked was being an asshole or whether he was playing the part in some lame attempt at pushing me and Avery together finally. 

Either way, it worked. I should have never have left her alone with him, I had left her vulnerable. Unprotected.

As I stomped into the kitchen, at first I thought they were embracing and jealousy ripped through me. A white-hot torrent of it to see them so close together. 

His dark eyes met mine over her shoulder and the shit-eating grin I had come to associate with him was back as he stepped away.  Avery turned and I noticed it straight away.

The red marks on her neck, the wide tear filled eyes as they looked everywhere but at me.

I was an asshole.

I had left her alone for ten minutes and he was already hurting her. Was this what her life had been like?

“Avery?” I said her name softly even if every part of me wanted to rage. I wanted to… no I needed to slam my fist into his smug face. 

I was many things, Hell I had done things that would turn people’s stomachs but I had never laid hands on a woman or child. Even a man like me had boundaries. “Come here.” I held my hand out to her when she didn’t move. “Baby?“

She didn’t seem to be able to move, her hand trying to hide her throat. So I went to her instead. My hands reaching to smooth down her face and force her own hands down so I could examine her.

Shit.

He had been alone with her for minutes and he had already marked up her throat. Had she just stood there and let him choke her? Why hadn’t she fought back or shouted for help? She was in a house with three scary bikers and she hadn’t made a sound. 

“Are you hurt?” It was a stupid question and I knew it.  “Avery?” Gently I tilted her chin up so she had no choice but to meet my eyes. “Did he hurt you?”

Mutely she shook her head. 

“I need your words, Avery.”

“I’m fine.” She mumbled and her voice was raspy. 

Like hell, she wasn’t hurt.  Something must have shown on my face as she clung to my sleeve. “Honestly Ruin, I’m fine. It’s nothing.”

“Nothing.” I couldn’t help it I ran my fingers over the rapidly developing bruises on her throat. “Doesn’t look like nothing babes. It looks like this asshole touched what was mine.”

She didn't argue back but she did beg. ”Please don't Ruin, please.” she begged for her ex-husband and it was like a knife to my heart. Why was she still defending him? 

Ignoring her, I let my eyes settle on him. The man who had been lucky enough to have her in his life for thirteen years and had left angry marks on skin instead of worshipping her.  “I think it’s time me and you had a quiet little chat… friend.”

“No.” Avery looked panicked. 

“Go and see Wicked, Avery. Your throat needs looking at….”

“No.” She started to say again and this time I didn’t let her finish. I kissed her, letting my tongue delve into her mouth, my hand fisting her ponytail to keep her head steady. 

It was a kiss of ownership. 

And she kissed me back, clinging to my shoulders. 

“Go babes.” Leaning my head on hers, I let my eyes close. She had kissed me back, clinging to my shirt like I was a lifeline and she was lost at sea. 

She needed me.

“Go to Wicked.”

“I’m right here.”  My friend booked from the doorway. “And I have news.” His eyes narrowed as he caught a glimpse of Averys bruised throat. His lips narrowing evilly. I knew what he was thinking. He wanted to hurt Dean, just as much as I did. “We may have a lead on Parker. But then I think your husband knows all about it anyway…. does the name Sandra Briel ring any bell?”