Ruined 4

Ruin

Ok, so she hadn’t said it out loud, not directly but she didn’t have to. Her son, Parker. He was mine.

And she had kept him from me. She hadn’t even fucking told me. That was unforgivable. 

But I knew I wasn’t exactly blameless in it all. She had lost everything, and that had been because of me. She must have felt so fucking alone, on the streets and pregnant, with no one to turn to and yet somehow she had managed to drag herself out of that hell.

My son seemed a well rounded young man. He had more manners than I did that was for sure. She had done a good job. 

And she had done it alone.

But there was one thing she had said before she had stomped off to sit in her car. 

She had said he had a father. 

I wasn’t stupid I had seen the tan lines on her finger. She was married or had been married until recently. Someone else had played dad to my kid. Someone else had laid next to her naked body. For some reason that made my teeth clench. But whoever the mystery man was I had something he could never have.

I had been her first. I had put a baby in her belly. Me.

Her being back in town was a complication, one that I wasn’t expecting and the timing couldn’t be any more off but…. “Son of a bitch.” I pulled the bandana from my face, tossing my helmet to the ground so I could tug at my hair. 

This was a disaster. 

“Woman problems?” 

It was only then that I noticed the giant hulking figure as he detached himself from the wall. 

“Understatement.” I rolled my neck, revelling in the cracking noise it made. I was tense. Which wasn’t surprising with everything that was going on. “But yeah women problems.”

“I heard an old flame was back in town.” Wicked grinned. “Someone special?” He cocked his head. Now Wicked had been a good friend for years before I had patched in. Growing up, it had been me and him and then his younger brother had joined us.

There were no secrets between us.

“Well shit.” He pulled himself up to his full height, his eyes darting over my shoulder and it was only then that I became aware of the sound of a car pulling up. 

“Is that the girl you ruined all those years ago?” His eyes were trained on the woman driving as I turned to watch. “Is that Avery Waters? Shit brother.”

“Wanna know the best bit? The kid next to her? I’m pretty sure he’s mine.”

”You’re kidding?”

I could feel his eyes on me but I didn’t turn to him again, I was too busy watching her climb from her car. 

Jesus, her ass.

Wicked made an approving sound in the back of his throat. And my eyes flashed to him before I could stop myself. “Don’t even think about it.” I ground the words out between my clenched teeth. 

“Wouldn’t even think about it brother.” Wicked hands went up as if to proclaim his innocence but he couldn’t hide the grin on his face.

Oh, he had thought about it, hell he was still thinking about it. I could tell just by the stupid look on his face. 

“Sure you would, but she’s off-limits.”

“Because she’s your baby momma? Or because….”

I didn’t let him finish, I punched at his shoulder. “Because she’s married dickhead and the last thing the club needs is her husband showing up because you couldn’t keep it in your pants.” That was the excuse I was using and I was going to stick to it. 

“You want to talk to her alone brother?” Wicked continued to side-eye me, he was a lot of things and not many of them were good but one thing he wasn’t was stupid. There wasn’t a lot that could get past him. 

I nodded slightly.

“What’s the boy's name?” His forehead crinkled. “Shit its strange thinking of you having a kid.”

Yeah, I couldn’t disagree with that. It was strange. “Parker,” I said out loud. 

He nodded once. Stepping forward he grinned as Avery straightened her eyes darting from me to him and then to the clubhouse behind us. She scanned her surroundings, from the chain link fence to the squat brick building behind us that once upon a time had been a shoe factory. A frown appeared on her face, drawing her eyebrows together. 

“I thought you said there was a …..” her chin tilted upwards, defiance making her eyes blaze.

“Bbq later.” 

Wicked took a step forward and her eyes widened as she took it his massive size. But she didn’t look away. 

It was easy to forget by looking at her, that she had grown up in this life. This very clubhouse. 

“I’m Wicked.” He thrust out a hand and for a second she just stared at it. And then her lips tilted up. “Wicked?” Her smile deepened. “Do I even want to know how you got that name?”

Wicked laughed. ”Probably not but you ever want to hear that story, you just let me know.” He winked and she gave a small laugh.

She was flirting. I realised with a start. And I didn’t like her flirting, not right in front of my face. She wasn’t mine, she had only been mine for one summer many many years ago. But I didn’t like her smiling up at the big asshole. 

“And you must be Parker?”

The boy nodded. His eyes were huge. He didn’t hide behind his mother's body but he stepped close to her. And then it hit me, I had thought he was scared, but the boy wasn't scared. He had stepped up to his mother's side to protect her. My lips curved upwards. 

Good lad. 

”You like video games?”

Another nod. 

”You gotta come and look at our games room then, there are a few other kids already here so you won't be on your own.”

Parker darted a look at his mum. “Mum?”

“It’s fine Parker, go and check it out. We didn’t have a game room when I grew up here so you will have to tell me what it’s like.”

“A lot of things have changed since you left,” I added unhelpfully and instantly I felt like a moron. Of course, things had changed, she had changed and it had been a long time.

“Will you be ok mum?”

She grinned down at him. “I’ll be fine Parker.” She ruffled his hair. “You go and have fun… Wicked?” There was a question in her eyes and something like panic. 

“I’ll keep my eye on him, don't worry.”

“I don’t want to leave you if you will need me…” Parker looked unsure. 

“Parker go, no one here will hurt me I promise.” She kissed his forehead softly.

I watched as Wicked lead my son away, leaving me with Avery. “Why is he protective of you?” I should have maybe started with something more casual but the way the boy had acted, it had been strange. Almost like he had stepped up more than once in his young life already. The thought made my fingers curl. 

“You’re big scary bikers.” Her eyes darted past me. 

“I call bull on that Avery, I met him and he wasn’t afraid so do you want to tell me…..” I reached for her and she stepped away. Giving me no option but to drop my hand to my side. “Your husband get ….”

“My life has nothing to do with you Ruin, absolutely nothing. I am here because you gave me no other choice so let’s get on with it so I can leave.” She turned on her heel, heading back to her car and my hand wrapped around her arm. She squealed but I didn’t let her go. I trapped her between her car door and my bulk.

“Let go of me Ruin.” 

The hand that had been gripping her arm moved, I brushed my knuckle down her cheek, watching as her lips parted slightly. “Your husband lay his hands on you?” I asked it softly.

“Drop it Ruin.” She moved her face away. 

“Does he hit Parker?” It was taking every ounce of my self-control not to shake the answers from her. 

“No, god no. He loves Parker…” she seemed panicked. 

“But you….” Jesus what was it about this woman that got me so riled up. 

“I …..”

She didn’t get to finish. A loud scream sounded behind us. “Avery fucking Waters is that you?” 

Tearing herself away Avery crossed the space between her and the other woman in a rush.

And then there were tears as they hugged each other. 

Yeah, Avery was home. The exiled club princess was back. It had been a mistake bringing her here because there would be no way I could get to talk to her alone now.

***

The next time I saw her, she was standing in the kitchen, her ass leaning up against the low cupboards, and I had a second to study her when her back was turned. 

Those curves….she had lost a little weight since our first meeting but she didn’t look sickly with it. She looked strong. And her waist was tiny, a waist twenty-year-olds would be jealous of. 

“Move.”

My head snapped up, eyes narrowing as one of the club girls stepped up in front of her. There was a silent pause and I was about to step in when Avery straightened. “I beg your pardon?” She drew herself up to her full height, which couldn’t have been more than five foot five and glared. 

“I said move.”

“Who exactly do you think you are talking to love?” Avery’s voice was quiet. But every pair of eyes was trained on her.  “Get out of my face.”  Anger rolled off of her in waves. She might look like a soccer mum, but looks could be deceiving. You could take the girl out of the club but you couldn’t take the club out of the girl. 

I grinned.

“Who the fuck is she Ruin?” The club girl's eyes darted over Avery’s shoulder to meet mine. If she was expecting me to come to her rescue she was sadly mistaken. 

I was kind of enjoying watching Avery go. She was hot when she was pissed. 

“That’s Cutter’s daughter.” I couldn’t take my eyes from Avery’s face. “Treat her with respect, she isn’t some club whore.” I added. 

Maybe I shouldn’t have stuck up for her, she was more than capable of standing her own ground but I had said it without thinking. A gasp went up and I knew why. I had never spoken up for a woman before. Not even when I was sleeping with her. 

I had just told the whole room that Avery was important to me. And there were no bigger gossips than bikers. 

It wasn’t even like what they were thinking. I would demand respect for her purely because she was the mother of my son. Not to mention Cutter's daughter. It was as simple as that. 

“Thought she was gone….”

“Looks like I’m back doesn’t it?” Avery rolled her eyes. “Here, you wanted me to move? I’m moving. Does someone want to show me where the game room is? Someone here is wearing way too much Eau De skank.”

I laughed hard. She had a bitchy side. It was hot. “I’ll take you.”

***

“You handled yourself well in there.” The stairs down to the games room were empty. Distantly I could hear laughing but it was muffled. 

She shrugged. “I’m not the timid girl I was ….”

“You were never timid Avery.” I stopped dead in front of her, turning so we were face to face. “I seem to remember a time when you were pretty vocal about what you wanted.”

She shook her head. “Ruin, stop with the trips down memory lane. I’ve been here for two days and it’s all I’ve heard. We hooked up. You fucked up my life and I had to build a new one …..”

I moved without thinking, pressing my body against hers. “Doesn’t have to be in the past Avery, it…..” 

“Mum?” Parker’s voice came from below us and I stepped away instantly. Too bloody close. I had to start remembering Avery wasn’t just a random hook up, she was the mother of my kid. Fucking her again would just complicate things even more.

“What’s up?” 

“Dad’s on the phone.”

 Well shit.

“Hey.”Avery was speaking softly. Her voice was low as she walked away from me, the phone pressed against her ear. It was obvious from the way her shoulders tensed that she was uneasy. And it sent the hair on the back of my neck rising. 

“I told you my dad was sick…” her voice was quiet, barely a whisper but I could tell that Parker had heard. His shoulders hunched. 

“Stop it, Dean. I’ve told you that….” she sighed heavily. “I am not… stop shouting at me.” 

Where was the fiery Avery that had been in front of me just seconds ago? This woman was broken. 

“Go back to the games room Parker.” My hand coming down on his shoulder made him jump and he turned to me, his eyes were wet. “He’s always shouting at her and making her cry.” He mumbled, wiping angrily at his face. “I hate it.”

“I know son, but I’m here now ok? I’ll make sure your mum's ok.” 

“Promise….?”

“Promise….” I nodded in the direction of the games room and he shuffled off, it was only when he was out of sight that I turned Avery towards me.

Her eyes were watery, but no tears fell. 

“Give me the phone.” I mouthed silently. She shook her head. And I grinned as I plucked the phone out of her hand.

“Dean is it? I don’t know who the hell you are screaming at.” My voice was level as the man on the other end continued his shouting, not realising that it wasn’t his poor wife on the other end of the phone. “But Avery is visiting with her family.”

“Who the hell are you?”

“I am family, and I will be the one who comes to visit you if I ever hear of you talking to her like that again.” I ended the call before he could answer me. “You ok? You really don’t have to put up with that shit Avery… you deserve better….”

Her slap took me by surprise. My head rocked backwards. “No one asked you to interfere Ruin, you have just made everything ten times worse.”