Free Bad Boys for Hire: Ryker (Bad Boys for Hire #1) by Rachelle Ayala Page B

sweet little boy.”
    “I’m not so sweet and not so little.” He brought her up close, holding her steady. “Not anymore.”
    She trembled against him, and then reached for his face, her fingers tentative. “I’m so sorry. So sorry for what I did.”
    “You’re sorry? Why?” He stared into her watery blue eyes. “We kissed, sure, but what happened later wasn’t your fault. It was the grownups, the hotheads. Your parents, my parents, their clubs. Don’t you see? None of it was our fault. We were kids.”
    “Yes, but I teased you. You were so bashful and shy. So cute though, and I was a biker brat. My dad was president of our club. I could push my way everywhere and no one would lift a hand on me.”
    “You were my first kiss, Terri. It didn’t feel like teasing to me,” Ryker said, holding her tightly. “You don’t know how much I thought about you all those years.”
    “Probably because my mom beat you up,” she sniffed. “I’m so sorry.”
    “Did you let all the boys touch you? Did you let my brothers?” Ryker’s body stiffened. He needed to know he was special, not some cute little kid she was teasing.
    “No, I didn’t let them, but they grabbed and touched.” Her voice tightened. “Not the boys in my club. They wouldn’t dare.”
    “So, you went to the rallies and men harassed you and your dad didn’t do anything?” Anger roiled in Ryker’s gut. “What the hell was he doing? Pissing up a tree?”
    “He and my mom didn’t know. I used to sneak off from our club because everyone watches over me. No one let me get away with anything. I wanted to do normal things like kiss a boy, hold hands, go out on a date, so whenever we went to the big rallies, I’d get lost in the crowd and talk to the boys from the other clubs. I didn’t realize what they wanted.”
    “Did anyone rape you?” Ryker couldn’t help the catch in his voice.
    “No, nothing that bad. Just touching, groping, tongue in mouth, grinding. They knew who my father was.”
    “Terror Terkel.”
    His words hung like a hushed secret between them. All he could do was stroke her hair, her shoulders, the back of her neck, letting her know he wasn’t the enemy, even though her father was responsible for his brother’s death.
    Terri swallowed hard and turned away from his unwavering gaze. “How much do they know? My father’s been out of the scene. He’s crippled.”
    “So, it’s true. There are rumors he’s impersonating a handicapped war veteran. We came close to uncovering his identity, but I threw away the evidence and joined the Marines.”
    “Shit, Ryker. You were the hitman?” Terri recoiled from him so hard, she hit her head against the wall. “Do you hate us so much?”
    “No, not me, believe me, honey.” He swept her face into his palm and tilted her to look at him. “That’s why I left. I didn’t look back. I wasn’t ever coming back. I let my family down, let the Metal Wolves down. I betrayed the informant.”
    “My dad had him killed.”
    “He was my uncle—my father’s baby brother.”
    “Shit. Oh, shit.” Terri swiped the back of her hand over her eyes. “What are we going to do now? The Wolves are after our blood, and the Demons are making a comeback. They keep asking my father to go back in, even though he can’t ride.”
    “He can’t go back. Keep him out.” Ryker shook Terri hard. “My dad’s getting out of jail in three days. We have to get out of here. We have to pack our bags and go.”
    “Where? I can’t just go with you.” Terri twisted out of his grasp. “I’ve got my shop, my friends, my parents. Just answer one question. One only. Do they know who I am? Who my parents are?”
    “Not yet. But if they see you around more, it might trigger a memory.”
    “I can’t just disappear with you.” Terri touched the base of her neck. “The Demons will come looking for me. My father will have a bounty on you. My mom’s seen your face already.”
    “I need to keep you safe,