Free Ride Hard by Evelyn Glass

but she didn’t know what else to do. All other options were exhausted. If she didn’t do this, Joseph would kill her and he would hurt or injure anyone who stood in his way. She didn’t want Nick to get into trouble, and for that, she had to take measures to ensure that he never met Joseph.
     
    This was the only way, the right thing to do, and Gabby was determined to do it.
     
     

CHAPTER EIGHT
     
    Nick sauntered into the clubhouse, feeling happy and relieved that all the mess was behind them. From now on, they could really look forward to a brighter future. Even though he was disappointed with Bryan and would have liked a chance to teach him a lesson, he appeared to have taken Ronald’s warning to heart and disappeared for good from the city.
     
    Good riddance!
     
    As his gaze took in the festive ribbons Willow and Tasha tied to the ceiling, his billowing rage at Bryan waned. He wouldn’t allow the man to spoil his mood. “Wow! That looks good,” he commented as he stopped at the bar.
     
    Willow was neatly lining the bottles he’d delivered earlier. For this party, Nick went all out to make sure that all arrangements were perfect. The women were doing the decorations and preparing the food, but he personally selected each item and handed it over. This was the beginning of his new life with Gabby, and he wanted it to be a spectacular start into a golden life. He was extremely happy with Gabby. She was the love of his life, and he wanted her to feel special and important.
     
    This party was only the beginning of great things to come.
     
    “Thank you, dear, but this is nothing compared to the way your girl is looking,” said Willow. “I must admit that I’d something to do with that. If Tasha and I didn’t insist that she pick the right dress, she might have attended this party in jeans.”
     
    “And she would’ve rocked in it,” he said with a cheeky grin. “But I appreciate your effort.”
     
    She wriggled her eyebrows as she stood and leaned against the counter. “You’re besotted, aren’t you?”
     
    Nick laughed. “I guess I am.”
     
    “She is a rare find, that girl. But her heart’s delicate. The bruises on it are fading fast but I can still feel the pain that she felt all these years,” said Willow. “Treat her gently.”
     
    He lifted her hand and pressed it to his lips. “Oh, I intend to, and I am grateful that you’re also looking out for her. It means a lot to me, and to her.”
     
    She tugged free her hand. “Go on now, you’re going to make me cry.”
     
    Nick went upstairs. As he was going up, his gaze was drawn to the kitchen where preparations were on in full swing. He stopped by to say hello and also to check if everything was alright. Although he came to the clubhouse for a meeting with Ronald, he wanted to ask Gabby if she wanted him to take her luggage back to his house. That way, she could leave after the party with him and they wouldn’t have to wait for another night. He was well aware that she was dragging her feet about this. Initially, he’d tried his best to be patient, but now he was becoming a little irritated. It wasn’t just that she appeared reluctant to move in, but also the fact that she wasn’t being herself.
     
    Could it be that she said yes to him in a moment of enthusiasm and was now regretting her decision? If that was the case, he would prefer if she flat out told him. Gabby wasn’t the sort of girl who played games. She was straightforward and upright, and he loved that about her. It was one of the qualities that attracted him to her, but now she was being evasive and secretive. And he hated to see her like that.
     
    Was she so averse to commitment that she didn’t even want to live under one roof?
     
    She loved him, even though she never said the words. Damn it! He knew it in his heart. No woman could make love to him the way she did and not feel anything genuine. But lately, he was having serious misgivings about her behavior. If