Read Online Rider (Defenders M.C. Book 3) by Amanda Anderson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Amanda Anderson
Ads: Link
to.”
Fifteen
It took Lizzie three weeks to confide in Rider about what had happened in that house. He had listened. He made no judgments or offered no stories of his own. This wasn’t about comparison. She let it all out. Every thought, every feeling. When she was finished she shivered.
He pulled her close.
“Feel better?”
She nodded. “A little.”
He kissed her head. “Okay.”>
“Please say something.”
“You are amazing and I love you.”
“No. I mean about what I did.”
“That is what I’m saying. Baby you did that because you knew you were strong enough to handle it. You did it because we have all seen Shad go ape shit crazy and that’s scary as fuck. You did it because you have a big heart and I’m sorry you had to do it, but that is the life we live.”
Lizzie was speechless. “You have gotten wise and I don’t mean a wise ass, you were always that.
“I think I finally grew up. Do you mind?”
“No. I think I can be happy now.”
“Good. Me too.”
“It may not always be easy Rider.”
“Fuck easy. Nothin’ is easy.”
“Rider.”
“Hmmm?”
“Tell me about you. I don’t know anything really.”
“Not much to tell. I had a shitty childhood. Rode bulls in the rodeo for a few years. Got busted up. Couldn’t take the result. Got in some trouble, robbery. Lucky for me I was robbin’ a tattoo parlor owned by the Defenders. Preach decided I’d be better as a part of the club than in jail. I was nineteen. That’s it.”
“It’s not.”
Rider laughed. “What do you know that I don’t?”
“I know that you had a sweetheart.” She raised up on an elbow so she could look down at him. She smoothed the hair back from his forehead. It was shiny again and as golden as the sun. He was watching her face. She knew the scars bothered him, but she didn’t mind them.
“I had a sweetheart. Her name was Casey. She talked about what we would do when we grew up and got the hell out of Texas.” He shrugged and looked away.
“She wanted children.” Lizzie knew it. She knew it was something Rider struggled with.
He nodded.
“And you thought she wouldn’t want you after…”
“Couldn’t ask her to give that up.” He met her eyes and she knew he was thinking the same abou {thewouldt her. “I was in the hospital for three weeks. Fucked up my leg. Explains the limp.”
Lizzie laughed so hard she rolled to her back.
“You don’t have a limp and there’s nothing about you that is.”
Rider laughed and rolled on top of her. She felt him press into her and she caught her breath.
“Not when you’re around Baby.”
Lizzie sobered. “I will always be around Rider and I’m not missing out on babies. I’ve never wanted children.”
“Really? I thought all women wanted them.”
“No. I’m happy Rider. This is all I want.”
“Good thing.” He pressed all the way into her body. “This is damned good.”
He loved her like a man who knew what he wanted. There were nights when they wanted to take it slow and just enjoy the feel of skin, but there were nights when he took her as if his life depended on it. There were nights when the darkness tugged at both of them until they felt like more animal than human, but there was acceptance. They gave and they took, but most of all they loved.
Epilogue
Marty slid the plate in front of the mountain of a man that sat at the bar of the diner.
“Eat up and hit the road alright?”
“You always this nice to the customers?”
“When they wear those colors this is what you get. If you don’t like it you can stop somewhere else.”
“I’m not here for trouble. I’m just looking for somebody and a meal and maybe,
Fifteen
It took Lizzie three weeks to confide in Rider about what had happened in that house. He had listened. He made no judgments or offered no stories of his own. This wasn’t about comparison. She let it all out. Every thought, every feeling. When she was finished she shivered.
He pulled her close.
“Feel better?”
She nodded. “A little.”
He kissed her head. “Okay.”>
“Please say something.”
“You are amazing and I love you.”
“No. I mean about what I did.”
“That is what I’m saying. Baby you did that because you knew you were strong enough to handle it. You did it because we have all seen Shad go ape shit crazy and that’s scary as fuck. You did it because you have a big heart and I’m sorry you had to do it, but that is the life we live.”
Lizzie was speechless. “You have gotten wise and I don’t mean a wise ass, you were always that.
“I think I finally grew up. Do you mind?”
“No. I think I can be happy now.”
“Good. Me too.”
“It may not always be easy Rider.”
“Fuck easy. Nothin’ is easy.”
“Rider.”
“Hmmm?”
“Tell me about you. I don’t know anything really.”
“Not much to tell. I had a shitty childhood. Rode bulls in the rodeo for a few years. Got busted up. Couldn’t take the result. Got in some trouble, robbery. Lucky for me I was robbin’ a tattoo parlor owned by the Defenders. Preach decided I’d be better as a part of the club than in jail. I was nineteen. That’s it.”
“It’s not.”
Rider laughed. “What do you know that I don’t?”
“I know that you had a sweetheart.” She raised up on an elbow so she could look down at him. She smoothed the hair back from his forehead. It was shiny again and as golden as the sun. He was watching her face. She knew the scars bothered him, but she didn’t mind them.
“I had a sweetheart. Her name was Casey. She talked about what we would do when we grew up and got the hell out of Texas.” He shrugged and looked away.
“She wanted children.” Lizzie knew it. She knew it was something Rider struggled with.
He nodded.
“And you thought she wouldn’t want you after…”
“Couldn’t ask her to give that up.” He met her eyes and she knew he was thinking the same abou {thewouldt her. “I was in the hospital for three weeks. Fucked up my leg. Explains the limp.”
Lizzie laughed so hard she rolled to her back.
“You don’t have a limp and there’s nothing about you that is.”
Rider laughed and rolled on top of her. She felt him press into her and she caught her breath.
“Not when you’re around Baby.”
Lizzie sobered. “I will always be around Rider and I’m not missing out on babies. I’ve never wanted children.”
“Really? I thought all women wanted them.”
“No. I’m happy Rider. This is all I want.”
“Good thing.” He pressed all the way into her body. “This is damned good.”
He loved her like a man who knew what he wanted. There were nights when they wanted to take it slow and just enjoy the feel of skin, but there were nights when he took her as if his life depended on it. There were nights when the darkness tugged at both of them until they felt like more animal than human, but there was acceptance. They gave and they took, but most of all they loved.
Epilogue
Marty slid the plate in front of the mountain of a man that sat at the bar of the diner.
“Eat up and hit the road alright?”
“You always this nice to the customers?”
“When they wear those colors this is what you get. If you don’t like it you can stop somewhere else.”
“I’m not here for trouble. I’m just looking for somebody and a meal and maybe,
Similar Books
