Read Online Unruly by Ronnie Douglas - Free Book Online

good omen, but as the daughter of a Wolf, I was still at his command—as were the families of the rest of the Wolves. We could’ve stepped away from the club when Daddy died, but instead we’d become even closer to the Wolves, especially Echo.
    I cut off the engine. The lack of music seemed suddenly loud in that way that sudden absences can be. My tension was lessened slightly as Echo looked my way and gave me a small smile.
    â€œEllen,” he said by way of greeting as I walked toward him.
    â€œEcho,” I said as lightly as I could. It was still an effort not to sound like a child about to be chastened when I was alone facing him. Of the three of us who had Echo’s attention growing up, Killer was the only one who managed to pull off sassing Echo. Noah and I still looked at the club president like he was a combination of God and Santa Claus.
    It wasn’t exactly normal to see Echo on my step, but I had always been more niece than anything to him. Maybe it was just that Dash and I were Killer’s childhood playmates, or maybe it was that Dash and I lost our dads, but he paid close attention to both of us, too. There weren’t a lot of club-related deaths, but things happened. It was inevitable when guns, tempers, and cash were just a part of business. Regardless of the reason, I had a complicated relationship with the man who held the leash on the rest of Wolves.
    â€œTell me what you think of the new guy,” Echo said when I sat down on the steps in front of him.
    â€œAlamo?”
    Echo nodded. Much like his son, Echo didn’t usually phrase things as questions but as orders. Usually, however, with us there were pleasantries of a sort. He was a gentleman. Even if his business included drug deals, gambling, and strip clubs, Echo still remembered his manners.
    â€œWhat do you need to know?” I asked.
    He shook his head. “Everything.”
    â€œKiller trusts him” was my first answer. There wasn’t a higher endorsement I could give. Killer was a great judge of character.
    Echo nodded. “You?”
    I resisted the urge to just blurt out “Yes!” because this wasn’t a question of libido or even affection. Echo was asking my opinion, and it wasn’t the sort of thing to take lightly when he wanted my opinion. There was obviously something on his mind if he was asking about Alamo.
    â€œHe’s a good man,” I said. “Loyal to the club. Came around asking why I was paying attention to Aubrey”—I paused and met Echo’s eyes before continuing—“and I told him that it wasn’t his business, but he was trying to look out for Killer. He offers me help, but isn’t . . . asking for . . . anything.”
    Echo gave me a paternal look before saying mildly, “I know you’re not an innocent, Ellen, but thank you for not spelling it out any further.”
    I fought a blush. “My point is that he’s a gentleman. When Noah and I . . . you know, I assume?”
    â€œThat you kicked him to the curb? I knew the day Mike sent Alamo to fetch you home.” Echo gave me a patient look. “You are the only one outside the club who’s spent time with him.”
    â€œI’m not exactly outside the club,” I muttered.
    Echo quirked a brow at me. It was an old argument. I didn’t exactly raise my voice at him over it, but it was certainly a subject that we’d discussed in heated tones. “You’re not patched in, girl. That’s never going to change. Women have their place, and it’s not in harm’s way.”
    I sighed. “I trust him. He’s got good instincts, is aware of his surroundings, pays attention to the little things, and . . . hides it behind a drawl and throwaway smiles. He’s kind without looking for anything in return, and he’s loyal to Killer.”
    We sat in silence then, and I waited. Echo wasn’t one for a lot of