Family. Fitting in. It's all I've ever wanted. To be accepted. There is nowhere else to go. But there is still this nagging feeling that something isn’t right.
And at that moment there was a crash and a curvy girl dropped from the heavens right onto the ground at our feet. I was grateful for the distraction. But with the way Malcolm is looking at her, now I face yet another moral dilemma. I will not stand by while a woman is abused. No way!
And she is a pretty thing. Brown hair up in a high ponytail. Kitted out in jeans, boots and a parker but it's clear there are some nice curves under all that gear. But the more I look there is something about her....
It's when she turns slightly toward me that it hits me like a tone of bricks. Sadie Novette. She was the brat sister of my childhood friend. All of us hanging out together. Jesus wept, she has grown into a beauty. And she is standing here in the middle of my barn. In the middle of the ruthless Ridge Riders. Shit!
Everything in me comes to life all at once. I have to protect her. I have to get her away from these men. And I have to find out what the hell she is doing way up here in the mountains. Protectiveness and rage tumble within me.
"Let her go, Malcolm." My words come out as a deep growl, directed at the man holding Sadie by the back of the jacket. He lets go.
I could take them all down. And they know it. I've skill and military training putting me far above them. I've not pushed it. Happy to just be accepted. No desire to lead. But every one of them knows it and right now it is vibrating off me in waves. A tension fills the room as I turn to Malcolm and we stare each other down.
"I know the girl. She won't be doing anything she doesn’t want to do. She's like a sister to me. No one touches her."
Another minute ticks by. Malcolm weighing up his options. He looks at Sadie. And then up towards the roof. "What if the girl is a spy? What if she heard us?"
There is the sound of several of the men moving from one foot to the other. Uncomfortable. Unsure. None of them want to go to jail. A lot of them have been there and done thatand don't want to repeat the experience. If Sadie heard what they were planning.... I dread to think of what they might do to her. My fists clench at my side. I will fight them all to protect her.
"I'll keep her with me. " My voice is low. "I'll find out what she knows."
Malcolm nods.
"If I find out you've let her go, I'll hunt her down and make her mine. " And with one last hungry look at Sadie, "I think I'd rather enjoy chasing this one."
Reaching out I grab Sadie's wrist and pull her to my side. But my eyes don't leave Malcolm. "It's time for you to leave." I growl.
Standing still till every last one of the men have mounted their bikes and left my property.
And then I turn my gaze to Sadie. I still can't believe she is here. And all grown up. She must be frightened. I try to soften my look, ready to take her in my arms and comfort her after her ordeal.
"What are you doing here, Sadie?"
I watch as she squares off her shoulders. Hands on hips. And a look that reminds me of the one time we tried to tell her girls weren't allowed in our tree house. Shit. On grown up Sadie, the stubborn tilt of her chin is down right adorable. And I know from our many years together. She doesn't want comfort. She's about to give me a piece of her mind.
"What the hell are you doing here, Kane Wilson? And why on earth are you hanging out with that lot?" She looks madas hell. And I'm so fucked up that it actually reminds me of home and childhood and summers.
I let out a sigh. "It's a long story. But I live here. You're on my property. So explain how you came to be on my barn roof to almost get yourself killed, or worse." I feel a tightening in my chest thinking of what might have happened to her if I hadn't been here.
"I was looking for an owl. In fact my bag and my camera and equipment are probably still up there."
She turns to leave and I grab her sleeve to pull her back. "You stay right here. Don't move. I'll go get your damn stuff."
She might be putting on a brave front, but there are signs of her real feelings if you look hard enough. I guess you would have to know her to notice that her eyes are wide, a slight tremble to her pink lips, her chest heaving with heavy breathing. But if she wants to put up a brave act, then that's fine with me. But why does that leave an ache in my hands like I want to reach out and touch her. I don't remember that we ever hugged as kids but now I want to pull her into my arms and hold her. Protect her. Assure her that everything will be okay. And there is something more. A desire to feel her soft body against mine. To seek comfort from her. To roam my hands over those curves. Maybe kiss her soft, pink lips. Maybe to make her tremble with need instead of fear. Gee, I really have lost the plot being out in the wilds so long. But Sadie is bringing up feelings I don't want to deal with.
Outside it's raining hard, but I welcome the cold. I don't know if it's anger or something else. But grown up Sadie Novette has me in need of a cold shower.
Chapter 3
Sadie
Fear has my adrenaline racing. I know the danger I was in. All that fear turns to frustration and anger which I am more than happy to direct at Kane. We were childhood friends. We grew up together. And I always had a soft spot for Kane. His parents weren't great and made it obvious they preferred his golden child of an older brother better than him. No matter what Kane did, he could never be good enough for his parents. I sort of understood that. My parents were fine, great really, but with two older brothers, I was always trying to be one of the boys. I grew up trying to compete with my brothers and the Wilson boys. And I could see the pain Kane went through, the need for love he never received. And I understood why that led to some wild behaviour. Of all the boys, Kane was my favorite. And as we got older those feelings turned into quite the crush. I could see the man he could be.
So what the heck was he doing here with a bunch of criminals? I had often wondered what happened to him. I knew he went off to the army. I had hoped he had found someone special and settled down, had a family. I did not expect to see him dressed in denim and leather, looking dirty and beaten down. I'm grateful he saved me. But he is not off the hook. I want an explanation. And no way am I going to wait patiently here for it while he goes up on the roof. It's raining hard. And I know onlytoo well how unsafe it is. So I follow him up the ladder. Feeling that if I can just keep an eye on him then I can keep him safe.
Also, I'm finding he is very nice to look at. He and his brother were handsome boys. But the man now climbing the ladder above me has broad shoulders, toned arms, a swimmers body that moves with ease. All this with a hard, chiselled jawline, those stormy gray eyes that make my heart race. And despite his looks, when he pulled me close I could pick up his masculine scent. Soap and a warm, manly spice that made me want to move in closer.
Up on the roof, he turns to see me climbing up off the ladder. It is really pouring now and he has to shout. "Sadie! I told you to stay!"
