Unchain My Heart(4)

“Summers. I gotta figure out a way to shut him the fuck up. His shit is upsetting Mia . . . and Jade too.”

Cobra’s eyebrows rose to his hairline. He sucked in a deep pull of the cigar and blew five perfectly concentric circles into the air. “Ryder. Fuck the cigars, brother, did I not tell you to quit Jade?” The tone of his voice was hard.

“That’s what I came to talk about. I can’t give her up.” I shrugged. “More to the point . . . I won’t. Not going to happen in this lifetime.”

The scowl on his face deepened. “Who’s the smart one now? You’re gonna get us all blown to fucking pieces long before I die of lung cancer with your shit and that bitch of yours.” He rose to his feet and placed his fists on the table, his knuckles white. A large chunk of ash fell onto the wood as he clenched the cigar between his lips.

I narrowed my eyes. “Jade. Her name is Jade. And yes, she is my woman. Nothing is gonna change that, Cobra. Not you, not the club and not her fucking brother. I want you to understand that.”

He removed the cigar from his mouth and stamped the end into the ashtray. “Brother. You are way out of fucking line. I could get Ox to take you out for that. It's fucking treason. The club comes first. Always has and always will. As your pres, I demand it.”

I sucked in a breath. “Malone, you know I love you as if you were my own flesh and blood. You know I will go to hell and back for you. But this is the one thing you cannot ask of me. Let’s not come to blows on this one, brother.”

Cobra shook his head, his mouth set in a thin line. “You’re the one making the fuck-up here. You are the one putting the club at risk. I can’t have that.”

“I'm talking to you as a friend today—a brother,” I pleaded.

Why can’t he see it from my point of view?

“Fuck, don’t ask me that Ryder. My number one job is as pres of the club. I have to place the group’s needs above any individual’s. You know that.”

He rose to his feet, his big body shaking with rage as he glared at me. “Maybe you should get the fuck out of this club before I have you killed,” he spat out.

My eyes narrowed. I couldn’t believe what he’d just said. After all the shit I'd been through for him and his family, he would deny me this one thing I wanted more than anything?

Stunned, I rounded the desk to stand in front of him, my face mere inches from his. “Fuck. I never thought you’d force me to choose between the club and my woman.” I clenched my fists by my sides as anger swelled in my gut. “You seem to have forgotten what I did to help you get Mia. Have you forgotten how we risked the club to save her ass because you decided she was the one for you? Now that I've come to you—brother to brother—to help me find a solution, you want to put a hit on me for fucking treason?” I bellowed in Cobra’s face, unable to control my anger. If the fucker hadn’t been half crippled by the fucking shootout, I would have laid into him and fought it out with our fists.

His skin was ashen and his eyeballs bugging out of his head. A vein throbbed in his thick neck. “I fucking saved your life, motherfucker. I can take it away just as easily, and I will. Don’t make me do it.” His face was so close to mine I felt his hot, smoky breath prickle my skin. “Give the bitch up. It's the last time I’m fucking telling you. Her brother is dangerous. The L.A. Demons are up to something. I nearly lost my fucking life only months ago. Things are going to shit—and all you care about is your dick.”

I bumped my chest against Cobra’s. “Those bullets must have made you fucking crazy. Are you sure you didn’t have a lobotomy while you were in the hospital? Fuck you, and fuck the club.” I shoved him into the chair to stop me from knocking his fucking lights out.

What Cobra didn’t understand yet was that the previous night was the last time I was planning on staying at the club on a regular basis. I’d already arranged it all, before he told me to maybe get out of the club. I was moving into Maxwell’s place in Malibu. Actually, one of the reasons I was here was to pick up some clothes and other stuff I needed.

Sneering, I informed him of my intentions. “I’ll be outta your way soon enough. Max asked me to take care of his place in Malibu till he can find new tenants. Saves me from having to look at your sad mug every day.”

Before he could say another word, I stormed out of his office to get my stuff and put distance between us before somebody got hurt.

Nobody was going to tell me to give up Jade.

Nobody.





Chapter Four — Ryder


It was our first night together in Max’s place, and after unpacking our few belongings we’d had dinner on the beach. I’d picked up takeout on my way to the house and Jade had brought a bottle of wine and a blanket. We sat there, overlooking the ocean until it was nearly dark before we made our way back up the stairs.