Ripper's Torment (4 page)

“She’s struggling with this pregnancy. Her sickness is
bad. The doctors are keeping an eye on her.”

“I take it if anything happens to her, the doctors
won’t make it to nightfall.” Judi was joking, but she saw the seriousness on
Devil’s face.

“You’re my daughter in the eyes of the law, Judi. I
adopted you, and when I do that, you’re my family. Lexie is the woman who owns
my heart and soul. If anything happens to her, I will kill anyone who could
have stopped it.”

Judi swallowed past the lump in her throat. It was
sweet, if not a little scary. “I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

“She better be otherwise Piston County will have three
dead doctors.” Devil left her alone with his parting words.

Yes, she hoped nothing was wrong with Lexie other than
the early stages of pregnancy.

Walking into the library, she signed into the computer
using her details. She wasn’t at college at the moment as it was a break, but
she still had assignments she had to finish. Her education was something she
was proud of. After everything she’d been through, she’d passed her exams with
a good grade. She had several papers she needed to write. Once she signed in,
leaving her bag beside the computer, she grabbed a couple of books and started
to work through her paper.

The moment she started studying all thought of what
happened last night went out of her mind. Nothing and no one could hurt her
here. The only thought she couldn’t get out of her mind was Ripper and his
naked body so close to her face. He’d grabbed her around the neck, threatening
her, but she felt sick as she wasn’t even scared of him.

Get over it, Judi. It’s never going to happen.

Resting her head in her hand she read through the many
articles in the book, typing away at the computer. She could have done all this
work at home, but she would have been distracted too easily. Working in the
computer room, helped to put her troubled thoughts at ease.

Keep working.

I wonder what his lips would feel like.

The thought had her gasping and closing the book she
was reading. The sound of the book closing drew several gazes. Getting up from
her seat she placed the book back on the shelf. Thinking about Ripper’s lips
was not something she could do.

Looking across at the diner, her stomach started to
rumble. She needed food. With food she would stop having these stupid thoughts
about Ripper. Shutting down the computer and hiking her bag on her shoulder,
she headed out of the library.

Chapter Three

Ripper sat opposite Ashley and Curse. There was a
group of them waiting to be served breakfast. Pussy, Death, and Spider were
also sat around the closest booths with several of the clubs sweet-butts. He
saw the waitresses made a wide berth of them refusing to come and take their
orders.

“We’re not going to get served,” Ripper said, looking
over the menu. There were several meals he wanted to try.

“Mia will be here soon. She’ll serve us,” Ashley said,
looking down at the menu.

“Who is Mia?” Curse asked.

“She’s my friend.”

“Why haven’t we seen her at the club?” Pussy asked.

From the look of some of the women, they really didn’t
like Ashley all that much. Ripper saw all the men liked Ashley. He wondered
what she’d done for them to give her the respect usually reserved for an old
lady.

“Mia’s not one for the partying or the clubs. She was
at college until six months ago when her mother got sick. Her waste of a space
father cut and ran with his secretary, and she’s been surviving ever since.”
Ashley kept talking, and they all paid attention, apart from the women. She
looked up, glancing around the diner. “Here she comes now.”

Ripper looked in the direction where she was. A woman
with similar black hair was approaching their table. She wore the waitressing
uniform, and it didn’t hide her curves. Fuck, this woman knew how to walk.
Glancing at Curse, he saw his friend hadn’t taken his eyes off her.

“Hey, Ash, sorry I’m late.” Mia was patting her
pockets and searching for the pencil to take down their orders. She looked
frazzled in a charming kind of way. Ripper expected her to take one look at
them and leave. The leather along with the design on their cuts scared a lot of
women away.

“What’s up?” Ashley asked.

“Nothing.
I had to run to the pharmacy to grab Mom’s prescription. Almost didn’t
make it back for my shift.” She glanced behind her at the other women. “No one
else will serve you?”

“Nah, they’re scared.”

Mia nodded. “Okay, what can I get you all?”

Ashley made her order first, and the men waited to see
if Mia walked away. After a few seconds, Mia looked up. “Are you the only one
eating?” Her gaze went to all the men.

They all joined in, ordering their breakfast. Ripper
watched Curse, who hadn’t taken his eyes off Mia. Once she finished writing she
left them to it.

It was strange not to be judged by their cut. He was
so used to having some women scamper away from them while others were all over
him like a rash. Mia didn’t look scared of them. If anything, she looked more
annoyed at the lack of women offering to take their orders.

“She seems nice,” Curse said.

“Mia’s a sweetie-pie. I just wish she knew how to
relax.”

“Doesn’t she judge you from hanging out with us?”
Pussy asked, speaking up.

“Nope.
I told her how happy I was, and she didn’t have a complaint to say.”
Ashley looked held her cup out as Mia returned to pour them all a drink. Curse
was quiet throughout it all.

Ripper knew why but kept his smile to himself. His
friend had always loved a quiet, dark haired beauty.

The door to the diner opened, and his own torment
entered. Judi hadn’t even seen them in the diner. “Look who it is,” Curse said,
nodding toward her.

His voice gained her attention, and she looked toward
them. Ripper recognized the fake smile. She was not expecting to see them inside.

“Hey, guys, you here for breakfast?” she asked,
approaching the table.

“I think it’s more lunchtime now,” Ashley said,
smiling. “Do you want to sit with us?”

“No, I’ve got some reading to do.” She nodded at each
of them avoiding his eyes. He tried not to watch her head to the back of the
diner. Mia returned carrying their food.

Ripper watched as Curse leaned in to smell her skin.
The movement was slight, but their friendship was long. He recognized movements
that others didn’t.

Mia left them alone to deal with Judi.

“I see someone has gained your attention,” Ripper
said.

Curse glared at him while Ashley perked up.
“Really, who?”

“Nothing.”
Both men answered together. Biting into his pancakes, Ripper tried to
ignore the woman in the back of the diner. When everyone finished, Ashley said
goodbye to her friend. He stayed behind so he could have a word with Judi. She
looked too pale for his liking, and he hated to think about her suffering.

Looking out of the window, he saw the last of the
bikes disappearing before heading to the back and sitting opposite the woman
who was plaguing his thoughts.

She tensed as he sat down.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

“Nothing, I wanted to see how you were doing.” He
leaned back, watching her.

Judi paused, putting her fork down onto her plate.
“I’m fine, Ripper.”

Staring into her dark brown eyes, he wondered what was
going on in that head of hers. She had always fascinated him, but he’d cut any
of the thoughts or curiosity from his mind. For the first time in the last two
years, he wanted to get to know more.

“Really?”

“What did you want me to say?” She hadn’t picked up
her fork to eat some more.

Leaning over, he snagged one of her pancakes and ate
it himself. “Last night you killed a man. I’m not a fucking idiot, and I don’t
need a degree to know it fucks with people’s heads.” His first kill had left
him reeling for days. To get over it he’d drunk, done drugs, and fucked every pussy
available to him to stop thinking about what he’d done. Being in the club
helped him even more.

Tears filled her eyes, and she looked down at her
food.

“I’m trying not to think about it.”

Her voice was only a whisper, but he caught the sadness
in her tone.

“You need to think about it but get over it.”

She looked up, glaring at him. “You told me not to
mention it outside of that hotel room. Why are you forcing me to talk about
it?”

“Because I was being an ass, and you deserve better.
Killing a man doesn’t make things easier. I took care of it, but you need to
take care of it here.” He pressed his fingers to her temple.

“I’m never going to be able to get over it. I killed a
man.”

“I know. I’ve killed many.”

She closed her eyes, picking up her fork to start
playing with her food. “How did you handle it?”

“The usual way, drinking, snorting, and fucking. I
doubt it’s going to work that way for you.”

Judi shook her head. “I’ve fucked enough men.”

His hands fisted at his sides. “Don’t,” he said.

“Don’t what? It’s the truth.”

“No, it’s not. You were fucked by men, forced to do
it. You were never willing.”

“How do you know?” she asked, glaring at him.

“A willing woman doesn’t get beaten black and blue by
their pimp.”

Her cheeks were bright red. Reaching over, he took
hold of her hand. “I bet you don’t even know what it’s like to experience a
real orgasm.”

Shut up, Ripper.

He didn’t listen to reason. “Do you even know what
it’s like to have a man filled with the need to pleasure you, licking your sweet
pussy?”

She gasped, looking up at him. “Ripper, what are you
doing?”

“Nothing.
Fucking nothing.”
He stood up, throwing some
notes down onto the counter. “If you ever need me, call me.”

He stormed out of the diner, straddling his bike. What
the fuck was his problem? Judi was not his problem to deal with. She was twenty
years old and deserved a life of love and happiness, where all her dreams come
true. He wasn’t the kind of man to give such a commitment.

Pulling out of the town, he felt the wind on his face,
not caring he wasn’t wearing a helmet. Safety was for fucking pussies.

Ripper drove for the next couple of hours, his
thoughts tormented by Judi. She shouldn’t be invading his thoughts or even occasioning
his sexual ones. When he got back to the club he found Devil and Lexie hanging
out. Vincent and Phoebe were absent along with the kids.

Lexie was curled up against Devil looking pale. She
was rubbing her stomach and sipping some water. Her head rested on Devil’s
knee. Nodding his head toward his president, Ripper went to his room to focus
on his feelings for Judi. She was just a woman and one he couldn’t fuck.

Never going to have Judi.
Stop thinking about her.
She’s not yours.

Lying back against his bed, Ripper growled as her face
entered his thoughts. What the fuck was he going to do?

****

What the hell just happened?

Judi stared at the empty seat opposite her completely
baffled by what happened. Picking up her fork she took a bite of her pancake
then another. His words had made her wet between her thighs. Finishing off her
food, she headed back to the library to finish off her computer work. By the
time five o’clock came she was exhausted and headed back home. The walk was a
long one, and she entered home an hour later. Lexie was in the kitchen stirring
some kind of sauce on the stove.

“Hey,” Judi said.

“Hey, Devil and the kids are at the dinner table if
you want to join them.”

“Should you be working?”

“I’m fine, honey. It’s just the start, and I’ll get
over it. Women have been giving birth for centuries.”

They’ve also been dying because of it.

Judi kept her thoughts to herself and entered the
sitting room. Elizabeth was playing with a book while Simon was pressing
buttons on his toy making noise. She saw Devil bowed over a book reading.

“Anything
interesting?”
Judi asked.

He lifted the book up, and she saw it was a pregnancy
bible.

“Still worried about her sickness?”

“Yes, she wasn’t like this with Elizabeth, and I’m not
risking shit because of it.”

Nodding, she put her bag down, grabbing another
pregnancy book from the shelf in the corner of the room. Twenty minutes later
Lexie walked in, hissing as she saw what they were doing. “Stop it, you two.
I’m perfectly fine. Now stop trying to fix something that’s not there.” She set
their plates in front of them.