Page 31 of Ryder
She gives me a toothy grin. “Breakfast,” she repeats, her eyes lighting up.
We dress and head downstairs to the kitchen. The large table in the centre of the room could easily seat sixteen people comfortably but currently there are just five guys sat around it eating breakfast and chatting amongst themselves.
I head for Ryder who’s sitting at the head of the table. As we get closer, he glances up, smiling wide and reaching out for me to hand over Harlee. She goes to him and he sits her on his lap. “I was thinking that today we could choose the paint for your new room?” he suggests. Harlee nods eagerly and he passes her a pancake.
“After school of course,” I cut in.
“School?” repeats Ryder, “She can’t go to school today.”
“I can’t let him change our life Ryder. Harlee needs to be in school, we need to keep the same routine.” Griff shoots me a worried look and Ryder stands, passing Harlee over to Griff.
“Office,” he mutters, and I sigh. I always seem to say the wrong thing.
Once inside he turns to me, “Do you know how serious this is? Do you even realise half the stuff your ex is involved in?”
“Yes, I’ve lived with the threat of Finn for years. He won’t hurt Harlee.”
“He’ll take her, Neve. He has too many big people on his side. You said yourself he would take her just to destroy you and now he knows about us we’ve given him the perfect opportunity.”
“What do you want us to do? Hide away here forever?” I ask, giving an unamused laugh.
“Finnegan Lawrence is a monster. Not the kind that you can afford to ignore hoping he’ll get bored. I can drive you around the streets today and take you to girls that will run and hide if you mention his name to them. I can point out all the whore houses that he run’s illegally and not one girl will speak out against him in fear that he’ll kill them.”
I frown, feeling confused. I know he’s no angel, but seriously, people fear him? I can’t imagine him murdering anyone. “All that might be true, but he still wouldn’t hurt Harlee.”
“Neve he doesn’t give a shit about Harlee, if someone offered a good price for her, he’d sell her, and you’d never see her again.”
I scoff. “Don’t be ridiculous, that’s his daughter and I know he’s a lot of things, but he wouldn’t hurt his own flesh and blood.”
“He’s a rapist,” he hisses, angrily. I swallow the lump in my throat. “He instils fear into weak women and then controls them to do what he wants. He makes money from foreign girls that he’s arranged to bring over to this country by selling them to pimps and forcing them into his whore houses. I can almost guarantee that he rubbed his dirty hands together when you gave birth to a girl!”
“Stop, he wouldn’t do anything bad to Harlee,” I snap.
“Please just listen to me Neve, I ain’t making this shit up. I’ll make sure that Harlee doesn’t miss out on her schooling but until I can figure out what to do, I need you to listen and stay here. Neither of you are safe outside of this clubhouse.”
My phone buzzes in my back pocket, making me jump. I pull it out and roll my eyes, pointing it towards Ryder so he can see Finn’s name. “Answer it,” he orders.
I sigh, pressing it to my ear. “Finn?”
“Have you seen sense yet?” His voice is cold and distant.
“Why are you calling me?”
“Do you know how mad I was finding out you’re fucking a dirty gang leader. It makes me sick to know you’re letting him touch you. He’s a dog yah know, he’ll use you and break your heart.”
“If you haven’t called for any specific reason, I’m hanging up.”
“Don’t you dare fucking hang up on me. Did he tell you that just the other night he was having sex with one of my girls. He paid for a private dance, there’s no limits in those private rooms and he likes a bit of kinky fuckery.” I remain quiet, I trust Ryder. And Finn will say anything to make me leave here, but still, there’s a niggling doubt at the back of my mind. “He’ll lie of course, but you always do fall for the liars and cheats. Jesus, you believed everything I told you. I wanted to slap you for being so stupid.”
“You did slap me, several times. I have to go.”
“You’re running late for school get a move on.”
“Unless you need to speak to me about Harlee, then please don’t call me.”
“Is that your boyfriend’s rules? You let him know that I make the damn rules, especially when it comes to you and my daughter. I’ll see you in court. Pack Harlee’s clothes, I’m taking her.”
Ryder takes the mobile from me and cancels the call. “What did he say?” he asks.