Claimed By The Biker King

Chapter 9

Ryan

I sat on the wooden chair reviewing notes on my tablet when movement at the far end of the yard caught my attention.

Luke and Rhea walking side by side. Laughing.

From the way she'd behaved since arriving, I had assumed she hated everyone equally.

Apparently not. It seems like she was getting along with my brother quite well.

My eyes followed them as their arm kept on brushing.

She was wearing one of the outfits from the boutique.

The same clothes she'd practically declared war over. After all that arguing. After acting like I had committed a crime by buying them.

She still wore them.

Women. Completely impossible creatures.

My mind betrayed me by bringing up the image of the boutique scene. My hand on her waist.

Why the hell did I have to stared down at her body.I immediately shoved the memory away.

Apparently she said I wasn't her type. Yet here she was laughing and flirting with my brother.

"Hey, guys." Rhea said as they approached us.

A few riders greeted her. A few nodded politely. Others barely acknowledged her presence.

The same ones who still weren't happy about her joining the coaching team.

Rhea didn't seem bothered. Her gaze swept across the training ground. Then landed on me.

For a brief second, our eyes locked. Recognition. Awareness. Annoyance. I wasn't sure.

She looked away first and cleared her throat.

"Is everyone here?"

Silence.

Nobody answered. A few of the guys looked at one another. Others looked away entirely.

I watched her blink. Then she clapped her hands together.

"Sure. Whether everyone is here or not, It won't stop me from doing my job." She ended with a shrug.

A few riders shifted awkwardly.

Rhea in turn didn't seem to care. "Can we start by talking about what exactly we have on the ground right now regarding the upcoming races?"

Luke walked over and stopped beside me. "I a see your plan is working." He said just enough for me to hear.

"My plan?"

Luke smirked. "Getting her integrated into the club."

I slowly turned my head toward him. "Don't start. I am not in that mood," I said through gritted teeth. And he shrugged in return. "It's never too late to see the clear image."

He still thinks he can convince me to change my mind? Even after knowing how I do my things. "When you brought in those guys, I didn't complain neither did I point a finger at your leadership because I know you equally have a say in Ravenstorm MC. So allow me to do what I see is the best for the club,"

He was about to respond back when the voice of Rhea interrupted.

"Why don't we stop treating this friendly race like it's an actual tournament? We already know what our strongest riders can do. That's not information we need."

She pointed toward the track.

"What we need is to test the riders who don't usually get the spotlight."

A few guys exchanged looks.

"Pair stronger riders with weaker ones. Mix the groups. Force them into unfamiliar situations."

I had to admit, the idea wasn't bad. In fact, it was smart.

A friendly race was supposed to expose weaknesses before the actual tournament. Not repeat the same routine over and over.

"No."

The first disagreement came from Travis.

One of our senior riders. Hot-headed. Competitive.

Travis folded his arms. "We've been doing it this way for years."

"Then maybe that's the problem." Rhea answered with a shrug.

Travis laughed. A humorless sound.

"You're here three days and suddenly you're an expert?"

Rhea's expression didn't change. "No. I'm just someone who observes a lot."

A few riders winced. Luke actually coughed to hide a laugh.

Travis stepped forward, his expression changing to annoyance. "So now you're saying we're doing things wrong?"

"If that's what you heard, maybe."

I rubbed my jaw. This wasn't going anywhere good.

Another rider joined in. Nick.

One of the mechanics and backup racers.

"You don't know this club."

"And yet somehow I can already identify problems."

Nick looked offended. Travis looked ready to explode. He pointed directly at her. "Are you trying to challenge me?"

Rhea raised an eyebrow.

"Should I be scared?"

"No." He laughed bitterly.

"I'm asking why a woman thinks she can come in here and start ordering everyone around."

The second the words left his mouth, Rhea stepped forward. "What exactly do you mean by a woman?"

Travis rolled his eyes. "What I mean is—"

"No. Say it clearly. A woman can't lead?"

She stepped closer again. I don't know why I had a bad feeling about the look in her eyes.

"A woman can't coach?"

Another step.

"A woman can't think?"

Travis stepped forward too.

Their faces were now only a few feet apart. And neither looked interested in backing down.

I stood immediately.

Because if I didn't intervene now, someone was getting punched.

Possibly Travis. She is capable of doing that.

"What the hell is all this? Right in front of me?"

"Maybe you next time when you're selecting members, open your eyes. Because some people are walking around alive while their brains clearly stopped working years ago."

The yard went completely still. A few riders looked horrified.

Nick's jaw dropped. Even Luke looked concerned.

Even I was shocked at her tone. What exactly did this woman just say? And she chose that exact moment to storm off in the opposite direction.

Luke slowly rubbed a hand over his face with an unmistakable smile. He was clearly enjoying it.

"I knew this woman had no manners."

I turned and went after her. She hadn't gotten to the threshold leading to her room hallway when I grabbed her arm and spun her around.

"What exactly was that?"

She jerked her arm. "What was what?"

"Don't stand in front of my riders and insult them. I didn't assign you that position to look down on anyone."

"You think it's my fault? You didn't have a problem when they were insulting me."

My patience snapped another inch. "They insulted you?"

Her laugh was sharp. "Let's not pretend you didn't hear what he said."

I clenched my jaw. "That still doesn't give you the right to drag me into it."

"Oh, so now we're protecting fragile male feelings?"

I took a slow breath. A very slow breath. Because she was making it impossible not to lose my temper.

"You called my club stupid."

"Some of them are."

"Rhea!"

"Some of them are."

I stepped closer towering over her frame while I held her arm tighter. "If you think I'll eventually start obeying you because you're my boss then you are clearly going to try harder. I'm never be one of those women who bends because a man tells her to."

My patience snapped completely. I twisted her hand and had her backed against the wall. Rhea's eyes widened briefly before narrowing into a glare.

"Be careful how you push my buttons," I warned, my voice dropping lower as I stepped closer. "Keep testing me like this and I might forget how patient I've been with you."

She scoffed. Then lifted her chin defiantly. Even pinned between me and the wall, she looked ready to argue.

"Funny, I was just thinking the same thing about you."

My jaw tightened. Impossible woman.

Every conversation with her somehow turned into a battle. And somehow she always looked proud of it.

Before I could think better of it, my hand settled on her waist. Her body immediately stiffened.

I saw it. The slight hitch in her breathing. The brief flicker in her eyes.

I pulled her a little closer. "Trust me, Princess," I muffled out. "I'll make you surrender eventually."

For a moment, something flashed across her face. Gone so quickly I almost missed it.

Her palms hit my chest, shoving me backward. "I will never surrender," she said through gritted teeth.

"And if your riders can't accept a simple idea, maybe they need to get their egos checked."

She pointed a finger toward me.

Before I could respond, she turned and started walking away.

"If I hadn't interrupted, were you going to punch Travis?" I said stopping her on her tracks.

She turned around.

"No."

I stared at her and a short laugh escaped me before I could stop it.

"What's funny?"

"You. Because tell me why you're here just less than a week and you've beaten my brother in a race, insulted half the training ground, and declared war on the other half."

"They started it."

I rubbed a hand across my face. "You're not in school."

"And they're not children."

"Could've fooled me." I shook my head.

"Travis shouldn't have said what he said."

Yes he shouldn't have looked down on her. That was what triggered her.

"He was wrong," I continued. "A coach is a coach. I don't care if it's a man or a woman."

Something in her expression softened. Barely.

Then she looked away. "Doesn't mean I won't punch him if he says it again."

There it was.

"I'll keep that in mind."

She took a step backward. Then another.

"I'm going to my room."

"Try not to start a fight on the way there."

She scoffed rolling her eyes. "No promises."

And before I could reply, she turned and walked down the hallway.

I watched until she vanished around the corner. Yes I was annoyed and frustrated. But for some reasons I didn't want to examine too closely, I was relieved that she hadn't actually punched Travis.