Ride And Obey MC

Twenty-Two

Danielle POV

I watch as Sam bends down to tie his shoes, moving around like he’s in some damn hurry. He said this open relationship was for us. Said it was supposed to help me find space, clarity, something that would remind me of what we used to be. But that doesn’t explain why he’s heading out again tonight, barely a day after being gone all night.

“Who is she?” I ask, arms crossed.

He glances back at me, wearing that fake confused expression I’ve seen too many times before. “What are you talking about?”

“You were out until almost six this morning. And now you’re heading out again. Don’t act like I’m imagining it.”

He lets out a breath and straightens. “One, I wasn’t with a woman until six. Two, you agreed to this, Danielle. Maybe space is exactly what you need. We’ve been breathing the same air for years, and I think I’ve been suffocating you.”

His words hit like they always do. Soft enough to sound reasonable, firm enough to leave no room for argument. Maybe he’s right. Maybe I am suffocating. Or maybe I’m just waking up and realizing I’m still in something I never chose to come back to.

“You remember I’m gone after tomorrow, right?” he asks casually, like we’d already had this conversation.

I blink at him. “No. You didn’t tell me.”

“I’ve put off travel for work long enough. My boss isn’t going to keep giving me a pass. It’s only four days. Then I’ve got that week off, remember?”

“That week off’s not for another month,” I mutter.

He shrugs. “Yeah, but it’s still happening. Try looking at it like this. I’m gone for four days, then I get a whole week to spend with you. Maybe we should take a trip, get away from everything.”

I don’t answer. My gut twists with too many feelings I can’t unpack, not without falling apart. He walks over and sits on the coffee table, his voice softening like it always does when he wants to be heard.

“I know you’re stuck on this. I know you’re still looking for something to make it all make sense. To remember the man who did that to you, to see him pay for it. But locking yourself away while you wait for that? That’s not living, Danielle. That’s giving him more power than he deserves.”

“Well, he’s never going to be found,” I snap, looking away. “No one believes me.”

“I believe you.” His voice is quiet. “If you say you knew him, then I believe you.”

I don’t respond. I don’t believe him. Not really. He says it to shut me up, to end the conversation before it hits uncomfortable truths he doesn’t want to face.

He kisses my cheek, grabs his jacket, and heads for the door. “Be safe,” he says, and then he’s gone.

The apartment is too quiet after that.

I wasn’t even sure I wanted to go to the club tonight, but now I can’t stand the idea of sitting in this place alone. I’ve done it too many times, watching the walls press in like they want to swallow me whole.

But last night had been different. Sitting with Hex—Knox—, it wasn’t something I’d planned. It wasn’t easy either. But it was... real. And for once, I didn’t feel like I was trying to remember someone I used to be.

I walk into the bedroom, pull open the dresser, and grab a black dress. It’s tight, short, and a little out of place on me—but it’ll do. After showering and getting dressed, I sit on the edge of the bed, open the ride app, and try to book something.

It denies the request. Again and again.

Figures.

With a sigh, I open my messages and scroll until I find Knox’s number. My thumbs hesitate before I finally type it out.

Any chance you want to collect a small package that’ll fit on the back of your bike?

The message shows as read almost immediately. Then his reply pops up a few seconds later.

Sure I could squeeze it on. Where am I coming?

I send him the address, toss on my jacket, and head down the stairs.

The second I step outside, I feel the familiar hum settle into my chest. I stay near the doorway, not quite brave enough to step out into the night completely, but not ready to turn back either.

A few minutes pass before I hear it, that low, rumbling growl of a motorcycle engine slicing through the quiet.

Knox is here. And somehow, that thought steadies me more than anything else has in a long damn time.

The deep rumble of his engine cuts through the quiet like a promise, growing louder as he turns onto my street. The headlight casts a pale glow along the curb, and then he’s there, pulling up like something out of a fever dream. He kills the engine, swings one leg over the bike, and climbs off with that lazy, dangerous kind of confidence that makes my stomach twist.

He doesn’t say a word as he walks up to me. His eyes drag over me from head to toe like he’s memorizing everything I’m wearing, every inch of skin I’ve left exposed for him. His hands go straight to my waist, and then his mouth crashes down on mine like he’s been holding himself back all damn day.

I don’t fight it. I fall straight into that kiss like I’ve got nothing left to lose. My fingers twist into the front of his cut as I walk backward, pulling him with me until my back hits the brick wall just beside the front steps. His body is hard against mine, his tongue hot and demanding, and my knees feel like they might give out if he doesn’t hold me tighter.

He groans against my lips, his breath hot. “If you keep pulling me like that, Red, I’m gonna f**k you right here against this wall.”

I shiver at the sound of his voice, rough and low with barely restrained need. “Knox…”

“Yeah,” he mutters, brushing his nose against my cheek. “And that is not the kind of s**t I want to get caught doing out here in the open.” He steps back with a low curse, but his eyes are still dark and locked on me like I’m the only thing he sees.

Without another word, he walks back to the bike and pats the seat. “Get on, Red.”

I follow, breath catching in my throat as he takes my hand and lifts me onto the bike like I weigh nothing. His hand brushes the inside of my thigh as he steadies me, and it’s not accidental. He takes his time, dragging his palm up slowly until it rests high, just under the hem of my dress.

“You wore this on purpose,” he says, his voice like gravel, eyes burning into mine. “You knew I’d lose my mind.”

Then he grabs the helmet, fits it over my head, and fastens the strap under my chin. His fingers are rough, calloused, but gentle in a way that makes my heart pound harder. When he’s done, he leans in close, mouth right at my ear.

“Be a good girl and hold on tight. I’m not done with you yet.”

He swings back onto the bike in front of me, and I wrap my arms around his middle, pressing close as the engine roars back to life. We pull into the night, and every part of me feels awake again.