The Triplet Bikers’ Dangerous Obsession

Episode 4

ARIA’S POV

I should have known coming back here would ruin everything.

They were still supposed to be held behind bars!

I kept the front door only half-open, one hand braced against the frame while I faced the three men standing on my porch.

Lucy was hidden in the back bedroom with the door locked and the curtains drawn, silently urging Lucy to stay quiet no matter what she heard.

I didn’t take my eyes off the brothers.

Knox leaned against one of the motorcycles, studying me with a stiff expression. “We aren’t here to talk about the past, Aria. We came because you still owe our family money.”

Their family? I don’t remember … Oh s**t.

They ran the loan-shark business I had borrowed from and that must have been how they found me!

The universe had to be joking.

My stomach tightened. “You’ve got the wrong person,” I said, keeping my voice steady even though my pulse was racing. “My name is Sophie. I don’t know any Aria.”

Knox’s mouth twitched like he almost found it funny. Rhett didn’t even blink.

“Nice try,” Rhett said flatly. He pulled a folded document from inside his jacket and held it between two fingers. “You’ve had three years, Aria.”

“I didn’t have three years of money.” I shot back, ignoring the fact that I wasn’t supposed to be Aria.

Jace pushed away from his motorcycle and crossed his arms. “That’s your choice. We don’t care where you’ve been or why you left. We care that the debt wasn’t paid.”

The bluntness of it almost made me angry enough to forget I was scared. “Then what exactly do you want from me right now?”

Rhett looked at me without blinking. “The money, for starters. But that's not the only thing you owe us. Matter of fact, Aria, you owe us a lot more.”

My stomach tightened. “What else could I possibly owe you?”

Knox finally pushed away from the motorcycle, his expression turning almost amused. “Ah, yes, permit us to give you a little recap of what you did.”

Certainly they didn’t know I had stolen anything.

I frowned as Rhett slipped the folded document back inside his jacket. “You remember the night you came to the clubhouse? You were frightened and it seems you made a call in the booth outside the clubhouse because you thought someone was following you, and you gave someone the location of the clubhouse. You didn’t know what was happening inside that place, but the person you gave it to did.”

My face went cold. What…the hell were they talking about?

“The police had already been building a case against us,” Rhett continued. “They were waiting for an opportunity. That call gave them the perfect chance. They raided the clubhouse the next morning. And voila, you vanished into thin air with our f*****g money!”

I gulped.

“We were arrested, you know?” Jace added, his voice carrying a bitter tone to it. “And before you start looking at us like we’re blaming you for every crime under the sun, we’re not. You didn’t know what our business involved. But your actions cost us a lot.”

My lips parted, but no words came for a second. “I needed that money.”

But I hadn’t called however.

Mh heart thumped so hard basing my chest, perhaps Damon had tracked me that night…

“We know.” His smile was humorless pulling me out of my imagination. “That's why we've spent years trying to find you.”

“And imagine our surprise when you came to our associate to borrow money. But then you decided to top it up a notch by coming back to town. Our town. And you think we wouldn't come to collect what you owe?”

My throat was dry. “How much do you want?” J asked even though I had nothing… I just wanted them gone before Lucy ran out.

Knox gave a low chuckle. “Now you're asking the right question.”

I looked at him.

He shrugged. “Money is easy. You either have it or you don't. But two years can't be handed back to us with a few thousands.”

Jace's eyes narrowed slightly as he studied me. “Which means we'll have to decide what makes the debt even.”

My pulse quickened as Rhett stepped forward, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. “So here's your choice. If you want to stay in town, you'll agree to our terms. A win-win for both parties, might I say.”

“What kind of terms?” I croaked.

Knox smirked, the movement slow and mocking. “We had so much fun that night, didn't we? Surely, it won't be so bad if we kept it that way. Here's the deal, Aria. You pay back with your pretty little body, and we'll make sure everything is cleared. We'll keep you safe, clear out the debts. And at the end of a year, you walk.”

My breathing slowed. “You're asking me to become your personal w***e?”

Jace threw his head back with a deep chuckle. “Language, princess. If you want to stay in town and you want to clear both debts, we want you to pay in kind.”

I stared at the three of them, my mind racing.

Leaving town wasn't an option. Not with Lucy. Not when I had finally found somewhere we could stay, and definitely not when I had no money to start over somewhere else.

I stared at the three of them, my mind racing.

Rhett folded the debt papers and slipped them back into his jacket without taking his eyes off me. “We’ll give you till tomorrow to decide, I til then you still owe us… everything.”

I tightened my grip on the doorframe as the three brothers turned toward their motorcycles.

Then they left.

Oh s**t. What the hell just happened?

Forget it. I needed a way out of this mess.

I spent the morning calling the number from the job opportunity, only to discover that the final interview had been moved to the following week.

I stared at my phone in disbelief after the call ended, because that single delay put me in an even worse position. I had counted on starting work quickly. I had counted on the first paycheck. I had counted on being able to keep Lucy settled.

Now I had none of those things.

By afternoon, Lucy started complaining that she didn't feel well.

At first, I thought she was simply tired, so I gave her some water and encouraged her to lie down. But when I touched her forehead a while later, I frowned.

I drove to the nearest hospital with my heart slamming so hard against my chest I could barely breathe.

She was the only reason I had chosen to live.

The doctor examined her, listened to her lungs, asked me several questions, and then ordered a chest X-ray and bloodwork. I stood beside the examination bed while Lucy rested against me, trying to remain calm as I listened to everything he said.

“She has pneumonia,” he told me quietly. “We’ll start her on antibiotics right away, but I want to keep a close eye on her oxygen levels and the fluid in her lungs. She may need to stay for observation.”

When the receptionist gave me the estimated cost of the treatment, tests, and possible overnight stay, I stared at the paper for several seconds.

“I don’t have that much right now,” I admitted.

She lowered her voice and explained that they could begin the necessary medication and oxygen support, but the remaining tests and observation fees would still need to be paid.

I nodded, thanked her, and took the prescription while trying to figure out where the money would come from.

I had enough for the first round of medication… but nowhere near enough for everything else.

I could borrow from someone else, but who? Emily had already done more for me than I could ever repay, and I wasn't going to drag her into this mess again.

I could try another lender, but that would only create another debt. I could postpone the treatment, but I couldn't take that risk with Lucy.

And I couldn't leave town. Not again.

That was when my phone buzzed and I glanced at the screen and froze.

“I know you're back. You really thought changing towns would make me stop looking? I told you that you couldn't run.”

Damon.

It had to be him.

While I was still panicking, another message came through. “I know where you live now. I'll come back to claim what is mine.”

I dropped the phone onto the table with a sob.

He had found me already. And I couldn't risk him harming Lucy. But I wasn't strong enough to protect my daughter from him. And I didn't even have enough money to leave town again.

I only had one option— The Brothers. They… They had promised protection in their deal, hadn't they? I wasn't sure the extent of the power they commanded, but I was desperate.

I hated even considering having to go to them. But Damon had just reached out. And if he had already found my house, I needed people who could make him think twice before coming any closer.

I waited until Lucy had fallen asleep before I left the house to the clubhouse.

I sat in my car for several minutes, staring through the windshield.

This was such a terrible idea.

Steeling myself, I got out of the car and walked into the one building I could have sworn I would never step foot in again.

The business was back again, and people milled about, sharing drinks and dry jokes.

All three brothers were there.

Knox noticed me first and his expression changed immediately. Jace turned around when he saw where Knox was looking, while Rhett was the last to acknowledge me, and when his eyes settled on mine, I saw the confusion.

I walked toward them, forcing myself not to turn around and I stopped in front of the three men who had asked the unthinkable of me.

This was my last resort.

I swallowed my pride and finally admitted the truth. "I need your help. I agree to your terms.”