His Enemy, His Obsession

The Deal

Rain tapped against the windows of the Black Reapers' clubhouse.

Ryder stood alone in the conference room, staring at the photograph.

His father.

Damon Vale.

And a third man whose face had been scratched out with a blade.

The image had been found inside a box delivered anonymously to the clubhouse that morning.

Nothing else.

No note.

No explanation.

Just the photograph.

Ryder had spent hours staring at it.

He remembered his father.

Not the man in the photograph.

The father who had tucked him into bed when he was a child.

The father who taught him how to ride.

The father who had looked him in the eyes on the night of the fire and shouted one command.

Run.

Ryder had never forgotten it.

He had built his entire life around that memory.

Now everything was changing.

The door opened.

Jace entered.

"You haven't slept."

Ryder didn't answer.

Jace walked to the table.

"Still looking at that?"

"Something doesn't make sense."

"Nothing about our past makes sense."

Ryder pointed at the photograph.

"My father knew Damon."

"Maybe they worked together."

"Then why did Damon supposedly have him killed?"

Jace stared at the photograph.

"Maybe he didn't."

Ryder's eyes narrowed.

"Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Give me reasons to doubt the only thing I've believed for twelve years."

Jace sighed.

"I'm not trying to."

"Yes, you are."

"I'm trying to keep you from destroying an innocent woman because of something we don't know is true."

Ryder's jaw tightened.

"Serena isn't innocent."

"You don't know that."

"She's his daughter."

"That's not a crime."

Ryder looked away.

Jace was right again.

He hated that.

His phone vibrated.

A message.

Meet me. One hour. The old Saint Mary's Church. Come alone.

No name.

No number.

Ryder stared at the screen.

Jace noticed.

"Another message?"

"Yes."

"Trap?"

"Probably."

"Then don't go."

Ryder grabbed his jacket.

"I'm going."

Jace cursed.

"Ryder."

"I said alone."

Jace stepped in front of him.

"And if you don't come back?"

Ryder looked at his brother.

"Then you know what to do."

Jace's expression hardened.

"I hate when you say things like that."

Ryder walked past him.

"So do I."

Serena sat in her father's study.

She had been there for nearly an hour.

Damon was gone.

She had found the key to his desk hidden inside an old book.

Now she was staring at a locked drawer.

Her hand trembled as she inserted the key.

Click.

The drawer opened.

Inside were documents.

Old bank statements.

Photographs.

Letters.

And a small black notebook.

Serena picked it up.

The first page contained a date.

August 14, 2014.

She turned the page.

There were names.

Richard Kane.

Her breath caught.

Ryder's father.

She turned another page.

Damon Vale.

Her heart began pounding.

Why had her father kept records of Ryder's family?

She continued reading.

Most of the entries were coded.

But one sentence was clear.

Richard believes the truth is too dangerous to remain hidden.

Serena swallowed.

Another page.

If anything happens to Richard, the evidence must never reach—

The rest had been torn away.

"What are you doing?"

Serena screamed.

She spun around.

Damon stood in the doorway.

Her father looked at the notebook.

Then at her.

His face changed.

"Where did you get that?"

Serena held it tighter.

"What is this?"

"Give it to me."

"No."

"Serena."

"Why were you keeping information about Ryder's father?"

Damon walked toward her.

"Because I was trying to protect you."

"From what?"

"From the truth."

"I want the truth!"

"You aren't ready."

"Stop saying that!"

Her voice cracked.

"You've spent my entire life telling me that everything was fine. That Ryder's family were criminals. That you had nothing to do with

their deaths."

Damon looked away.

"I never said I had nothing to do with it."

Serena froze.

"What?"

He closed his eyes briefly.

"I said I didn't kill them."

The room went silent.

Serena's voice became a whisper.

"But you knew."

"Yes."

"What happened?"

Damon looked at her.

"I made a mistake."

"What kind of mistake?"

"One that cost lives."

Serena felt tears burn her eyes.

"Did you betray them?"

Damon didn't answer.

That was answer enough.

She stepped backward.

"I don't know you."

"Serena..."

"No."

She placed the notebook on the desk.

"I don't want your protection."

Then she walked out.

Damon remained standing alone.

He looked at the notebook.

Then whispered,

"Neither did your mother."

Ryder arrived at Saint Mary's Church at exactly midnight.

The building had been abandoned for years.

Rain poured from the broken roof.

He entered slowly.

His hand remained near the weapon beneath his jacket.

"Hello?"

His voice echoed.

No answer.

He walked farther inside.

Then a light came on.

A man stood at the altar.

Ryder stopped.

He couldn't see the man's face.

"Who are you?"

The man smiled.

"You've spent twelve years asking the wrong question."

Ryder's hand tightened.

"What question should I be asking?"

"Who wanted your family dead?"

Ryder's eyes narrowed.

"Was it Damon Vale?"

The man laughed.

"Still blaming Damon?"

"You called me here."

"Yes."

"Then talk."

The man stepped into the light.

Ryder's blood ran cold.

He knew that face.

Not personally.

From photographs.

From old records.

From his father's files.

"You..."

The man smiled.

"You remember me."

Ryder reached beneath his jacket.

The man immediately raised his hands.

"If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't have made it through the door."

"Why are you alive?"

"That's the question you should be asking."

Ryder stared at him.

The man tossed a small envelope onto the floor.

"Everything you need is inside."

Ryder didn't move.

"What is it?"

"The beginning of the truth."

"Why give it to me?"

"Because the people who killed your family are preparing to finish what they started."

Ryder stepped forward.

"Who?"

The man smiled.

"Look closer to home."

Then the church lights went out.

Ryder heard a gunshot.

He fired back.

When the emergency lights came on, the man was gone.

Only the envelope remained.

Ryder picked it up.

Inside was a single photograph.

His mother.

Standing beside Serena's mother.

Both women were smiling.

On the back were four words.

They knew each other.

Ryder stared at the picture.

Then his phone rang.

Serena.

He answered immediately.

"Where are you?"

Her voice was trembling.

"Ryder, I need to see you."

"Are you safe?"

"Yes."

"What's wrong?"

"I found something."

"What?"

"My father knew your father."

Ryder closed his eyes.

"I know."

Silence.

"What?"

"I found a photograph."

"So did I."

Another silence.

Then Serena whispered,

"Maybe our fathers weren't enemies."

Ryder looked at the photograph in his hand.

"Maybe they were allies."

An hour later, Serena stood outside the clubhouse.

She had never seen anything like it.

Large black motorcycles lined the parking lot.

Men watched her from the shadows.

The building looked intimidating.

Ryder opened the door.

His eyes softened when he saw her.

"You came."

"I didn't know where else to go."

He stepped aside.

"Come in."

Serena entered.

The clubhouse was nothing like she expected.

It wasn't just a place filled with dangerous men.

There were photographs on the walls.

Families.

Children.

Memories.

People who clearly belonged to one another.

She looked at Ryder.

"You're not what I expected."

"Neither are you."

They walked into the conference room.

Ryder placed the photographs on the table.

Serena looked at them.

Her mother.

His mother.

Their fathers.

Together.

She touched one photograph carefully.

"Why would they be together?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe my father betrayed yours."

"Maybe."

She looked at him.

"But you don't believe that anymore."

Ryder hesitated.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I've discovered too many lies."

Serena swallowed.

"So have I."

They stood across from each other.

Two people whose families had spent years on opposite sides of a war.

Now they were beginning to suspect that the war itself had been built on lies.

Ryder reached for Serena's hand.

This time, she didn't hesitate.

Their fingers intertwined.

"I need to protect you," he said.

"From my father?"

"From everyone."

"And who protects you?"

Ryder gave a humorless smile.

"No one."

Serena stepped closer.

"Then maybe someone should."

Ryder stared at her.

The distance between them disappeared.

His hand rose slowly to her cheek.

Serena didn't pull away.

"Serena..."

"Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Don't tell me this is a mistake."

His eyes searched hers.

"I wasn't going to."

He leaned closer.

Their lips were inches apart.

Then Ryder stopped.

His breathing was uneven.

"I came into your life for the wrong reason."

Serena's eyes filled with uncertainty.

"What reason?"

Ryder couldn't say it.

Not yet.

He couldn't tell her that she had originally been part of a revenge plan.

He couldn't tell her that every conversation had begun as manipulation.

Because now he wasn't sure where the plan ended and his feelings began.

Serena whispered,

"Ryder?"

He kissed her.

Softly.

Carefully.

As if he were afraid she might disappear.

For a moment, the past disappeared.

There was no Damon.

No Black Reapers.

No revenge.

Only them.

Then Ryder pulled away.

Serena opened her eyes.

Neither spoke.

Ryder rested his forehead against hers.

"This changes everything."

Serena whispered,

"Maybe it was already changing."

His phone rang.

Neither moved.

It rang again.

Ryder finally answered.

"What?"

Mack's voice came through.

"We found the man who sent the photograph."

Ryder straightened.

"Who?"

"One of Vale's former security men."

Ryder's expression hardened.

"Where is he?"

"Dead."

Ryder's blood ran cold.

"How?"

"Someone cut his throat."

Serena stared at him.

Ryder slowly looked at her.

The warmth from moments ago disappeared.

The war had found them again.

Mack continued.

"There's something else."

"What?"

"He left a message."

Ryder waited.

Mack's voice dropped.

"It was addressed to Serena."

Ryder's eyes hardened.

"What did it say?"

A pause.

Then

"Your father isn't the man you think he is."

Ryder looked at Serena.

She had heard every word.

And for the first time, neither of them knew whether the truth would save them...

or destroy them.