OWNED BY THE BIKER KING

Chapter 6

The expansive living room fell into a heavy, suffocating silence as Luca slowly lifted his cold eyes toward his younger brother. The only sound cutting through the quiet was the ice clinking against his glass.

“What actually happened over there?” Luca asked, his baritone voice dripping with quiet authority.

Ryder stood near the arched doorway, his posture rigid. He reached up, roughly loosening the collar of his damp shirt to breathe easier before he finally spoke.

“There was an illegal meeting happening at the bar,” Ryder said, keeping his voice deceptively calm. “Zack and his crew…they were trying to move a new supply of drugs through my territory, and I got caught in the middle of it. I didn’t know anything about the deal beforehand.”

Luca remained entirely silent, his sharp gaze cutting through Ryder, analyzing every micro-expression on his younger brother’s face to see if he was lying.

“The cops arrived not long after,” Ryder continued, crossing his arms over his chest. “Someone must have tipped them off. Within minutes, everything turned into chaos.”

A heavy, brooding silence filled the room once more. Outside the mansion’s towering windows, the rain continued poured relentlessly, while the dim lights above cast long, cold shadows across the marble floor.

Luca took another slow sip of his whiskey. “What about the girl?”

Ryder’s head snapped up instantly, his eyes narrowing. “She just happened to be there. She saw too much tonight, but she’s not involved in any of this, Luca.”

Luca let out a quiet, humorless chuckle. “That is exactly what worries me.”

Ryder's jaw tightened to the point of pain, a sharp muscle ticking in his cheek. “She doesn’t even know who we are.”

“For now.” Luca countered smoothly, his voice dropping an octave. He placed his crystal glass down onto the mahogany tablet with a soft, ominous click before leaning back against the leather couch. “You brought a civilian into our world, Ryder. In our line of work, innocence doesn’t protect people. That alone makes her a walking target. It makes her dangerous.”

“I had no choice. I couldn’t just leave her there to get shot.”

“There is always a choice.”

Ryder remained silent, staring blankly at the floor.

For the first time that night, Luca studied his younger brother with genuine curiosity. He noticed the slight tremor of adrenaline still lingering in Ryder’s hands, and the way his eyes kept subconsciously darting toward the staircase where the girl was sleeping.

Luca’s eyes narrowed slightly as a realization hit him. “You’re getting attached.”

Ryder's expression darkened into absolute fury. “Don’t start, Luca.”

Luca smirked faintly, a rare, dangerous expression on his face. “That bad, huh? You’ve barely known her for three hours.”

“She’s exhausted, and she’s running from something. Just leave her out of this,” Ryder growled.

Luca stared at him for a long, agonizing moment before a soft, defeated sigh. He shook his head. “You're exactly like father. Hard-headed, and always trying to play the savior.”

That sentence alone was enough to make Ryder look away, his fists clenching at his sides. Luca noticed the reaction immediately, but chose not to press that particular wound any deeper.

“I don’t care what kind of life you choose out there on the streets,” Luca muttered, his tone shifting into something slightly warmer, though still firm. “But at least take care of yourself. I can’t keep cleaning up your messes.”

Ryder stayed quiet, absorbing the lecture.

“And another thing…” Luca continued, shifting gears seamlessly into business. “Sooner or later, you’ll have to stop playing around and take over the family company. Father’s health isn’t getting any better.”

Ryder sharp eyes locked onto his older brother. “You already know I have my own things to manage. I’m not interested in taking over Father’s corporate empire.”

Luca paused for a brief moment, swirling the remaining amber liquid in his glass before adding, “So how long are you planning to keep working at that run-down place? And what about that motorcycle club of yours? You’re a Kane, Ryder. You can’t hide in a bar forever.”

Ryder let out a slow, heavy breath, running a hand through his damp hair before finally answering.

“I’ll take over the company when the time is right. Not a moment or sooner.”

Luca raised an eyebrow slightly, challenging him. “And when is that?”

“It’s not because I’m not ready," Ryder continued, his voice dropping into a dangerous, lethal whisper. “I just want to find the traitor who set me up tonight first. Someone inside my own circle leaked the location to the cops and Zack.” His expression slowly darkened into something terrifying.

“Once I found out who is it…and after I deal with them… maybe then I’ll finally step into family business.”

For a moment, Luca simply stared at his younger brother. Then, he sighed quietly. Stubborn. Ryder had always been unbelievably, recklessly stubborn.

Luca rubbed his temple tiredly, shifting the topic back to the immediate threat. “I heard your enemy— the leader of that rival motorcycle gang— showed up at the bar tonight before the raid.”

Ryder's eyes immediately hardened into ice. “Zack.”

“What did he do?” Luca asked calmly, watching Ryder’s reaction. “Was he looking for you?”

Ryder let out a bitter, mocking chuckle. “Of course he was. He’s been itching for a rematch ever since I broke his jaw last winter.” Ryder stepped closer to the window, staring out into the storm. “He didn’t come alone either. A few of his top enforces were surrounding the building.”

The atmosphere inside the living room instantly turned degrees colder.

Luca leaned forward, his expression dead serious. “Did they see the girl?”

Ryder stayed completely silent. He didn’t look at Luca, and that silence alone was enough for Luca to understand everything.

Luca closed his eyes and sighed softly, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re in deep trouble, little brother.”

“I can handle Zack.”

“No,” Luca muttered, opening his eyes to lock them onto Ryder. “You can handle rival gangs. You can handle guns. You can handle betrayal in the streets.” His sharp eyes slowly trailed up, a knowing look reflecting in them. “But feelings? A weak spot for a pretty girl?”

Ryder immediately looked away, a faint shadow of a flush crossing his neck.

Luca almost laughed out loud at the rare reaction. It was almost comical. For years, Ryder Kane had survived the most brutal situations, stared down the barrels of loaded guns, and walked away without blinking.

But somehow— a single, terrified girl sleeping upstairs was enough to make the dangerous Ryder Kane completely lose his footing.

To be continued