He couldn’t fix it if he didn’t know what it was.
“I’m just comfortable here,” Andi answered.
Ridge understood that. Knowing that she had grown up in foster homes all her life, he could understand her need to have things that were familiar to her. But he couldn’t help her here. There was no way that they could shift back and forth between forms here in the city. He had to get her out of here.
“Andi.” He sighed. “You can’t learn control here. If the neighbors hear the ruckus that comes with shifting and called the cops, we’d be screwed.”
“I know.” She sighed, too.
“I promise, everything will be okay,” he told her, hoping he could reassure her somehow.
Andi nodded.
She pulled away from him without another word and walked over to a closed door. When she opened it, Ridge saw that it was a closet. She disappeared inside the small room, so he busied himself with getting dressed and then cleaning up the kitchen. He would have to remember that cooking was not on her list of qualities.
He chuckled again thinking about all the smoke that he woke up to. He thought it was rather sweet that she’d wanted to cook for him, but he wouldn’t admit that out loud. Ridge wasn’t the mushy type. As VP of the North Texas chapter of the Dark Leopards MC, Ridge was too hardcore to show any type of vulnerability or sensitivity. The guys would eat him alive if he did.
“I’m ready,” Andi said. Ridge watched as she set a hot pink duffle bag on the counter.
He raised a brow.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing.” He shook his head.
“Mhm.” She didn’t believe him.
“That’s just… bright.”
“Are you really going to critique my luggage color choice?” She lowered her brows, baffled.
“No.” He shook his head, again. “Was just commenting.”
“Okay,” she replied, unbelievingly.
“So, are you ready?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay.” He tossed the dishtowel on the counter. “You can follow me in your car,” he suggested. “Or ride with me on the bike.”
“Well,” Andi began. “I still have work to do, so I’ll just take my car. That way I don’t have to wait on you for a ride.”
“Either way.” It didn’t matter to him.
“I’ll take my car,” she repeated.
Heading for the door, Ridge lifted her bag over his shoulder and opened the front door to allow her to exit the studio apartment. Flipping the lock, he closed the door and followed Andi down the stairs. He waited while she unlocked her car and opened the door. Ridge tossed her bag on the front passenger seat and walked over to his bike.
‘I’ll follow you,” Andi said as she slid behind the wheel.
Ridge nodded.
Climbing on his bike, he fired it to life before lifting the stand, shifting it into gear, and rolling out of the small lot.
Forty-five minutes later, Ridge was rolling down his driveway, with Andi following close behind. He let his leopard come to the surface. Not enough to shift, but just enough to rely on his animal’s senses. It searched the surrounding area for any sign of a threat; finding none, Ridge pulled his bike around the back of the house and shut it off. He couldn’t sense any movement in the house but knew Shannon was still home. He could hear her heartbeat.
As he climbed off his bike and waited for Andi to get out of her car, Ridge knew he would have some explaining to do.
“So, this is your place?” Andi asked, climbing out of her car.
“Yep.”
“It’s beautiful,” she said, turning in a circle to take it all in.
Ridge was pretty proud of his place. He found it years ago when he’d first moved to the area and had kept a close eye on it until he’d saved enough to purchase it. Over the years, he’d slowly fixed it up to what it was now. His home was a rustic ranch-style house that was nestled next to a small alcove of water that branched off a nearby lake. Surrounded by thick woods, Ridge loved the privacy the place provided. Which would serve them well as he taught Andi how to control her animal.
Grabbing her bag from the car, he placed his hand on the small of her back and led her toward the house. He paused long enough to punch in the code to unlock the door, then pushed it open and allowed Andi to enter ahead of him.
“Fancy.”
“Security is important.”
“I can see that.”
“Not only do we have to deal with rival MCs,” Ridge said, setting her bag on a nearby chair. “We also have humans that are hell-bent on killing us. So, safety is number one. You do not leave this house without saying something to me. The code for the door is 1-8-1-2. Remember it.”
“Okay.”
“If you walk outside without disarming the system first,” Ridge instructed. “The doors will automatically lock when they close.”
He didn’t want to freak her out, but Ridge needed her to understand what life with him would be like. As the North Texas Chapter VP of the Dark Leopards MC, Ridge had his own share of enemies. He did his best to ensure that work never followed him home, but even the most careful person could sometimes slip.
18
Andi
She looked around Ridge’s home and couldn’t help but to be awed. A large stone fireplace was the focal point in the living space, which was opened to the kitchen and then a dining area. However, as Ridge droned on and on about safety and what she could and could not do – Andi was focused on the pale pink jacket that was tossed over a nearby barstool.
There was another woman here?
Inside, she could feel her animal fighting to come to the surface. But Andi continued to push her back down. She could feel the panther’s agitation and if Ridge did have another woman here, her animal would rip the female to shreds.
Why would he bring us here with another female?
Andi didn’t know. But she needed to get out of there.
