“No,” she breathed.
Ridge immediately stepped away from her. “No?”
Andi couldn’t tell if he was shocked, or hurt, by her refusal.
“I can’t.” Andi moved away from him, and this time, Ridge let her.
“What do you mean?” Ridge asked.
Andi didn’t know how to explain it. How did she tell him about her fear? How did she tell her mate that she was afraid to have sex with him because her panther was so enthralled with him?
“Andi…” Ridge tried to reach for her, but she moved away from him. “Talk to me.”
“My panther…” she tried to explain. “Any time you’re near, she gets all… territorial.”
Ridge smiled. “That’s good.” He stepped toward her again.
“No.” Andi shook her head and moved away, again. “You don’t understand.”
Frustrated, Ridge sighed. “Then explain it to me.”
“She’s territorial even toward me!” Andi blurted. “She doesn’t even want me near you.”
“What?” Ridge looked as confused as she felt.
“I… I don’t know.” Andi pressed her fingers to her forehead. Her head was starting to pound. “Any time you get near me, she fights to get out.” Andi rolled her shoulders, trying to relieve some of the tension that was starting to build there.
Ridge looked at her for a moment. His mouth opened, then closed.
“I can’t be around you.” She shrugged. “If I can’t control her, I’m as good as dead.”
“I won’t let anything happen to you, Andi,” Ridge declared.
“It’s not up to you.” Andi shook her head, sadly.
“You are not leaving,” Ridge said through gritted teeth.
Andi took a step toward the door.
“Andi…” There was a warning in Ridge’s voice.
Her heart felt like it was being ripped in two. She didn’t want to leave him, but she couldn’t stay with him. A tear slid down her cheek.
“Andi.”
Taking a deep breath, she bolted for the door.
Knocking down a barstool to trip him up, Andi reached for the doorknob. Yanking open the door, she slammed it closed behind her at the same time she remembered what Ridge had said about locking the house down in ‘panic mode’. Jamming random numbers, just as he reached the door, she jumped back when he grabbed the knob and tried to rip the door open.
But it was locked. For the next two hours, Ridge was trapped inside. Taking a tentative step toward the door, Andi pressed her palm against it.
“Andi, please!” Ridge called. “Don’t do this.”
“I’m sorry,” she cried, the tears flowing down her face.
“Andi!”
She took a step back.
“Andi!” He pounded on the door. The glass cracked but held.
Taking one last, long look, she turned away from the door, and Ridge, and ran to her car.
“Goddamn it, Andi!”
She could still hear him banging on the door and she rounded her car. Yanking open the driver’s door, Andi jumped behind the wheel. Her heart was pounding as she jammed the key into the ignition and threw the car into gear. Back out of the drive, she fishtailed it around and tore off causing rocks and gravel to fly at the same time as the dam broke on her emotions. Gripping the steering wheel, she cried for everything she was losing. All the love, protection, and happiness that should have been hers – but never would be.
23
Ridge
He was fucking pissed!
Ridge raged.
Picking up a small clock off the table, he threw it causing it to smash against the wall.
“Fuck!” he screamed.
Reaching for his phone, he called Lux.
On the third ring, he answered. “Where are you?”
“She’s gone!” Ridge yelled into the phone.
“What?”
Ridge gave him a quick rundown of what happened, and as Lux laughed through the phone, Ridge’s anger increased. “It’s not fucking funny!”
“Sit tight,” Lux chuckled, ignoring his outburst. “I’ll send someone to rescue you. I’ll go after your girl.”
“Lux.” Ridge didn’t know how he felt about Lux going after Andi alone. “Don’t you hurt her.”
“Don’t give me orders, brother.” And he hung up the phone.
Ridge stared down at his device. “Hello,” he said, putting it back to his ear. “Lux?” Still nothing.
Ridge threw the phone across the room.
He began to pace. Feeling like a caged cat, Ridge was ready to pounce. He sent up a silent prayer that Andi would be okay. That Lux would find her and bring her back to him. But if he hurt her…
Ridge couldn’t even finish the thought.
The club was all he’d known for most of his life. Brothers. He stared down at the branded logo of the Dark Leopards MC that took up most of his forearm. He felt torn. His brothers had been his life for so long, but Andi was his future – no matter how crazy she was. And if Lux took that away from him…
Ridge would never forgive him.
He heard the bikes turning off the road and headed for the door. Seeing Salvation and Jude climbing off their bikes, Ridge was anxious to finally get out of there and go find his mate. As the guys looked at him, their smirking faces made him want to punch them both.
“Stop fucking grinning like idiots and get me the hell out of here!” he shouted.
“Calm down,” Jude laughed.
“What’s the code?” Salvation asked, walked over to the door.
Ridge pulled the key fob from his pocket and read out the display code. “7-3-1-2.”
As soon as Salvation entered the last digit, Ridge heard the door click. Grabbing the knob, he yanked it open. Pushing past the guys, Ridge ran to his bike.
“Lux has your girl,” Jude called after him.
Ridge froze.
Fuck! Fear flashed through him.
“They’re at the clubhouse,” Salvation offered.
“They?” Ridge was scared to hope.
Salvation nodded.
Jumping on his bike, Ridge didn’t wait for the boys. Turning the key, he kicked his bike into gear and sped off toward the club like the hounds of hell were chasing him. And in a way, they were. Because if Ridge didn’t get there in time to save Andi – hell would be the exact place Ridge would end up.
And Lux would be with him.
Kicking up dust, he leaned his bike through the twist and turns of the county roads. Racing
