Page 7 of Tough Biker Daddy

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Rafael?" he demanded. "Get your hands off her before I break them." The man stared back, seeming ready for the challenge Chase was presenting.

"Absolutely not," he snapped back as he yanked me close to him. "She's collateral for a loan."

CHAPTER EIGHT

Chase

Hearing Rafael, the leader of the King's Knights, call Lydia his collateral pissed me off beyond all belief. If it hadn't been for the fact that we were in public, I would have torn his head clean of his shoulders and mailed it back to the rest of his gang. But, as we were in a large, public space, I knew it was unwise. After seeing Joyce nearby, I came to realize exactly what had happened and I struggled to find a peaceful solution to the matter at hand. Meanwhile, the sight of Lydia struggling to pull herself free was starting to worry me.

"You can't take her because she isn't collateral," I informed him, trying to remain as calm as possible, so I didn't cause a scene. "She belongs to me because that woman right there offered her sister to me as collateral and has yet to repay her debt." Rafael raised an eyebrow at me as he considered this for a moment. When I didn't budge, he turned to look at Joyce.

"Is that true?" he asked, his voice dangerously low. Joyce looked a little panicked as she tried to come up with a proper answer that wouldn't get her in as much trouble.

"Well, yes," she began, quickly coming up with her next lie, "but the debt is already cared for. She doesn't belong to him." Rafael rolled his eyes and looked at Lydia, who was trembling under his grasp, making me want to kill him even more.

"I apologize for my actions," he stated as he released her arm. "I didn't know you were still working off your sister's debt for another creditor." He then turned to look at me. "When the debt is paid, please send her to me so that I can collect my debt, too." The perfect lie came up just as Lydia moved to stand behind me.

"As much as I would love to, her debt is a life debt," I lied. "She's to work to repay it the rest of her life." Rafael looked upset by this news, but, after seeing the expression on my face, he shook his head.

"Very well," he agreed. "I'm sorry to have bothered you and your property." With that, he looked at Joyce. "It looks like you'll be working the debt off yourself. For the record, no one owes you even the smallest amount of kindness. You either repay the debt, or we take you life." Before Joyce could say anything, he took her by the arm and marched her out of the store.

As soon as they were gone, I turned to look at Lydia. She was pale and shaking like a leaf, clearly disturbed by what had just occurred. I felt sorry for her and wanted to make it up to her, but I didn't know how. I had no idea that Joyce would do that to her again, and it enraged me that she had.

Placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, I smiled at her. "Are you alright?" I asked her, and she turned her head gently towards me.

"Did you mean what you said?" she asked as tears threatened to spill down her face. "Do I really owe you a life debt?" Realizing that it had been Rafael or Joyce who upset her, my heart sank.

"No, I didn't," I reassured her as I pulled her into a hug. "I just said that so Rafael would leave you be. If I hadn't, he would have taken you away, and the King's Knights don't treat the debtors kindly." She seemed to calm down as she processed this.

"So, what do I owe you?" she asked, sounding genuinely curious as she spoke.

My heart ached as I realized that she might leave me at this point, regardless of her promise of a second chance. Part of me wanted to say she still owed a lot so she would stay, but, by this point, the truth was that she owed nothing. I had written off the debt long ago as a loss, even though I had said nothing. Taking a deep breath, I responded, hoping she would choose to stay.

"You have paid it off already," I informed her. "You owe us nothing."

She took this into consideration before smiling at me. "That means that, if I choose to be with you, it's by my choice, not because I owe you, right?" she asked, and I nodded in agreement. To my amazement, a smile spread across her face.

"Well, let's get these groceries back to Rebecca and the others." Without hesitation, she took the cart she had been pushing and started towards the checkout line, leaving me standing there in shock and disbelief as I watched her go. Meanwhile, next to me, Adam patted me on the shoulder.

"Well, that went well," he commented with a gentle smile. "She's a confusing one. You're definitely going to have your hands full." I looked over at him and shrugged.

"If she stays," I reminded him. He laughed and shook his head.

"Trust me, she will," he reassured me. "You can count on that. Besides, there's no way she won't. She's clearly smitten."

I stopped and considered this for a moment.

"You really think so?" I asked.

"Of course she is," he reassured me. "If she wasn't, she would have taken off the second you mentioned the debt was paid, rather than offering to help us finish getting the groceries."

I realized he was right.

"I guess we better go help her get them out to the car," I told him. "I don't want to keep her waiting."

CHAPTER NINE

Lydia