“Shit—” Wicked steps in farther, closing the door behind him. “Don’t be like that.” He raises his brows at me. “You, of all people, understand the importance of family, Ruby.”

I sigh, inching up the bed and running my fingers through my dark hair, pushing it to the side. “I know. And I know how bikers are, but right now?”

“He’s family. The most family I’ve ever had that isn’t Poppy or you.”

Chewing on my bottom lip, I slide out from beneath the bed covers. “Okay. Look, I need to go see Papa—” I spin around and instantly feel paralyzed by the way he’s glaring at me. I look down at what I’m wearing, the same bra and panties from last night. “What? Don’t act like you haven’t seen me naked.”

“I have—and that’s precisely the fucking problem.”

I dip into the bathroom and scrub through a shower. Once I’m dressed, in yoga pants and a tight V-neck shirt, I find Wicked and Wolf downstairs, watching TV. Royce is opposite with Khaos next to him. The room is filled with leather, and usually that would probably annoy me, but for right now, I need to be with Papa.

Lowering myself onto the floor, I tie the laces to my Converse, watching every few seconds as Wolf keeps his eyes glued on the TV.

My phone starts vibrating on the carpet, and I see Mikhail’s name flash over the screen. I look up at Wicked, making sure he didn’t notice. How is it that I feel like I’m cheating on Wicked with my damn fiancé?

Swiping to answer, I bring the phone to my ear. “Hi.”

“I just heard,” he says coldly through the phone. “We’re heading to meet your father.”

My blood turns cold. “No. Not without me.”

“Last I checked, I don’t need to answer to you or oblige to your demands, Lala.” He pauses and hope tingles my fingertips.

“You’re right, maybe we should—”

“—but, we both made a blood oath and promise to our families. I intend to keep it.” Those tingles fizzle out. “I’ll call you once I finish with the meeting but, Ruby, you will need to start deciding what you are bringing to my house after the wedding.” My phone slips from my ear and I hit the end call button.

“What?” Wicked asks, but I push myself up from the floor and move into the kitchen, opening the cupboards to find my coffee pods. I need coffee. Now.

The elevator doors part open just as I’m closing the lid and pushing the button. Val enters, his hands shoved into his pockets and his eyes dipped in with concern.

“What is it?” Wicked repeats, coming into the kitchen and ignoring Val.

I look between the two of them. “That was Mikhail.”