7

“Save your heels the walk," Ryder offered, "Hop on."

Amelia glanced at the back of the motorcycle, then up at Ryder, who was watching her with a lazy tilt of his head. He gestured toward the pillion seat. It was a large black machine, clearly well-maintained, with a polished finish that caught the afternoon sunlight. She had never been particularly interested in motorcycles, and the thought of climbing onto one with Ryder Kane was not especially appealing. 

“Thanks, but I’ll pass.” When he continued to look at her, she added, "I’m not putting my life in your hands, Mr Kane."

A smirk spread across Ryder's face, but he didn't look offended in the slightest; if anything, her immediate rejection seemed to amuse him."Suit yourself," he said. He reached over, killed the ignition, and swung a long leg over the saddle. The sudden silence left only the rustle of the surrounding trees and the distant clink of her surveyor’s tools.

Ryder picked up his helmet and secured it beneath his arm before turning to walk beside her. He didn't rush his stride, matching her pace as her heels clicked against the uneven dirt and gravel track leading toward the warehouse. Having him on foot next to her was hardly better than being on the bike. At 6'3", his broad frame threw a literal shadow over her, the faint scents of leather and cedar drifting from him with every step.

"You like taking risks, Miss Carter?" he asked, casually shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"Calculating risks is part of development," Amelia replied smoothly, keeping her eyes fixed on the approaching building. "And walking across my own land hardly qualifies as a risk."

"Depends on who's occupying it," he pointed out quietly.

Amelia stopped walking and turned her head to look up at him. "Is that a threat, Mr Kane?"

"Not at all." He stopped as well, looking down at her with an unreadable expression on his face, “Believe it or not, I'm just trying to get to know you better,”

Amelia tucked her hair behind her ear and his eyes followed the movement, “You mean trying to get to know your competition better?”

His gaze lingered on the slender line of her neck, tracing up to her eyes, and then dropping down, deliberately and slowly, to her lips. He registered in that moment just how beautiful she was, even when she was looking at him with a slight frown on her face. ​Amelia shifted her weight and dropped her hand, but he could tell that she'd noticed him checking her out. He dismissed the thought immediately. So? She was a beautiful woman and she clearly knew it. Surely, men checked her out all the time. 

“I wouldn't exactly put it that way, but it'd be stupid of me if I didn't try, don't you think?” he asked, “I'm not a mind reader but something tells me you've got the same motive or am I wrong?”

Amelia narrowed her eyes at him, then started walking again. Ryder followed. This time they continued in silence until they reached the heavy steel gates surrounding the warehouse perimeter. The first thing she noticed was the large metal sign with the club's name written boldly on it, then she noticed the security cameras mounted high on the fence. They swivelled silently, tracking their approach. 

Amelia glanced at one of them as they passed. “You have quite a security system,” she remarked.

“We have to.”

“Expecting trouble?”

“It’s a motorcycle club. Trouble tends to find us.”

She looked at him. “That’s reassuring.”

Ryder smiled at the comment but didn’t elaborate. Two men were standing near the open metal doors. Both were wearing black leather vests bearing the Iron Vipers emblem. One of them nodded at Ryder, then looked at Amelia with undisguised curiosity.

“King.” the man greeted, using the nickname most of the club members called him. 

Ryder acknowledged him with a brief nod. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah. Nothing going on.” His eyes moved towards Amelia again, and Ryder noticed. 

“This is Amelia Carter,” he said, making the introduction without breaking stride. “She’s the new owner of the estate.”

The man gave her a short nod. “Miss Carter.”

“Hello.”

Ryder tossed his keys to the second man and instructed him to go back for his motorcycle, then continued inside, leaving the other man to return to whatever he’d been doing. Amelia followed him into the building, and the change in surroundings immediately caught her attention. Several men and women were scattered around the room. Bikers in leather cuts, female guests lounging on the couches. Some sat at the tables talking over drinks, while others stood near the bar. A few looked up when Ryder entered, greeting him as he passed, their attention shifting almost immediately to the woman walking beside him.

Amelia was aware of the curious looks, but she tried not to let them make her uncomfortable. She wasn't sure if they knew who she was, but if they did then they probably saw her as nothing more than the lady who was kicking them off the property. To be honest she had expected the clubhouse to be rough, perhaps even disorderly, but the place was surprisingly organised. There was something interesting about the way the men interacted with Ryder. They greeted him casually, exchanged brief remarks and occasionally called out questions, but none of them seemed uncertain about his authority.

Ryder noticed her looking around. “Not what you expected?”

She turned towards him. “I wasn’t sure what to expect.”

 There was a trace of amusement in his expression. “Disappointed?”

“Not particularly.”

"Come upstairs," he said. 

Amelia followed him, passing a few more members who watched him lead her upstairs. At the foot of the stairs, she glanced towards a passageway leading to another section of the building.

“What’s through there?”

“The kitchen and dining area. Some of the rooms are further down.”

“Rooms?”

“Most of the members have somewhere to stay here when they need it.”

She looked at him. “You actually live here?”

“Sometimes.” he smirked, “I have a house, but a few of the club members do live here.”

Amelia nodded, though she wasn’t sure why she’d imagined him sleeping in the warehouse. Perhaps because everything about the place suggested it was more than just a headquarters to the club. She understood why he wanted to keep the club on the property and she did feel bad about those who lived there, but surely they could find another place to live. 

Ryder stopped in front of a door and opened it, then he stepped aside to let her enter. His office was larger than she’d expected, with dark wooden furniture, a broad desk positioned near the window and a  leather sofa opposite it. The room was neat, although there were papers and folders spread across one corner of the desk. Amelia stepped inside and took a moment to look around.

“Make yourself comfortable,” he said, closing the door behind them.

He walked behind his desk and placed his helmet on one of the side cabinets. Amelia remained standing for a while before choosing one of the chairs opposite him. Ryder watched her settle into it, then moved towards the small drinks cabinet near the wall.

“Now what can I get you to drink?”

She looked at him. “What are my options?”

“Water, coffee, beer. I might have something else somewhere.”

“Water would be fine.”

Ryder gave her a look, “Surely you didn't come all the way up here for water, Miss Carter,”

Amelia shrugged, “I have to go to back to work in a few minutes so I'd like to keep a clear head,”

“Plus you don't trust me,” he added. 

“Your words not mine,”

Ryder smiled, slightly impressed as he took a bottle from the small refrigerator and placed it on the desk in front of her before grabbing a beer for himself.

Amelia picked up the bottle but didn’t open it immediately. She looked around the office once more, then returned her attention to him. “So, Mr Kane, what exactly did you want to talk about?”