Текст книги "Two Worlds Colliding"
Автор книги: Jani Kay
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Текущая страница: 7 (всего у книги 12 страниц)
Chapter 20 ~ Ryder
For the first time since meeting Cobra that fateful day in juvenile detention, I wanted to kill him. I’d never have believed that this day would come. But it had. Cobra was staring me down, anger seething from his pores. In his neck, a thick vein protruded and throbbed, and a grim expression was on his face.
“Look, I'm mad as hell at Mia for inviting Jade in the first place. But Mia didn't know about the connection with her cop brother. But you, Ryder . . . you could have stopped it all from happening. I don’t appreciate the fucking cops showing up at the compound. It could’ve turned nasty. For fuck’s sake, we had old ladies and kids here.” He closed his eyes for a minute. When he opened them again, pain was etched across his face. “I have nothing against Jade as a person. But I can never allow the bloodshed and loss of our family again on my watch.”
“I know, brother. This is on me, not you.”
He scrubbed a big hand over his face. Cobra looked tired. All of this had taken a toll on him—the shootout, him nearly dying, Mia losing the baby, the cop raid last night. He looked older than his thirty-six years.
“I tossed and turned all night about this. And I’ve come to a decision. Neither Jade nor Lexi can ever come to the compound again. It’s too fucking risky. And I'm all done with taking risks where my family’s lives are involved.”
The blood drained from my face. “What are you saying, Cobra?” I snarled. My gut turned upside down—I knew what was coming, and I didn't like it one bit.
“I’m saying that you should forget about that woman. I’ll deal with Razor and Ox about Lexi. But now, I’m telling you—brother to brother—that you should walk away from Jade while you still can, and before it brings more shit to the club.”
I shook my head. Had I heard right? Cobra was telling me in no uncertain terms to end it with Jade? Fuck.
“Cobra. You don’t know what you are asking, man.” Sweat formed on my brow, and I felt a trickle run down my back. Cobra didn't understand. Give up Jade? I was beyond that stage. The realization hit me with full force, making my knees so weak that I had to grip the ends of his desk to keep myself standing upright. My knuckles were white as I held on, my brain in a whirl.
“I'm fully aware of what I’m asking. I'm asking that you sacrifice pussy for the club. It’s always been an easy decision for you, Ryder. A no-brainer. Why the resistance now?”
“Well—this time it’s different. Because Jade isn’t just pussy to me. She’s my bitch. My woman. I fucking love her. Yeah.” There: I’d finally declared it, to my boss and president no less. Finally, I was able to formulate all those crazy feelings into words.
Cobra’s eyes widened and his skin went ashen. He slammed a fist on the table.
“Fuck. Why her, Ryder? Of all the fucking bitches in the world . . . It can't work, brother. You’re from different worlds. She’s the rich bitch, and you’re the bad biker. Do I fucking need to remind you of that?”
“Christ, Cobra, do you think I chose this? Do you think I wanted to love the snarky bitch that pushes all my buttons—good and bad? No. I didn't choose it. It chose me. My fucking heart can't be told who to love and who not to love. It fucking is what it is, brother.”
I sank into the chair, spearing my fingers through my hair. This was as fucked up as it could get. Cobra telling me to let go of Jade. Did he fucking know what he was asking of me?
I hung my head, letting it rest on my chest as I closed my eyes. Anything. I would do anything for Cobra, anything for my brothers and the Scorpio Stinger MC.
Anything, but this.
Because fuck me, now that I’d tasted the love of a woman as sweet as Jade, I wanted more of it. Cobra could not be asking me to give up this one thing I wanted more than my next breath.
Cobra cleared his throat. “As your president, I'm asking you, Ryder. I'm asking for all the lives of your brothers, past and present. Let Jade go. You know there can come no good of it. You know it’s fucked. It will lead to bloodshed. You know.”
I jumped up from the chair. Fuck. I needed to punch something—anything. I slammed one fist into the wall, then another. It hurt like fuck, but it was nothing like the pain of my heart that was breaking in two. I'd waited all my life to feel like this. Since the day Marianne had left, and never come back. Since when first the emptiness, and then the hatred had filled my heart. And now that I’d finally found my woman, Cobra was forbidding it?
“Cobra. You’re my brother. I love you as if you were my own flesh and blood. Because to me, you are. But what you’re asking—it’s impossible. Jade is a part of me I don’t want to live without. She’s what makes all the years of pain and torment worthwhile. Because I now understand that I had to go through all of that to get to her, so that I could understand what a special gift it is, to be given a love like that. And you, of all people, should know how it feels. Imagine me asking you to give up Mia.”
He growled, shaking his head. He’d rather die than give up Mia. Surely he could understand how I felt? We were bikers, yes. We were criminals, yes. But we were also just human. We loved and hurt as deeply as everyone else. Maybe even deeper.
His mouth drew into a thin line. “Fuck. You are making it hard on us both. You know I love you as my own brother. I want to see you happy with your woman. But it can't be Jade. You have to understand this, Ryder. You and Jade together is bad news for her family and for us—your family. You’re a modern-day fucking Romeo and Juliet. Yeah, I know about that shit, I’m a biker, not a dumbass.” He smiled wryly as he paced the room. This was killing Cobra as much as it was killing me.
“Say goodbye to Jade. Let it be done. It will be better for everybody.”
Everybody but me—and Jade.
Fuck.
Our two worlds were colliding. We were being torn apart.
Fuck.
I couldn’t let it happen.
Jade—and our love—was worth fighting for.
Does she believe that too?
Fuck.
Chapter 21 ~ Jade
Three nights after Harrison’s surprise visit at the compound, I still hadn’t heard from Ryder. Was all that talk of being his woman just crap he came up with to get me to have sex with him? Maybe he got off on dominating woman, telling them he owned them. Then when he tired of them, he moved on to the next target.
Fortunately, I had a really big case to work on at Summers, Walker and Hedgewick, so it kept me pretty occupied during the day. But at night, I lay in my bed, my mind ticking over, running the events nonstop through my brain, like a movie on repeat.
The sweet words Ryder had spoken to me were a refrain by now, I knew them by heart: I never knew someone like you existed. I never knew I could feel like this about another person. It brought a smile to my face, and lightness to my heart. His admission made my toes curl, simply because the same thing had happened to me too, but I wasn’t going to ever admit it to him: I think of you from the moment I open my eyes till the moment I close them. There’s not a minute of a day I'm not thinking of you, aching for you, wanting to be inside you. And my absolute favorite: Only you, babe, nobody else.
But now . . . where was he? I didn't want to believe that he scared this easily. Was what we were both feeling not worth exploring? It was new, it was strange, and it was scary as hell. But it felt really, really good.
What was this thing we both felt? Was it possible that it was . . . love? The expression on his face when he tried to explain how he felt made my heart beat a little faster. I can't name what I feel, because I’ve never felt it before. All I can do is to tell you how happy it makes me feel when I’m near you. And how fucking amazing it feels when I’m inside you. If you can name that, then you know how I feel about you.
A pang shot through my heart. I missed Ryder—his smell, his warmth, and the way he made me feel when he was close. I wanted to be around him every day. Somehow, my life felt empty when the larger-than-life man wasn’t around.
My phone beeped beside me. Ryder? I glanced at the screen, hopeful. But no. It was my cousin from Australia.
“Rebecca? How are you?” I asked. A chat with her would take my mind off my hassles.
“Jade. Sorry to call so late, honey. I'm planning to make a trip to LA in six weeks. Do you think we could catch up again?”
When I last met Rebecca in New York a few months ago, we’d had a fun time together. I needed a distraction. Plus, she was a smart woman and I valued her opinion; maybe I could ask her for advice.
“Of course we can. It’ll be great to see you. I can show you around LA. In fact, come and stay with us?”
“Oh no, I'm coming for work. Usually my boss puts me up in style at a fancy hotel. But I’d love to go on a shopping trip and maybe have a girl’s night out one evening?”
“OK. Sounds good. Let me know the dates and I’ll set it all up. We’ll have a blast.”
“Jade, how’s your relationship coming along? Are you engaged to Marcus yet? Are the wedding invitations coming any time soon?”
I rolled my eyes. Of course—the last time I saw Rebecca, Marcus was courting me. I'd forgotten that I hardly knew Ryder at the time. It felt so long ago.
“Marcus? Oh Lord no, we didn't get engaged. Long story. But he has asked me to accompany him to the annual partner’s ball.”
A growl from my bedroom door startled me. My head jerked up and my gaze fell on Ryder, leaning against the doorjamb, arms folded, a deep frown marring his brow.
“Rebecca, I’ve got to go, honey. Something came up. But we’ll talk soon, okay?”
We said our goodbyes and I hung up, stunned that Ryder had snuck into the house again and was staring down at me, his eyes narrowed, and his jaw set in stone.
“No Marcus. Not happening. Over my dead fucking body,” he growled. “If you want him to stay alive, tell him to fuck off from my woman.”
“Ryder,” I breathed. Where had he appeared from so suddenly?
“Yeah, babe. I had to come see you.”
“Doesn’t your phone work? Why don’t you call me?”
He smirked. “I am calling you. Live and in person. It’s so much better than a damn phone call, don’t you think?”
“And what about the other two nights, huh?”
“Why, Princess? Have you been missing me?” He quirked an eyebrow, apparently amused. “My cock’s been missing you.”
“Ryder!” I gasped.
He crawled onto the bed then started kissing up my leg, till he got to my apex. Nuzzling his nose between my thighs, he licked the fabric covering my pussy.
“Hmmm . . . damp . . . sweet and salty . . . Just what I feel like tonight. The taste of you.” He shoved the fabric aside and lapped my clit in long strokes. My back arched off the bed as I tried to give him more of me. He pushed two fingers inside. “So fucking wet.” I whimpered, my need for him overtaking my common sense as he slid them in and out of me. “All of this is mine. No other man lays a finger on you. Is that clear?”
I nodded, willing him to keep up the work of his expert fingers. He slid the panties down my legs, and pocketed them. “A souvenir for my visit. I will add these to my collection.” He grabbed hold of the ends of my nightgown and pulled it over my head. His eyes were glowing as he sucked in a breath. “Jesus, I nearly forgot how fucking beautiful you are.”
Both hands glided up my torso, over my ribcage and cupped my breasts. He squeezed hard, making me wince, and then sucked a nipple into his mouth. He bit down on the soft flesh around the nipple, causing me to cry out. Then he did the same with the other breast, biting even harder. Teeth marks were left on both breasts.
“If Marcus comes near these tits—my tits—I will kill him. These are mine. Only mine. Got that, Princess?”
“God, Ryder. What are you doing?”
“Marking what is mine. Claiming ownership. Every part of this body belongs to me.”
He flipped me over so that I was lying on my stomach. His mouth was on my ass, as he sucked and nipped and finally sank his teeth into the soft skin, biting hard. “This mark will stay there. Every time you see it, you’ll remember whose ass this is.”
I gasped as I heard his fly unzip and the rustle of fabric as he kicked off his jeans. Then I heard the tear of foil, before moments later, he rubbed his gloved cock, slick with lube, between my ass cheeks, while pulling my hair so that my head jerked back. With his warm breath on my skin, he whispered in my ear. “And now I’m taking the part of you I haven’t owned yet. And you will give yourself to me. I know no other man has been there. I will be the first and the last to claim your ass.”
He reached between us and swiped his fingers from my clit all the way to my ass, lubricating my skin with my juices. “Fuck, you’re so wet for me, my beautiful bitch.” He placed his cock at the entrance of my ass, one hand on my breast, rolling the nipples between his fingers, the other circling my clit as he pushed in slowly, one inch at a time, allowing me to adjust to his cock before going deeper. “Relax, baby,” he crooned in my ear, sucking and licking my earlobe so that it sent shivers down my spine. Finally, he was balls-deep into my ass. I couldn’t believe how full I felt.
His ownership was never more real than now as he slowly, carefully, started thrusting inside me while squeezing both breasts with every downward stroke, his mouth on my neck, sucking my skin.
I stuck my ass out, wanting him as deep as I could take him, moaning loudly with pleasure and pain. Just as I thought I could take no more, his hand came down on my ass and smacked the skin so that the sound reverberated in the room. Shocked, I shoved backwards, only to feel my ass burn with a second slap. His fingers moved down to my clit, and as he touched me there, biting hard into my neck, I started coming so hard, I thought I’d pass out.
“Fuck, Princess, fuck,” Ryder rasped, “you’re fucking perfect.”
His balls slapped against my ass cheeks as he ejaculated, murmuring into my ear. “Mine. My pussy. My tits. My ass. All mine.”
I groaned. “Yes. All yours.”
He pulled out and I sank onto the mattress, exhausted, sore, and in ecstasy. I loved being so completely owned and possessed by Ryder.
Ryder spooned behind me, pulling my body against his so that I fit perfectly against him. His chest was heaving as he stroked my skin.
“Good girl,” he murmured in my ear. I could hear the pride in his voice, and my heart swelled with joy that I could please him so much.
Finally he settled behind me, cupping my pussy with one hand, the other cupping a breast, his mouth on my shoulder. This was perfect.
I belonged completely to Ryder. He was my man.
Chapter 22 ~ Jade
We spent the night like that, Ryder wrapped around me, holding every part of me against him, even as we slept. Exhausted, I wasn’t in any condition to ask the questions that were burning in my mind.
I gave in to sleep. It was comforting just being in his arms. I never wanted it to end. But it did—a few hours later, I woke, fully enveloped by Ryder. His fingers on my pussy had wormed their way into my wetness, his thumb rubbing my clit. It was the most delicious way to awaken.
“Baby,” I groaned as his fingers inside departed, instantly feeling the loss. But I needn’t have worried. His fingers were replaced by a rigid cock, stroking slowly inside me. His thumb on my clit heightened my desire.
The hand on my breast squeezed the nipple hard between dexterous fingers, sending ripples of delight straight to my core. My pussy clenched around his cock, squeezing him back.
Ryder moaned in my ear. “Fuck, baby, what you do to me . . .” He panted as his cock stroked me, the rhythm increasing the longer we were going at it.
My legs were hooked around his, my ass pushing backward, taking as much of his cock inside me as I could. Every nerve ending in my body was receiving pleasure signals, sending me over the edge. I shuddered against him as my orgasm took over, biting my lip so as not to shout out into the silence of the night.
Ryder kept fucking me hard until he exploded inside me with a feral groan, biting into my shoulder to muffle the noise.
First thing in the morning, I was finding that place of my own. The place Ryder could fuck me senseless and I could scream his name without worrying about being heard. It was time. I wanted it all. Every orgasm, every thrust of his cock, giving in to the pleasure with abandon, screaming without restraint.
It was time to find our place.
We lay like that, silent, spent, the cool breeze caressing our skins, the only light in the room from the moonlight as the curtains billowed. Ryder stayed inside me and I wanted him there so I lay very still, savoring the feeling of him surrounding and filling me.
This was pure bliss. I wanted it every day for the rest of my life.
“Ryder? Can we talk?”
He pulled out of me, fluid spilling all over my beautiful Egyptian sheets. But I couldn’t have been happier. I'd rather have Ryder’s cum all over my sheets than no Ryder at all.
I turned and buried my face in his chest, inhaling his scent deeply. I loved how he smelled—manly and deeply arousing. I was tempted to lick his nipple ring, but I managed to rein my renewed desire in so that we could talk, because if I started tasting his skin, I wouldn’t stop till I’d licked his cock clean.
“What’s wrong, Princess?” he murmured, as if he was afraid of my answer.
By now I knew that I had to get straight to the point with Ryder. There was no preamble or easing into a topic. “Tell me why you ended up in juvie. What happened?”
He sucked in a breath. I felt his heart racing beneath my fingertips. Oh God, what had I done? I'd ruined the moment . . .
“We don’t always grasp other people’s pain, Ryder. Just because we can't see it, doesn’t mean they aren’t hurting. I want to understand you—and why you are wounded so deeply.”
He pressed a kiss into my forehead, but stayed silent. I didn't move because I was afraid that I’d opened a door that should’ve stayed locked. Eventually he started speaking, his voice low and sad. His story started off slow, with long silences in between, but I stayed quiet, listening, only encouraging him with my fingertips brushing over his skin.
My biker man told me a story of horror. A story of a young boy who’d been deserted by his mother and not understanding why. A boy who protected his baby brother by being willing to sacrifice his own life. I trembled in his arms, tears streaming down my face, unchecked, as he told me how he’d killed a man—his own father—to save the battered body of his little brother. How he wasn’t sure, even when he was in detention, that Max had survived, and that taking Tiny’s life had meant Max got to live.
He’d lived with that guilt for years, taking the punishment dealt out by the bullies in detention as his penance for what he’d done. He even figured that if Max had died after all, it was his fault for not killing Tiny sooner—for being afraid.
My heart broke, little by little for the boy that was Ryder Knox. His pain was so much more than mine could ever be yet he wasn’t bitter. He had tried all these years to make things right by being a wonderful brother to his new family.
When he got to the part of how he was raped by the older boys, how they were going to kill him that day, on his birthday, how they slashed his face and he nearly lost an eye, I was sobbing uncontrollably. Now it was Ryder soothing me, telling me softly that everything was OK.
His story continued. He told me how Cobra and Razor had saved him. How, if it weren’t for them, he wouldn’t be here today. I sent up a silent thank you to the gods for sending the Malone brothers into the bathroom for a pee that day, just in time to save Ryder from an agonizing end.
My fingers stroked lightly over the scar on his face. Even though it had faded over the years, the physical scar was nothing like the deep internal scar that stayed with Ryder. I reached up and kissed his brow on the spot where the scar had parted the skin and never completely knitted together again. It was even more endearing now that I finally understood where he had gotten it. It wasn’t from a fight, or from him being a rough-necked bully as I’d assumed when I first noticed it. No, it was inflicted on a young boy that should never have lived through shit like that.
Shame washed over me. I had judged Ryder on that first day without knowing his story. How quick we were, as humans, to think the worst of one another, never giving someone a chance to prove us wrong. So wrapped in our own egos that we couldn’t recognize a fellow human’s pain. So quick to jump to incorrect conclusions.
“Ryder, I'm so sorry. I had no idea how much pain you went through,” I whispered.
He let out a long, slow breath. “It’s nothing compared to the pain that is waiting for me.”
I held his cheeks between my palms, staring at his face. His eyes were hooded; I couldn’t see in the darkness. Fear gripped my heart. Something was coming that I wasn’t going to like.
“Baby, I came tonight to say goodbye.”
“No. Please—”
He placed a finger over my lips. “Hush, Princess. You must be strong. For both of us.”
“Why, Ryder? Are you going away?” My breath hitched. “Don’t you want me?” My bottom lip started to quiver as I fought back the tears. I’d just worked out that the feeling I’d felt was indeed love. Yes, I loved Ryder. With all my heart. My heart, body, and soul belonged to him. And now he was ending it. It was as if he had stabbed me with a knife and was twisting it in my heart, killing me slowly.
“Baby,” he rumbled from deep in his chest, “I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life. More than the fucking air I breathe. But it can't work between us. You warned me from the start, and you were right. I know that now. Too many people are going to get hurt, including you. I can't do that to you.”
“No Ryder, you’re wrong. I’ll hurt more if you leave me now. I’m not beyond begging, I’ll do what—”
His lips swallowed my words. Why did it feel like it was the last kiss I’d ever get from his mouth? Panic swept through me as I poured every atom of love into my kiss, hoping to God that he’d understand how much I needed him. How much I loved him.
“I’m a worthless piece of shit. I’ve told you my story, so now you know. I'm a criminal—a killer, babe.” His voice dipped as he spoke the words. He was fighting for control. “I can never be worthy of you. I can never give you the life you deserve. As much as I hate the thought of you with Marcus, your parents are right. He is the best man for you. He can give you everything you need that I can’t.”
“You’re wrong. So wrong. Marcus can never give me what I need or want. I want you, Ryder.”
“Princess. You deserve so much more. Everyone is right. Even Harrison. I'm not good enough for you. And being with you places your life in danger. There are people who want to kill me. Well, after tonight, I’ll be an empty shell, so they can give it their best shot. But I will never place your life in danger. I just won't.”
“I'm begging you, Ryder. Please don’t do this . . .”
He grabbed my arms and shook me. “Do you think I want to do this? Fuck, now I’ve found what I’ve been looking for all my fucking life? Do you have any idea how hard this is?”
He let go of me so suddenly that I fell back against the pillows as he jumped off the bed. He grabbed his jeans and pulled them on, his jaw clenched with determination.
“I’ve been grappling with this for fucking days now. Since the night your brother came to the compound. Since Cobra told me to let you go. Fighting every instinct in my body to run away with you.”
“Yes. Yes, let’s do that. Fuck everything. Lets run away,” I said, hope grabbing hold of me for the first time since he’d said the word goodbye.
He laughed, a bitter, sad laugh. “Oh, Princess. And after a while, when you grow tired of me? When I can't give you everything you deserve? What then? You will grow to despise me—even hate me.” Like a lion in a cage, he paced the room. I held my breath, watching him get a grip on his emotions. He stood in front of the window, staring out into the darkness. With his back turned to me, it was hard to know what he was thinking. My heart ached for him. And for me. How could I make him believe that all I wanted was him?
His voice floated across the room. “It’s better this way. We’re from different worlds, and they can never intercept one another. Trust me on this—its best to say goodbye.”
The bed dipped as he sat on the edge to pull on his socks. I crawled to the end of the mattress wrapping my arms around his torso, hugging him from behind. My heart was breaking, but there was nothing I could do to stop him. I knew he was stubborn. Tenacious. The more I begged, the more he’d be certain it was the right thing to do.
“Baby, I’ll let you go because I know you’re struggling with this. And you won't be ready to accept my love till you’ve figured it out. I love you Ryder.” I stroked his chest with my fingertips.
“I'm no good for you.” he murmured.
“You, Ryder Knox, are a brave man. You were a fearless boy who grew up to be a spectacular man. A man worthy of love and happiness. And certainly worthy of my love.” Pressing my palm against his heart, I could feel it beating wild and fast.
I had to convince him that I wasn’t judging him. “Your heart is good, because even though you did terrible things, your intentions were right. If placed in the same position, anyone who loved their brother as much as you do would’ve done the same.”
His gruff voice had a hard edge. “I killed a man.”
How could I melt his resolve? I let out a long slow breath, steadying my nerves as I continued. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Often, we are our own worst enemy.” I closed my eyes and placed my cheek on his back. “We’re hardest on ourselves. Even when others are willing to forgive us, we still beat ourselves up. It’s human nature.”
“Bitch, you don’t know what you’re saying.” His voice was hard, cold, even. I knew he was hurting so badly that he needed to put up this front.
“It’s OK, Ryder. You can pretend you don’t love me, but I know better. You’re just trying to protect me. It’s what you do best. And I love you even more for it. I believe in you.”
He sucked in a breath.
“I know we can make it work. All we need is love, and one another. I need nothing more than that. I don’t need material stuff. I need the love of a man who worships me. That’s what I want. You, Ryder.”
He stiffened. Although he wasn’t saying a word, I prayed that he was taking it all in. He had to know how I felt about him, especially after divulging his past. He was damaged, and I wanted to help him heal. I'd spend the rest of my life helping him mend.
“I'm not giving up on you. Ever. Take the time you need, go ride your bike to wherever.” Was I really telling him to go away? It was the last thing I wanted him to do. I sighed, weariness overcoming me. If only he wasn’t so stubborn.
“Listen to your heart. It never lies. It knows all the answers. We were brought to one another for a reason—our worlds collided because we belong together. I love you, Ryder Knox. Everything you are—the good and the bad. I want nothing more—only your love. When you’re ready, I’ll be here. Because I’m never giving up on us.”
He loosened my arms from around his waist and rose from the bed. He stood over me, looking down, his gaze drifting over my naked body—the body he had just fucked and was now rejecting.
His eyes were hard. “Princess. You’re wrong. I don’t love you. You're a good fuck, I’ll admit that much.” His lips pulled into a snarl. “But I tire quickly of fucking the same woman. You were nothing more than a challenge. I needed to break that haughty uptight bitch down to size. Now I’ve done that, I'm satisfied.” He licked his lips.
All I could do, was stare at him, stunned. My blood ran cold.
“Go marry Marcus. He’s what a bitch like you deserves. I’m out of here. Thanks for the fuck tonight, I’ll put your notch on my bedpost.”
How could he be so cruel? The stabbing pain in my heart was unbearable. I clutched the sheets in my fists, recoiling from his words.
He laughed bitterly as he pulled his tee over his head and disappeared from my bedroom, the same way as he had appeared. Unexpectedly.
If Ryder’s intention was to shred my heart as payback for judging him, he’d done a damn fine job of it.
I was broken. Empty. Shattered.
By Ryder Knox—the man I loved with all my heart.
How fucked up was that?
