Ember: Next Gen (Snakes Henchmen MC Book 12)

by Alivia Grayson

  “It’s just scary being here with you.”

  “If you don’t want me to go in there, I won’t.”

  I cup Marco’s face and smile. “Of course, I want you to come in there with me. I’m proud of you, Marco, and I want them all to know he’s mine. I’ve just never brought a man to the clubhouse before.”

  “I’m your first, huh?” He wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me against him, and waggling his eyebrows.

  I laugh and nod my head before kissing him swiftly. “Come on, let’s get inside.” I take Marco’s hand and lead him inside the clubhouse. It’s packed out, and it seems as though almost everyone is here.

  “Ember!” Oh god. I laugh out loud and embrace the people I grew up with. It’s so good to see them all.

  “Let me see my granddaughter!”

  “Grandma!” I rush into my grandmother’s arms, I’ve missed her so much.

  “Baby girl, it’s so good to see you.” Lynette takes my face in her hands the way grandmother’s do, and I can’t help laughing.

  “It’s good to see you too, grandma.”

  “Ember!” I laugh excitedly when my grandfather lifts me into his arms. He’s a strong man in his early seventies - the once-proud president of this club. Shepard is a kind and loving, if not dangerous, man.

  Shepard sets me on my feet with a kiss to my head. I turn and grab Marco’s hand. I feel awful that I just forgot about him for a second there.

  “Grandma, Grandpa, this is Marco. The man I love.”

  Marco smiles at me before holding his hand out to my grandfather, who takes it and shakes his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, sir, ma’am. I’ve heard a lot about you both.” He smiles at my grandma and shakes her hand too.

  “It’s nice to meet you, too. We’ve heard a lot about you, on TV, in magazines.” My grandfather winks at me. “You’ve not met Ember’s mother yet. She’ll be here shortly.”

  “I’m looking forward to meeting her.”

  “Let’s get you a drink. Boys and girls, Ember is home!”

  There’s so much cheering; it’s deafening, but Marco is showing no signs of being uncomfortable. His face says it all; he’s happy to be here with me.

  I haven’t yet spoken to Marco about the people my family is. I never seem to find the right moment, but I know that he’s not stupid, he’s heard the stories as much as everyone else has. He hasn’t once brought it up with me, in any case. Perhaps he’s not sure how to either.

  Don’t leave it too long, Ember. You know the things that happen here, and you don’t want your man to find out the hard way.

  I’m embraced by everyone, my uncles, aunts, cousins, and everyone loves Marco. Everyone is telling us how much they love the song, and how they can’t wait for the video. They want to know everything about our relationship and if it’s as real as it looks on TV.

  “Of course, it is,” Phoenix smirks. “You can see just by looking at them. It’s sickening,” She winks at me, making me laugh.

  “What can I say,” I squeeze Marco’s hand, and he winks at me. “I love him more than I could say.”

  Marco kisses me, not caring that everyone is watching. “I love you, too.”

  “You two are so cute!” I laugh at Ava as she hugs me.

  I’ve missed home and my friends more than I realized. I love what I do, but there’s no place like home.

  “Ember? Can we talk?” I spin on the spot to face the traitorous bitch who was once my best friend.

  What the fuck does she want?

  I deliberately avoided Lydia when I walked in here. I knew she was there; I could see her from the corner of my eye. But I made sure not to lock eyes with her or Toby. I had hoped Lydia would have the decency to realize that I don’t want her here.

  How dare she come over here and approach me like this?

  How dare she talk to me?

  I have nothing to say to this bitch. I didn’t attend her damn wedding, didn’t that tell her that our friendship is over? More than twenty years of friendship down the drain over a man.

  Hell, it’s not just over a man, it’s everything, the lies, the promises. The cowardly way they snuck around on me and the thinking so little of me that they’d do what they did without a second thought to what it would do to me. Neither of them realizes just how much they hurt me by doing what they did.

  Lydia threw our friendship away like it was nothing, and I can’t believe she doesn’t see what she’s done wrong.

  “We have nothing to talk about. Don’t make a scene here, Lydia, I’m sure you wouldn’t want these people finding out the truth.” Even though I have no doubt, they all know by now.

  “Please, Em.” Big tears pool in her big brown eyes.

  I grind my teeth together, my hand gripping Marco’s tighter. It must feel like the bones in his fingers are about to break, but he doesn’t make a fuss, just calmly strokes his thumb over my hand.

  Then I see Lydia stroking her swollen belly, swollen with Toby’s baby, and I feel sick.

  “You and I are not friends, Lydia. You saw to that!”

  “But, I miss you.” She sucks back a sob. Toby clasps her head and kisses her temple tenderly, and my blood boils.

  “Well, I don’t miss you. You are not part of my life anymore, and you never will be again!”

  “Baby,” Marco breathes in my ear. I lean into him. I need him to keep me grounded; he centers me. “Don’t do this right now. They know what they did, and I know it hurt you badly, but you’re with me now. We’re happy, right?”

  I smile in his direction while turning my body to press against his. “Yes, we’re happy.”

  Marco slides his hand against my face. “You’re only home for a few days. Don’t spend them arguing with these people.”

  He’s right; there is no point to it because it’s over now. I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to forgive Lydia and Toby, but I will put it all behind me, without them in my life.

  Yes, it hurts, badly that I’ve lost my best friend - my best friend in the whole world. But I hope she has a nice life with Toby. I hope for only good things for them. I pray everything goes well with the baby, but we can never again be friends. I know that much.

  No real friend would hurt another the way Lydia hurt me.

  “I love you, Marco.”

  His face lights up as he tells me, “I love you, too, beautiful. Now,” He turns to Lydia and Toby. I can’t even look at them anymore. “I think you should respect Ember’s wishes and leave her alone for the remained of the time she’s here.”

  “I’m sorry for everything, Em. I swear to God, I never meant to hurt you. I love you, and I hope one day you can forgive me.”

  I don’t say anything in response to Lydia. There’s nothing for me to say.

  “There’s my little girl!”

  “Daddy!” I squeal and run into his arms. I’ve been waiting for him to arrive with my mother. I’ve missed him so much. “I’ve missed you!”

  “I’ve missed you, too, princess.” Planting a kiss on my head, he holds his hand out to Marco. “Good to see you again, Marco.”

  “Good to see you, too, Tank.”

  I love how well they get on. Sure, they have only met once, but Marco won my dad over after taking everything he had to say. Even the threats of what he’d do to him should Marco hurt daddy’s little girl, which I didn’t know about until a few weeks ago. While I went to the bathroom before we left that day, my dad threatened Marco with death if he ever hurt me. I wasn’t angry; I know my dad only said those things because he loves me and wants what’s best for me.

  I also know that Tank knows how much Marco and I love each other. God, Marco, and I have made some beautiful memories; in the time we’ve been together. All the times we’ve sat on the roof of whichever hotel we’re staying at just to watch the sunrise. The way he holds me between his legs, my back against his chest, his arms around me, and wrapped in a blanket. Those are the times I cherish.

  I’ve made more good memories
with Marco in three months than I ever did with Toby.

  We have such hectic schedules, and since we’re about to head out for our European tour, I know we’re not going to have much time for anything but singing. We won’t even sleep very much, so any time we do get to spend alone, Marco and I will make the most of it.

  “Mom!” We both squeal as I embrace her. “This is Marco. I’m so glad you’re finally meeting him!”

  “Marco,” My mom shakes his hand. “It’s good to finally meet the man who’s stolen my daughter’s heart.”

  “She stole mine long before she gave me hers.” He chuckles, and the rest of the evening goes perfectly. Eagle arrives, and Marco and my brother talk as if they’ve been friends for years.

  Ignoring Lydia and Toby is easy, especially when they finally get the hint and leave.

  Marco and I laugh with my family, tell stories, get drunk. I know deep in my heart that they’ve all accepted my man, they’re all happy for me, and that’s all I could ask for. I’m even more grateful for the fact that Marco has accepted my family for who they are.

  Life is pretty damn good right now.

  You deserve it, Ember. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Marco

  “Mom, for the love of all that is holy, let go of me.” I chuckle around the words.

  “I’ve missed you,” I smile as my mother repeatedly kisses my cheek.

  “Let the boy go, Carol,” My father, Nic, rolls his eyes with a smile on his face. “Come on through,”

  I follow my parents into their living room, where my family is waiting to greet me.

  When I left Ember this evening, I didn’t realize how much I’d instantly miss her. I know I’ll be seeing her in a couple of days, but we’ve been together every day for three months. It feels strange not having her here with me.

  I can’t wait to call Ember tonight just so that I can hear her voice. That and I want to tell her at least eight times that I love her.

  “So,” Rhea, my older sister, smiles in my direction as I take a seat beside my mother on the couch. My sister is here with her husband, Dave, and their five-year-old son, Macaulay. My nephew is very opinionated, like his mother, but I love the little monster. He jumped into my arms the moment I walked through the door, telling me how much he’d missed me.

  My older brother, Jud, and his wife, Callie, are here. They don’t have any children as of yet, but Callie recently found out that she’s pregnant with their first child. Naturally, Jud is over the moon. They’ve been together for almost eighteen years, and they’d all but given up hope of ever having children.

  “So,” I repeat. “What is it you want to know?” I don’t know why I asked when I see what they’re all itching to ask.

  “Tell your old Nana about your young lady.”

  I chuckle at my grandmother, she’s to the point, as ever.

  Mary Lane, my mother’s mother, is eighty-seven years of age, and the nicest woman to ever walk this earth.

  Mary lost her first husband to cancer when they were both just twenty-two. Three years later, she met and married my grandfather, Tom. They were blessed with a daughter a year into their marriage, three years after that, my mother arrived. Though Mary made no secret of the fact she would always love her first husband, she loved my grandfather so well. They were the best of friends, they adored each other, and they spent sixty incredible years together.

  However, my grandfather died two years ago, and Mary lost a little bit of her fiery spark. Mom was worried about leaving Mary alone without Tom, and so begged my father to allow Mary to move in with them.

  I remember how my father chuckled and told my mother that she never had to beg. So, Mom and Dad brought Mary to live with them. She’s still spritely for a woman of her age, still drives her car, and even meets up with friends when the mood takes her.

  Mary is like a second mother to all twelve of her grandchildren. At Christmastime, when the whole family is together, Mary is in her element. My aunt and uncle always arrive on Christmas Eve with all nine of their children, their spouses, fifteen grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, and the contentment on Mary’s face is evident.

  We’re a close-knit family. Dad has eight brothers and one sister; he’s the third eldest and is close to each sibling. We rarely have Dad’s side of the family all in one place; there are just too many of them. But when we do, along with Mom’s side of the family, the night never ends. The Russo’s are party people.

  As close as Mary is with everyone, it’s with me that she has the closet bond. As a child, I would beg my parents to let me stay over with my grandparents. Mary would sit with me, and she’d read me stories, and I’d always be laughing. She’s a special lady, and I owe her a lot.

  “Well, Ember is a member of the band, Nana.”

  She rolls her eyes and smiles. “I’m eighty-seven, Marco, that doesn’t mean I’m senile.” I laugh. “What I want to know is how my beautiful grandson and his young lady fell in love.”

  I smile while explaining to my family how Ember came into my life, and how she had me falling in love with her so fast, my feet didn’t touch the ground.

  Everyone stares at me as I explain what Ember’s love has done for me, and how she’s changed me, and even how she helped me put behind me what Sasha did.

  Ember has changed my whole outlook on life, and every second that ticks by, I fall more in love with her.

  “It might sound crazy, but Ember saved me,” No one has taken their eyes off of me yet. It makes me a little uncomfortable, so I shift in my seat. “She saved me from myself,”

  My family knows of the mess I was getting myself into with the drugs, drink, and women. Each one of them tried to get through to me at some point in time. Not one of them was ever able to.

  I respect the hell out of my family, but I was lost for a long time. I didn’t know how to get myself out of the slump I’d found myself in, and nothing matter other than getting out of my head.

  When I met Ember, my whole life changed. The darkness in me receded, and I was filled with light.

  You sound like a damn love song, Marco.

  I don’t care how I sound, that girl is the light, and I’ll always love her for what she’s given me. On the ride over here, I wrote a song about Ember and my love for her. I’m going to put it to the others and see how they like it, but even I have to admit it’s good.

  You can be a bigheaded asshole sometimes, Marco.

  “She sounds wonderful, Marco. I know she’s beautiful, I’ve seen the pictures of the two of you together,” Not to mention I’ve sent dozens home. “But when can I meet her?”

  “Soon, Nana, soon,”

  * * *

  After dinner, I sit on the porch with my brother. We’re both drinking beer, but I’ll only have one, much to my brother’s amusement.

  “You’re not the same man who left us three months ago. I thought the life of a rockstar would change you for the worst.”

  I stare at Jud for a moment. My brother is eight years my senior, and he’s the total opposite of me. Jud is a couple of inches shorter than I am, he’s stockier, and is way more serious about life. Jud looks like Mom, and I look like Dad, Rhea also does. Jud worked hard all his life to become the heart surgeon he is today. Rhea owns her own real estate company, and Mom and Dad own a construction company. Of course, I’m the odd one out with my music.

  Jud has never made a secret of the fact that he believed I was chasing a pipe dream. He wanted to give up my dream and become a doctor like him. Jud told me that going to college for a degree in music was not only a waste of money but my time and how I’d never make a living out of it.

  It was Mom who finally asked Jud to back off. It was my choice what I did with my life, not my brother’s. Jud was not happy and accused Mom of babying me too much. Rhea is seven years my senior, so of course, agreed with Jus.

  The two of them acted as though I didn’t work just as hard as they did. Not tha
t I wanted to work in construction, but I had to earn money somehow. Working for Dad meant I was earning the money I needed to fund the band. Nothing would ever stop me playing my music, and I would have done anything to it took to make my dream come true.

  I may not have enjoyed working for my father, but the pay was great. I earned enough to buy my own house and fund the band’s journey to stardom.

  “Say it like it is,” I raise my eyebrow. “Come on, Jud, don’t hold back.”

  Jud laughs behind a swing of his beer. “Marco, I’m not bashing you,” That would make a change. “I know I’ve given you a hard time about your music in the past. I haven’t always been on board with your dream,”

  “Never, Jud. You’ve never been on board with my dream.”

  Jud nods in agreement. “I just wanted you to do something constructive with your life, Marco. I know I’ve never been easy on you, but you hardly made life easy for any of us.”

  I chuckle because he’s right. I was a nightmare kid, and I got myself into a fair few scrapes over the years. I even got brought home by the sheriff once or twice.

  “Regardless, you proved me wrong, Marco.” I blink once. I wasn’t expecting my brother to admit that he was wrong. Probably because he never has in the past. “You were right about your music, and you’ve made us all proud.” He clasps my shoulder. “I’m proud of you, little brother.”

  “Thank you, that means a lot to me.”

  “So, your girl’s comin’ to stay,”

  I nod my head at Jud. “Ember will be here Saturday. I can’t believe how much I miss her, Jud.”

  “I know how that feels,” Jud chuckles and shakes his head.

  “I want to marry her, Jud.” It shot out of my mouth before I even though about what I was saying. The look on my brother’s face is one of utter shock. However, I won’t take back what I said. I won’t because I realize that making Ember my wife is all I want.

  I can see Ember in my mind’s eye, walking along the makeshift aisle of our outdoor wedding. She’s walking toward me with a smile on her face, wearing a slim fitted, ivory, lace-trimmed, strapless wedding dress. Her hair is curled and clipped behind her head with diamond pins. The smile of love on Ember’s face makes me fall deeper in love with the woman who is, without a doubt, the love of my life. She takes my hand, and I shed a tear to know this beautiful woman is about to become my wife.