Three Strikes (Demons Disciples MC Book 1)

by Allana Walker

  “Bowling is my game. Emily did warn you.”

  “I will beat you at bowling, even if it takes me years.” She shakes her head, laughing a little. “What’s something you have always dreamed of doing and why haven’t you done it?”

  “Owning my own performing arts studio. I haven’t done it through fear.”

  “Fear of what?”

  “I’ve always had it drummed into me from a very early age that I should have a proper career.” She uses air quotes when saying proper, rolling her eyes. “I was told a lawyer is what we Denvers are supposed to do. My dancing and singing dream got pushed to the back of my mind.”

  “You can still do it, Daria.” I take her hand in mine, running my thumb across her knuckles.

  “Maybe.” She shrugs, draining her wine. “Top five all-time favorite movies?”

  “Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Episode IV: New hope, Scar Face and Ace Ventura,” I say without hesitation.

  “Star Wars?” She scrunches up her nose.

  “Please don’t tell me you hate Star Wars? I would hate to not see you again because of that.”

  “Never seen them.” She shrugs casually, and my jaw drops to the floor.

  “Any of them?”

  “Nope. Never had the desire to watch them.”

  “Well, we will be watching them at some point in the near future,” I tell her. “What’s yours?”

  “Liar, Liar, Ace Ventura, The Mask, The Sound of Music and Scar Face.”

  “Jim Carrey fan?” I smirk.

  “A little.” She giggles. “He’s hilarious, and his movies have gotten me through some of my downward spirals when Jake or Jess haven’t been there to help me.”

  “I have one more question.” I clear my throat. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

  A slow, shy, sexy smile creeps up on her lips the same time as the pink tint on her cheeks. “Yes.”

  I lift her hand up and kiss her knuckles. “Do you want dessert?” I ask, hoping she says no. I want to get her home and rip those clothes off of her.

  “No. I’m full.” Her eyes darken, and she bites the corner of her lip. I call the waiter over and ask for the bill.

  “Not too full, I hope?”

  She slowly shakes her head as her foot rides up the inside of my leg. Shit, Greg better hurry up with that bill.

  “The letter wasn't of any importance,” she blurts out while we wait on the bill. We've had a great night getting to know one another better, but I know she knows this has been niggling at the back of my mind since we left her house.

  “Why did you snatch it then?”

  “It was from my stepmom.”

  “What happened with her?” Looking down, she plays with her napkin on her lap. “Baby?”

  When she looks up, I wish I had never asked. Her eyes glaze over. She looks so sad, like when she lost her grandpa.

  “I never knew what it was like to have a loving mom growing up.” Her hazel eyes gaze down again.

  Reaching over the table, I take her hand in mine. “You don't have to tell me, Daria. I was just curious about what made you into this strong woman.”

  “No. I need to tell you it all. I need to let you know why I don't like being controlled and why I find it hard to accept compliments.”

  “Baby.” I lift her chin to make her look me in the eye. “I just need to say one thing before you start.”

  She looks at me expectantly. Fuck, she's gorgeous.

  “Striker.”

  I shake my head of the images of us later tonight. “Sorry. I love you. I will always love you. Nothing in this world will ever stop me from loving you. Your soul is entwined with mine forever.” A tear rolls down her face. I catch it with my thumb. “Baby, don't cry. There'll never be a day that goes by that I won't show you how much you mean to me.”

  “See, this is what I'm talking about, Striker. All this love and these compliments are a lot for me to take in.”

  “Well, I suggest you get used to it because I'm never gonna stop.” I grin at her as she rolls her eyes.

  “Can we go? I don't want to talk about this here.”

  After paying the bill, we make our way back to Daria's place.

  “Do you want a drink?” She walks to the kitchen.

  “Whatever you have.” I sit in the living room, waiting for her. I look around and see pictures of her and Emily through the years. Feelings of sadness course through me because I missed all those pinnacle years. Her first smile, her first steps, her first word. I will forever try to make up for those years.

  “Here.” Daria walks back through, handing me a beer.

  “Thanks.”

  After a few moments of silence, she begins to speak.

  “Growing up, all I knew was schedules and how just one bite of a cookie would put on fifty pounds.” My brow creases, confused as hell. “My stepmom, Denise. She controlled my whole life, right down to who I was going to marry.” I take a drink of my beer because I know who she’s going to say. “Little did I know that she was in an alliance with Jake’s mom. They planned it all, right down to what our wedding would look like and when we were to have kids.

  “Denise is the only mom I knew, and I loved her. Everything I did, I did for her to show me some love, to show that she actually cared for me.” She wipes a lone tear falling down her cheek. “My dad was oblivious to it all. He thought I wanted to do all the classes I was signed up for. What fifteen-year-old wants to get up at five in the morning to work out for two hours, then go to a dance class for the best part of their weekend? I was banned from going to Jess’ house because Mom said she was a bad influence on me and that her mom just fed me too much, making me put on weight.” Listening to her telling me about her past and the things her stepmom put her through breaks my heart and makes my blood boil so much that I want to kill the bitch. “I never had a birthday party, or even celebrated my birthday. We were always at some benefit or whatever. She manipulated my dad so much that he had to sneak me my birthday presents. Jess actually tried to convince me to move in her house with her just to get me away from Denise. She hated the way she treated me, and my dad for letting it happen.” Now her attitude towards him makes sense. “I couldn’t leave my dad. He gave up so much for me. He was seventeen when my mom—my real mom—left me on his doorstep. He never once gave up on me. Not until I got pregnant with Emily.” I can see in her eyes that even after ten years it still cuts her up thinking about it, and it makes me want to go see Mr. Denver and kick his ass. “Denise fed me diet pills since I hit puberty, told me I was fat, I was ugly, and no one would want a fat slob as a wife. Every day she made me feel like I was nothing. She had to put up with me because of Dad. He and I came as one package. I vowed every morning and night that I would never ever treat my son or daughter the way she treated me. In came Jake.” A small smile tugs at her lips when she mentions his name. “Jake and I grew up together. We were friends before, summer vacations together, spent holidays with both our families. We put up with each other because his parents were friends with my parents. But I guess we really hit it off at a benefit when we were forced into a date by our mothers. I overheard him on the phone to his mom saying he had me falling for him. That’s when I started to rebel and went to the clubhouse with Jess.” She risks a shy look at me. “I saw this brooding God of a man with the brightest, most intense blue eyes staring a hole through me. He scared the shit out of me but made my heart skip a beat.” Another little smile appears on her lips.

  “I drank too much and wandered down the corridors looking for Jess, but every room I looked in made me never want to open another door in my life. I was about to turn and leave when someone pushed me against the wall and started kissing me. His hand…” She stops, swallowing before continuing. “His hand roamed my body and he was trying to unbutton my pants. I couldn’t move. My body was pinned against the wall. I can still smell the alcohol and his cologne.” Her nose scr
unches up as if smelling a foul smell. I need to find out who the fuck did this and fuck him up. “Someone pulled him off me, I can’t remember who, but I thank him every day in my prayers that he did, otherwise I dread to think what would have happened. The first door I came to, I ran in. And there you were. I thought for sure you were going to kill me that night. But the way you looked at me, the way you took control, I had to have you.” She looks me in the eye. “Telling my parents I was pregnant was the beginning of the end for me. Dad was so disappointed in me. Denise basically called me a slut and disowned me. Jake took the rap for getting me pregnant. Took on the role of bringing up a child that wasn’t his, all because he loved me and didn’t want me to be alone in this at seventeen.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I tired, remember? I’m still not telling you who.” She shakes her head. “We were forced to get married earlier than Denise and his mom had planned and bought this house, then the rest is history, as they say.”

  “But your dad? Why didn’t he try to help you?”

  “Oh, he did. He came by to tell me he had a lady who was desperate for kids who could take my baby. I was so mad after the argument that that’s the night I went into labor.”

  “So, your real mom? Do you know anything about her?” I want to help her find her real mom, but I need something to go on.

  “No, nothing. Dad is very secretive about it all. I don’t have a name, or even a description of her. I want to know where I come from, to try and understand why she gave me up. I just want a loving mom who doesn’t want to control my every move.” The tears start to fall thick and fast. Pulling her to me, I hug her to try to fuse back all the broken pieces.

  “I will help you as much as I can, baby. Talk to your dad. Try to get something, anything from him we can work on.”

  “You would do that?” Sniffing, she looks up at me with glazed hazel eyes.

  “Of course. I would do anything for you. I love you.”

  I will show her every day that she is worthy of this love and everything that comes with it.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Daria

  It’s been a week since Striker and I had our first official date and I have been on cloud nine ever since. Even Jake Snr. noticed the difference in me when I walked in to work.

  I’m meeting Dad for coffee today, making good on my promise to Grandpa, and for Emily’s sake too. Walking into the café, I look around and see dad sitting in the corner window seat, staring outside, watching people going about their day. Part of me wants to run back out that door and never look back, but the other part wants to sit down and see what he has to say and try to resolve all of this. He turns, looking at me with a smile.

  Well, too late to run now.

  I blow out short breaths, trying to gain some sort of control over my breathing. My hand instinctively reaches up to my necklace and rubs it like it’s a genie lamp. I wish a genie would come save me from this. I take a deep breath, close my eyes and focus on the matter at hand. Make up with my dad.

  “Pumpkin.” He stands when I approach the table. He leans in to give me a hug and a kiss on the cheek as he would normally do. My whole body stiffens when his hands land on my shoulder. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” My smile is tight, and he looks down at his feet. “Shall we sit?”

  “Sure.” We sit opposite one another. “Would you like anything to eat?”

  I shake my head, not trusting my voice as the last ten years without my dad choose this moment to steamroll into my brain. I can’t even think of eating anything.

  “Pumpkin, I-” Dad reaches across the table to take my hand but I move it to my lap out of reach. His head falls forward and his shoulders slump further down. “I want to start by saying sorry. I’m sorry for everything. I’m mostly sorry for taking that witch’s side over you.” His lip curls in disgust when he mentions Denise.

  “Sorry doesn’t cut it, Dad.” I shake my head as tear fill my eyes. We’ve only just started this conversation and I’m already crying. I need to get my emotions in check. “Eleven years, Dad. Do you know what I have gone through in those eleven years? Do you have any idea how much I needed you through those years? Even when I was pregnant with Emily, I needed you. I needed your support. You’re supposed to be my dad, the one that always had my back. The one that would stick by me whatever my decision. The same man that said to me I could be anything I wanted to be, not to let anyone tell me I can’t do anything.” I laugh a little and shake my head. “But that was all a lie. You let that bitch tell me what classes I had to take. She made me take those diet pills that you yourself said were dangerous. She even chose my future goddamn husband for Christ’s sake!” My voice raises a few octaves, and I look around when I feel a couple of pairs of eyes on me. I take a deep breath and count to ten.

  “I know, and I will forever regret it all and bringing her into your life.” He averts his gaze down to the table. “I missed out on the most important thing that will ever happen in your life. Becoming a mom. And the day you married Jake, I cried at the thought I would never walk my baby girl down the aisle.”

  “You could have stopped it.”

  “Daria, it wasn’t that simple.” He squeezes his eyes closed, scrubbing his hand over his face. “She had things over me. She threatened me with telling you lies about who your real mom is.”

  “You still could have tried. You didn’t even try, Dad.” Tears pool in my eyes. “I wouldn’t have cared about what she told me about my real mom. I wouldn’t have believed her. But, you know what? I would have had my dad by my side during the scariest part of my whole life.”

  “I can only apologize and try to repair our relationship. I want to look to the future now, and I want you to be in that future, pumpkin. Just please, give me a chance to rectify what I broke.”

  I gaze into his begging eyes, trying to decipher if he is actually telling the truth, but I know in my gut that he’s being genuine and true. My brows furrow.

  “You told me to give up my baby.”

  “I know. I thought it was for the best, I didn’t want you to ruin your life.”

  “What? Like I ruined your life you mean?”

  “I didn’t mean it like that, Daria. I just mean you had your whole life ahead of you.”

  “You did pretty well for yourself.” I remind him of his successful political career and two runs as mayor.

  “I had Grandma and Grandpa’s help.” He looks down, ashamed.

  “I had Jake’s dad and Jess’ parents to help.”

  “Grandpa always told me about you when I visited him.” He smiles. “He told me I should get my head out of my ass and mend the relationship, but I was too stubborn to do it.”

  “I was told the same.”

  “Pumpkin, will you let me at least try to mend us?” He leans in, maintaining strong eye contact. “Please?”

  Inhaling a shaky breath, I nod. “One foot out of turn and I’m gone. There will be no third chance.” I give him a pointed look.

  “I promise.” He nods continuously with a wide grin, like one of those nodding dogs you see in people’s cars. “Can I meet Emily properly?”

  “Properly?” I frown.

  “Yes. I met her briefly when you were in the hospital.”

  “You visited me in the hospital?”

  “Yes. I got my ass handed to me by Jessica, and a black eye.” Tilting my head to the side I furrow my brows. “Striker flew into a rage.”

  “I’m sorry he did that to you.” I smile inwardly when I think of Striker defending my honor.

  “No less than I deserved.” He shrugs a shoulder. “Seeing you lying there, I wanted to kill the asshole who put his hands on you like that. Was it anything to do with Striker?”

  “No, it was an ex-boyfriend.” I narrow my eyes on him. “Striker helped me through my recovery and beyond. He and the other guys are still looking for him.”

  “What? What about the
police? They need to leave it to the professionals.”

  “The police won’t help when it’s one of their own.” His eyebrows rise in shock. “Yeah, so I’m leaving it to Striker to get his hands on him.” I’m not normally one for violence, but I don’t care what happens to Brad when Striker gets his hands on him. He almost killed me and he was the cause of me losing my baby.

  “You’re talking about murder, Daria,” he whisper- shouts at me, his eyes darting around us. “You cannot seriously condone this. I didn’t bring you up to want someone murdered.”

  “He attempted to murder me and killed my baby,” I blurt out, my anger growing the more I think about it. “Yeah, that’s right. I was pregnant and that bastard stabbed me, killing my baby. Mine and Striker’s baby.” He blinks in surprise. “Striker and I are together and I have never felt as calm and as protected as I do when I’m with him.”

  “I’m sorry, pumpkin. I didn’t know you were pregnant.”

  “No-one knew and still don’t know.” My tone is level and void of emotion. “I don’t condone murder, I just want justice for me and my baby.”

  I leave that hanging in the air. My phone beeps alerting me to a message.

  *Meet me at the gym at the clubhouse. I need to show you how to defend yourself. I love you, S xx*

  I stare down at my cell with a wide grin.

  “Is that him?”

  “If by him, you mean Striker, then yes.” I glance up a little to see him nod. “He’s teaching me self-defense.”

  “I’ll be there in an hour. I need to blow off some steam. Love you, too. D xx*

  *I’m sorry, you need to blow me? I’m ready and waiting for you, baby. Xx*

  *You’re such a dork. Xx*

  I place my cell back in my purse. “I need to get back to the office and finish up some paperwork for Jake.”

  “Can we do this again sometime?”

  “Sure. I’ll call you.” I give him an awkward hug and leave to finish what I need to do before meeting Striker.