"The baby, Kiwi?" I inquire but fear I already know the answer.
"Luna Novak. Born May 11, 1993, to Amelia Novak. There is no father listed on the birth certificate."
"She's my daughter, isn't she?" Neil asks, and I can't do anything but look at him because God helps us, I think Neil is Luna's father.
"Luna's mine isn't she!" This time Neil bellows his face full of rage. Picking the glass bottle up off the table, he spins around and hurls it across the room, hitting the wall where it shatters into a million pieces. My former commander loses all composure as he grabs the edge of the table in front of us and flips it over. "I'm going to kill that motherfucker! That piece of shit father of hers didn't tell me I had a daughter!" Neil picks the chair up, but before he gets a chance to throw it, Wick tackles him to the floor to restrain our former commander which is no easy task considering Neil is 6' 2" and 260 pounds of solid muscle. At the age of fifty, he can still handle his own; as Wick is finding out. Just then, Fender bursts through the clubhouse door.
"It's alright, brother. The Commander was just lettin' off some steam, and rightly so." Fender nods but doesn't leave.
"I'm cool now, LeBlanc," Neil grits out. He's still pissed but has his shit under control. I give Wick the signal to let him up. Once both men have picked themselves up off the floor, Neil brushes past me and out of the clubhouse.
"Fuck, brother. I didn't see that shit comin'," Wick mutters wiping the blood from his bottom lip. Neil must have gotten a lick in. "Think he's cooled down enough?"
"Only one way to find out. That's if he's still here and not on his way back to Arizona to hunt down the motherfucker who didn't tell him he had a kid." Wick and I walk out of the clubhouse to find Neil sitting in a chair just outside the door with his head in his hands. I can't begin to understand what it is like to find out you have a kid you never knew about — a grown one at that. Wick nor I say a word as we come to stand beside our friend. He is the first to break the silence. "Riggs, tell me where my daughter has been the last twenty-six years."
"You sure you're ready to know that?"
Neil looks up at me his face full of anguish. "I need to know."
"Luna grew up in the system. I'm sure I don't need to tell you what that was like. I won't tell you the details because Luna has told me her story in confidence, but I will say it nearly destroyed her. My woman is strong, though, and she made it."
"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck," Neil repeats as he stands and begins to pace back and forth in front of me. "My kid went her whole life thinking she wasn't wanted; that she didn't have a family." Neil stops in front of me. "I would have taken her had I known, LeBlanc. She is my daughter, and I would have given her the life she deserved. She may not have had her mother, but she would have had a father who would have given her the world and two grandparents who would have adored her."
"I know what kind of man you are, Commander. This shit is not on you."
"Isn't it? Had I found out back then what happened to Amelia instead of trying to forget, I could have easily found out I had a daughter. I can't lay all the blame on her old man. Though the motherfucker is still going to get what's coming to him."
Neil regards me for a beat. "I want to speak to my daughter."
"With all due respect, that's not happenin' until I talk with her."
Neil goes to protest, but I cut him off. "When we drop this bomb in Luna's lap, that shit is going to explode, Commander. My woman has been through hell and back the past couple of months. She's hardly gotten over those pussies Savage Outlaw kidnapping her, and now we're about to unload a whole new kind of hurt on her."
"You telling me that club you had me check on kidnapped my daughter?" Neil fumes.
"We're not discussing details out here, Commander." I turn to Wick. "Call the brothers. I want them here in ten. I'm callin' church." I turn my attention back to Neil. "We don't normally bring outsiders into the fold, but considering I asked you to check out Savage and the fact it's lookin' like Luna is your daughter, I'll make an exception. We're going to find out what you dug up on Savage Outlaw; then we will deal with telling her about you."
Fifteen minutes later, after checking in with Everest on how Luna is doing, I slam the gavel starting church. "Let me start by introducing you all to the man sittin' at my left. This is my former Commander Neil Bryant. He's been helping the club look into Savage Outlaw. And thirty minutes ago, it was revealed Neil might be Luna's father." As expected, several shocked faces stare back at me. "My woman doesn't know that shit yet, so I expect everyone to keep their mouths shut until Neil and I have had a chance to talk to her. Right now, our focus is on Rex. Before I give Neil the floor, I'm going to catch him up to speed." I take a seat, swipe my cigarettes laying on the table in front of me and light one. I turn my attention toward Neil. "When I called you askin' for a favor I didn't divulge details on why my club is after Savage. A few months ago, Luna started seeing the President of Savage Outlaw. The dickhead's name is Rex. Long story short, she didn't know what kind of man she had tangled herself up with. Luna witnessed Rex kill a man. Rex and his brother beat the shit out of her and left her for dead on the side of the road. Luna later woke up in the hospital. Then word got out she was alive. Rex and his club were gunnin' for her, so she had to go into protective custody. In the end, Savage found the safe house she was held up in and eventually found her in Polson where she was staying with The Kings Montana Chapter. Jake, The Kings founding President, called me up, askin' me if I would be willin' to take Luna out of Polson. We ended up killin' all those motherfuckers who were hidin' out in a nearby town, even took out Rex's brother, Pike. But before he was finished off, he confessed Rex had been let out of jail and was comin' for Luna," I covey.
"I can tell you right now Rex will not be getting his hands on my daughter," Neil promises with venom in his tone.
"Then we're on the same page. Now, we need you to tell us what you dug up on his club."
Neil nods. "Savage Outlaw has been around for roughly six years. Their former President was Rex's father. Someone killed him the second year the club was in operation. Drug trade went bad. Their club has doubled crossed pretty much everyone they have worked with. They are burnin' bridges left, and right so if you were worried about a fallout with any of the club's connection there wouldn't be any. I don't foresee one damn organization coming to Savage Outlaw's defense. The club is more of a nuisance."
"What all do they deal in?" I ask.
"Drugs, weapons, and prostitution. Rex has a reputation for picking up a beautiful young woman, dating them for a while, then turning them out."
My stomach clenches and rage radiates through my body. "He was plannin' on pimpin' out Luna," I state.
"I'd put money on it," Neil agrees. "He forces women to take drugs to get them addicted. They eventually comply with allowing men to use their bodies in exchange for their next fix."
"Let's keep this tidbit of information to ourselves for now. Luna has enough on her plate as it is. I'm not adding to it by telling her Rex had planned on turnin' her into a sex slave." Leaning back in my chair, I close my eyes, take a long drag of my cigarette, and try to wrap my head around what Neil just told us.
"What's the plan, Prez?" Nova pipes up.
I sit forward and eye Neil. "You plan on stickin' around awhile, Commander?"
"I'm staying wherever my daughter is. I'm not going anywhere."
"The club is going after Rex and Savage Outlaw. Are you in?"
"You know you don't even have to ask."
I nod and turn to Wick. "Get a plan together. Call Tequila. We'll be needing a pilot to fly us out to Arizona. Let her know this needs to stay off the radar." I look at the rest of my men. "For now, I want your eyes and ears open. As far as we know, Rex hasn't figured out where Luna is. He's still lickin' his wounds from the loss of his brother and his men. He's down thirteen men already. That's a big blow to his club. We'll use it to our advantage. We won't wait too long to act. Rex will be lookin' to add numbers back
to Savage, and I want to strike before he does." I slam the gavel ending church.
Neil and I stay seated as my brothers file out. "I'll have one of the prospects set you up in a room here. You good with that, Commander?"
"Yeah. I appreciate it, LeBlanc."
I scrub my hand down my face. "I'm going to tend to my girl. It will be her choice when it comes to talkin' to you. I won't force her. Just lettin' you know it might not be today. We have to let her come to terms with you on her own time. Are you going to be good with that?"
"It kills me Luna may not want to see me right away, but I understand. Her feelings come first. I'll follow her lead on this."
Standing, I offer my hand, and Neil accepts.
Chapter Fourteen
Luna
Shuffling through Riggs' desk drawer, I find some paper and a pen. I scribble, What's going on? and slide the paper across the desk to Everest who is sitting across from me. I was dragged back here to Riggs' office fifteen minutes ago without an explanation as to why. I got the impression Neil, Riggs and Wicks' former commander was a friend, but the moment the man saw me, he began acting strange, and his actions became tense which set Riggs on edge. I'll admit Neil's odd behavior was making me uncomfortable as well. Reading what I wrote, Everest shrugs his shoulders and rubs his jaw.
"I can't say, but I'm sure Prez will be here soon, and you can ask him."
I sigh and slump back in the chair. Another few minutes pass with neither myself or Everest saying a word so I decide what the hell and figure I can try to get to know the man in front of me a little. He has after all been acting as a bodyguard of sorts. Wherever I go Everest is not far away unless I am with Riggs in his apartment. I've grown comfortable with his presence. Knowing I have someone watching over me when Riggs is not around is comforting.
Reaching across the desk, I retrieve the piece of paper I was writing on and write down the question I've been wanting to ask. What's your real name?
The man across from me reads what I wrote and grins. "My name is Kallum."
I take in Everest's appearance; he doesn't look like a Kallum at all. Everest has to be at least as tall as Riggs; only Everest is enormous. He's built like a linebacker and then some. He's a wall of muscle. Come to think of it; his nickname makes sense. I see why the guys call you Everest. I write, and he smiles. Are you from New Orleans?
Everest shakes his head. "No. I grew up in Minnesota." When he doesn't offer more. I decide not to pry into his past, and focus on the present.
Do you like being a part of the club?
"Hell yeah. I can't imagine being anywhere else. I'm treated like family here. I have a purpose."
I smile at him. I'm glad you have that. Everyone deserves a family. I scribble on the piece of paper.
"Yeah, darlin', they do," his face goes soft. I'm sure my past is no secret around here. The men here appear to be extremely close. They refer to themselves as brothers and I have no doubt they don't keep much from one another. It was the same way with The Kings back in Polson. Family is not always by blood. Some families are self made. Just as that thought comes to mind, Riggs comes striding into the room, his eyes immediately on me. I'll never tire of the way he looks at me with such intensity. Cutting his eyes to Everest, Riggs nods, and Everest takes his leave.
"Want to take a ride with me, beautiful?" Riggs asks.
"I'd go anywhere with you," I tell him truthfully.
Standing from the chair, I go to him. He takes my hand in his, and we walk out of his office, down the hall and past Josie and Fender who are sitting at the bar in the main room. Riggs and Fender acknowledge each other with a chin lift as we make our way out of the clubhouse. Instead of leading me to his bike, Riggs and I walk around the back of the clubhouse and to a big black truck parked under a large oak tree. Opening the passenger door, Riggs hoists me up and onto the seat. I go about buckling my seat belt as he strides around the front of the truck then climbs into the driver seat. "Is this your truck?" I ask.
"Yes. I don't drive it often, but we'll need it for where we are going."
"Where is that?"
Riggs grins. "You'll see."
Our first stop is a little hole in the wall Creole café, where we pick up some food to go. Fifteen minutes later we are driving down a dirt road until Riggs turns left and we are no longer on the road but driving through the brush. With nothing but trees and shrubbery surrounding us, I'm beginning to wonder exactly where he is taking me. After about a mile the trees clear and a lake appears in front of us. Riggs does a U-turn, shifts the truck into reverse and backs up right to the water's edge and puts the truck in park. I open the door to climb out, but Riggs is at my side in no time, helping me out. Before setting me on the ground, he kisses me. Once I'm let down, Riggs pulls open the back-passenger door, retrieving a blanket and our food. I follow him to the bed of the truck where he lets the tailgate down. Unfolding the blanket, Riggs spreads it out. He then picks me up and places me in the back. "I could have climbed in myself you know."
"I know, babe. But I like taking care of you." The look on his face is so sincere I don't have it in me to argue. Besides, it's nice being taken care of. "I'll be right back, baby. Let me grab some drinks." While Riggs goes to grab the cooler, I finally take in my surroundings. I'm in awe at how breathtaking the scenery is. The large lake is surrounded by dozens of Cypress Oak trees with hanging moss. The burnt orange sky complements the view as the sun begins to set. Riggs appears back in front of me carrying a cooler in one hand and two lanterns in the other. "It will be dark soon. So, these will be necessary out here," he says, coming to sit by me. We both remove our shoes, getting more comfortable.
Grabbing our food, I go about spreading the containers out, eager to see what Riggs got us. I open the first lid to find gumbo. "This smells amazing," I tell him. The next top I open has my stomach rumbling. "What's this?"
"That right there is the best cheesy grits and shrimp you'll ever put in your mouth," Riggs answers rubbing his hands together. If the smell is anything to go by, I'd say he's right. Riggs does the honors of flipping open the lid of the third container. "Last but not least, this is Mrs. Maggie's famous bread pudding. Best damn bread pudding in all New Orleans."
Without wasting time, the two of us dig into our meal. I moan when the first bite touches my tongue Holy shit. This is heaven. With every bite I take, I continue my appraisal of Riggs' little secret hideaway. "Do you come here often?" I inquire.
"At least once a month. Cain and I discovered this place when we were kids. You can't see it from here, but my grandad's house is just over that way about a mile beyond the brush," Riggs points to his right.
"This place is a dream. You are fortunate to have grown up here."
With the sun setting behind the bayou and the lighting bugs finding their way above the water, I lay back in the bed of the truck, close my eyes, breathe in the sweet scent of honeysuckle and try to imagine what sounds the little creatures around us would make. In all my twenty-two years of silence, I have never wished I could hear more than I have in the past week. If I were granted one wish, I'd want the chance to listen to Riggs' voice. I bet his voice is as smooth as whiskey, yet deep and gravelly. When I feel something touch my face, I open my eyes to Riggs running his knuckles along my cheek. "What are you thinking about, Mon Tresor?"
"I'm imagining what your voice would sound like, and how I want so much to hear it."
His face goes soft. "What do you imagine it sounds like?"
"Deep and gravelly, but smooth like whiskey."
With a wicked gleam in his eyes, Riggs hops out of the truck and makes his way to the driver side door, opening it. I watch as he reaches inside and a second later the truck starts to vibrate beneath me. Striding back in front of me, he climbs back in the truck, takes my hand, and pulls me to my feet. "Dance with me."
I shake my head in protest. "I don't know how to dance. How will I know if I'm moving in time with the music?"
"You'll move with me.
I'll lead you. Can you feel the vibration of the music?"
"Yes."
"That's all you need, baby. Now come lay your head on my chest, and I'll sing to you."
Stepping into his arms, I ask. "What is the song called?"
"Tennessee Whiskey."
Laying my head on Riggs' chest, I close my eyes and get lost in the smooth rumble of his voice as he sings to me. I may not hear, but I can feel. In this perfect moment, with the man I am starting to fall in love with, who has his arms around me, I couldn't ask for more.
When the beat of the music fades away, it's me who reaches up and takes Riggs' mouth with mine. In all my life I've never had anyone give me something so beautiful. It doesn't take long for the kiss to turn heated and my core to clench. I want this man more than my next breath; the need to have him inside me is strong. Riggs must sense it because he wastes no time taking over our kiss. Opening my mouth to him, I welcome the sweet invasion of his tongue. Fisting my hands in his hair, I pull his body flush against mine in an attempt to alleviate the ache my body has for him. I curse the clothes separating us. Clutching the hem of my shirt, I pull it off over my head and toss it to our feet while Riggs does the same. My bra follows the growing pile as do my shorts. With my mouth watering at the thought of tasting him, I drop to my knees. Unbuckling his belt, I pop the button to his jeans and swiftly tug them down until his cock springs free. Taking it in my hand, I swipe my tongue across the head, tasting his pre-cum before I take as much of his length in my mouth as possible. When Riggs fists his hand in my hair, it fuels my need to pleasure him. I continue to suck and lick as I get lost in his taste until I am abruptly pulled off, followed by Riggs dropping to his knees in front of me. I read his lips. "I'm going to come in your pussy this time."
Hooking his arm around my waist, he sits and leans his back against the side of the truck. I follow by straddling his hips. I gasp the moment my heated center comes in contact with his cock. On instinct, I thrust my hips and throw my head back with a moan as I grind myself down on him. Riggs leans forward and latches onto one of my nipples. He begins to lick and nip his way up to my mouth. Once his lips find mine, he devours them as I continue to glide my wet pussy along his cock. A jolt of electricity shoots through my core each time the head meets my clit — the feeling is exquisite torture. Having had enough of the teasing, Riggs grabs hold of my hips. I look at his face as he tells me, "put me inside, Luna."
Riggs (The Kings of Retribution MC, Louisiana Chapter Book 1) Page 14
