Damn spaghetti.
Don’t get me wrong, my mom makes kick-ass spaghetti, but it’s not exactly two-year-old friendly. She’d need a bath before bed for sure.
Gunny and I were helping Mom clean up the kitchen while dad read to Presley. Nights like that were what I would miss. Except I knew I couldn’t spend every day at my parents’ either.
No, I needed a new start.
I heard Presley squeal and her feet pounding across the floor. She darted into the kitchen of the old farmhouse I’d grown up in, where I’d been sitting with my brother and Mom.
Giggling, she hid behind me. “The ticko monsser is comin’ Daddy! Sabe me!”
My dad came in bent over like a hunchback with his hands in wiggling claws and a leg dragging. He’d been doing that shit since Gunny and I were kids, and the corner of my lips tipped up at the memory.
Dad “chased” Presley around the table a few times before they made their way back to the living room.
A hand covered mine, and I looked to my mother. “It’s okay. Yes, we will miss you both, but we do understand. You need to do what’s best for you, and we need to see you move on and find happiness again.”
“Thanks, Mom.” She gave my hand a squeeze, and I kissed her cheek.
I didn’t know about moving on, but I needed to be happy.
I needed to stop seeing Letty everywhere.
“How was your trip, Pops?” I asked as he sauntered over. He’d lumbered down from the huge rig they’d bought after selling the Oasis to Steph.
“Good. Real good. Mama Jean had a blast in New York State. You holding up okay?” Concern mixed with pity crossed his face, and I hated it. I didn’t want nor need anyone’s fucking pity. It had been over a year but it still sucked, and the pity only made it fresh again.
“Poppas!” Presley shouted from the back seat where she was strapped in her car seat. We glanced in the window, and she was wiggling and struggling to unbuckle herself. I’d finished filling up as I waited for them to arrive and I was still parked at the pump, since it was early and it wasn’t like there was a line waiting to use them.
“Where’s Mama?” Looking over his shoulder, I tried to see if maybe he dropped her off at the house first. I’d been hoping to at least tell her goodbye before we left.
“Oh, she’s getting the things together for me.” He scratched his head as his nose wrinkled a little and he looked away from me.
Gaze narrowing, I tried to figure out what was up with him. He was acting nervous as fuck, which was weird.
“Everything okay? You seem… strange.”
“Poppas!” Presley made her desire to see her honorary grandpa and club uncle known again, which distracted me from Pops’s mumbled answer.
“Presley! Grown-ups are talking. Is that what you do when grown-ups are talking?” I asked her sternly.
“Awww, she missed her poppas.” The man who had mentored me and raised me in the club with an iron fist grinned and opened the back door of the truck to free the little monster-princess. All I could do was roll my eyes. He was only one of many she had wrapped around her little finger.
Once she was in his burly arms and practically sitting on his big belly, she pressed both palms to his gray beard. “You dunna miss me? I’s moobing to Tessas!”
“Aww, little Elvis, I sure will. What do you say me and Mama Jean drive our big camper down to see you soon?” The big, tough old biker acted all animated for my daughter, and I had to chuckle.
Suddenly, my chatterbox of a daughter went utterly silent, her mouth gaping open as she stared in the direction of the RV. Turning to see what she was staring at, I lost my breath.
“It’s a weel pwincess, Daddy!” Presley whispered with awe.
The woman walking toward us could’ve stepped right out of the 1950s. That was, if I Love Lucy or Leave it to Beaver had a bit of a badass goth twist.
The woman wore a full, vintage-style halter dress that was red with black polka dots, her midnight-black hair pinned up with a black-and-red handkerchief tied up top that did resemble a crown. She walked in ridiculously high and sexy-as-fuck red heels as if they were an extension of her long, perfect legs.
“Hers gots skin paint wike you, Daddy.” More awe poured from my daughter as the woman closed in on us. She did indeed have both arms tatted to nearly full sleeves.
Shaking my head to pull my attention from her, I swallowed hard in embarrassment at how I’d stared. The immediate reaction my body had to her didn’t make me feel any better.
Fuck, I hadn’t had a response like that to another woman since before Letty and I got together.
Feeling all kinds of wrong, I frowned and looked to Pops. Except I noticed two things simultaneously. The first was that Mama Jean was walking with the woman. How the hell had I missed that before? The second was that Pops was smiling at the woman like he knew her.
Correction. Like he knew her and loved her.
What. The. Fuck?
“Hey, Uncle Carlisle, would you be able to get my suitcase, I couldn’t get it down from the cabinet?” Her voice poured out, all husky and dripping sex. At least, it sure seemed like it.
“Uh, Uncle Carlisle?” Confusion heavy in my tone, I glanced back and forth between the two.
“Hi! You must be Matlock!” She gave an overly bright smile as she took a huge breath. “Thank you so much for letting me tag along.” White teeth gripped that lush, full red bottom lip, and I was momentarily mesmerized.
What she’d said finally sunk in after a few moments.
“Whoa, wait. Hold up.”
“Uh, Raiven, honey. Can you give me and young Matlock here a minute?” I didn’t miss the look that Mama and Pops exchanged as Mama reached for Presley’s hand when Pops set her down.
“Hey, sweet thing, how about if we go in and get you all some snacks for the road? Raiven, will you help us?” Mama Jean looked hopefully at the woman, who now had a name.
Raiven.
Fitting as hell, considering her hair was as black as a raven’s wing.
“I’d actually like to stay.” Her jaw cocked as she crossed her arms.
“Raiven, please go on with your aunt while I discuss some business with Matlock.” Pops spoke firmly, but his eyes pleaded with her to comply.
That toe of her ruby-red shoe began to tap impatiently as she ground out, “I’m staying.”
I couldn’t be sure, but I thought I heard Mama whisper, “Shit,” as she led Presley into the gas station.
A lone car had pulled up on the other side and begun pumping gas. I didn’t pay them any mind, because I was too busy processing what was unfolding.
I’d been duped.
By my own brother.
Okay, so technically he was retired, but once a Demented Son, always a Demented Son. Unless you left the club or got put out, like Butch.
“Pops,” I began in warning.
“Matlock, son. She won’t be any bother. You’ll barely know she’s there. In fact, I bet she’ll be a big help with Presley,” he cajoled.
“You said something. Not someone. I don’t need her help, and I don’t want it. Besides, I didn’t plan on rushing. I was going to stop in Omaha to take Presley to the zoo.” Fuck, there was no way I was riding all the way to Texas with her.
Casting a side eye her way, I couldn’t help but notice her luscious, round tits heave in indignation.
“You know what? Forget it. I’ll take a bus. I’m not riding with this asshole. Just take me to the nearest Greyhound station.” Huffing, she’d started to turn back to the RV when Pops wrapped a beefy hand around her arm.
“Raiven, wait.” He turned his attention to me as he still held her gently. She tried to maintain her badass attitude, but as her eyes rolled, I was pretty sure they shimmered a little.
“Lock, please. She just needs a ride to Texas. Styx has shit lined up for her there. She’ll be out of your hair once you arrive. I’m even going to give you enough to help pay for half the gas.” One hand covered hi
s mouth as he rasped it across his steel-colored beard.
“No.”
“No way!”
She and I both protested at the same time.
“Uncle Carlisle, I’m not your responsibility. I can pay my own way,” she insisted, then clarified. “On a bus.”
“No, Raiven. You can’t use your credit cards. At least let me pay him and you can pay me back later.” He was completely ignoring me as he spoke to her.
“Daddy! I pee-peed!” Presley yelled across the parking lot.
“Good girl!” I told her.
“I’m not going,” she said through gritted teeth.
“I’m not taking any money from you, because I’m not taking her.” The tugging on my jeans didn’t register through my frustration at the conniving old fart.
“Daddy.” The tugging grew insistent.
“Not now, princess.”
“But, Daddy.”
“Wait, Presley.”
“I’m not going, and that’s final,” the raven-haired beauty growled.
“Daddy!” Desperation colored my little girl’s tone.
Shoulders sagging, I turned to her in mild exasperation. “What, Presley?”
“We haffa take her. Hers a weel pwincess, and we haffa sabe her from da dwagons. Wight, Daddy?”
Not in the mood to pop her bubble of belief in fairytales, I ruffled a hand through my hair. “Jesus,” I muttered.
“Raining”—Art of Dying
My uncle was delusional. He’d started to go senile. It was the only explanation for the crazy shit he’d tried to pull. He’d obviously known this Matlock guy wasn’t going to want to take me along, so he’d neglected to tell him it was a person he needed taken to Texas.
Now his little girl had burst out with some story about me being a princess… and dragons?
I hadn’t paid much attention to her before. She was another thing my uncle had neglected to mention.
I didn’t do kids.
Not because I didn’t like them, but because they terrified me. They were little and messy and unpredictable, and I couldn’t understand what they were saying. It made me feel incompetent and like a failure to all womankind.
“Oh honey, I’m not a princess.” Trying my best, I bent down to talk to her, resting my hands on my knees over my full dress. I did have a dragon after me though.
Wait. I’d understood her babble?
Wild blonde curls fluttered in the early morning breeze that sent chills down my arms and spine. Enormous blue eyes stared up at me like I was indeed the princess she believed me to be.
“You awe! Wass you name, Pwincess?” She bit her lip as her little hand was swallowed by her father’s inked one. Staring at them, I completely lost track of her question. I hadn’t taken a lot of time to study the designs on his hands or the letters across his fingers.
Hell, I’d been trying to ignore them, along with each and every piercing. Unfortunately, I could tell anyone who asked that he had smaller gauges, an industrial in his left ear, and his nose pierced on both sides. After that, my imagination ran wild with the other places metal might be resting on his massive body.
I could also tell you he had gorgeous light-blue eyes with an unusual brown spot in one.
Another chill skated down my spine that had nothing to do with any breeze.
God, stop, Raiven. You’re moving across the fucking country because of a man.
The last thing I needed was to get involved with another one. One with a kid, no less. And an asshole at that.
Shit. There could be a Mrs. Matlock whatever-the-hell-his-last-name-was, too.
Tipping my head back, I closed my eyes and let out a frustrated huff. I might have been imagining someone’s husband naked.
What the ever-loving fuck was wrong with me?
“Raiven. Her name’s Raiven, Elvis. And she’s as stubborn as my brother was.” My uncle sounded defeated, which caused my eyes to snap to him. He was the biggest, strongest man I knew, next to my dad. But at that moment he looked tired, old, and worried as hell.
Pulling both lips between my teeth, I gave no thought to the damage I may have been doing to my lipstick. I was trying too hard not to break down. The last week had been one of the most draining of my life. I was barely hanging on.
With apology in his eyes, he turned to Matlock and spoke quietly enough the little girl couldn’t hear with my aunt talking to her. I knew she was trying to distract her. “Please, Matlock. She had a bad breakup, and the guy is being a schmuck. Trying to be all possessive and not let her leave him. Got rough with her. She had to leave in the middle of the night with only a single suitcase. Thankfully, we were passing through to visit and she was able to get on the RV with us and get out of Dodge. He’s harassed her almost all day every day. I spoke to Styx, and his chapter is helping her get a job and get settled down there. She just needs a ride, and I don’t want her taking a Greyhound. They aren’t safe. We’d take her ourselves, but I’ve got a couple of doctor’s appointments over the next couple of weeks that I can’t miss, and she needs to get down there for the job.”
Inside, I groaned that he’d told this stranger my business. Then I wanted to laugh because if he only knew, I was probably safer on a Greyhound bus than with Stefano. Digging my phone out of my purse, I searched for the nearest bus station.
Matlock pressed the heel of his hand to the center of his forehead and threaded his long fingers through his dark blond hair. “Goddammit, Pops.” He dragged his hand down over his face and shook his head.
“I know, Lock. And she’s the only family I have left now. My brother died right before we got there. I didn’t even get to see him one last time.”
A gasped sob escaped me before I turned my back to them. Shoulders thrown back, I tried to appear strong and hold my shit together.
I’d barely had time to grieve my father. It was still so raw, but I was doing my best to keep the pain covered until I could deal with it later.
My phone vibrated in my hand. Without giving it much thought, I opened the waiting message. I should’ve paid more attention.
Stefano: Did you really think you could get away from me that easily? I know where you are and I’m coming for you.
The message froze my lungs. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get a breath in. My body quaked head to toe. Finally, I was able to draw a shaky, shallow inhale.
“Okay. Fine,” he muttered, and I wasn’t sure what he was talking about. Until my mind began to reconstitute from the shock of Stefano’s message.
I whipped back around, my eyes flashing as I gasped for breath. “No. Dammit, Uncle Carlisle, I’m not going with him. I’m no one’s burden. I can take care of myself. I appreciate everything you’ve done so far, but I’ll be okay. I’ll find my own way to Texas.”
Fighting anger and terror, I tried to think of a way to get there that wouldn’t leave any more of a trail than I had. I should’ve known he’d find me, but how could he really? I’d told him about my aunt and uncle, but only that they traveled the country in an RV with my uncle’s bike as their constant companion. I’d never told him where they were from. At least not that I remembered. Maybe he was bluffing. But did I really want to risk that?
“Well, I can’t make her go with me. If she doesn’t want to go, I’m not pushing it.” There was a flicker of relief in his eyes as he shrugged and scooped his small daughter up.
“Raiven,” my uncle pleaded, worry creasing his forehead. More than it already was.
“Pwease, Daddy? Pwease bwing da pwincess wiff. What if hers in danger?” The little girl stretched the word danger out in a low, ridiculously dramatic way that nearly had me smiling despite my current life situation.
“Raiven, I think you should strike while the iron’s hot and get yourself on the road. Why delay when you don’t need to? I’ll feel so much better about you traveling across country if you’re with Lock.” My aunt reached over and gently caressed my cheek.
When he gave me his full attentio
n, it sent my stomach into flutters. His full attention on a woman was damn near lethal, even as he held his daughter protectively in his muscular arms.
Finally, he sighed. “If she’s willing to ride with us, she can go.”
My lip curled, and I really wanted to tell him to fuck off and not do me any favors. Because there was a pint-sized princess in his arms, I curbed my tongue.
The phone in my hand vibrated again. Tremors started at who it likely was. Even though I hated to go with him, I did need to get my ass to Texas. My gaze flickered to my phone.
Fear snaked through me, biting me with its venomous mouth, pouring terror through my veins.
Stefano: When I catch up with you, maybe your dear aunt and uncle will go first. And I think you’ll watch.
Not wanting to see further messages from him, I shut my phone off and dropped it in my purse.
Decision made, I sucked it up and pulled up my metaphoric big-girl pants.
“If you’re willing to have the extra passenger, I’d actually love to take the trip with you.” My voice was saccharin-sweet and as steady as I could make it as I batted my eyes and gave the gorgeous asshole a tight smile.
The pretty little hot mess clapped her hands rapidly. “Oh my gosh! We dunna haff a weel pwincess wiff on ow-uh advenchuh!”
“Yeah. It would appear so.” His tone didn’t convey the same thrill his daughter’s had.
A wide grin spread over my uncle’s face, and relief filled his eyes. “Thank you, Lock. I appreciate this more than you’ll ever know.”
Matlock’s nostrils flared as his eyes narrowed at my uncle. “You owe me so fucking big.”
“Daddy! You saids a bad wood! You gunna gets you mouf wassed out wiff soap!” The little girl crossed her arms and frowned at her dad. In that moment, I loved that kid.
“I’ll be right back so you all can get on the road.” My uncle quickly took off toward the RV, and I could hear him chuckling the entire way.
“Well, Raiven, sweetie, I’m gonna miss you. It was so nice having you along from Chicago to here.” My aunt Jean gave me a huge hug as she tried to covertly wipe off a tear.
“I’ll miss you too, Aunty Jean. But you all need to come visit soon. Okay?” I squeezed her small frame. I hadn’t seen her a lot as I was growing up, but every memory with her was a fond one.
Lock and Load: A Demented Sons MC Texas Novel Page 3
