“You have some nerve showing up after all this time, after all you put your mother through. Then, you walk around this place and don’t even say hello to me? I see your little “girlfriend” first, who seems to be nothing but a little club whore that you brought up here for what? And you’re over here talking to Logan, ignoring your family. You’re here for one damn night, and you can’t even spend it with your mother and sisters. I thought you’d grown out of whatever phase you’re in, it seems not. You’re just going to keep disappointing me, aren’t you Oliver?”
I feel the ferociousness coming from his father’s voice. This isn’t just family tension, this is something deeper than that.
“Don’t you dare talk about my Daisy like that” Seamus huffs, taking a step towards his father. They are both around the same height. Sea’ has a few pounds of muscle on his father, and by a few, I mean a helluva lot. He is a few feet away from us, taking slow steps towards us. I tighten my grip around Sea’s hand. I am scared shitless, and I don’t know what would be happening, but it isn’t good, it isn’t good at all.
When he turns his gaze back to me, his glare can burn right through me. “Ollie.” My voice comes out soft, but he ignores my silent beg and turns back to his father.
“That woman right there is the woman I’m going to spend the rest of my life with, you won’t get off calling her a bitch or a damn club whore. She’s more of a man than half the people here at this fuckin’ party! Apologize to her, now!”
“I’m not apologizing to some club whore. You think I don’t know what she is? I do.” His father glares at me, he looked at me like I am a piece of gum stuck on the bottom of his shoe. Normally, I wouldn’t be so quiet, but this is Ollie’s home, and his father. If this was some asshole at Bubba’s I woulda already laid it into him by now, but this is different, so much different.
Before I can realize what is happening, Ollie has his fist slamming against his father’s face. The hit knocks him back straight onto the ground. As he sits up I can see the blood oozing from the busted lip his son just gave him. “You don’t talk about my girl like that.”
“I’ll talk to her however the hell I want to. You brought some slut into our home, not a lady,” his father snaps. “How many boys passed her around before she got to you, anyways?”
I gasp at his words. I have never met someone so rude in my entire life, and to not even know me? That pisses me off.
“I’m gonna leave, cuz I swear to God, I’ll kill you.” Ollie turns to me, wrapping his arm around my waist and ushering me away from his father.
“You always were good at running away when the truth was slammed in your face.”
Ollie stops. He stops dead in his tracks, turns back towards his father and charges up to him. I don’t know what to expect. Ollie did just punch his father, it could happen again for all I know.
He yanks his father up off of the ground by the collar of his dress shirt, clenching his teeth. I can’t hear the words that are said. Whatever it is, I know it is tense. His father’s expression changes from angry to shocked, and that’s when Ollie lets go of his father’s collar and comes back over to me, grabbing my hand and ushering me away to the truck.
We don’t stay over that night. We leave everything in his old bedroom and drive home, back to Tennessee.
CHAPTER 8
Seamus
It’s been a few days since we came back from Atlanta. That was a fucking shit show. I go home to see my ma’ and my sisters, I knew my father would be there, but I won’t say that it wasn’t shocking to realize he still had harbored ill feelings towards me. My whole life I did things to please him, everything I could, really. Sometimes, you just can’t please people. I tried and tried, and eventually, I didn’t care anymore. Fuck him. The way he acted towards me and especially towards Daisy was ridiculous. I’ll never be taking her around him ever again, and that I can promise her.
My father and I didn’t have a rough relationship, not until I was about seventeen and voiced what I wanted to do with my life. I didn’t want to follow in his footsteps and work at the firm, become the youngest partner in history because, well, I’m his son. If I had done that, I would never be able to feel like I earned my position.
I would feel like it was given to me because of my blood – because of who I was, and I’m not okay with that. I wanted to make a way for myself, I wanted to explore and see where life took me, and at the end of the day, I ended up right where I was supposed to be. But that was never good for him. I’m affiliated with an ‘illegal biker club’ as he’s told me many times.
At eighteen, I enrolled in the United States Army and completed two tours in Iraq. You think he’d be proud that his only son served his country. He wasn’t. He’s acted like I was the biggest disappointment on the face of the earth. My father didn’t know the lengths that I went to please him. I told him at the barbeque right before I left with my Daisy, and he looked damn surprised.
“What’s the deal with the shipments?” I didn’t even notice Reed walk into the clubhouse main area. He walked around the bar grabbing a beer out of the fridge and handed me one. I was too busy stuck in my own thoughts.
“What’re we talkin’ about, the girls, or the guns?” I’m assuming he means the guns. He’s the one who tells me about the girls, and so far, I haven’t heard anything about that.
“Guns, what the fucks up with you? I’m the one who tells you when the girls are coming. Did I do that and not tell you shit?” Reed grumbles. It seems like he’s having a rough day too.
“I spoke with Logan briefly a few days ago, he said that the shipment would be hand delivered by him. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jordan was the one who actually shows up though.” Logan and Jordan loved playing tricks on everyone when we were kids. My favorite memory was when Jordan was enrolled in after school tutoring for math. Logan already knew math like it was the back of his damn hand, so Logan went to tutoring for Jordan until their dad thought that Jordan didn’t need tutoring anymore. Logan would switch places with Jordan whenever a math test would come up. Eventually, their dad found out what they were doing.
“Did he say anything about the extra AK’s I asked him for?” I think hard for a second at Reed’s question. Logan and I didn’t really go into it.
“No, we didn’t have a second. Dais’ walked up after we were chatting for a couple minutes. I didn’t discuss anything like that with her around.”
Daisy’s not stupid, she knows exactly who Logan is and what he does, but I don’t discuss business matters around her, especially when it doesn’t concern her at all. It’s better that she doesn’t know our business. If it were up to me, none of the women would know. It’s a risk, and if something were to happen, the women would be targeted first; they’re viewed as the weaker ones. They’d be the first to be interrogated if our enemies couldn’t get to us. It’s a big risk. This lifestyle isn’t for the weak, and Dais’ is living proof of that. She was taken once under completely different circumstances, but I’ll be damned if she ever gets taken again. I’m the Enforcer, it’s my job to protect the club at all costs, but it’s also my job to protect her too, and that means keeping her in the dark about some matters.
“Good, she doesn’t need to know about that shit,” Reed says, and I can’t agree more. “Reach out to him and ask him about the AK’s. We need those guns.”
“Will do. I’ll call him in a bit.”
“Good. Since you already asked, the next shipment of girls is coming in a couple of weeks. We’ve still got a bit to do to be ready for them. I’ll give you the details of the drop off and meet when I know.” I nod at Reed. We’re taking in a lot of girls this time; a lot more than we ever have before.
“Where the FUCK is he?!” I hear Kyle’s voice roaring into the clubhouse. I turn my barstool around, take a sip of my beer, and face him. He looks fuckin’ furious. I don’t even have to guess who he’s lookin’ for.
It’s me. I know it, and he knows it.
He comes straig
ht up towards me, standing a foot away from where I’m sitting. Enzo and Dmitri are on both sides of me, sitting on their own barstools, and Reed is still behind the bar sipping at his beer.
“I saw her slither out of your room this morning. How long have you been fuckin’ my Ol’lady Seamus? I should’ve guessed it was you with her, especially when she went to Atlanta with you, but no, I gave you the benefit of the doubt because out of all the brothers. I least expected you not to be the one who was with my girl. I want to know how you could do that to me. How?!”
I take a sip of my beer, waiting for more. When it doesn’t come, I finally speak. “I will tell you this again, Kyle, Daisy is not your woman. She hasn’t been your girl since you left her to be toyed with by those fuckin’ loan sharks. So, don’t come at me, asking how I could do that to you when I wasn’t the one that abandoned her. She’s the only thing I’ve been concerned about since the day she was taken. You didn’t even give a damn, you just fuckin’ left her there to be tortured and raped.”
“You’ve been fuckin’ Dais?” Reed asks.
I don’t even bother answering. If he thinks I can’t tell that he’s judging me, I fucking can, but none of them have the right to judge me. Kyle left her, we got her back. I waited a damn year before I even made a move on her, and here we are now, over two years later, and suddenly Kyle decides to show back up and act like nothing ever changed. He’s fucking delusional.
“Of course, he has! He’s not even denying it. I hope you liked fucking her Seamus, cuz’ you won’t be for long. I’m back, and she’s gonna be back in my bed sooner or later.”
“The hell, she will. You think she’s just gonna forgive you for everything you put her through? She’s right where she belongs, brother.” I am fuckin’ furious. He has some nerve thinking that Daisy still belongs to him. She doesn’t. She hasn’t for a fucking while, and she won’t ever again.
“Boys, back the hell up,” Elena grumbles in her authoritative voice. I didn’t even see her walk in here. Kyle takes a step back from the bar, and I get up and walk a few steps towards the couch, just to give space between Kyle and me. This is volcanic, and it’s going to erupt soon.
“Irish, you need to mind your damn business,” Kyle snaps out, both Reed and I flash him glares. He doesn’t get to disrespect Elena, she’s Reed’s fiancé, she’s the fuckin’ Prez of the Vipers MC.
“I will not be minding my damn business when it concerns Dais. The fuck I am! You came back after leaving her in the shittiest way ever, and I may not know everything, but I know that a grown ass man doesn’t just up and leave his girl. You’ve been gone for two years, so what if she’s with Seamus now? You left. You don’t get to be a dick to him for taking care of her, and you sure as hell don’t get to guilt her from moving on after you left!” Elena snaps, frustration and annoyance laced through her voice. She’s not team Seamus, and she’s sure as hell not team Kyle, but she’s team Daisy, and that’s all that matters. She’s a damn good friend to my girl.
“Wrong. She’s my girl. She has my brand on her body, she still has that fuckin’ engagement ring. She is MY girl!” Kyle roars at the room. I’m shaking my head at this point. He won’t ever fucking get it.
“She’s not your girl. She’s mine,” I tell him. He charges at me, and Elena stupidly jumps in front of me like it will stop him. I grab her waist, turn around so Kyle doesn’t get ahold of her instead of me, and let her go.
Before I can ever get turned around, I fuckin' feel his big ass fist, hitting me square in the back. If I was a little smaller, it could have taken me down, but Dais calls me an ox for a reason. I can just add this cocky asshole to the list of men I punch this week, and punching me when my back is turned, makes this even sweeter.
I give him a shit eating grin as I duck out of the way of another punch thrown. Kyle is a good fighter. It will be a good matchup between us. The only problem for him is that he is desperate and unfocused in his rage and possession over my girl. So, I use that to my advantage, blocking my face with fists while undercutting his legs with mine. I swoop across the floor, making him lose his balance for a moment. He is starting to regain, but I kick out and get his knee in it as well, hearing a nice pop. I don’t know if I broke it, but it definitely hurt. His grunt satisfies me as he grits his teeth and gets back in it. I’ll give Kyle this – he ain’t a pussy.
I keep defending myself as Kyle attempts to save face, eventually getting me in the jaw. He cuts the corner, bruising it and knocking my teeth together. Nothing I can't get over.
I lunge for Kyle, hoping to get him down onto the ground. Once I am on top of him, there will be no way he can win. Either he will cry uncle and leave shit well alone, or Reed will have no choice but to step in. But Kyle glides out of the way like a fuckin' ice skater or somethin'.
I am surprised that Reed isn't stepping in. All I can think or hope is that he believes Kyle deserves it now, maybe for no other reason than he kept comin' even with Elena in the way. Or maybe he thinks this will be the end of it; settling it like men. At least there are only club members around to see and hear.
It is becoming a dance between Kyle and I, and we are waiting for the wrong move from the other, so we can clobber the weaker man. I am certain in these circumstances, Kyle will prove to be the weaker man. Thank God Dais isn’t out here to see this and distract us.
CHAPTER 9
Daisy
I get out of the shower and immediately hear yellin’ and I’m not talkin’ the good kind. I hear Kyle’s voice clear as day, and then I wait and listen…. “She’s not your girl, she’s mine.”
I can barely breathe. I knew the cat would be outta the bag sooner or later, but not like this. I didn’t want it to happen like this.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuckkkkk!
I grab my black silk kimono, throw it over my dripping wet body, and dart out of my room into the clubhouse. When I get there, I find Kyle and Ollie goin’ at it.
I don’t even think, I dart straight towards them. Suddenly, my arm is yanked backwards, and I’m pulled against Reed’s chest. “Get your hands off me!” I snap at him. I don’t need to be held back by Reed. I can handle myself, and what I need to be doin’ right now is getting those two idiots away from each other.
“Can’t let you go, Dais” he grumbles. I look right in his eyes and can tell he’s pissed. Why is he fuckin’ pissed?
“So, help me God, Reed Michaels, you will let me go” I challenge him, glaring right into his eyes. If he thinks I’m not gonna fight him on this, he’s poorly mistaken.
“Let her go,” Elena tells him. I glance over at her and give her a look of thanks. Reed releases me as Elena told him to, but when I walk towards Kyle and Ollie, I’m lifted into the air and turned around. I smack Enzo’s back as hard as I can to get him to put me down. “Put me down!”
“There’s no way in hell I’m lettin’ you walk into that fuckin’ cock fight, Dais’.”
I watch as Kyle and Ollie are throwing punches at each other, each time I think it’s getting better, they just throw another punch. I watch as their faces are turning red from where they’ve been hit, looking at their hands that are turning a pinkish color from the firm hold. I can’t do this. I can’t just be this fuckin’ damsel and let them kill each other.
“Ollie!” I yell. He looks right over to me, like he hasn’t seen me in the damn room at all. I’m terrified, and furious, the second our eyes lock Kyle slams his fist into Ollie’s face. When Kyle’s hand moves out of the way, I can see the blood gushing from his nose, and lookin’ at it from this far away, I can tell it is broken. I don’t think, I just smack Enzo as hard as I can in the face, and he drops me. I don’t even feel bad, should I though? He shouldn’t have lifted me up anyways.
I run right over to Ollie and look at his nose. It is bad. Really bad.
I go to the bar and grab a clean dish towel, walk back over to Ollie, and press it against his nose. He grunts, but of course he would, it had to hurt.
I keep a hand on th
e towel, putting pressure against his nose as best as I can. “Sit down, you’re too tall,” I tell Ollie, and he complies and sits on the couch. I slide my knees to both sides of his hips, straddling him as I press the towel against his nose further.
“Fuck, Dais.”
“I cannot fuckin’ believe you!” I seethe as I turn to look at Kyle. He is leaning against the bar, acting like I didn’t just see him do this to Ollie.
“I cannot FUCKIN’ believe you!” I scream at him “I’m so, so sorry.” I look back to Ollie, feeling the tears streaming down my face. This is all my fault, all my damn fault. If we had just told everyone about us sooner, none of this would be happening.
“Don’t you ever fuckin’ charge at anyone if Elena is in the way. You hear me?” Reed snaps at Kyle. I don’t know what happened, but Ollie must’ve gotten her out of the way somehow. I turn back to look at Elena who seems to be doin’ pretty damn good. She looks pissed more than anything.
Out of nowhere, Dmitri slams his fist into Kyle’s face. I watch Reed’s expression change, it’s like he’s thinking, and then I see him do the exact same thing to Kyle. “You ever come near her in a state of anger like that again and it’ll be the last thing you ever do, got me?” Kyle nods at his brother, and I turn back to Seamus. I lift the towel up and see he’s still bleeding. I put more pressure, crying a little more as he grunts.
“Hey there, don’t you go getting’ all soft on me now, Babygirl. I’ll be fine. Kyle throws a lousy punch anyway.” He gives me a soft smile, which makes me feel a little bit better, but not really.
“His lousy punch broke your pretty nose,” I mumble, his nose already starting to swell.
“El, can you get me some ice?” I yell over to Elena. A minute later, and she’s handing me a bag of ice in a Ziploc baggie.
“We need to go to the doc and get your nose set or whatever. I’m not a professional, but this isn’t good,” I whisper to him, placing the ice gently against his swelling nose.
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