“Jesus Christ! Where's your mother now?”
“She's... safe. Brett's death was ruled self-defence, so she didn't serve any time in prison or anything. But it messed her up.” She shrugs again. “A few weeks ago, she told me the truth about you guys not being dead. I was so angry. I had grieved for you both for so long, then she just drops it on me that she lied.
“I asked her why, and she told me that she couldn't deal with your way of life, so she left. I yelled at her because she'd told me that a hundred times before, she didn't want your way of life, it killed you and her son, but she never ever stopped being with bikers. That's when she told me that she just didn't love you anymore. That she was scared you'd take me away from her if she told you that she wanted out.
“I asked her why she really left Tate behind, and she told me that it was already too late for him. He was already your mini-me, and she knew should she take him from you that you would never have stopped hunting us. She told me that you didn't give enough of a damn about me to come looking.”
“That is not fuckin' true! Nova,” Shepard steps in front of her, “I searched for you for years. I had the best damn men in the country looking for you, but there was never any trace.”
“Mom took me out of the country. We lived in and around France for five years. Then she brought me back. I guess she figured you would have given up looking for us by then. Although we never stopped moving around.”
“How do we know this isn't just some bullshit story? How do we know that you haven't been sent here by...”
“You have a small six shaped birthmark just above your right wrist.” Jett turns his arm over and stares down at what we both know is there. “You have the same one.” She points to Shepard who nods in agreement. “So do I.” She all but whispers while lifting the sleeve of her jacket to her elbow, showing Shepard the mark. “Mom used to tell me how we three had the same mark. That Tate and I were your musketeers. The three of us bonded in a special way. It's me, Daddy. Your Nova.”
He cups her face and brushes the tears from her cheeks. “I never thought...” He stops himself and just pulls her into his arms, holding her close to him. I'm not an emotional man, I have no emotions at all if I'm honest. But I can't imagine what Shepard went through losing his daughter like that. And I can see Jett is finding this a little hard to get his head around. “My little princess. I never gave up hope that I'd one day find you.”
“I found you, Dad.”
“Lynette was right. She told me when I left the house this mornin' that something special was about to happen. And here you are.”
“Here I am.” He holds her tighter. I guess this really is little Nova Jackson. And I just had to feel that damn connection with the fuckin' Prez's daughter. Great!
He holds me close to him for a few moments, my father. I'm not going to pretend I ever had any ill feelings toward him because I didn't. I thought he was dead until my mother told me he wasn't. He didn't walk out on me, he wanted me as much as he wanted my brother. I was stolen from him. He did nothing wrong and I won't punish him for something he didn't do.
It feels good to finally be here. After all these months of searching, I have finally found my father and my big brother. Who doesn't seem to be happy to see me. I thought he would be, happy to see me, I mean. I remember how much he loved me when we were kids.
Right now, as I look at him, all I see is a man who hates me. I know that has a lot to do with our mother and the fact she abandoned him. If only he knew he got the better end of the deal. Living with Celia was no picnic, everything was about her.
Okay, she made sure I was fed and clothed, always had a roof over my head, even if it was some hotel or motel room. Even a friend's couch when she'd run out of money, or when she was off with one of her dangerous men.
But did she allow anyone to hurt me?
No.
Did she tell me that she loved me?
Once in a while.
I don't want to make her sound like a bad mom, but sometimes, I would wish she could have been better. I wish we could have stayed in one place more than two weeks.
I also wish I'd never wished for that because as soon as she met Brett, or Butch as he went by, we did stay in one place. We had a small two-bedroom house. It belonged to Butch and he made damn sure my mother didn't forget it. Not that she cared. She did everything he told her to, even spoke to his whores with grace. How on this earth she could do that with a straight face was beyond me. Because if that were me, I would have killed the bitches for daring to so much as look at my man. Him? I'd have cut his dick off and shoved it down his own throat!
But Celia wasn't as strong as I am. She never even tried to be. She was a doormat. It was as simple as that.
Whenever I called her out on the way she allowed Butch to treat her, she would do nothing but say, “Oh, Anna, stop whining. We have a nice place to live and a man who takes care of us. Can't you be a little more grateful?” Of course, I would say nothing. Butch was not a good man in any sense of the word.
Of course, after my mother shot and killed him, she shot off, left me and never looked back. When I managed to find her months later, she told me that she was terrified of what his club would do to get back at her. The death threats were unreal. She wanted to keep me from all of that to protect me. By leaving me in the line of fire? Bitch!
A member of Butch's MC, Shank, his son, grabbed me one afternoon, I knew it could possibly be the end of my life. But he didn't kill me, he just took great pleasure in... Never mind, that stuff doesn't matter now. All that matters is the fact I've finally found my father after months of searching.
You'd be surprised how hard it can be to track down a man that hasn't gone by his given name in over thirty years. Even harder when you knew nothing about him. I guess it would have been a lot easier if I hadn't been so down this past year or so. A lot has happened to me. I've done a lot of bad things in retaliation. I've left behind the child I have tried so hard to forget. The child I will never forget. But I had my reasons for it.
My dad and I have spent a little while talking in private. It was needed. I needed to know things about his life, he asked me about mine. There are many things I could never tell him, things no one can know. But it was just so nice to speak with him and smile while doing it.
My father has now brought me into the clubhouses main room. He wants to introduce me to the rest of the guys, just in case one of them tries anything with me without knowing who I am. If they hit on me while knowing I'm the daughter of Shepard, the Prez, then he'll kill them. Literally. Thing is, I believed him when he said that. Although I had to hide my amusement. I've been in his life five minutes and he's already doing the overprotective father thing.
Strangely, it feels nice. No one has ever been protective of me before. I used to dream of my dad being this way, making sure I was safe, keeping men away from me. Not literally but making sure only a good man stole my heart.
Not that any of these men will ever have my heart.
I must admit, there are so many men here. Almost all of the club. At least thirty of them. That's not a lot for a charter this big, believe me. Or maybe it is. After all, they get spread out and sent all over the country.
My dad told me that they usually have quite a few girls here but tonight he's banned them all from being here. They're not needed tonight. The place really isn't what I expected. It looks like one of those posh country clubs I've seen in magazines. The main room has a lot of tables dotted around the room, a huge bar with many bottles of spirits on show beneath a huge mirror. There's a large, plush couch beside an even bigger open fire, which is surrounded by a beautifully carved mantle. I don't know how many rooms are in this place altogether, I've seen the office and the main room, but I imagine with this many bikers there are a few bedrooms.
What I've seen of the inside is amazing, then there are the grounds outside, which right now is littered with motorcycles of all kinds is just amazing. So much green beyond the clubhouse. L
ike I said before, it's like a rich man's home.
The men here are huge, and I do mean Huge! Each one is giving me the eye, but I think the fact I have my arm looped through my father's is what's keeping them at bay. Not that I think they'll hurt me – try to – in any way. I've been assured by my father that any man belonging to this club touches a woman without her permission will be punished for doing so. Criminals with morals when it comes to the sexual rights of a woman?
I almost choked on my own laughter.
My dad need not worry about me, bikers are so not my thing. And the god’s honest truth is, if one of them even thinks about touching me, I'll end them.
But that one guy, Tank. Damn, he's hot. He's well over six-feet tall, probably six-four, broad shoulders, huge biceps, a trim waist and thick thighs. His long, light brown hair is tied up in a man bun. What I wouldn't give to slid my fingers into that and pull while he's fucking me. And then there's his face. Shit me, he's handsome. Those big brown eyes of his, that chiselled jawline, and perfect smile... Head out of the gutter, Nova.
Hey, I said none of them would have my heart, never said I wouldn't give one of them my pussy for the night. Tank anyway.
The loud bang of the gavel makes me jump. I look at my brother and chuckle. He doesn't. He just raises his eyebrow at me. How am I meant to make him understand that I'm not here to cause trouble? I wish I knew how to get through to him.
But it's only the first day, right?
“I know y'all are wondering why I've called you here this evening.” My father says. There are some mutters amongst the men before they fall silent again. “I want y'all to meet the new young lady in my life.” I love my father's accent. It's so different from mine. Mine is a little muddled from moving around so much, but my father's is southern through and through.
My eyes lock with probably the biggest guy I have ever seen in my life before. He has a scar across his cheek, it's long and white. He also looks like one of his eyes are no longer in working order. But I could be mistaken. It might just be the light. Razor. That's the name on his cut anyway. He smirks at me. I don't get an ill feeling from him, but he'd sure like to fuck me right now. You can't mistake that look in a man’s eyes. He wishes!
I'm used to men wolf-whistling at me, not that I claim to be anything special. But I've found men like these are not at all fussy. Women to them are nothing but a pussy to stick their dicks in. I know full well that's all they see me as right now. Not that one of them would get a chance with me. Ever. Maybe Tank...
“You claimin' her, Prez?” Calls one of the less bulked up guys.
“No, Gunner, you know very well I'm married to my old lady, the love of my life, and I do not cheat on her. Ever.” Well, that was final. I had no idea he was married.
I do wonder where in the hell they get these nicknames, though. Some of them are seriously ridiculous.
“This young lady is my daughter.” Every mouth is hanging open. I swallow hard. I feel a little claustrophobic being the only girl in a room full of bikers. Last time that happened... Don't go there, Nova.
My eyes lock with Tank's. Man, he's handsome. He winks at me and I smile. There's something about the way he's looking at me that tells me nothing will happen to me here. He'd never let anything happen to me.
“I'd like for y'all to meet Nova. Nova?” My father holds his hand out to me and I take it and walk closer to him.
“Shit, Prez. This is your daughter?”
“Yes, Ripper.” Ripper? Christ, I wonder how in the world he earned that nickname. No, I don't want to know. “Nova has recently come back into my life.”
“You found her.” It wasn't a question. But the kind smile on the older biker’s face is genuine. As if he'd been searching for me all these years along with my father. There's a sense of relief in his tone. I don't remember him at all, I don't remember any of them. But this guy has a kind face. His cut reads Blackjack. Road Captain. Strange name.
I notice my father smiling at him in return. They must be close friends.
“She's hot, Prez.” The handsome, Hulk looking guy shoots me a wink, but it doesn't have the same effect as when Tank winked at me.
“Eyes back in your fuckin' head, Roman!” Hand to my mouth, I try to stifle the laughter trying to get out. I've longed for this for so damn long, a father who threatens every man that show’s interest in his little girl.
That's crazy, right? Most girls hate that shit, but I have never felt safe since the day my mother took me from my father. He's making up for lost time and I am not going to stop him.
“I know how beautiful she is, but I want y'all to know right now that she is off limits. I want y'all to treat her as your sister, your niece, whatever. But the first one to so much as look at her with lust, I will end. And no, that is not a joke.”
“Does that go for Tank, too?” The one my father called Gunner points out. All eyes turn to Tank, he's still looking at me, not even caring that they're talking about him. “Seems he's got the hots for your little girl.” There's humour in Gunner's voice.
“It goes for each and every one of you. No matter your rank. Cross me and I'll end you. Do we all know where we stand?” There's a collective Aye, a couple of groans. And I'm standing here wondering if I'll ever get to see that man naked.
No, dumbass, your father will kill him.
Total shame.
* * *
Meeting his wife. I didn't think this would happen so soon. Tank explained – because it seems my brother can't bring himself to talk to me – that my dad married Lynette, an old friend of our mother’s. She brought a daughter to the marriage, Willow. Dad adopted her the second they got married.
Willow is twenty-four, two years older than me, three years younger than Tate – Jett. I really need to get used to that. Jett calls Lynette Mom and has since she married my dad.
Dad and Lynette then have three children together. VJ – Vincent Junior – who is twelve, Max, who's ten, and Sophie, who's five. I'm about to meet them all, my new siblings. I wasn't expecting this when I came looking for my dad and brother.
I must admit, my dad was quite impressed when he saw my bike and the fact I'm a fast rider like him. Told me he'd dreamt about it for years, me on a bike. I just smiled and told him, “It's in my blood.”
I'm really nervous walking into my dad’s house. I remember the place, it's the house I lived in when I was a little girl. I say lived, we'd just moved into the place, I only lived here for a couple days before Celia took me. Or at least, I think that's true.
“Don't be nervous, baby girl.” I smile at my dad, his arm is around my shoulder, holding me close to him as Jett parks his bike. He's here with us, but I can tell he doesn't want to be. He fucking hates me! But I don't understand why. “Lynette loves you, you have nothing to worry about.” Apart from the fact it seems my father can read my mind.
“She doesn't even know me.”
“She raised you from a baby, Nova.” I narrow my eyes at him. “I'm not speaking ill of your mother, but she wasn't much of one to you and Jett when you were small. Lynette was the one who took care of you when you were ill. She was the one you ran to when you hurt yourself. When you needed anything actually.”
“She's a brilliant mom, you'll love her,” Jett tells me but without even looking at me. I've been back in his life a couple hours and this shit is already getting old!
Lynette sounds too good to be true. But there she is on the doorstep looking excited to see me. I think I remember her but I'm not sure. She's beautiful. Like stunningly so. Long dark hair, bright green eyes, a slim waist with curves in all the right places. She could pass for my mother. But at the same time, she doesn't even look forty.
She seems a little more than just excited to see me, she has her hands pressed against her mouth in a fist. Her eyes are shining with tears, but they're not sad ones. I jump when she rushes down the steps that lead to her front door toward me. I've never seen anyone so excited to see me. I'm not that important, jeezus.
She screeches while wrapping her arms around my neck. I'm taken aback a little, I'm not used to this kind of affection. She pulls away and kisses my cheek. “I'm so happy you're finally home! Look at you, you're so beautiful. And just like your brothers, you look just like your father.” She chuckles, but my mind is still stuck on the fact I have brothers!
“It's nice to finally meet you,” I tell her honestly.
She rubs my arm and winks at me. She's then pulled away from me so my brother can kiss her cheek. Hearing him call her mom is a little strange to me, we have the same parents, this woman isn't my mother, but she's now Tate's. Not that I would ever take away from what she's done for him, the way she's been there and loved him all these years. It just feels a little weird.
The inside of the house is nice, really nice. The hallway isn't too long and to the right is a huge living room. It's not what I thought it would be. I thought it would be dirty, scruffy, beer cans everywhere, take away food boxes, etc. I know that's stereotypical but that's how Butch lived, that's how most of his club lived.
But this house is nothing like that, it's clean and homey, perfect.
“Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” A huge smile spreads across my face at the little girl running toward us chanting Daddy over and over again. My little sister. She has hair as dark as her mother’s, eyes just as green, but I can so see she's my father’s daughter.
I watch my father lift her into his arms, kissing her cheek and holding her close like she's the most important thing in his life. That's how he used to hold me. That's how he used to love me.
She's a shy little thing. Dad introduces me, and even though Tank told me – because Jett hasn't said much to me – that Dad and Lynette have always told the younger kids about me and that I'd one day be home, she's shy and doesn't want to talk to me, doesn't even want to look at me.
I don't let it get to me, she's a little girl who doesn't know me at all. But there's plenty of time for all of that.
The One I Need (Snakes Henchmen MC Book 1) Page 3
