I picked up a leaf and pulled at the points. “Hawke saved a girl. You know him, needing to be the knight in shining armor for defenseless women. She reminds him of you.”
Hawke always got attached to the pretty ones with a traumatic history. Made me wonder what Kadence’s story was. Olivia was abused by her stepfather while her mother was always working late until one day, she finally told her mom, and the cunt didn’t believe a single word. She ended up homeless at seventeen, but she met me soon after that. I destroyed the people who hurt her, and we soon created a beautiful life together. Fifteen amazing years together. Ten years of marriage and four years of motherhood. She was everything I wanted and more than I deserved.
The girl did have a lot of characteristics of Olivia. The sass, the amount of brattiness, and that scared look she tried to hide in her forest-green eyes. I didn’t know her secret, but if she wanted my protection and to stay in town, she’d find a way to tell me.
“I didn’t forget about you, Charlee.” I touched the ash marble headstone, running my fingers over her name. “Mama misses you, baby.”
Being a mom never crossed my mind with a shitty home life. I didn’t want those bad genes going to my kids, but that all changed when Olivia crashed into my life full force. She had a few miscarriages while we were on our IVF journey to start our family, until she finally got pregnant. The both of us were ecstatic. We wanted a new place to start fresh. I wanted to open my club and have the life we dreamed about.
Charlee was the sweetest little girl. I knew I would have to protect her, teach her how to fight so she could defend herself and others from bullies.
“She looks like you,”Olivia cooed. “I did all the work, and she still comes out looking like her mama.”
“Livia, she has your eyes, and she’ll have your smile.”
She beamed up at me as Charlee giggled in her arms. “We created the perfect little girl.”
“That we did. Thank you for giving me this.”
“Blaize, you created this yourself. I was just along for the ride.”
I pulled her into my arms. “A kingdom isn’t complete without a queen and now a princess.”
“I hope you’re ready for when this princess grows up to become a heathen. If she’s anything like us, the teenage years will be tough.”
“Bring it on, baby.”
Olivia wanteda coastal town so our babies could grow up by the beach. She had a fascination with the sea, and I knew our kids would, too. The outcome was nothing I imagined happening. Elijah had a hunger for control, and I refused to kneel at a man’s feet. He was sick. He didn’t care for basic human life and sold innocent people into sex trade.
I hoped that motherfucker was burning in hell.
“I hope you're taking good care of Mommy, baby. I miss both of my girls.”
I felt the tears burn in my eyes, but I refused to cry. It was a sign of weakness. Being here was bad enough, but I wouldn’t forget the best parts of my heart.
I sighed, kissing my fingertips and placing them on the headstone. “Until next time, my loves.” I didn’t understand why people say visiting the cemetery helped them. Every time I stepped foot here, dread filled my soul and I felt endless waves of guilt.
CHAPTER 15
KADENCE
The clubhouse was loud. I didn’t know what I expected from a motorcycle club, but it didn’t give me theSons of Anarchyvibe I thought it would. I imagined something darker, grungier, with dangerous men lurking in every corner. Was it stereotypical to think motorcycle clubs catered to violence and drugs? Did that even happen? I was starting to learn the world was indeed vicious and cruel, so who knew what the Hell’s Reapers did.
The men were what I assumed bikers looked like. Tattoos, scars, heavy boots, and leather. If I saw them on the street in the dark, I would be mortified, but that stereotype was debunked when they saved me. Scary men could be murderous teddy bears, while men in three piece suits could be vicious assholes who inflicted pain and misery.
It was late. I’d been at the clubhouse for three days now, and this was the first time I decided to step out of my room. If I stayed locked in there anymore, I would go insane. When I stumbled into the kitchen, I froze seeing a pretty girl with black and purple hair laid out on the dining table, being well, amealfor two burly, half-naked bikers. They were all focused on what they were doing, and I was flabbergasted. I wasn’t a prude byany means, but my brain didn’t know how to process what was in front of me.
“Fuck, Sin,” the woman moaned loudly as her hands went to the man’s disheveled hair. All of these men had weird names. Then, our eyes met when she propped herself up on her elbows. “Oh, uh, baby, stop.” She swatted at his head, and the man pulled back. Two more pairs of eyes met mine, and I was standing there like a deer in headlights about to be hit by an eighteen wheeler.
My eyes went to the man—Sin—and then the other one who was behind the girl. The woman grabbed a discarded shirt that was on the side of the table before leaping off of it and stumbling slightly. “I’m sorry about that. Blaize and Hawke said we had a guest, but I thought we were okay.” She ran her hand awkwardly through her hair. “I’m Layla. Are you Kadence?”
I nodded, my words still caught in my throat.Speak, Kadence. It’s not like you haven’t watched people fuck before.“I-I’m sorry for interrupting.”
Layla smiled softly, a glint shining in her hazel eyes. “It’s okay. Normally, we’d keep going, but it’s not polite when you don’t know us from Adam.”
I laughed, some of the awkward tension leaving me. “I guess seeing your tits and seeing your…boyfriend?” she nodded and I continued, “going down on you in the kitchen is one way to make a friendship.”
“Yeahhh.” She laughed. “What can I say, I love those two.”
