Falling for Her (MC #2)

1. Prologue

Prologue

Jokester – Sixteen Years Old

“Switch it up, Bullet,” I grunt as I lift my left hand with the pad protecting it from my best friend's hit, already anticipating it and he nods in confirmation before giving me hard jabs. I tense my legs to keep my grip so I don't fall on my ass as he spins and kicks the right pad and I mutter, “Good, and again.”

Ace, known as Bullet within our club, the Black Angels MC, is a bare-knuckle fighter and really fucking good at it too.

Due to his age, our club had to pay a hefty fine for him to compete against fighters. It helps that we own a ring not far from our clubhouse. He's also our future President, his father our current, and my father, Pitbull, is the club's enforcer, a role I won't be taking over when I turn twenty-five.

Nope, I'll be the Vice President of the club, Bullet’s second, and fuck me if that isn't an honor.

I grunt as Bullet changes tactics and kicks my left palm instead of my right, causing me to step back and I grin as I quickly get back into position and brace myself for the next hit with his right fist before he twist and elbows the pad.

Being club brats, Bullet and I already have our road names, something that normally we don't get until we're patched into the club, just like normally prospective brothers can't prospect for the club until they hit eighteen, but we get to start our prospecting days once we hit seventeen. While I can't wait to become a brother and I love that I've been given the road name Jokester because I love fucking around and playing pranks, being a prospect is going to kick our ass, even more so because we are club brats.

We'll have to do every dirty job and every request from the brothers, and I can guarantee Bullet, Callum, Maverick and I will fight over gate duty because that is probably the easiest job out of everything where the brothers can’t touch you until you’ve finished.

I mean, who in the fuck wants to clean filled condoms off of a brother's floors?

I switch it up and hit him on the head with my right hand, then his ribs with my left before I twist and kick my leg out, making him stumble.

He scowls, “Fuck's sake, Jokester!”

I chuckle and demand, “Need to act faster, now concentrate.”

He shakes his head, rubbing his hand through his dark brown wet hair, and he groans, “I would if my sister would fuck off instead of cheering every five seconds to get attention, she’s getting on my nerves.”

I huff and push some of my hair that's fallen from my bun out of my face with my arm as I eye the girl in question, looking at me like I'm some piece of meat wearing way too much makeup, a mini skirt, and a crop top.

The girl is a menace, and I seem to be the only one who sees the dark side of her. The rest of the club believes she’s miss innocent while I have seen several times claim wolf with some prospects who refuse to speak to her, getting them kicked out of the club.

She's Bullet's twin sister but a pain in the ass, always trying to hang around with us, mainly trying to hang off my arm. The girl has had a crush for as long as I can remember despite no advances from me. I try and keep my distance as much as possible but she doesn't seem to get the hint and yesterday when I had told her we weren't happening after she tried to kiss me. All she did was give me a knowing smile that set my hairs on my arm up before sauntering away.

I heard through the grapevine that she got caught sucking off a teacher yesterday. Whether or not it's true, well, that remains to be seen, but the girl is nothing but trouble, Bullet's sister or not. Her and Victoria both.

Victoria is the VP Hammer’s daughter and has a big thing for Bullet, not for who he is, but more because of what his title will be. She's our age, and for years, her mama Marie and Bullet's mama Louise have tried to convince Bullet to have a relationship with her, even stating they were getting married after graduation, which is never going to fucking happen.

“Just ignore her and get your head back into it. You fight Trick tomorrow night, that fucker likes to, well, he likes to play tricks like I've been showing you all night, so block everything out and concentrate,” I snap and bend a little at the waist and hold my padded hands up again.

Bullet nods, his blue eyes serious, and he gets into his stance. Just as he goes to strike me, I hear, “Son,” from behind, and we both look.

My dad stands near the door, his green eyes serious. I tilt my head, wondering why he would be in here when he knows Bullet has a match tomorrow.

I know Mama is alright. She was just in here five minutes ago reminding us to take a break, so what would have my father looking at me like that?

“I know you're busy, but uh, I need a word,” he says, and his hard exterior breaks a little when he notices Bethany, who is grinning wide between us. He looks at me with a little guilt, and I frown.

What the…

“Go on, I'll hit the bag until you return,” Bullet grunts and climbs out of the ring and heads to the punching bag in the corner. I sigh and remove the pads, throwing them on the ring floor, knowing a prospect will clean them for me.

I jump from the ring and grab my shirt from near Bethany, whose dark blue eyes eat me up with a smirk, her focus on my chest. I narrow my eyes before walking away without a word, hearing a huff, but I ignore her.

I don’t know how many more times I have to express to her we won’t be happening.

As we walk out the door and pass Bullet's and my room, I ask, “What did you need to talk about?” as I stop and turn towards him.

He winces and admits, “We have to go to the President's office for this conversation,” and I tilt my head.

Knowing I can't deny President, I nod, and walk away from him without another word, trying to ignore the tightening in my chest.

I have a gut feeling this has something to do with Bethany, especially with the glee she had in her eyes when Dad came into the room. I know she's been messing up a lot lately, and I know she's made it perfectly clear that she wants me. But what the President thinks I can do with his daughter, I don't know, but I have a bad feeling.

I ignore everyone in the common room as I walk out of the hallway and head to the President's office.

“Hey, what's going on?” Callum, my other best friend, asks, but neither my dad nor I answer him.

He's the son of the Sgt in Arms and he has a brother, Maverick. While Mav will take over from their dad, Callum will become the club's secretary.

Both brothers have yet to get a road name, but that's because, unlike Bullet and me, they haven't done anything to get one.

As soon as we reach the black door, I open it without knocking. He knew I was helping Bullet, yet he sent my father to come and get me, and honestly, the bad feeling is building.

Butcher looks up with a scowl, but his brows rise seeing me, and I raise a brow in return.

Butcher looks exactly like his son, from his jawline to dark brown hair and blue eyes. Most people are terrified of him, but I grew up knowing him as family. Now I want to know what is so important when he knows his son has a match tomorrow.

“Apparently, my dad wants to speak to me, but in here, now why would that be Pres?” I ask as I walk inside. Instead of sitting in the black armchairs, I widen my stance and cross my arms over my chest.

Butcher sighs and drops his pen, and leans back in his chair behind his big-ass dark oak desk as my dad shuts his door.

Fuck's sake, this is more serious than I thought if Dad is shutting the damn door.

“Damian,” he begins, and I scoff, “Oh, here we go. Calling me my legal name means you want something from me that I'm not going to like or agree with.”

My dad clears his throat knowing I've seen right through them but doesn't say anything and I slowly lick my bottom lip trying not to snap at the two men I look up to.

Bethany, this is about her, I just know it.

“What I'm about to ask of you is something I never asked of a brother before,” Butcher begins as he looks down, “I don't want to ask this of you, but I'm out of options, and I know my wife, my old lady, is ready to pull her hair out. Seeing my old lady hurt and upset is enough to make me break and ask this of you.”

“Just spit it out, Butch,” I snap, and he looks at me.

There's no anger in his eyes for my tone, only guilt.

Running a hand through his dark brown hair, he states, “I need you to keep an open mind.” He clears his throat, “Now, I've noticed my daughter has become infatuated with you over the years…”

The bad feeling tightens. I knew this had something to do with her after the way she looked at me, but as he says, “I want you to date my daughter,” sickness takes over because, yeah, no, I didn't expect him to say that.

I shake my head, about to say, fuck no, but my dad speaks, “Just hear him out, son…” And I turn and glare at him and snap, “You're trying to fucking set me up with a girl who can't take no for an answer. She's fucking spoiled and won't leave me the fuck alone and why are you here backing Butcher when I'm your son?!” dad looks down and I scoff and look at my pres, “And let me guess, she came to daddy and promised to change her ways, leave the prospects along, if you made sure I date her, let her on my bike and give her my cut when I become a brother?” Butcher winces, showing me I hit the nail on the head, and I scoff and throw my arm out and snap, “She doesn't even fucking want me. She wants the patch I'm going to get when I patch in. She wants the cushy life she knows you won't continue to give her now that she's old enough to get a job, fuck I don't even see her that way, never have!”

My dad clears his throat again, and Butcher sniffs and threatens coldly, “If you don't date her, then you won't become a brother.”

My mouth parts, and my whole world tilts as betrayal hits me hard.

Years, fucking years, I've had it drilled in me that becoming a brother is what will become of me, that I'm to become my best friend's VP and to watch his back always, and now it's being threatened. For what, a spoiled little girl?

My own father is going along with this! My dad, my fucking dad!

Butcher continues, “Ace is can’t know, neither can anyone else. Not my old lady, not your mother, no one. You are to date my daughter and help her change her ways. You never know, you may fall for her and give her everything. If not, then so be it, but we need her off this path, and the more I drill it into her, the more she rebels, and this feud with Victoria is building, I hate to say it, but I think she's using Scarlett and that girl is innocent.”

Scarlett, as in her best friend since she was ten. Initially Beth fell out with Victoria after Vicky came first in the pageant show and she came second and decided to latch onto Scar two days later, the same Scarlett who is basically a loner and hates people and was forced to come partly out of the shadows, allowing her to be bullied more.

They're asking too much of me. I'm sixteen, and they're trying to put too much pressure on me. It's not fair, and they both know Mama would shoot them if she knew they were doing this.

I grit my teeth and fist my hands.

“For years I have put this club first,” I growl, “Years, I have been told I am going to become a brother, that I am to give my everything to this club, and they'll always have my back. That I'm to become my best friend's VP, and you're telling me if I don't date your spoiled daughter, I won't get my cut?”

Butcher swallows, his throat bobs, and he nods reluctantly, then admits, “You'll also no longer be welcome on club property. Now I know you're training to be a tattoo artist, but again, you won't be welcome to train with our shop, meaning you won't be allowed to train until you're eighteen, and no, the women won't question us and Hammer will believe whatever lie I tell him so he doesn’t take you on.”

“Son,” my dad begins, but I cut him off and shout, “ You're willing to ruin my fucking life all for your selfish daughter? Are you fucking kidding me!?”

Butcher doesn't flinch, but I see the guilt, and I scoff and turn without another word, knowing I'll end up hitting a man who's not just the President of a club but a man I see as an honorary uncle.

I shove past my dad, who goes to grab my arm, with that he hits the wall hard. This causes him to grunt, and I rush down the corridor, and out the backdoor, my anger taking over.

“Damian!” I hear my mother call from near the benches where she’s sitting with the old ladies, but I don't respond and run out of the gate.

How am I supposed to do what they want, knowing I'll never see Bethany any other way than as the spoiled girl who is my friend's sister? But how am I supposed to give up all I've ever known?

How am I supposed to survive with no money to my name?

I never got a job, knowing the club would have to take my sole focus so how am I supposed to live?

They're taking away everything I've been living for, knowing nothing else will make me do as they demand.

They’re willing to lie and make me look like a bad guy.

How am I ever going to fucking forgive them and give them the respect they always demanded after this, to put my faith in them while wearing a cut if I do as they ask?

Well, I won't be able to, will I?

Esmerelda – Fifteen Years Old

I swallow as I carefully weigh the butter, ensuring I don't exceed the amount I need for the upside-down pineapple cake I have yet to perfect.

Every time I try, the thing collapses, but when my mother does it, it's perfection. It's frustrating, especially since this has to be the twelfth time I'm attempting it this week.

Sniffling, I quickly wipe away the fallen tears with my arm then grab the brown sugar and measure it into the bowl with the butter. Then, I grab my wooden spoon and mix it together carefully.

“I will get it this time….” I mutter to myself while checking that the mixture is creamy.

I want to be a baker after high school. I want to go to culinary school and take business classes so I know how to run a bakery and make my mom and daddy proud. Okay, mainly mom because, well, she's the baker of the family. Dad just runs the business side of her bakery, Jacobs Bakery, while also working as a family attorney in town. He’s already proud of me with the straight A’s I’m getting.

When I grow up, I want to be just like my mother….

“I bet mom wouldn't have allowed a boy to hurt her,” I sniffle and wipe away the tears that have fallen with my arm again before I carefully spread the creamy mixture in a cake tin, first on the base, then around the sides hoping my tears don’t mix in with it.

No one wants heartbroken tears in their cake…

Not one not to leave a mess, I quickly rinse off the bowl and spoon and place them in the dishwasher then grab the ring pineapple pieces I’d already cut and place them neatly in the tin then grab the cherries next trying to ignore the pain in my heart.

“Mer, we're home, sweetheart,” Mom says loudly as the front door opens, and I quickly wipe my cheeks again and sniff hard before croaking, “I'm in the kitchen…”

I don't want them to know I'm upset. Knowing my daddy, he'll go all Hulk, and I don't need that, not right now.

Right now, I want to get this cake right.

“Oh, you're trying the pineapple one again?” Daddy asks as they walk into the room. I hum as I quickly grab another bowl, then the butter, golden sugar, self-rising flour, baking powder, vanilla extract, and two eggs that I'd already organized in separate bowls.

I grab each ingredient and pour them into the large bowl as Mom asks, “I thought you were going to give this recipe a break, Mer? You nearly broke the oven last time you attempted this.”

I look at her quickly, give her a tight smile, and lie, “I caved and I promise I won’t break anything or try to,” before I crack the eggs into the mixture then grab the electric whisk and without looking at my parents, I begin to whisk the mixture together, trying to not overdo it this time around.

I love my parents, I do, but I don't want to disappoint them. Telling them that my first boyfriend, a guy my dad approved of, dumped me one hour after handing him my virginity isn't in my plans.

Turns out Cody Ports, a boy in my class who had been flirting with me for six months before asking me out four days after my fourteenth birthday, had a bet with his actual girlfriend, the school bully Portia, that he could take my virginity.

You see, I'm a loner. I prefer baking to friends because most friends are fake and mean, so I became a target. No shocker there I guess.

I turn the whisk off and gently spoon the mixture off the metal whisk into the bowl before spooning it into the tin, my mind frazzled.

I walked out of the bathroom and heard him chuckling on the phone with his girlfriend. He said it may have taken him a while, but he got what he wanted, and now she owed him her butt.

Yeah, I know, gross right?

He was soon shocked when I tore his phone from his ear and smashed his phone on his side table. His penis was still out with the filled condom on.

I heard his girlfriend demand proof, and apparently, he recorded us, and now he can't access it. I also smacked him in the face and threatened to report him, so hopefully, he'll stay away from me from now on. Knowing Portia, she's probably told everyone in school how pathetic I was to give her boyfriend something special, not realizing he couldn't stand me.

And to think I made him my special iced cinnamon buns – Jackass…

“What happened, sweetheart?” Mom asks, seeing right through me.

I sniffle and half admit, “Cody has a girlfriend…”

I grab the cake tin, open the oven, and place it inside before carefully shutting the door as Dad demands, “You are his girlfriend, Esmerelda. What are you talking about?”

I swallow hard and turn and look at my parents, my world.

Although I'm only five foot five my mom is five-seven, and my dad is five-eleven, I am the spitting image of my mother, with mousy brown hair and dark brown eyes. I have my dad's nose, but that is about it.

He has light brown hair and caramel eyes, making him quite attractive to the female population which is just ugh. According to my mom, every girl wanted him in high school, but he chose her. After twenty years together, they have me, their own businesses, and a life Mom describes as one she's always wanted.

“I was a bet,” I admit, and Dad's cheeks redden as anger takes over his features. Mom looks at me closely and sees something I was hoping she wouldn't see before she sighs, not with disappointment but with sadness for me.

When a girl decides to give a boy that part of herself, it's not without a lot of thought, or at least with me, it wasn't. I dated him for a year before I gave myself to him. I mean, he told me he loved me…

How gullible am I, huh?

I sniffle again, and my dad sighs before walking over to me and taking me into his strong arms. I melt as I lay my head against his chest and wrap my arms around his waist. I mumble, “You're getting flour all over you…”

His chest rumbles as I feel Mom's fingers in my hair, making me smile a little as Dad states, “And I don't care… my daughter is hurting.”

I nod and let my tears fall. I was hesitant when Cody asked me out. I just thought it was because I'd never had a boyfriend before, but now, clearly, it's because he's a jerk, and my sixth sense told me to stay away.

I just wished I had listened, but I won't be fooled again.

School and baking are the only things I need to worry about now. Boys can wait until I'm in my thirties, at least.

Famous last words, though because little do I know, my life is about to be turned upside down.