Storm’s Deliverance

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

STORM

“Shh, she’s sleeping. Don’t wake her up,” a voice whispers.

“She needs to get up. She has to be at the hospital in two hours,” another voice whispers.

“Shhh, you’re going to ruin the fucking surprise.”

“She’s going to hate it,” a deep voice murmurs.

I groan and roll over in my bed, blinking my eyes open. “Why are you in my room?”

As my eyes open, I’m greeted with Mom, leaning over me and an excited grin on her face. “Morning, beautiful girl,” she greets me softly.

I frown in confusion. “What’s going on?” I ask as I yawn.

“Your mother has gone fucking insane, is what’s going on,” Dad mutters.

“I swear, if you ruin this, I won’t do the thing with my tongue you like,” Mom says in a chastising tone.

I whip my pillow out from behind my head and smother myself with it. “Stop, please,” I plead in a muffled moan behind my pillow.

“Darlin’, you enjoy that just as much as me. If I remember rightly, you were on your knees begging me to do that move,” Dad says in a teasing tone

“Kill me, just kill me now,” I sigh.

Mom yanks the pillow from my face. “Stop being dramatic, Storm, you’re twenty-four. I’m sure you’ve given head before.”

“Oh, course she fucking hasn’t! No sex before fucking marriage,” Dad snaps.

Mom rolls her eyes at me. “Ignore him. Come on, I made you a special breakfast for your first day.”

“Mom, I’ve worked in the hospital before today. It’s not my first day,” I point out.

“But it’s your first day as a fully qualified pediatric nurse.” She beams.

“We eating or what? I’m starving,” Enzo huffs as he enters my room, shirtless in his grey sweats. His eyes land on me. “Get your ass up, Stormi,” he urges, calling me by my nickname only he uses.

Mom turns to him, looking at his stomach. “Is that a new tattoo?”

“Yeah, Auntie Rhea did it for me yesterday.”

“That’s so cool. I need to get her to do me another one. I just need to decide what I want,” Mom replies

“Darlin’, you are going to run out of space soon.” Dad smirks.

Mom rolls her eyes while I sit up, still half asleep. “Do you think you could let me get up and pee in peace?” I sigh.

“Sure, sweetie.” Mom places a kiss on my temple and then ushers my dad and brother out.

“She better not take ages. I got urgent business to take care of,” Enzo complains.

“Son, dropping last night’s lay back home isn’t urgent business. Ring her a taxi.”

“Dad, I got a rep to think of.”

“If she’s hungry, she can join us for breakfast,” Mom offers before closing my bedroom door behind her.

I exhale a frustrated breath and flop back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling of my childhood room; a room I won’t be sleeping in for much longer.

Rubbing my face, my thoughts trail to my new place that I’m moving into next week.

I still haven’t told the parents. Jesus, Dad is going to flip out when I tell him.

Pulling back the covers, I get up to take care of business. I walk out of my room and down the stairs in nothing but my pyjama shorts and tank top. “Nice to see you made an effort for breakfast this morning,” a deep voice startles me. Gasping, I whirl around and see Hendrix standing there.

“Fuck, Drix,” I curse, clutching my chest. “What are you doing here this early?”

His dark brown hair is a short, tasselled mess on top of his head, and hangs over his bright blue eyes. His sharp dark features had all the girls throwing themselves at him growing up. Even now.

He pops a grape in his mouth. “Here for you, and to celebrate your first day.” His grin deepens, his blue eyes sparking with amusement.

“What?” I whirl around, and then I finally take note of my surroundings. The loud chatter, the laughter… I groan. “Everyone is here?” I ask.

Drix comes up beside me. “Oh yeah.” He chuckles. “Suck it up, BB.” He winks as he walks past me into the kitchen area.

BB, aka biker brat. He’s called me it throughout high school, and it gets on my last nerve. It also makes me want to stab him every chance I get.

I angrily march after him. “Call me that again, Drix, and I will make you choke on your own dick!” I yell. All the chatter ceases, and everyone’s eyes land on me. Drix just looks at me, an arrogant smirk on his stupid face.

“Can you two not bicker for once?” Aunt Maggie asks as she walks over to me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders.

She pulls me to her and gives me a soft kiss on my temple.

Her bright blue eyes—the same blue eyes her jackass son has—sparkles back at me.

“Proud of you, girl.” She gives me a gentle squeeze.

My lips curve in a soft smile. “Thanks, Maggie, and we would get along if he stopped calling me BB,” I point out.

“Hendrix!” she snaps. “You’re twenty-five years old. Grow the fuck up.”

“Sorry, Ma.” Drix grins.

She rolls her eyes. “These bikers. You have to rule them with an iron fist. Don’t take no shit,” she warns me.

I nod. “Maggie, I’m my mother’s daughter,” I say, giving her a side glance.

She laughs. “Oh, sweetheart, that you are. Just don’t punish my boy too much. Just enough to teach him a lesson,” she says, nudging me with her elbow.

She walks off to help my mom serve up pancakes.

I look around the huge open plane kitchen diner area, at all the club gathered around, eating, laughing, and drinking coffee like it isn’t six am.

They are a pain in the ass, but they are here for me.

There is no family more loving and loyal than mine.

Congratulations banners and balloons fill the walls, and my mom had even got nurse-themed paper plates and cups.

I look over at her. Her black hair is pulled to one side as she cooks bacon and pancakes; she’s wearing her usual black tank top tucked into a pair of cut-off jean shorts that just cover over her ass, exposing her tattoos.

She’s beautiful. My gaze wanders over to my dad, who is standing chatting to my uncles Rage, Spider, and Beast, but his eyes are on Mom.

They are always on Mom. He is obsessed with her.

Even after all these years. Their love is the kind you dream about, and the kind you pray to hope to find one day.

“So, I’m guessing this is a surprise,” Maisy states, coming to stand by my side.

I exhale a breath. “Yeah, but then I guess I should have expected it.”

“Of course you should have; your mom doesn’t do things by halves, and you should by now. When our folks are proud, that means the whole club is proud, and that is an excuse to celebrate.” Maisy snorts. “Just be thankful you got work, or this would have turned into an all-dayer.”

I nod as we stand, watching our “family”, the Black Hearts MC.

I had heard the rumours over the years. We all had going through high school; other girls refused to be our friend.

Boys gave us a wide berth, and those that tried soon ran within a couple of days.

After Chad, I gave up even trying to date through high school.

I was pretty sure my dad had paid off or threatened every boy within a hundred-mile radius to stay away from me.

Until I went to college, I met Zeke; that’s when things changed.

I could keep him a secret; even now, none of my parents knows about him.

He was my slice of happiness away from the chaos that is my home life.

I had told him about my family; I didn’t tell him what MC they were, for fear of scaring him off, but said they were insane. Loving, but insane.

“You told them about Zeke yet?” Maisy asks.

“No,” I mutter, watching as Uncle Rage holds out a piece of bacon to Hades, cringing at the massive globs of drawl stretching from his jowls. “I should.”

“Yeah, you should. You’re moving in with him,” Maisy hisses quietly. “Jesus, your dad is going to flip,” she mutters.

“You think I could just move and not tell them?” I ask on a wince, knowing that was a crazy suggestion.

Maisy bursts out laughing, doubling over, holding her stomach.

“You should put comedian on your resume.” She sighs, wiping the corners of her eyes.

“They would hunt you down and drag you back. And that won’t be your dad; it would be your mom, and all the ol’ ladies,” she points out.

“Sometimes I don’t know who is more terrifying, our mothers or the dads. ”

We watch as my dad says something that pisses my mom off.

She gives him a glare that would have most men’s balls shrivelling up inside themselves.

Not my dad. He simply smirks, firmly grabs her by the nape of her neck, and slams his mouth down on hers in a quick yet heated kiss.

I blink. Their public displays of affection don’t phase me anymore.

Their sex talk, on the other hand, makes me want to rip my ears off and bury them six feet in the ground.

As much as they gross me out most days, their love is something I’ve always wanted.

My mom said to never settle for anyone that doesn’t make your heart ache and your coochie tingle.

The last part was a little TMI, but that was Mom.

“The moms,” I answer. “Women hold all the power. They just let the men think they do.”

I feel Maisy’s gaze on me. “You’re just as terrifying as your mother.”

I smirk. “Yeah, I know.”

“Has Enzo met Zeke yet?” Maisy asks. We glance over at my brother, who has just folded up a pancake and shoved the entire thing in his mouth, resulting in maple syrup dribbling down his chin and onto his tattooed chest. I give her a side glance and smirk, shaking my head.

“Maisy,” I say her name in warning.

“What?” she asks innocently, her cheeks turning a shade of pink.

“Seriously, you need to move on,” I urge.

She and Enzo had a night, one drunken night.

When Maisy woke, Enzo had left. It was never spoken about since.

I’m the only one in the group that knows.

I had slept over hers that night and woken up on the sofa to hear Maisy crying in her room.

I had gone to kick my brother’s ass for treating a woman like that; not just any woman but our lifelong friend.

If Uncle Hawk had found out, it would have caused hell.

She exhales a slow breath. “I’m not, okay? It was over a year ago, and we’ve been fine since. That’s the important thing.” She shrugs.

I roll my eyes. “You lost your virginity to him, and he acted like it was nothing, like you were nothing. Damn, even now I still want to kick his ass. God, he’s such a prick,” I fume, feeling my anger bubbling beneath my skin.

Maisy places her hand on my arm. “You promised you would never say anything, and that still applies now. If you kick off, the parents will ask why, and then it will just end up being a shit show. I’m a big girl, and I can deal with my own feelings.

Plus, I’ve got a second date with that guy from the zoo. ”

I arch my brow. “You’re dating a zookeeper?” I press.

She smiles. “Yeah, he looks after the tigers.”

“And what did your dad say to that?” I ask, knowing Uncle Hawk would have some kind of innuendo.

She snorts and rolls her eyes. “I didn’t tell him. Mom did. He called him the pussy keeper. Said that I am worth more than someone that cleans out a giant cat litter tray.”

I snort. “I mean, your dad has a point,” I agree.

“You side with my dad, I may have to talk louder about Zeke,” she threatens.

“Okay, okay. You’re good with the growler warden.” I laugh, holding my hands up in surrender.

“Um, sorry, is Enzo there?” a quiet voice asks behind us. We turn round to see a tiny blonde woman. Her hair looks like its been back combed, her cheeks are a deep shade of crimson, and on her neck is a deep, purple hickey. My stomach convulses. My brother is disgusting.

“Enzo, seriously?!” I yell across the kitchen. All eyes land on her, and she takes a step back. Not sure if from fear or embarrassment.

Enzo dusts off his hands, a grin dancing across his lips, deepening the dimple on his cheek. His gaze briefly cuts to Maisy, and his smile falters. I can’t help it. My hand connects with the back of his before I can stop myself.

“Ow!” he hisses. “What was that for?” he asks, rubbing the back of his head.

“For being a manwhore,” I quip.

“Hey!” Mom yells, defending him.

I roll my eyes. “Sorry, for being a slut,” I correct.

His eyes flare at me for a second; those same eyes, that same look from our dad that would have most people shivering in fear, but he’s my brother, and I’m my mother’s daughter after all. I slut smile at him before turning to his latest conquest.

“I’d run for the hills if I were you,” I muttered. “My brother is a jerk. You could do better.”

“Not cool, Stormi,” Enzo growls.

“Storm!” Mom chastises as she walks over. She smiles at the girl. “Ignore her; she’s anxious for the first day of her new job.”

I roll my eyes, looking at my dad, who smirks and gives me a wink. I grin back at him. Enzo walks his, well, I don’t know what to call her. His latest conquest out, I guess.

Mom whirls around, catching Dad’s smirk. “You can wipe that grin off your face, Casper,” she says, pointing her index finger at him.

His eyes flare. He hates it when she calls him that, which just makes her call him it even more.

Enzo walks back inside beside me. “Not cool,” he warns.

I shrug. “Stop behaving like sleaze bag then,” I quip.

His eyes flare. “I want to meet Zeke tonight,” he states, crossing his arms over his chest, glaring down at me like the overbearing big brother he is.

“No,” I refuse.

“I don’t meet him tonight, I’m telling Dad,” he threatens.

My eyes widen. “You wouldn’t!” I hiss.

“I fucking would,” he threatens.

I exhale. “Fine. I will text you later. You can come meet him on break in the hospital canteen, but if you threaten him in any way, I will never speak to you again.”

“You wouldn’t do that. You love me too much.” He wraps his arm around my shoulders and gives me a chaste kiss on the top of my head before he finally looks down at Maisy “Hey, Maisy.”

“Enzo.” She nods, avoiding his gaze as she looks around the room like she’s bored. I fight my smile, proud of her for giving my asshole brother the cold shoulder.

“What time have you got to be at work?” Enzo asks.

“Eight, why?” I ask.

“Because it’s already seven.” Enzo nods towards the clock on the wall.

“Shit, I need to shower, and it’s over a forty-minute drive.” I unhook his arms from my shoulders and stand on a chair. “Thank you all for coming, but I need to get ready for work now! Love you!” I blow them all a kiss and jump down off the chair, ready to bolt.

“Wait!” Aunt Nova calls, holding out a little cupcake. “I made your favourite apple and cinnamon with cream cheese frosting.” She grins. “You’ve got to eat something before you go,” she urges.

I take the cupcake, grinning as I peel back the casing before I take a huge bite, moaning.

“Damn Nova.” I grin. “Thank you.”

She waves me off. “Go, get ready. I will box you some up to take to work.”

I yell my thanks over my shoulder and run up the stairs.