Chapter Four
P resent Day
Anthony finished getting washed and as he stepped out of the shower, he put his hands on the edge of the sink and stared toward his reflection. There was nothing there, as the shower he took had filled the room with too much steam. Swiping his hand across the mirror, he looked at himself, and he didn’t like it.
Glancing down at the sink, he couldn’t help but have the first time he and Daisy kissed on constant replay.
He and Daisy had always been close. Not many people knew that about the two of them. Daisy had killed her father, and Anthony hadn’t judged her. He’d been proud of her for ending the pain he was causing. Anthony would always have Daisy’s side. Always.
He took a deep breath and reached for the toothbrush. Daisy wanted to tell the club, but he made sure she didn’t. No one suspected anything; however, knowing his father the way he did, he had a feeling Lash already knew the truth.
Anthony had never talked about Daisy’s father’s death. There had been no point. The man meant nothing to him, and the truth was, the day Daisy stepped back, after killing him, Anthony had been on the way over there to take care of it. She had simply saved him a job. He just made sure the mess she created looked like something else. That is what he was good at. He liked cleaning up messes. Actually, he liked causing them.
Brushing his teeth, he spat out and went back to brushing. The whole time he worked his teeth, he couldn’t stop thinking about that day. It had changed everything for him and Daisy. She could no longer pretend there was nothing between them.
Sure, to Tabitha, she played the part really well, acting dumb whenever Tabitha would mention it. It helped that their friend was more interested in her own love life at the time.
After killing Daisy’s father, the next two years were pretty intense. Lexie, Devil’s woman, had gotten cancer. To help out in Piston County, Tabitha had left Fort Wills. She’d stayed there for a pretty long time. During that time, he and Daisy didn’t need to pretend anymore. Miles hadn’t given a shit, and neither had any of their other friends. While they’d been around, they acted like nothing had changed. Daisy continued to talk to Tabitha over the phone, but to Anthony everything had changed.
Then, it was decided that Tabitha should come back home, and once again he and Daisy had to be together in secret, until Daisy had finally decided to ask him out. That had been perfect to him—Daisy acting all coy and shy about asking him out. He would later find out that Daisy was a little nervous about it. She pointed out that they may have been seeing each other, but in those two years they had never once dated officially. Their first date had been awesome. He had loved it, and it meant they no longer had to lie about who they were.
Just thinking about their date sucked him right back to it.
****
D aisy and Anthony’s First Official Date
“I think your dad wanted to kill me,” Anthony said. “I’m glad we decided to keep our relationship a secret.”
“It’s fine. He does that with everyone. Even Sally, but I doubt he will do that with David, you know. It’s a guy thing.”
“True, my dad told me to be the perfect gentleman tonight.”
Daisy laughed. “Have you told him you’re always the perfect gentleman?”
Anthony chuckled. “So, for real, where do you want to go tonight?”
“I don’t mind. Wherever they serve food, because I am starving, and we both dressed like this, so I guess we better enjoy it.”
He helped her into his car.
His father refused to get him a bike just yet, and he had to spend more time driving. He didn’t mind, but he couldn’t wait to have his own bike. Over the years, he had come to realize that the less he argued about everything, the more he got. His parents started to treat him with the respect he had earned.
Anthony knew nothing in this life was granted, and some things had to be earned. He didn’t mind having to do whatever it took to earn the respect of his father, and one day, that of the club. His place was to be by his father’s side.
For a long time, he assumed Miles would be the one to take the lead of the Skulls. Miles was Tiny’s son, who had been the leader of the Skulls before Lash, until he handed over the reins.
They opted to have dinner at a small restaurant, one that served vegan food and then of course meat. Anthony refused to join in her vegan diet, but he had no problem with it.
The restaurant wasn’t too fancy. There was no concierge to park his car, but a small parking lot around the back. He parked, climbed out, and since Daisy was already out, he took her hand.
“You really are going to be the perfect gentleman, aren’t you?”
“You deserve it.” And with that, he leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Have I told you tonight that you look beautiful?”
“I don’t think you have.”
“Well, you do, and that dress looks stunning on you.” It was a deep blue that hugged her body, but also wasn’t too tight. She looked so soft and feminine. He wanted to hold her in his arms and never let her go. He felt an overwhelming need to protect her.
“Thank you. You don’t look too bad yourself. You clean up nicely.” She giggled.
They walked into the restaurant and he already had made reservations. The man at the front desk looked over his book, then nodded and asked him to follow.
He’d booked a nice, quiet table where there was no chance of them being spied upon. He had a horrible feeling one or more of their parents were going to try and join their party, and he didn’t want that. Anthony had heard his mother talking about how cute it was for the two of them to be dating, and he didn’t need that kind of embarrassment.
He pulled out the chair for Daisy, and she sat down. He thanked the man for showing them their table, and then they were finally alone.
Daisy leaned forward. “This is nice.”
“Yes, it is.” He glanced down and saw her hands were on the table, so he reached out and took them. The smile on her face was intoxicating.
“You know, Tabitha’s going to ask me about today.”
“I know.”
“I hate that I’ve lied to her. About us.”
“There wasn’t much to tell. We wanted our privacy, and she didn’t exactly help us with that.”
“True.” She took a deep breath. “I think she misses Simon.”
He shook his head. “We’ve got all the time in the world to talk about Tabitha and her problems. You and I both know she is going to choose to be a Chaos.”
“So?”
“That means she’s not a Skull, and she won’t stay one forever. Her heart lies elsewhere.”
“It doesn’t stop her loyalty to us.”
“Right now, but in time it is going to mean exactly that.” He didn’t want to talk about Tabitha. Anthony had known for some time that their friend was going to choose Simon. Tabitha was obsessed with Simon. He also knew their parents had done this as an experiment to help her make up her mind. Yes, she loved them all, she was a Skull, but her heart and her love were with another.
Simon was going to take over from his father as leader of the Chaos Bleeds MC. Now, the Skulls and Chaos Bleeds may have been aligned for a long time, but they were not the same club. Anthony was not going to willingly join with Chaos Bleeds, and he knew his father never would. They were two independent clubs with similar desires. They wanted peace. They had each other’s back in war, but other than that, they were different.
Daisy sighed and for the first time that night, the smile dropped from her lips.
“Don’t,” he said. “Don’t be sad.”
“How could I not? Everything is changing and there is nothing I can do to stop it.” She sighed. “Tabitha will be gone. What about us? What about college? What about the future?”
“You’re scared?”
“I don’t know if I’m scared, or I don’t know what to think.”
“Are you planning to go away to college?”
Daisy shook her head. “No, I’m not.”
This did surprise him.
“I thought you wanted to go?” he asked.
“Things change, and I don’t want to go to another state and live with a bunch of other people. I don’t want to ... leave you.” She pressed her lips together.
“Daisy, you can’t ... I want you to do what you want to do.”
“And I’ve been thinking about it. There are online options for me to study. There are night classes. There is so much I can do, I don’t have to leave Fort Wills, and you, to do what I’m not even sure I want to do anymore. I don’t know if I want to be a social worker, a writer, or some business thing.” She blew out a breath. “I don’t know what I want to be.”
“Whatever you want to be, you’ll be great,” he said.
She laughed. “Do you want me to leave?”
“No,” Anthony said. “I don’t want you to go. I love being with you, Daisy. I love our time together.”
“You’re not bored?”
“No, never. We could sit in complete silence and I wouldn’t be bored with you.”
She sighed once again and he felt her hands tighten around him. Something was bothering her.
He held onto her, trying to give her all she needed. “What is it?” he asked.
She smiled and then looked down. “I don’t know, I guess I’m just scared. I’m not Lacey and Whizz’s real kid, and I don’t know what I want to be. If I leave, what if everyone realizes I’m not really one of you?” She frowned.
Anthony hated this. He didn’t know for sure how often she had paid a visit to her real dad before they killed him. It must have been multiple times because that bastard had gotten into her head.
“Hey, look at me,” he said.
She lifted her gaze and he saw tears in her eyes. “I don’t want to cry. My mom put makeup on me.” She sniffled.
“Then don’t cry, and what you said right there is the point.”
She frowned.
“Your mom,” he said. “Your mom is Lacey, and Whizz is your dad. You’re one of the Skulls. You wear the patch. You will always be one of us, and no one will ever judge you for not knowing what you want to be. If you want to go to college, then go. I’ll follow you. If you want to stick around, take courses, and figure things out, do that. Do what you want to do, not out of fear of being cast out or tossed aside. The Skulls do not do that. We’re a family, and remember you’re mine, Daisy. Always. Always mine.”
****
P resent Day
Anthony pulled out of the memory, which had felt like a lifetime ago. It probably was nearly six years ago.
Finishing his teeth, he ran a brush through his hair, and then stepped into his bedroom. Glancing over at the bed, he couldn’t help but stop. This was where he and Daisy had lost their virginity.
After everything that happened with Tabitha, they had been there for her through the bad times, and when they found out she was pregnant, all hell had broken loose. Daisy had done everything she could, but finding out she was pregnant had strengthened Tabitha’s resolve. She was going to have this baby, as there was a chance it was Simon’s. They also knew there was a chance it was Ryan’s, the guy who raped her.
Anyway, it had been late, and he and Daisy had come back to his place to freshen up. His parents were at the clubhouse along with his brother and sister. They had been alone, and had no intention of having sex. They had slept together many times. Ever since they were sixteen, there had been times he’d snuck into her room, shared her bed, and they didn’t have sex. Anthony was happy to wait.
They had been lying in bed. Daisy had looked at him and told him she loved him. t had been a whisper. He leaned over and kissed her, with no intention at all, and then Daisy had told him she was ready. They were both ready.
He made love to her on this bed. That first time had been one of many.
Even with everything going on, they hadn’t been able to keep their hands off one another. Tabitha had been so consumed with what happened, her friends had simply retreated from her. Anthony had seen that.
She was hurt that Simon left without another word. She was pregnant, and everything had been different. Tabitha stopped hanging out, and once her son Nathan was born, she drifted. She would still go to functions and do what was required of her, but it was all different. Anthony saw this, as did Daisy.
They were all friends, but they were not quite as close as they once were. Like now, it had been twenty-four hours, and he had yet to hear from Tabitha. He had no doubt she would know, but that is what happened when friends moved away. People changed, they grew up, and some grew apart. Others completely lost touch.
He and Daisy had stayed together, had grown together. He knew it was corny, but they were soul mates. It was why when she asked him if he was in love with Tabitha, he thought it was so fucking stupid. Anthony liked Tabitha as a friend, but over the years, he had come to believe at times she was a little selfish.
Daisy didn’t put her own needs above their friendship, which is why they had kept it a secret for so long. Tabitha always thought they were longing looks he sent Daisy. No, it was how he looked at Daisy. She was his. He wouldn’t allow anything to happen to her.
Once he finished getting dressed, he stepped out of his bedroom and made his way downstairs to find his dad at the kitchen stove.
“You’re cooking?”
It was rare for his father to cook.
“You need to eat something.”
“I’ve got to get back to the hospital.”
“Sit your ass in the fucking chair, before I chain us back together.” Lash had released the cuffs the moment they got home.
For a short time, Anthony truly thought his dad was going to stand in the shower stall with him. He could argue and possibly fight with his dad, but he didn’t want to. He was already skating on thin ice with Lash at the moment.
Taking a seat, he let out a sigh and waited for the food. Lash hadn’t cooked him an elaborate meal. It was eggs, bacon, and toast. Anthony felt his stomach cramp. He needed food. Picking up the fork, he took a bite and didn’t realize how hungry he was until that moment. He scooped up some more, and then thickly buttered a slice of toast and started to eat the bread with the eggs and bacon.
“This is good,” Anthony said.
Lash didn’t say a word, just sipped at his coffee.
Anthony was used to silence with his dad. He finished his food and knew he could quite easily eat another plateful, but he stopped himself.
His dad put a mug of coffee in front of him. Anthony picked it up and took a sip. It was hot and sweet, just the way he liked it.
“Are you going to have to kill me?” Anthony asked.
“No,” Lash said.
“What if the Billionaires ask it?”
“They can ask what they want, but I’m not going to fucking kill you.”
He knew they were going to have to deal with what happened. “They had to die.”
“Right now, you and I are not talking about that. Until further notice, you’re not a Skull. I will not be talking club business with you. I’ve got a lot of shit to handle, and you just need to keep your head above water.”
“Is this because of Mom?” Anthony asked.
Lash slammed his hand on the table. “No, this is because you are my son. I do not take orders. I will decide what I do with you and when. For now, I’m taking care where you cannot.”
“Don’t be angry with Miles, Rachel, and the others.”
“They were by your side,” Lash said. “As was Daisy.”
Anthony ran a hand down his face, as he saw the knife once again slide into Daisy’s gut. It was a constant repeat going off inside his brain and it was driving him crazy.
“It shouldn’t have happened. I was ... prepared.”
Lash pulled out the chair opposite him and slid inside. “But you didn’t work alone. I know for a fact the weapons you had were not easy to come by. Where did you get them?”
Anthony didn’t say a word. He was not going to do this. He didn’t know if this was some kind of test with his father, but either way, what happened that day was going to stay with him.
Lash laughed. “It’s okay, I know the only person who would give you guns and help you stock them without getting caught is Ned fucking Walker. He’s been pissed at me since we stepped away from the runs.” Lash sighed. “That man usually has a price, though.”
Anthony knew this. Ned’s price was for him to wipe out the fucking Monster Dogs MC. Ned agreed with what he wanted to do. Ned believed in it, but Tabitha was Ned’s granddaughter. The man was old as fuck, but Anthony was starting to think he would live forever. He was certainly going to outlive them all.
Lash ran a hand down his face. He wanted to ask what was going on, but he also knew there was no point.
“I need to get back to the hospital.”
“You’ll go when I say you go.”
Anthony pressed his lips together. “I’m not a child.”
“If you even think of leaving this room until I am done, then you are going to struggle to help Daisy, locked away in a prison cell,” Lash said.
Now this did surprise Anthony. “You’d call the cops?”
“Yes,” Lash said. “I would make sure your life was a living hell, and seeing as you didn’t come to me with your amateur plans, I’ve got to deal with the consequences.” His father’s voice got louder until he was shouting.
Anthony glared at him, although he didn’t feel anything. The truth was, his father was a tough one to crack. He had no problem playing them all at their own game, and he knew their weaknesses. Lash always seemed to know.
“You wore your leather cuts,” Lash said. “You labeled your presence there as being under my jurisdiction. I am the leader of the Skulls, you are mine, and because of that, I have to deal with the consequences. It’s not like cleaning up the mess of Daisy’s biological father.” Lash laughed. “You were fucking sixteen years old, and yet you did the right thing back then. No leather cut. No trace, nothing. You cleaned up your tracks.”
“You knew?” Anthony asked.
“I knew something was going on. I’ve been around a lot of men who have gotten shot in the head, and it doesn’t make that kind of mess. I also know if it was just you, you wouldn’t have used the fucking shovel. I’m guessing it was you and Daisy,” Lash said.
He didn’t confirm it and Lash laughed.
“Do you think I am a fucking fool?” Lash asked.
Anthony shook his head.
“Just like I knew when you were sneaking off together. When you were all grounded and I let you guys go to the quad, I knew then. Don’t you get it, when it comes to you kids, I know a great deal. I was once a kid, and trust me, some stuff we don’t forget.”
Anthony frowned and looked at his dad. This was something he hadn’t considered.
“What?” Lash asked.
“Why did you do it?”
This time, Lash frowned. “Why did I do what?”
“Your loyalty is to the club. You’ve made that abundantly clear all my life. Once you’re part of the club, that’s it for life. I’ve watched you and the club for many years, and not once would you ever surrender.”
Lash just stared at him.
“Until the Monster Dogs MC.”
Anthony sat back and really thought about the situation over the past few years. None of it made any sense. Whenever he’d try to avoid going, his father would often say they had to make the most of it.
Lash was always playing back and forth, and over time it made absolutely no sense to him. The truth was, even now it didn’t. One of the Monster Dogs MC had raped their own. Not a lot of people knew the truth of Tabitha’s son’s parentage, but Anthony did, and it would die with him. He would never reveal that Nathan was Ryan’s child, not Simon’s.
Now that the Monster Dogs MC was almost finished, it wouldn’t matter. They ceased to have a claim on the boy.
“You had to,” Anthony said, finally seeing clearly. “Didn’t you? You had no choice but to make the most of the situation with the Monster Dogs MC. That is the only reasonable explanation.” He didn’t move a muscle.
Lash ran a hand down his face and leaned forward. “Nothing is what it seems.”
“The Billionaires,” Anthony said.
He watched his father take a breath and nodded. “I had every intention of evening the score, and by that, I mean taking out Ryan’s dad, and I would have happily declared war and wiped them all out. No one gets away with attacking our own. Until recently, Tabitha was one of ours. She will always be one of ours. Tiny’s kid. His little girl, just like Tate.” Lash put his hands on the table. “But the Billionaire Bikers had other plans. They needed the Monster Dogs MC alive, as they are the ones that went from city to city, rounding up unsuspecting women—kidnapping them, stealing them, whatever you want to call it—and then finding the means to sell them on the market.”
And now it all made sense.
“Shit,” Anthony said.
Lash nodded. “I’ve got a meeting with them at the end of the week. You could have just put a whole bunch of women in harm’s way.”
For the first time in his life, Anthony felt guilt about something that wasn’t related to Daisy.