Chapter 4
Moon
Pop's had a note passed to him by a stranger at the grocery store last night. We knew it was from Dad immediately but he won't tell me what it says. Dad has sent maybe three notes in the past two years.
That's right, two years I've been in hiding. Two years without a peep from Dagger. Two years they've been navigating a war without me.
I cried myself to sleep the first couple of weeks, missing all the Club brothers, especially Nova and Dagger. They've been important fixtures in my life, and it's just weird being without them. It was hard at first. But I've adjusted.
I felt powerless when I first arrived at this little cottage, but Porky has definitely helped me get my fire back. It may be an unconventional way but it works. It helps me release every bit of anger I have built up. My dad called me the club's weakness. I'll never be a weakness again. I can handle my own, now more than ever. I don't expect to be allowed in church or be privy to club business by any means, but I know if I need to protect myself or any other member of the Devil’s Outlaws I'm more than capable. I don't want Dad ever sending me away or questioning my capabilities again.
Pops tried to get me to open up about Mom for the first couple of months we were trapped up here. It got us nowhere besides me being pissed and needing to blow off steam and Porky being completely exasperated. I know he wants me to heal, he wants me to talk about it so I can move on. What he doesn’t seem to understand is if I talk about it I'll remember. I don't want to remember.
"Your Dad said be ready, you're coming home," Porky says after whooping my ass for the millionth time in poker. I swear that man is a card shark.
"You serious? When?" I ask skeptically. I've been waiting for this day for two years and now that it's come it feels like a cruel prank.
"Tonight. Your dad's sending someone to come get you but it's a surprise. Apparently, he took it to the table and asked who wanted to come get ya and every club brother volunteered. They miss you MoonShine." I let out a disbelieving breathy chuckle.
"There's no way that note said all of that, you're pulling my chain."
"You're right it didn't. I got that info when your dad called me on the burner the stranger slipped me at the grocery last night that I didn't tell you about." I jump out of my seat looming over Him, trying to intimidate him and he just laughs at me.
"You're telling me you've had access to the club for twenty-four hours and I'm just catching wind of this now."
"Rein it in hell child, here... your dad told me to give it to you today to call him after you're all packed so he can send your driver." I snatch the phone immediately dialing the number I have memorized. It rings twice before it's picked up.
"Hello?" I hear after a few seconds of silence.
"Nova!" I almost screech through the phone. Fuck I've missed my best friend.
"Princess," he replies in a smooth sultry voice. I can tell he's got his signature smirk painted on.
"Is it true? Am I really coming home?" I ask all but hopping up and down.
"Yes, Moon war is over." I can hear Pop's deep hearty chuckle as he watches me scramble off to my room to start packing.
"I can't believe this is real. I thought you forgot about me," I say a little out of breath As I start slinging shit back into my duffel.
"How could I forget you, Princess? You're the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on and I've seen a lot of women."
"Shit talking already, I see." I fire back, rolling my eyes even though I know he can't see me. I hear bustling in the background like people are moving a bunch of shit around.
"I gotta go, princess. I'll see you tonight! I'll let Prez know to go ahead and send your driver." I squeal before I can stop myself. I've missed those rowdy bikers so much. I just can't wait to get back to the swing of things.
"See you soon," I reply before clicking the red button.
I finally get to see Dagger after two years of no contact. I know I wasn't imagining the pull between us. It's been all I could think about while on house arrest up here. He held me like a man who wants a woman. He called me Baby.
I look down at my wrist, his silver chainlink bracelet still dangles around it. I miss him. I can't be imagining things. He wants me too.
A few hours later a familiar face pulls up in what looks to be my truck. What used to be rust and patchy red paint is now a sparkly black coat of paint with the Devil’s Outlaws emblem painted on the hood. It's gorgeous! It's everything I told Dagger I wanted to do to it when I got the time. Maybe he's been thinking about me as much as I've been thinking about him.
"Swiss!" I scream excitedly as I run down the steps almost tackling the man to the ground. He wraps me up in a bear hug, lifting me off the ground for a few seconds before putting me back down.
"Missed you too, Princess," he says with a laugh. Grabbing my bag that I didn't even realize I dropped.
I smile up at him before going back to my pops and giving him a big hug.
"Thank you for babysitting me. I'm gonna miss the hell outta you."
"You can come out to the farm anytime MoonShine. That's where I'm headed after I pack, come blow off steam whenever you need to sweetheart." I give him a sad smile, before heading to the driver's seat of my freshly painted Ride.
"You like it? I thought it'd only be fair if I got to come get you in your hot new ride since I didn't get to hug you goodbye."
"I love it!" I say cranking it up and peeling out through what was once a bike trail. Pops must have cleared it so that it would fit my truck while I was packing and getting ready.
***
I can feel my heartbeat in my throat as we pull up to the clubhouse. It's dark but I can see the lights on inside through the repaired window.
I'm so anxious I don't know what to do with myself. I should be stoked to see everyone but instead, I'm wondering how Dagger will react to me being back. Two years is a long time, things can change drastically in that amount of time.
I let out a deep breath I didn't realize I was holding before unbuckling my lap belt. I admire my newly reupholstered red leather bench seats as I slide out.
I quickly adjust my cut-off black shorts, I hate to admit it but I definitely dressed for Dagger's attention. I want him to look at my lacy red bralette that barely covers my tits and my mom's leather jacket I wore over it and lose his mind.
"Welcome home kid," Swiss says wrapping his arm around my shoulders as he leads me to the front door.
"I'm twenty now, you know that right?" I ask shrugging his arm off of my shoulders with an eye roll for good measure.
As soon as I open the door I'm greeted by Pyro, Dad, and Nova standing under a banner that says "Welcome home, Princess." I know this is Nova's doing. I run towards him and jump into his arms. He wraps his arms around me, my legs wrapping around his waist. He holds me for a few seconds with a big smirk on his face.
"You better watch your hands brother, before you lose em." My dad Rumbles out beside us. Nova lets me down and I give Dad a nod excepting one back and maybe a shoulder squeeze, but he surprises me by wrapping me in his arms. This is the longest we've ever been apart and even if he says hurtful shit he's still my dad and I do love him.
As soon as Dad releases me, Pyro puts me in a rear choke hold roughing up my hair. I giggle before I show him a little of what I learned out in those mountains.
I smack him in the balls which forces him to loosen his grip around my neck, then throw him over my shoulder to the ground. Everyone looks on in shock. I make a show of dusting my hands off like slinging his big ass was light work. Everyone busts out laughing... even the guys that were playing pool stopped to watch.
"Who taught you that?" Pyro wheezes out with an impressed look on his face. I reach my hand out to him, helping him up.
"You can thank Porky for that move," I say with a laugh patting his shoulder.
"Shit Moonie, you made that big motherfucker look light as a feather," Dad says laughing so hard he's doubled over, resting his hands on his thighs.
I look around for Dagger. I don't see him anywhere at first... that is until Penny the club whore shifts from her spot on one of the club brothers' laps. We lock eyes. My smile immediately drops. I watch as she places kisses on Dagger’s neck and he just stares at me wide-eyed and slack-jawed while my eyes narrow on him.
My heart drops into my stomach like that day when I was sixteen. But I'm too grown to cry over a man that doesn't want me. I slip behind the bar pouring myself a glass of whiskey and throwing it back before I pour another. I'll wash the pain away.
"Woah party animal, slow down before you're in here dancing on the bar top or some shit." Swiss chides. I throw another back and fill my glass again.
"This is a party for me is it not? Let's party." I say in a fake chipper tone, forcing a smile before I slip around the bar and find a seat. A bottle of whiskey in one hand and my glass in the other.
"Fuck princess, if only you knew what you were doing to me in that outfit," Nova whispers in my ear as I throw back another shot. Not even bothering with the glass anymore. I force myself not to turn around and watch Dagger with Penny. I feel so fucking stupid.
"When are you gonna admit you have a thing for Dagger and do something about it?" Nova asks after I ignore his first statement because I'm all wrapped up in my thoughts. My heart speeds up. Deny. Deny. Deny.
"What are you talking about Nova? You must be smoking shit." I snap tossing back another shot.
"I see the way you look at him Moon, I'm not blind. He'd be a stupid mother fucker if he lets you slip through his fingers."
"Yeah, I'm not doing whatever this is," I say standing from my bar stool. Only now do I feel the effects of the alcohol. My head is a little bit fuzzy, but I'm good.
Everyone seems to have gone back to whatever they were doing, my dad nowhere to be found. I slip out the back door before anyone can see me. I'm sure Nova did, but he lets me go. As I walk around to where my truck is parked out front I take out my phone that Swiss gave back to me while we were on the road.
I swing my keys around my finger as I dial Pops' number hoping he picks up. As soon as he answers I slide into the cab of the truck, cranking it up.
"I need to blow off some steam," I say before hitting the red button and peeling out of the parking lot.