26
GRIZZLY
Several days and nights had come and gone since Toby and I revealed our feelings to each other. Nearly three weeks to be exact. It had been a week since I proposed to Libby and nobody in the club knew about it.
My fiancée and I had agreed to keep the happy news to ourselves until after the funeral. We felt it would be selfish to steal the attention away from David’s daughter and the others who lost their lives that fateful day.
So, we’d make a formal announcement after we returned to Minnesota. I predicted Libby would take the lead and share her happy news during karaoke night this weekend.
I exhaled a heavy breath and tried not to move.
The sun blared high in the sky above the crowd of mourners.
Wearing our black cuts didn’t help, acting like an electric blanket on my back.
I was sure my brothers felt the same. We were drenched, but not one of us dared to wipe the sweat dripping down the sides of our faces.
Nobody would dare to disrupt or disrespect the president of Knight’s Legion MC, David Knight. Seated beside him in the front row was his wife, Jane and their daughter, Hannah. Both women were sobbing, and I had to admit, hearing them made me want to cry.
Libby held my hand, sniffling. Most of the Minnesota club members were present, along with the North Dakota crew, headed up by Cobra.
Ciro Remotti and his brothers were in attendance, along with Wolf, showing their respect.
With their group were a few members of the Kings of Anarchy MC from Northern California.
Toby would be working with them as well.
The Kings had become allies of Ciro’s in the past year, around the time he had reunited with Isla, his wife.
I discreetly studied, El Jefe, the president of KOAMC. He was attractive, tatted, and Hispanic. Mid to late 30s. And from what Toby told me, straight . I had to admit that I was relieved he wasn’t into men because I was confident Toby would wiggle his way into his bed… Hell, I would, too.
Shaking those inappropriate thoughts away, I tore my gaze off of El Jefe and his crew. This wasn’t the time or the place for dirty fantasies.
Shit, it is hot.
More beads of sweat rolled down the sides of my face and down my spine. But again, I acted unaffected even though I was going out of my mind.
To distract myself from my surroundings, I let my mind wander elsewhere. Strangely, thoughts of my foster sister, Violet and my brother, Logan appeared.
Before I had become a Knight, those two had been the most important people in my life. But I always knew I’d cared more about them then they had about me.
Logan had promised to come back for me and never had.
Violet had went along with Basil’s sick plan of marrying me for her own selfish reasons. Not once had she asked me what I wanted.
I understood her motives. Basil had been molesting her since she was a child. She wanted it to stop and the only way she thought that was possible was agreeing to be my wife. Only, I had no intention of having sex with my foster sister. I just couldn’t do it. In my mind she was my little sister.
My anger and resentment toward my brother and Violet had been what had kept me from reaching out to them.
Of course, I knew where they were.
Had known for years.
Had been keeping tabs on them until Toby entered my universe. All those years before him, I’d been simmering in hate and obsessing over my brother and Violet. But not anymore. They were both dead to me.
Violet had gone to Arizona and worked as a nanny for a rich family.
Before we’d parted ways, I’d given her all the money I had found in Basil’s office.
I put her on a bus and told her to make a new life for herself.
I’d even given her tips about finding someone to get her new identification.
Since I knew where she was headed, it hadn’t been difficult to find her.
After everything I’d done for her, she never reached out to me. She had my burner phone number but never used it. I still had it, but I stopped keeping it charged a couple of years ago.
What was the point? She never contacted me to give me her number and that was fine. I wasn’t the kind of person who forced myself on others. Of course, I’d searched her up and made sure she was okay, but then I basically washed my hands of her
The same had been true for Logan. Never had his number either.
Being much older than me, he could have found me. He could have rescued me from that child molester and rapist. He should have kept his promises.
No, I didn’t give a shit about either of them. I had a found family. A handsome lover. A gorgeous fiancée. My life was better than I’d ever dreamed it could be.
As the service came to an end, the crowd moved toward the reception area. Massive white tents were behind the clubhouse. Music played in the background and the hum of chatter surrounded me.
“I’ll get us some food,” Libby patted my shoulder as I took a seat at a table where some of my MC brothers and their families were at.
“I’ll come with,” Toby said. “We need booze.”
I nodded, scanning the area. Storm and his family were at his dad’s table. Cobra’s crew and family took up a couple of tables across from them.
Ciro’s family was seated with El Jefe and his crew.
Everyone seemed to have a place, and for once in my life, I had one too.
Once my engagement to Libby was announced, and our unique arrangement with Toby, I just might be able to finally enjoy this crazy thing called life.