Chapter Fifteen
Caliana
L UCA IS TAKING me to the store today. All I’ve been doing over the last few weeks is clean the house, cook, bake, and take the kids various places with Luca and the other Prospects going with us.
I try really hard not to leave the compound because it’s the only place I truly feel safe.
So far, the stalker hasn’t found me or can’t discover a way to break into the place that’s been built like a fortress.
Everything has been reinforced since the kids and I started staying here so no one can get inside.
There are alarms on the fence and the Prospects at the gate question everyone who stops by to come in.
If they don’t have a valid reason to enter the compound, they’re turned away immediately.
I’ve seen it when Evan was on the gate and he became an asshole when Carly tried to get back inside.
She left crying and Evan apologized to me for having to see him become that version of himself in order to get his point across.
The only reason I’m leaving the compound today is to go to the store because we’re out of a lot of things.
Sam and Shy offered to go for me, but I’ve realized that by staying behind the fence, I’m letting both my stalker and attacker win.
They’re making me not live my life and be a scared woman who can’t control her emotions to do the simplest tasks.
I’m also letting Darren’s parents win if I hide away.
Dr. Stevenson hasn’t gotten in contact with me about the investigation, but I’m guessing they won’t find the evidence to take my license away.
I might not have my job any longer, but that’s okay.
I can move somewhere new and start over if I have to.
The kids and I aren’t tied to Glendale. It was just where I chose to live after Darren died.
I couldn’t stay in Benton Falls any longer.
While I typically moved with Darren if he was transferred to a different base, the last year he was alive, we made the decision for me to move back to Benton Falls with the kids because he was considering leaving the military with Caleb, Kreed, and the rest of their team.
It made sense for me to move back home to be close to family since that’s where the three of them were going to end up.
All three of them had talked about joining the club once they were done with the military and had been Prospecting throughout the years of them being enlisted.
I moved our entire house all by myself and it was hard with Bryce.
He wanted to help with everything and ended up getting in the way more than anything else.
Still, I made him feel as if he were the best little helper in the world.
It’s a memory the two of us have to share and no one can take it from us.
“Luca, are you ready to head out?” I ask the Prospect who typically watches over the kids and me. “Tiffany is staying here with the kids.”
“I’m ready whenever you are, Miss Cali,” he answers as I walk out on the porch and close the door behind me.
Luca is always so respectful and I can see the pain he tries to hide in his eyes and every move he makes.
I’ve made the same moves and acted the same way.
Luca feels like a kindred spirit to me and I want to help him become the confident man I know he deserves to be.
Whoever ends up with this man will be the luckiest woman alive.
“Let’s get this show on the road. Feel like getting lunch while we’re out?
” I ask him as Luca pauses because he doesn’t know how to answer that question.
He wants to remain loyal to the club but I know he rarely eats a full meal because he’s constantly working in one aspect or another.
“I’ll make sure it’s okay with Reckless and Link before you answer. They won’t care, I promise you.”
Pulling out my phone I send a message in the group chat I have with my best friends.
Me: I’m heading to the store with Luca. Gonna take him out to lunch before we go there. That okay with you two?
I don’t put my phone away as I walk over to my SUV and lean against it. There’s a response almost immediately from one of the guys.
Caleb: Go to lunch. Tell Luca it’s okay with us. I know he won’t eat if he doesn’t think it’s okay.
Kreed: Agree. He deserves to be away from the clubhouse for a bit. The kid has been busting his ass to prove himself and it’s not necessary. He’ll protect you as you know.
Turning my phone, I show Luca their response as a blush covers his face.
This kid is so innocent and pure. I want to protect him from everything that’s hurt him in the past and all the women who will take advantage of his gentle nature.
He reminds me a lot like Caleb when we were younger.
The only difference is the way they were raised.
Caleb had nothing but love and support throughout his life.
Luca has had nothing but pain and violence.
Even if I don’t know his story, it’s easy to see how he was raised.
“Thank you, Miss Cali. I’d enjoy havin’ lunch with ya,” he says as I finally get in my SUV and he climbs on his bike.
Luca and I leave the compound and head for the diner in town.
I’ve loved their food since moving to Glendale, but don’t get to eat it as often these days.
Since I’ve been out of work, my only goal is to save the money I have left.
I’m not getting paid while the investigation is ongoing so I don’t buy things that aren’t necessary and getting takeout isn’t a necessity.
I’m not even the one buying groceries today.
Kreed gave me his card to get what we needed at the house.
I’m out of food, cleaning supplies, and a few things for the kids.
He told me to use his card and not my own money for a single thing.
This man will be the death of me because he knows how I feel about spending his money on my kids.
While they buy them things on a regular basis, I feel horrible if I have to use their money for anything.
L unch with Luca was really good. I managed to get him to open up a little bit.
I’ve found out he wants to be a mechanic and is going to go to a trade school once he graduates from high school.
Kreed and Masters have been helping him study and catch up on things he’s missed when he was still living at home.
Caleb is letting him work in the garage with them a few days a week and is personally training him.
Most of the guys in the club are helping Luca in one way or another as the youngest Prospect.
Another thing I learned is that he just turned eighteen and while the members knew it was his birthday, they didn’t make a big deal about it.
A request he made because he hates being the center of attention.
That will change by next year. I plan on throwing him the biggest birthday party ever if I’m still in Glendale. Luca deserves it.
I enjoyed good food and conversation with Luca as we lingered over our plates.
Luca did seem more relaxed when it was just the two of us.
I did see one of the waitresses staring at him, too.
She’s a young girl and hasn’t been working at the diner for very long.
The girl is skinny with glasses and long brown hair she always has back in a bun.
There is never a hair out of place. She doesn’t wear any make-up and her clothing is always either too big or too small with stains and holes in it.
She’s obviously living a hard life and maybe this is her way out of it.
She’s also very quiet and shy. Staring at Luca is the first time I’ve ever seen her come alive.
Especially when he looks in her direction and that’s something I witnessed him doing more than a few times while we were in the diner.
It might be time to play matchmaker. I think these two will make a really cute couple.
Now we’re in the grocery store not far from the diner.
It’s taking every ounce of self-control I possess not to say anything to Luca about the girl in the diner.
I don’t want to embarrass him or make him not go after her because he feels some type of way over a comment from me.
Though I can tell he’s distracted and wonder how much he already knows about the girl we just saw.
These are things to think about when I’m home.
Luca might be distracted but he still pays attention to his surroundings and makes sure no one gets too close to me while I move throughout the aisles of the store.
He’s going to make a damn good brother when the club patches him in.
I grab everything I need for the next few weeks of food and cleaning supplies.
Luca and I are both pushing overflowing carts by the time we’ve gotten everything on my list. Kreed added more than a few things when he saw me making one.
Sam and Tank added a few things too. They’ve all been coming up to the house for dinner almost every night so they made sure to add what they wanted to eat while they’re still here in Glendale.
I even tossed in a bag of candy I know Luca likes because he’s been stuck with me so much the last few weeks.
He deserves something nice being done for him that doesn’t come with any strings attached to it.
I don’t believe that’s something he’s ever gotten to experience in his life until he met Caleb and came back to the clubhouse.