3. Chapter 2
Ivy – Twenty-Four Years Old
“How’s work, Ivy?” Dad asks as he takes a seat next to me, and I clear my throat, trying to hide my groan of disappointment.
I’m pretty sure a certain big brother of mine said Dad was out on club business today.
The only reason why I agreed to come to the club, a place I don’t like coming to anymore and yet here he is.
Taking a seat right next to me, making conversation and asking a question I know for a fact is not what he wanted to ask.
He most likely wanted to ask how Mama is but of course he needs to go in slow so I don’t snap at him like I did when he cornered me a few months ago or after finding out my hero was killed and he wanted to know if Mama would be at the funeral, which she was but stayed clear of him with mine and my brother’s help.
Mama left him after she walked in on him getting a blowy from Misty, the clubwhore Psycho likes to screw just over a year ago and threw her cut on the bar after burning all of his clothes and trashing his bike like a badass she is.
That shocked the brothers while I have said barely two words to Dad since he hurt my mama and the only reason why I’m here is because Venom asked me.
Or more like heard I was planning on going clubbing with Raya and most likely wanted to give me a warning about men.
He still thinks I’m a kid who can’t grow up and yet expects me to call him his road name, something I hate doing, but respect him for.
Shame he can’t respect me and my life choices.
Wonder how he’d feel if he knew I lost my virginity at prom to Todd Tracker, the then school's resident bad boy, who is funnily enough, a banker now with a house and a picket fence, a wife, a kid, and another on the way.
I was the club brat or princess, as they say, that all the boys wanted to try and hook up with. Todd was the only one who caught my eye. This may have had something to do with the fact that he didn’t treat me as anything special or wasn’t afraid of the brothers.
We probably could have lasted if I hadn’t been so head over heels in love with my best friend, something that just won’t vanish.
Four men, that is how many I have slept with overall, the last three in college. All four did nothing for me, and my thoughts always turned to a certain best friend who doesn’t see me as anything but a sister.
Venom would have a fit if he knew I slept with four men. While grandad, he’d high-five me, well, that is if he were still here where he should be if he hadn’t of let his ego take over.
I swallow hard and eye the chair across the room where he used to sit with his normal tap beer, laughing and joking while eying the club girls like the old perv he was.
Grandad, known as Macky within the club, was my person, my everything. Whereas some girls are daddy girls, I was a grandad girl.
I learned everything I know from him. For every problem I had, he was the one I went to. School bullies, cars, bikes, math even—it was all him standing in my corner, and now he’s gone.
Ten months ago, my brother told me he had been killed, and my world hasn’t been the same since.
“No…” I scream as pure pain rushes through me, my brother's sad eyes trying to harden.
He can’t be dead, he can’t.
We were supposed to go to the garage while it was empty. We were supposed to be….
Breathing becomes difficult, and my breathing becomes choppy as arms quickly wrap around me from behind, and Psycho’s rainforest minty scent takes over as he rasps, “Breathe, cupcake,” but I shake my head before gut-wrenching screams release from me, and my legs give out, and Psycho follows me to the floor.
The club blames Anna, Brick's wife, and Blade’s mama for why he’s dead.
He went to the warehouse alone, the prospect being called away by Anna, but several other brothers or prospects could have gone with him.
The brothers are wrong for blaming her. Grandad was a grown ass man and knew he should have gotten someone else to go with him but he was stubborn which Brick knew and as far as I’m concerned Brick needs to open his eyes because Anna wants out.
For years she’s been causing havoc, years struggling with the fact her husband fathered a child with someone else, a woman he screwed as payback for her sleeping with a prospect years ago.
And while the brothers believe she did it for attention, grandad stated she did it because yet again Brick allowed a club girl to hang all over him in front of her not caring about her feelings.
Believing he’d never lose her because of his patch but that time took it too far and made out with her.
Grandad believed Anna was fed up with feeling lonely.
But that wasn’t the truth, and I’d die before I told anyone the real reason behind everything she’s done.
Raya, Skylar, Lake and I have her back, that is all that matters.
“The first day was good,” I finally reply with a mutter, not looking at Dad, hoping he’ll leave it at that.
I swear Venom better hurry up with whoever he is screwing otherwise I’m leaving. I promised Raya I’d look at her car before we go out and tonight we finally convinced Lake to join us.
“And uh, where are you working?” he asks carefully, and I sigh, not wanting the ideal chitchat before looking at him.
“You want to ask about Mama, so why don’t you just get it over with instead of pretending to care where I’m working?” I snap, and he flinches, his green eyes turning sad, but I don’t soften, not after what he did.
“I made a mistake, little doll,” Dad whispers and I shake my head and lean back in the hard, dark brown chair, crossing my arms over my chest.
“A mistake. I didn’t realize a mistake was five times, Dad,” I mock, and he sighs. I shake my head and say, “Mama is fine. She’s working and seems happy, so leave her be.”
“Is she seeing someone?” he asks quietly, and I snort but he quickly adds, “I wouldn’t blame her if she was I uh, I just, look I miss your mother Ives, a lot, and if she is with someone else, I can promise you now, he won’t be around for long.”
Damn alpha hole, they’re all the same.
“She’s not seeing anyone that I know of, not that it is any of your business,” I reluctantly say, knowing he won’t give up and I feel his body physically relax beside me, making me roll my eyes.
Mama would move on if I had it my way. Dad is a dog along with all the brothers and unfortunately for Brick, I did grow up being jaded towards the brothers, Psycho more so.
I look to the officer brother’s room entrance when I hear laughing in time to see Psycho walking out, and I swear my heart skips a beat before it shatters.
Years I have been in love with him, the puppy love Marie swore I had turning into a full blown, life consuming love.
Years he hasn’t looked at me as anything other than his best friend.
Years I have had to watch him with the club girl’s enjoying himself, breaking my heart a little bit each day, tearing my soul into pieces.
Can’t blame him, though, can I? Not when he’s clueless about how I feel, and it’s not his fault that I can’t keep a man, always having him in mind.
My stomach tightens as I see Misty following him out looking freshly screwed, licking her lips while eyeing his back and I quickly look away, blinking, trying to stop my eyes from tearing as the pieces of my already shattered heart breaks into even smaller bits.
Four men, and he’s still all I want, but he’ll never be mine, no matter how much I wish he would be.
“You’ve got no right to feel relaxed, Dad,” I mutter, trying to ignore the visions of Psycho and Misty together and the jealousy that fills me because I know I have no right, I mean, damn, he thinks I want to leave.
“I know, little doll,” he replies, “but your Mama, she’s my everything and I took her granted.
Where Pitbull continued to mess up, believing Jessica will come back, I’ve kept to my promise to always be faithful and I’ll continue to keep it even after I win your mother back,” I look at him with a raised brow.
He sighs, “I messed up, sweetheart, and I lost not only your mother but also you for over a year, and I know I have no right, but I’m asking you, please just give me a chance. ”
I chew my bottom lip, seeing his sincerity, but I just can’t.
Mama did everything for him, including joining a club her parents didn’t agree with, getting disowned, and yet he cheated on her five times that she’s aware of.
It’s disgusting.
I open my mouth to say so but clamp my lips shut when a body sits next to me. Psycho’s rainfall and minty scent take over my senses along with Misty’s cherry perfume that makes me want to gag before a body sits opposite me.
I look to see Venom narrowing his eyes at Dad while Psycho puts his arm over my shoulders.
I have to try my hardest to hide the flinch that wants to come out knowing what he was just doing and he demands, “Alright, cupcake. Today was your first day at your new job, and you promised to tell us so spill.”
Crap, I forgot about that…
I could answer Dad's plea instead.
Only Grandad and Mama knew about my degree.
Some brothers are still stuck in the, women in kitchen kind of era, so finding out that I actually studied automotive repair and technology and got my degree, will most likely tick them off and let’s not mention that I’m now working at Gary’s Motor’s in town, their rival garage.
In my defense, I didn’t think Fury or Blade would allow me to work at their garage which grandad agreed at the time because most brothers wouldn’t be happy with me, a woman they still see as their Little Doll to work on their bikes.
“Come on, sis. You promised. Years we’ve kept silent, and years I have kept my promise to not look into it but enough is enough. Where are you working?” Venom pipes in, and I groan then I look at Dad for some help, even if he is on my shit list, but all he does is raise a dark brow.
Awesome.