Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Everleigh
For some reason, I feel as if I’m floating through the clouds with my arms wide open and I have no care in the world. I don’t think I’ve ever in my life felt so free. So safe. It’s a wonderful feeling, and I don’t want to lose it. But I know I’ve got to come back to reality sooner than later.
The whole wedding festivities will be something I never forget.
I don’t think any of us will. All of my friends had talked about weddings growing up, and big flashy ordeals are not who any of us are.
So, Vegas was great, and even better we’re all married on the same day, meaning it’s something we all get to share.
At first, I was weary of the whole plan, but after talking to my girls, they made me open my eyes to the light and stop thinking about the what-ifs.
I let go the rest of the time we were in Vegas, but now is now, and I need to think of all that we could be facing. That and the fact Daemon doesn’t know about my past. What I went through. What I lost.
Any time I think of the baby that was taken from me causes my heart to ache. I start to question where he is and how he’s doing. I was never able to find him, no matter how much I searched. My mother, father, and uncle made sure there was no documentations on him for me to happen upon.
“Sugar, you okay?” Daemon asks, getting my attention.
I turn from looking out the window of our hotel room, coming out of my head. I give him a small smile and nod. “I’m okay. Just enjoying the view of The Strip one last time before we head out,” I answer as I take him in dressed only in a towel.
Daemon seems to take my answer for the time being, but he does this with a shake of his head and moves to his bag. I bite my lower lip and watch in admiration when he drops the towel, and I get a view of all that’s him.
God knows, he’s beautiful. Tattoos across his chest, on the inside of his forearms, and the one that stretches along his back with the Satan’s Keepers MC logo.
Then there are those abs I love to run my nails across.
Damn, if I think any further, I’ll end up jumping him as I want to.
I follow his movements, my eyes glued to him as he pulls on a pair of jeans and grabs a black tee.
He finally looks back in my direction with a knowing smirk.
“Better get ready, baby, otherwise, we ain’t gonna be leaving, and we gotta be getting on the road. Hendrik’s waiting on us,” he announces.
Anxiety attempts to take hold of me at the mention of his son.
I love Hendrik. He’s a great kid, and I love how he and the Daemon are together, but what if he hates me?
I know what Daemon said but still. I don’t know how he’ll take all of this.
More than that, I’m scared of the thought of helping to raise the boy when I couldn’t even keep my own baby.
I wasn’t able to protect him from being taken from me as I should have.
“Everleigh,” Daemon calls, moving in my direction.
I shake my head trying to skirt around him, but this plan is fuddled by him moving faster than me and pulling me into his arms.
“Talk to me.”
“About what?”
Please don’t ask me to tell you what’s in my head.
“Come on, baby, I know you better than that.”
“I’m fine,” I lie. “We have to get moving.”
“Styxx and Scythe put together a file on you and Josephine after the bullshit with Juniper,” he informs me like it’s an everyday type of news to drop on someone.
I mean, I shouldn’t be surprised those two would do that.
They’d want to know if anything else was gonna come at the club.
“They didn’t share any of it with anyone until you ran.
And then only Reaper, Angel, Tombstone, and I read through it.
We’re the only ones who know what’s in it. ”
I swallow back the bile that threatens to choke me. “You know, don’t you?” I croak, unable to meet his gaze. I already know the answer and it hurts that he knows the humiliation of my life and that I lost something I love so much.
“Yeah, Everleigh, I know, and it guts me what you went through. It explains a lot about who you are and the way you protect yourself by keeping an arm up to hold others at a distance,” he remarks while sliding a hand through my hair, tangling in the strands.
“I get the pain you went through, and it makes me far more protective of you than I already feel. I won’t let you go through any more if I can help it.
I meant what I said when I tied you to me, Evs. ”
I love when he calls me that. That and sugar. Though all the guys use Evs, hearing it from him means much more.
“Daemon,” I whisper, slowly tilting my head back to lock eyes with him. My lips part slightly, and I release a shallow breath. “I never wanted anyone to know how weak I am.”
“You’re not weak, Everleigh, and no one sees you in that light,” he grumbles. “You lost your baby because you were young and unable to escape the hold those bastards had on you.”
“But . . .”
“No buts to it. I’m not a kid who they can bully or torment. I’m a hell of a lot smarter and won’t let them get the drop on me.”
I can’t help but flinch at what he’s emphasizing. Case was young and he wanted to help me. We thought we had it figured out, but they still got to him.
“And Everleigh, sugar, I’m gonna do my best to help you find that boy. He should have never been taken from you. It’s not right. You’d be a great mom, and I want you to know that. Hell, Hendrik thinks you’re the shit. He loves hanging out with you.”
“He does?” I blurt. The last of the walls around my heart crumple, shattering into a million little pieces. This man holds my heart and has from the moment I met him.
“Damn right, any time he comes to the clubhouse, he asks if you’re gonna be there.” Daemon grins.
Well, this is definitely something I didn’t think about before.
“Now, let’s get the hell out of here. We stay any longer, we’re gonna be late cause I’ll end up fuckin’ you.”
I draw my lower lip in between my teeth and tighten my thighs together hoping to ease the ache that has me wanting to beg him to help take care of it. But he’s right, and if what he says is true, I don’t want to disappoint Hendrik.
“Sugar, it’s cool. You’ve met before. It’s not a big deal.
” Daemon chuckles, his hand squeezing mine as he pulls into the driveway of his house and parks next to my Tahoe.
We’d ended up taking his truck to Vegas with his bike strapped in the back.
And it’s a good thing. I think if we’d taken the bike the whole way there and back, I might be unable to walk due to the sheer need it would leave me in from the constant vibration that would be hitting between my legs.
“Yeah, but we’ve never been around each other long enough to get to know one another. She might hate me or think I’m going to try and replace her,” I mumble, my eyes glued to the woman sitting on the stairs of Daemon’s house, watching us as Hendrik starts our way.
“That’s not who Lana is. The two of us have talked about this before and last time I talked to her, she said she was happy for me. For us,” he says, releasing my hand.
Daemon puts the truck in park and throws his door open before I can protest further.
“Dad,” I hear Hendrik yell as he greets the man I’m now married to. I melt at the sight of the two of them together and slowly get out to join them. When Hendrik sees me, he releases his dad from the hug he was giving him and all but tackles me as he engulfs me in his arms. “Hey, Everleigh.”
My heart melts at the greeting Hendrik gives me. “Hey, kiddo.”
“Well, now that you guys are back, I’ll catch y’all later,” Lana calls out as she stands from the steps. At first glance, I know something is different about her appearance. She seems paler than the last time I saw her and that’s saying something considering she always seems to have a tan.
“Appreciate you dropping him off, Lana,” Daemon says, turning his attention to the other woman. “You okay?”
“No problem and yeah, I’m good. I’m gonna get home and catch a nap before work tonight,” she answers.
“Right.” From the way he says this, I’m certain he doesn’t believe her when she says she’s okay. But he seems to let it go for the time being. “See ya,” he murmurs, returning his attention back to Hendrik and me. “Let’s get inside and get settled. I’m feeling pizza tonight. What do you think?”
“Pizza!” Hendrik grins and pumps his arms with excitement. “Can we get my favorite?”
“Don’t we always?” Daemon chuckles and lifts his gaze to mine, and any last bit of wariness I might still feel vanishes.