Chapter Twenty-Eight
Marchella
I slept deeper than I had in years, cocooned in his arms. Every time he stirred, he sprinkled kisses along the back of my shoulder and snuggled in closer. I was lost in a warm, comfortable dream when I heard a throat distinctly and pointedly clear.
My lashes fluttered and a slender, pretty blonde came into focus. There was a mountain of a man behind her and people sprinkled along the hallway. Before my scrambled, sleep-riddled brain could register that it was his mother and Oak, a blood-curdling scream flew from between my lips.
Blaze snapped up, became aware of the presence, and promptly flung me by the shoulder, slinging my body half behind his body as he came up ready to take on the world.
“What the fuck?” he blurted out, his expression contorting, even as he wildly rubbed his face.
“Exactly,” his mother clapped back. “What. The. Fuck. Blaze? You think maybe you could get the hoodrat-dressed and get her the fuck out of here? And what the fuck is that smeared on your face…? You know what– I don’t want to know.”
“Hoodrat…” His eyes nearly bugged out of his head.
I was still waking up and hadn’t realized she was insulting me. I was too busy turning ten shades of red at the obvious dried smears of my virginity blood he was still wearing like war paint.
“That hoodrat is my fuckin’ wife!” he roared.
The sharp, high-pitched laugh that trickled from Crystal and lit up her eyes scared me a little. I clutched the cover to my chest and tried to wrap it around me, leaving Blaze to freeball while he argued with his mother.
I could tell by her tone, that she already suspected what was on his face, damned if I was going to flash my bloodstained thighs and confirm it.
I slipped past her and Oak, who refused to look at me, but shifted, giving me a large path to pass by him. Easy put his back to the wall and turned sideways to make way for me at the end of the hallway. When I reached the living room, my father was sprawled out on the couch with a smirk.
“Morning, pumpkin.” He winked, unmoved by Blaze’s announcement, or my choice of morning attire.
When the arguing in the back erupted into full-on shouting and screaming, I didn’t bother returning his greeting or waiting to get dressed, I walked my cover-clad ass out onto the porch. The screen door tapped behind me. I had a few breaths of fresh air, before it popped open again and my father ambled out to join me.
He fumbled with his cigarette pack and held it out toward me in a silent offer once he got it opened. I didn’t really care for cigarettes, but I didn’t have anything better to smoke, so I slid one out and stuck it between my lips.
“Are you guys serious or whatever?” he murmured, lighting his own before passing what might as well have been a miniature torch.
I lit my cigarette at an odd angle, trying to make sure his crack lighter didn’t take out my nose hair and exhaled a menthol cloud.
“March, did you really marry him?” he asked, a little quieter.
I gave a slow nod, unsure of how he would react. He didn’t have a chance before Crystal exploded on the other side of the screen door.
“What the fuck is that cocksucker doing here? Get the fuck out!” She charged toward the screen door and threw it open so hard it banged off my new house.
I stepped forward and my dad’s smile met his eyes.
“You okay?” I asked her, trying not to full-on confront her by asking if she had a fucking problem. Clearly, she did!
Her cold, blue eyes locked on me and her face skewed up, “Get that mother fucker out of my face.”
Blaze came storming into the room, grabbed her arm and tugged her backward.
“Hey!” Oak exploded, charging after him.
“No!” Blaze roared, turning on him. “Enough!”
Everybody stood quiet, staring at Blaze.
“Man, that’s her fucking dad!” he barked at Crystal. “How are you going to come to my house and tell my wife’s father he has to leave? Who the fuck are you?”
“You need to stop,” Oak rumbled. “That’s your mom, Blaze. That’s who it is, and you need to show some respect.”
“Fuck that.”
“Karlotti,” Crystal barked at her daughter. “Karlotti, get in the fucking car.”
Karlotti shot out the screen door, making herself as small as possible, drawing her shoulders in as she weaved between everyone and fled toward the vehicles.
“Play house, Blaze,” she clipped, looking him up and down like she was disgusted. “Play house and throw your fucking life away, son. It’s what you were raised to do.”
“Goddamn it,” Oak cursed in that heavy Georgia drawl when Crystal shoved my father out of the way and took off after her daughter.
He stepped outside, his jaw slack and his eyes wild. They landed momentarily on my father who shrugged in silent response.
“Goddamn it,” he simply repeated again before hanging his head and slightly shaking it. He trotted after his wife and daughter, leaving me to tremble while I sucked on my cigarette.
He gave a look over his shoulder to Blaze before hopping in the driver seat.
Blaze stood beside me; disbelief etched on his features as the car pulled away.
“You know, I kind of felt bad that she wasn’t there yesterday–” he started before scoffing and spitting over the ledge. “Fuck her.”
“Blaze,” Easy demanded his attention effortlessly.
When Blaze locked eyes with him something silently passed between them that left Blaze jerking his gaze away and lowering it.
“She’s your mom. You only get one, mother fucker,” he reminded him before sniffing and stepping out onto the porch with us.
Blaze made room for him, and when he did, my father reached out and put a hand on his shoulder like they were the oldest of friends. All I could do was stare, uncertain of what it even meant.
“I’m gonna go grab my phone and see what I can do about damage control,” Easy announced before hopping down the steps and trotting toward his bike.
My dad watched him go then slowly swiveled his head back toward me and Blaze.
“You're right. It’s been crazy, Blaze, man. Fuck all that. You're married to my daughter now. You two got a house. It’s clear you’re something I’m gonna have to get used to around here, so– Why don’t we right your not inviting anyone to the fuckin’ party?”
“Huh?” Blaze sounded like he was irritated to have his thoughts interrupted.
My father clapped his shoulder the way he always did Mackie and Donnie, giving it a rub and squeeze, “Club party. Tonight. A celebration and a welcome.”
My instinct to deny the invitation collided with a gasp when I realized he meant to give Blaze a patch. It wasn’t mine to deny. I froze, my heart hammering as I studied him.
“I’ve been here for days, a little late for a welcome, Mak– But I’ll come to your party if its during the hours I’m free.”
“Ain’t my party.” He shook his head, “It’s yours, bud. You come party with us, we’ll get you a couple rockers, get you all patched in. You’re Anthony Aviston’s son. The nephew of our president, we don’t need to prospect… What do you say?”
Blaze squinted and didn’t say anything for a long while, then he seemed to compute what my father was saying, “Are you asking me to be a Disciple?”
My dad’s smirk twisted into a smile, “Fuck yeah.”
“What's up?” Easy asked, returning even as he slid the phone into his back pocket.
“My fuckin son-in-law is patching in tonight, that’s what’s up. We’re gonna have the best welcome home party this club has ever seen. A wedding celebration and a welcoming all at once.”
Easy’s attention slowly gravitated toward Blaze.
“Yeah?” he asked.
“Fuck yeah.” Blaze saluted him with his chin, mimicking my father.
He placed a hand on my ass and jerked me toward him. We collided and I balanced my hand on his chest, hiding my face in his side as we hugged.
“I gotta meet up with May,” Easy drawled, not sounding all that sure about the idea. “We’ll talk about this later.”
When I peeked up, his eyes were on me. He flashed a smile and sauntered toward his bike with that lazy, long-legged gait of his.
“Don’t worry about him. I got something that will keep him busy.” My father promised after Easy was out of hearing range. “And I’ll figure out the ankle monitor thing, let me handle that.”