Chapter Thirty-Two
Marchella
I stared into my stepmother’s vanity mirror, admiring the woman in the reflection. The pink and wine hues Izzy had decorated my eyelids with were blended perfectly with the midnight liner, creating a smokey look with a hint of wings. My lashes were long, curled, and painted to perfection with black mascara.
The color combo made my eyes dramatically pop. She’d slid a little blush on my cheeks and contoured places I didn’t even know a woman was supposed to contour. I’m pretty sure she would have tried to spread that foundation clean down my tits if I hadn’t stopped her. I had my mother’s fair complexion and had chosen a nude shade of lipstick.
“I– I don’t–” I stammered, when my gaze dropped to the contraption Izzy had helped me into.
It came up and tied behind my neck like a swimsuit and cut around my breasts in a similar fashion. Tiny chains were draped from side to side and along the midriff seam. Fringes and chains hung over the top of my belly, but I was otherwise naked from under-tit to panty line.
Sure, I looked like Izzy and any other Disciple ol’ lady– but– that wasn’t me. My mom was an ol’ lady. My Aunt was an ol’ lady. I felt like I was playing dress up.
“It’s because you don’t have the shoes on, my love.” Izzy stressed before prowling over to the closet and rummaging around. She came back with a pair of black boots that stopped a few inches over the ankles. They had stiletto heels and shiny hooks at the top two fasteners.
I made a strangled sound in my throat, but Izzy wasn’t put off by it. She hurried over and knelt down beside me, taking my foot to her thigh, she used it to balance while she worked to get the boot on.
I felt ridiculous being fussed over. I wasn’t used to being so done up, but she’d put so much effort into all of this, I couldn’t very well say I was going to scrub my face clean and put on a jacket to hide in.
“Fucking gorgeous,” Trista purred from the doorway.
She smiled proudly and I relaxed a little.
“I’m not used to this,” I admitted.
“That’s because your dad would have fucked all of us up.” Trista laughed. “If he says anything about you being dressed up like you came to town to suck start somebody's Harley now, we can just blame the new boy.”
“Trista!” I exclaimed, over Isabella’s throaty laughter while popping my head up to gaze in shock at her.
Aunt Trista winked at me in the mirror, “I’m kidding. I told you, you’re fuckin’ beautiful baby girl.”
“Are you ready, though? The party started like an hour ago.” Izzy rushed, forever hating to miss a party.
I loved her but she was such an attention whore. She was born to be a hostess, and Aunt Trista didn’t mind letting her have every inch of the honor. She’d made no effort to take control of planning since Easy had started wearing the president patch.
“Yeah, guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Good.” Izzy snatched her leather jacket from the closet and threw it on.
The ‘ Property of’ rocker flashed at us from her back as she sauntered down the hallway.
We all piled into my car and shot across town. With Blaze on house arrest, it was decided the welcoming party would take place at our house instead of Easy’s.
I could see people mingling in the backyard around a bonfire when I pulled in and my headlights briefly illuminated everything. There were bikes all along the street, bikes along the driveway and if I’d guessed right, there were even a few on the other side of the bonfire.
I completely missed my husband lingering in the shadows of the porch, until he jerked the car door open.
“W–?” His voice had a whole lot of bass, only to die off in an instant.
“Whoa.” He smiled, reaching in to caress my cheekbone.
Izzy slapped his hand so swiftly it invoked memories of playing Hungry Hippos with my violently competitive brothers when I was little. Blaze snatched his hand back like he’d touched fire.
“I spent two fuckin’ hours on that face, bud. A little appreciation,” she scolded.
He brought the back of his hand up to cover his mouth, but I still heard the laugh he tried to hide. Izzy rolled out of the passenger seat and started toward the back yard. I still had no idea how she shook her ass like that in stilettos.
“She’s serious,” he accused, with a snort.
“She really is,” Trista confirmed, crawling out of the backseat on Izzy’s side.
She shut the door and rounded the car, rather than trailing off.
“The fuck you doing up here? You’re the man of the hour.”
Blaze’s mouth opened and a guilty look flashed in his eyes.
“I just– wanted to talk to March a minute before I committed–”
“Committed– Mother fucker, you’re committed. Look around.” She waved her arm toward the backyard.
He exhaled in a restrained way and looked around awkwardly. When he glanced over his shoulder, I realized my father was halfway between us and the bonfire, his arm draped over Izzy’s shoulder and his tongue in her mouth. He was distracted, but they were clearly coming our way.
“I just– I don’t know. Easy said ya’ll are fucking leaving. He talked about announcing his retirement and going to Georgia with Oak—” Blaze started strong, even if he was whispering.
Trista let out an abrupt laugh, silencing him effortlessly.
“Easy said that did he?” She caught the tip of her tongue between her teeth and smiled. “Let me guess, Oak was sitting there when he said it? Maybe even your mom, too? He’s the president of a one percenter biker club, Blaze. Did you think he was above lying when it suited him– Especially if it makes someone he cares about feel comfortable for a moment? He said your mom had been having nervous breakdowns or some shit. Easy’s an asshole, but he’s an asshole with a heart, you dig?”
Blaze gave a slow nod.
“So– Ya’ll ain’t leaving for Georgia then?” He squinted at Trista.
Trista laughed and wrapped her arm around him, pulling Blaze into a side hug, “B– Am I standing here? Would Easy send me to see you welcomed in, if he didn’t support your decision and this club? If he was stepping down, and we were riding off into the sunset, why the fuck wouldn’t I have anything packed at the house? Did you have to move any boxes to get to that guest bed, love?”
Blaze huffed and laughed. He shook his head and hauled her close, returning the hug before he turned to face my father.
“What’s up?” he greeted them.
I took a deep breath and tried not to curse when I exhaled it as he and my father shook up.
“Blaze, baby. I’m so happy. You have no idea. This is adorable. I remember when you two played together as children,” Izzy rattled on, tangling him up in her arms for a hug and an attempted kiss on his cheek.
“She’s right. Congrats you two.” Aunt Trista smiled, giving my arm a squeeze before she wandered off toward the fire.
“Come on, let’s get you a kutte and get this mother fucker started.”
The backyard was already at a dull roar, music was blasting, and I was pretty sure someone was fucking behind the shed, but I wasn’t willing to investigate. All I could do was shake my head and wonder just what qualified as ‘getting started’ in my father’s mind.
“Turn that shit down!” he roared, raising a hand in the air.
Some woman with nothing more than duct tape on her nipples scrambled to the porch and the music instantly died down.
“Disciples, friends– ladies,” My father all but purred the last word, making my eyes narrow on the back of his head. “I have a distinct honor tonight, our president couldn’t make it, but he sent his ol’ lady, my sister, to witness and convey his support while I welcome Blaze Aviston home. Not just to Swanwick, but to the club his grandfather helped found. Chef Aviston was a beast, he was a brother that had your back inside or out. When my dad did a bid, he brought food for us kids. He made sure his family, the Disciple family was good, no matter what. Chef, as you know had two sons, our president, Easy, and his brother Ant. Anthony Aviston was my best fucking friend. I never had a brother, but Easy leant me his for the short while that he had one, and I’m telling you–”
The emotion that ebbed into my father’s tone stunned me. When his words choked up and he paused for a moment, I felt tears stinging at my eyes. It was bad enough to see a man cry, but a monster like Makaveli?
It was chilling.
“We lost a legend when we lost Ant, but I’m honored to say that today I’m welcoming his son back home, and to the club. Disciples, meet your brother, Blaze.”
He took a leather vest from Izzy and threw it at Blaze. My husband caught it and slid it on without hesitation, sealing the deal and no doubt, our future.