Zeus: Love of a god (BLP Motorcycle Clubs #5)

Prologue

MANY YEARS AGO…

“Aaron, I don’t understand you. You begged me for our baby, and now you act like you don’t have time to be a damn father. What the hell is that about?”

Harmony was flabbergasted with her husband Aaron. They had been together since they were sixteen years old. From the beginning of their relationship, he begged her for a child. She pushed back for as long as her heart would let her but found herself pregnant before she planned or wanted. When she told Aaron, he was ecstatic. They got married as soon as she was eighteen years old.

It felt like things changed shortly after their daughter Dindi (Jin-Jee) was born. Harmony brushed it off because who wanted to think that their child’s father, no, their husband didn’t want to be bothered with the child that he begged to have. Things got considerably worse when Aaron took the crown as the leader of the King Of King Riders (K.O.K). That was a year ago, and it’d been downhill from there. Aaron was an amazing provider, but that was where it primarily ended.

He’d been in his father’s motorcycle club since he was eighteen. As the only child, when his father was killed in a motorcycle accident, he took over at just twenty-one years old. The club was more important to Aaron than his wife and child. He hated to admit that, but it was true. He could also admit that he should not have married Harmony because he wasn’t ready. His father told him as much, but Aaron was going to do what he wanted to do. He was so in love.

His father told him that it was possible to be in love and not ready at the same time. Yes, Aaron loved his wife, Harmony, and didn’t want to be without her. He just also loved fucking with the pussy that came with being the lead of one of the top motorcycle clubs in Charlotte, North Carolina. Between the businesses that he took over from his father, the illegal activities that the club dabbled in heavily, and the three motorcycle repair shops, he provided handsomely for his family. That was another thing his father told him: “Not taking care of your household is not an option. I don’t give a damn who’s on your dick.”

“Harmony, you know it’s not that. I’m just a busy man. Plus, no man wants to come home to a nagging wife.” Aaron was full of shit, and he knew it. He didn’t want to be a father at this moment. It was as if he wanted the clout of saying he was a father but wasn’t interested in the actions to truly be a good one. “I’m about to head out.”

When he walked into their home two hours ago, he hadn’t intended to stay as long as he had. Harmony caught him with their daughter in her arms and handed her off to him so that she could run errands. He sat there for an hour and a half, looking at his daughter, Dindi, as if she was a stranger. Little did he know, at three years old, he was a stranger to her. She had familiarity with him enough to not panic when her mother left her with him, but his being her father was not felt. Aaron sat on the couch while Dindi busied herself in her play area.

Harmony shook her head. She wished things were different, she really did. She loved her husband, but had fallen out of love a while ago. Her daughter was most important to her. She would have left if she felt that she could make it on her own without her daughter suffering. At least that was what she told herself. The fact was that she could leave and move to California with her sister, Kadence.

Kadence begged Harmony on multiple occasions to come out there and fall into her passion of songwriting. They came from a musically inclined family. Kadence followed her passion while Harmony followed a no-good man. In California, Kadence worked as a very successful songwriter. Harmony had even collaborated with her a few times. Those funds were sitting in an account just for Dindi. The real reason that Harmony didn’t want to leave was the fear that eventually Aaron would get it right, and she would miss it somehow.

“Ok, Aaron. Make sure you take what you need so I don’t have to see you for the rest of the week. Tell your bitch, whichever one it is this time, that I said thank you. I get so much peace when they keep you occupied.”

Aaron was on his way to the door when her words stopped him cold. He slowly spun on his heels. Her words hurt him. Was that how she really felt? This was her first time admitting that she knew of his affairs. Yeah, he had a few side bitches, but he made sure that they all respected her as the Queen of the King. Harmony had a motorcycle and used to ride here and there, but her daughter became more important.

Harmony stood stoic as she peered at her husband. She was tired of acting like the quiet little wife. If he wanted to leave, he could, as long as he left his money behind so she could take care of their daughter in the life that they were accustomed to.

“No one said anything about me not coming back. I’m just going to handle some fucking business, Har. I don’t know why you’re always tripping.”

He was confused with his current feelings. He always thought that when she eventually mentioned his infidelities that she would be emotional or that she would flip out. At this moment, the vibe that she gave was that she didn’t give a damn.

Harmony smiled. “Sorry, I’m not being clear. I rather you did not come back soon. Dindi and I only miss beats when you’re around. See, you’re the caesura in my song that I don’t want or need.” She gave him a curt wave before she turned her back to him to travel up the stairs, but not before telling him to lock up first.

His heart broke at her nonchalant attitude. Is she cheating too? That was the only reason his mind could come up with as to why her attitude was so noncaring. He loved her, but he was twenty-four. He’d been with her since he was sixteen. They were each other’s first. Aaron never thought that they would be here either.

The first time he cheated was in the six-week period after Harmony had their daughter. From that one taste of something different, he craved more. The problem was that he selfishly didn’t want to leave his wife. He knew that she was his forever, but he just wanted forever a little later. With a worried mind, he left the home that he shared with his wife. There was nothing else that he could say.

A FEW DAYS LATER…

“That was so fuckin’ good. I love it when you get into it with your bitch wife because you come over here and fuck the shit out of me.” Jennifer spoke out of turn like she was known to do.

Jennifer was one of Aaron’s side bitches that was a club groupie. Her pussy worked its way up to him, and once she got there, she refused to let go. She was willing to do anything to keep him in her grasp. Although she wasn’t the Queen, she still felt like the other bitches in the club gave her respect, knowing that she was Aaron’s main side bitch. The only time she was shown a lack of respect was when Harmony was around, which was not often.

Aaron cringed at her words. They were lying in the bed at an apartment that he owned. This was where he spent his nights when he wasn’t in his matrimonial home. Sometimes he was there with a bitch, other times he was not. Jennifer felt like she was more important than she was because she had a key to the apartment. That sounded good, but the complex had a gate that you had to be buzzed into or have a code, which she didn’t have. Without access to the complex, her key was useless.

“Jennifer, what the fuck did I tell you about even speaking about my wife? What’s going to happen is you’re going to make me fuck you up, then stop fucking with you altogether. My other bitches know better, but you’re the only one that doesn’t know how to follow instructions.”

No matter what he and his wife went through, he would never allow anyone to disrespect her. When she did come around the K.O.K, the red carpet was rolled out for her as it should have been. All the bitches who would have normally been on Aaron’s dick fell so far back that they were hanging off a cliff. In the eyes of everyone, she was number one next to her husband, the leader of the club.

Jennifer hated that and made sure to make herself scarce when Harmony came around. It sickened her that she could have just had his dick in her mouth a few hours earlier, but now that his wife was around, he acted like the doting husband. She hated Harmony while Harmony didn’t know Jennifer existed. Harmony didn’t bother herself with the groupies that hung around the club, and as far as she was concerned, Jennifer was one of them.

Aaron’s haphazard threat didn’t sit right with her. This wasn’t the first time that he’d told her that, but she wanted it to be his last. “Aaron, I don’t understand why you just won’t leave her and be with me. I know you don’t want to be with her because you’re never with her like that. She doesn’t respect the club or you. I love you.”

She made his head hurt when she went on these ‘leave her and be with me’ rants. It would never happen. It was like everyone knew that except Jennifer. The other bitches in the club and elsewhere that he fucked on knew what the deal was. The only way that he wouldn’t be with her was if she left him or either of them died. Aaron would never let Harmony leave him. He was going to eventually get his shit together, and he needed her there when he did.

“Jennifer, I will never leave my wife. So we can stop having this fucking conversation. You love this dick, not me, because I haven’t done anything for you to love me. I don’t pay your bills, feed you, or anything. I barely speak to you in public if it’s not about club business. When I want to fuck, I call and you come, pun intended. Furthermore, I would never commit to a woman who thought it was alright to fuck another woman’s husband. It will never be you.”

The coldness his tone held sent a chill up Jennifer’s spine. She was at his beck and call, and this was how he treated her. When he called her in the wee hours of the morning to come to the apartment to cook for him because Harmony was too busy with their needy ass daughter, Jennifer came running. Jennifer climbed her naked body out of bed to retrieve her robe. She scoffed at the thought of her not being important when she had clothes that stayed at the apartment.

“I know you’re just saying that because you’re in your feelings about whatever she did this time.” She tied the belt around her robe with her back to him as he casually lay in bed with his eyes on the ceiling. “Just so you know, I don’t think that it’s alright to fuck other women’s husbands. I fuck you because I do love you. I’m going to cook you something to eat.”

Aaron had more important things to be worried about than a delusional dummy with a pussy. ‘You’re the caesura in my song that I don’t want or need.’ The day that his wife told him that, he had no idea what a caesura was. He knew it was musical because his wife could play any instrument that was put in her hand as well as sing like a songbird. He fell in love with her after she appeared in a talent show in the city. To know that his wife felt like he was an interruption to her song, what she called her life, made his soul die a little.

The day she said that, he went back home hours later. Something about her words wanted him to act right, even if it was for a fleeting time. Harmony acted as if he weren’t in the house. Dindi even walked past him with no concern. If he was in her way, she would use her little hands to tap him, then push him to tell him to move once she had his attention. He’d seen some of his friends with their daughters, and they worshipped the ground that their fathers walked on. After a couple days of that, he decided to gather enough clothes to stay at his apartment on a more permanent basis.

He would never leave her, but he would give her space until he could get it right. He wasn’t sure how long that would take. All he knew was that he didn’t want to ultimately lose her. He didn’t move from his spot on the bed until he heard the doorbell ring. He was expecting his second in command, Reap, to come through for some business that they had to handle. Aaron had a nickname, Atomic, but rarely used it.

“Aaron!” Jennifer came into the room with heavy feet. “I know you don’t have a bitch coming here when you knew I would be here. How much more disrespectful can you be?”

He stood there confused as hell. “What the fuck are you talking about? Calm your stupid ass down.”

“The bitch in the living room right now asking for you!”

He waved her off to see what the hell she was talking about. When he got to the living room, his heart dropped to his feet. “Wha-what are you doing here?”

“I’m sure you thought that this place was your little secret. As you can see, it is not. Trust me. I don’t want to be here any more than you want me here. I guess you were too busy in pussy to answer your phone as usual.”

Kadence hated the man who stood before her. She knew her sister was too good for him from the day they met at the talent show. Harmony and Kadence both performed in the show as a duet and solo acts. Kadence looked Jennifer up and down, who stood there like she belonged. “Can you have your whore busy herself with leaving instead of standing here like an idiot?”

Aaron snapped out of his shock at his wife’s sister standing in the apartment that he swore his wife had no knowledge of. If Kadence knew, then it was safe to assume that Harmony knew. “Jennifer, go get dressed and leave.”

Jennifer’s mouth dropped so wide that two dicks could have comfortably fit inside. “Are you fucking serious right now? I need to leave when I was invited here? This bitch wasn’t.”

Kadence wasn’t the meek woman that her sister was. She smoothly took a few steps into Jennifer’s personal space, then punched her in the center of her face at the bridge of her nose. As Jennifer dropped to the floor with a screech, Kadence stood there poised in her high heels and body-con dress like she stepped right off a runway.

Aaron didn’t bother helping Jennifer because, once again, her refusal to follow instructions caused an adverse reaction. She looked at Aaron, silently begging for him to show her any level of respect, but she knew better. With a painful, bloody nose, she picked herself up and went into the bedroom to grab only her shoes and keys. She didn’t need to put on clothes. She had on a robe and had been outside in much less.

When she got back to the living room, the bitch that punched her in her face now sat on the couch with her legs crossed. She was more comfortable than she should have been. Who was this bitch? She pulled the front door open and jumped back at the sight of Reap.

“Damn, who fucked you up now?” Reap laughed with his words. He had never cared for her because of her desperation. Desperation in a person was dangerous. Every chance Reap got, he told his homeboy to get his shit together before Harmony left him.

Jennifer pushed past him after she told him to shut the fuck up. Reap walked into the apartment, immediately feeling the heaviness. “What’s up, Kadence. It’s been a long time.”

Reap knew Kadence well, as they dealt with each other when they were teenagers for a short stint. “Hey, Reap. You look nice. Yes, it’s been a while.”

Aaron didn’t have time for the superficial conversation that his sister-in-law and best friend were having. “Kadence, what’s going on? Why are you here?”

She stood on her feet. “Yes, I’m coming here to inform you that my sister, your wife, was killed early this morning in a car accident after she dropped Dindi off at day care.”

Her eyes misted over. She told herself before she came here that she would control her emotions. Aaron Cooper did not deserve to experience them.

The words were heard but not understood. Aaron’s eyes fell on Reap as if he could confirm what she told him. “What the fuck are you talking about? If something happened to Harmony, I would have known. I would have been notified.”

Kadence’s head dropped with a chuckle. When she looked up, there was fire in her eyes and a smirk on her face. “One, I’ve been calling you for hours and got no response. Two, you wouldn’t have been notified because my sister has me as her next of kin and as the person to notify in the event of death.”

That news was a blow to Aaron’s heart and ego. What did she mean that she was her next of kin, when he was Harmony’s husband? It felt like the room spun around him. Reap moved to his friend quickly to break his fall. Kadence stood there emotionless for Aaron.

“Please turn your phone on so that you can receive the funeral information. Two years ago, Harmony made me her power of attorney and executor of her estate. I’ll let you know about the funeral arrangements and take care of my niece while I’m here.”

Kadence started toward the door but was stopped by Reap’s voice. “Kad, come on, sweetheart. You don’t have to be so cold. You just told this man that he lost his wife.”

Her eyes bore into Reap. “He lost nothing. The man who was in an apartment that he thought was a secret from his wife with a bitch who he clearly just fucked. Let me ask you this, Aaron. What’s the name of the day care that your daughter has been attending for the past two years?”

His head remained down because he had no idea. He just found out that she was in day care a little over six months ago when he came home and saw a paid invoice on the kitchen counter from the day care. Reap’s heart hurt for his friend because he knew the struggle of Aaron’s heart and actions.

“Like I thought. Reap, don’t tell me to not be cold to the man that didn’t value my sister. Like I said, I’ll let you know. If you have any special requests, let me know. I know she was considered the Queen or whatever of your lil club.” With no more words, Kadence left.

Aaron’s chest hurt. “What does she mean she called me? Reap, she didn’t call!” He shot up off the floor and went back into the bedroom to grab his phone. ‘Do Not Disturb.’ He would never put his phone on that because of the fact that he did have a wife and child. Suddenly, a warm feeling came over him.

He pressed the screen of his phone. When the line started to ring, he placed it on the speaker. The line rang three times before it was picked up. “Hey, baby.”

“There’s no, hey. Did you put my fuckin’ phone on do not disturb, bitch?”

Jennifer was taken aback by Aaron’s tone. He’d been disrespectful toward her in subtle ways, but never blatantly. “Um, I did this morning because you were sleeping so peacefully. I didn’t want you to be disturbed.”

Reap dropped his head with his hand on his forehead. This bitch stayed out of pocket. He told his best friend not to fuck with her when she first started snaking around him.

“Bitch, you didn’t want me to be disturbed as long as I was with you. You know I have a wife and child. Your ass shouldn’t have touched my fuckin’ phone, ho. Look, stay the fuck away from me. I don’t want to see your ass anymore.” He was livid. He missed a call about his wife dying because his ho wanted to be shady.

He knew it wasn’t her fault, but it was easier to put the blame on her than himself. Jennifer’s heart stopped beating for a second. “What do you mean? You don’t mean that, Aaron! What happened? Why are you acting like this?”

“It doesn’t matter why. Just know that I don’t want you around me. I swear I’ll shoot your ass in the fuckin’ face.” He threw the phone against the wall before he let out a wail.

He’d never been in so much pain. Aaron thought time would always be on his side. He never thought that he would run out of tomorrows to get his shit together before it was too late to fix it with his wife. Sure, he figured a time or two that she would try to leave him, but he could fix that. He couldn’t fix death.

THE REPAST…

The city came out to show respect to the Queen. Aaron respected the other motorcycle clubs in the city for showing love when they didn’t have to. Kronos Basil even came out of his ‘house on the hill’ as it was called, to show respect. He was the leader of the Mount Olympus Riders or Mount O’s as they were called. The Mount O’s were the premiere club in the area and had been for a while. The club originated out of New York, and they were almost one hundred members strong.

Kadence and Harmony’s parents died when they were teenagers in a car accident, ironically. They had some extended family that attended the funeral, but no one with real closeness. Aaron felt like shit to know that his daughter, who he saw almost every day, had more familiarity with her aunt who lived in California. During the funeral, he tried to take his daughter from Kadence so that she could go to the casket by herself. He was embarrassed when she had a complete meltdown about being placed in his arms. Cynical looks were all that were thrown his way.

“Aaron.”

He was brought out of his daze by the voice of Kadence. He sat at a table alone with a glass of Yak in his hand. Everyone gave him his space today, which he appreciated. It still felt like a nightmare to him. Every night since the notification, he slept in his bed where he used to lie with his wife, wishing he’d done right by her. He regretted that he didn’t make it clear to her that he loved her and their daughter while she was still here.

Kadence sat down at the table with a sleeping Dindi in her arms. She was so beautiful. Even at three, she was the spitting image of her mother. “I wanted to talk to you about Dindi. I know that you didn’t really have a heavy hand in her care, and it’s only for that reason that I insist that she comes to stay with me in California. You will see tomorrow during the reading of Harmony’s will and last testament that it was what she wanted if anything happened to her.”

How many more times would his heart be broken because of news about his wife’s afterlife plans. What hurt more was that he couldn’t even be mad. She was right. He had barely any hands in her raising. His daughter didn’t even know him. He wouldn’t fight this because he knew that it was what was best for his daughter. “I won’t fight you on this because I know it’s what’s best for Dindi. We can work out a financial ? —”

She raised her hand. “No need for that. Harmony’s life insurance and trust that she established for her will be fine. Your wife co-wrote many songs with me that you hear on the radio daily, so she had money put aside. The song you guys played during the tribute ride was one of our songs.”

Shock! His wife wrote songs. He knew that she loved to write songs and play her instruments, but he had no idea that she was getting paid to do so. He’d come home many nights to his wife and daughter in the music room in their home that she specialized for Dindi. Harmony played almost any instrument you could think of and was on her way to teaching their daughter.

“That’s fine that she has money set aside. Dindi is still my daughter, so I will, at the least, financially take care of her. That is something that you can’t stop.” Aaron was adamant about that. He had always taken care of his family financially. He may have been a fuck ass in many ways, but he made sure to financially provide.

Kadence wouldn’t fight him. She would put the money that he sent into an account that Dindi could access once she was eighteen. “That’s fine, Aaron. Is there anything specifically that you think Harmony would want me to have from the house for Dindi outside of the list that the lawyer sent over the other day?”

He snickered a bit. A list of things that Harmony wanted Kadence to take with her that belonged to Dindi was sent over, as well as instructions around Harmony’s things. His wife wanted all her things, outside of what she wanted Dindi to have, to be donated to a domestic violence shelter. She wanted all the instruments in the music room to be donated to a local community center that had a music program.

“There is nothing that I could think of off the top of my head. Um, you can come over tomorrow? Whatever you want, you can have,” he told her. He didn’t care about the material things. He planned to sell the home now that his wife was gone. The house was a gift from his father that Harmony picked out.

Kadence gave him a smile before she glanced down at her niece. “Look, Aaron, I know I’ve been hard on you, but you have to understand why. I was the one who sat on the phone with my sister as she cried about how you cheated, didn’t love her, brought her home an STD. You gave me no reason to like you. I’ll make sure I keep you updated on Dindi’s life. I won’t take that from you.”

“I-I never gave my wife an STD.” That was all he could think of saying.

Kadence gave him a blank stare. “All I will say about that is, I’ll send you her medical records. You definitely did. That was when she stopped having sex with you. All of that is neither here nor there.” She stood on her feet. “I will come by tomorrow and let Dindi pick out things that she wants.”

The conversation’s abrupt end wasn’t surprising. That woman never said much to him. Her loyalty was to her sister. “How you doing, man?” Reap was concerned. He’d never seen him this out of sorts. It was to be expected though.

“Man, Reap, my wife is dead. Harmony wanted Kadence to raise Dindi, so she’s going to take her back to Cali.” He put his head in his hands. This shit was all too damn much.

Reap paused for a second to get his words together. He didn’t agree with Aaron allowing anyone else to raise his daughter. He stayed on Aaron’s head about being a better father to Dindi. Reap had two daughters whom he adored from a previous relationship. He couldn’t imagine himself not being active in his daughters’ lives.

“Are you sure you want to miss out on her life like that, man? Yeah, I know I got on you hard about bettering your relationship with baby girl. How are you going to do that if she’s across the country?” Reap felt like Aaron was going to the extreme left by shipping her off with her aunt.

Aaron stared off into a daze before his thoughts came back into the room. “Reap, I can admit when someone is better for my daughter than I am. Harmony knew it, and I know it. Dindi going with Kadence is what is best for her. Look, I’m not about to go back and forth about this, Reap. Just let it be what it’s gonna be.”

Reap lifted his hands in surrender. “You got that, man. You drinking that Yak with no food? Let me get you a plate before you be passed out on this floor.”

Both of them chuckled. Aaron knew he was right. He sat there in silence as he looked over the room where the repast was held. His eyes drifted and landed on Jennifer, who sat at a table with other club groupies. The official membership roster consisted of only men, but the groupies created their own little auxiliary to feel connected. When the girls one day came around with vests that read ‘Kings’ Kitties,’ the men were outdone. The wives of the club wanted nothing to do with the ‘Kitties.’

Jennifer kept her distance. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to for much longer. She and Aaron were meant to be together, and all the signs aligned. He claimed that he would never leave his wife, but the universe saw different because she left him. It was through death, but she was still gone. Regardless of what he said, she knew he had feelings for her. No matter how minute, feelings were feelings, even hate. Her mind told her that you had to have liked or loved a person for it to turn to hate.

When his eyes fell on her, she gave him a sympathetic smile before she blew him a kiss. The look of disdain that covered his face offended her. He didn’t look at her like that when he had his dick shoved into her body. “Girl, that man just lost his wife. Chill out. I’m sure he’ll give you the opportunity to suck his dick again, but let the man mourn,” Connie, one of the other founding Kitties, said scornfully. She, Jennifer, and Shelby founded the Kings’ Kitties. Each of them fucked with a King in the club. Jennifer, however, thought she was elite because she fucked with the King of the Kings.

“Shut up, Connie. Mind your King, and I’ll mind mines.”

Jennifer knew about the overly derogatory comments that were made about her behind her back and sometimes in her face. They joked that she was aiming for something that she would never be, which was Aaron’s wife. Well, she had something for everyone. She pulled out her phone, then went to Aaron’s contact to text him. She typed three words that she knew would affect him, possibly even heavier than the loss of his wife.

Jennifer:

Aaron, I’m pregnant.