Thirty-Four
My eyes connect with my brother, sister, and cousins. What I see has my body moving before I realize it. The murderous look on Blaze’s face tells me something went down.
“Stop.”
Sin looks me in the eye and says. My sister knows me too well. And knows exactly where my head is. I scan my family–my team from head to toe. There are no visible injuries. I need to know what the fuck happened and who I’m going to kill. I scanned the main room, relieved everyone was busy doing their own thing and not paying attention to what was happening. No need for the club to know we’ve encountered a problem, at least not yet.
“What the fuck happened?” I say loud enough for my team to hear and no one else.
A hand snakes around my waist, startling me, but the unmistakable masculine mix of citrus and cedarwood hits me. Breathing him in, his scent and presence calm me. Taz turns me into such a damn swooning girl. I look at him with narrowed eyes as he looks down at me with his stupid smirk. Ignoring everyone around us, he leans down and kisses my forehead. I try to ignore my body's very inappropriate reaction to him and focus back on my brother, who still hasn’t answered my damn question.
Sin looks between me, Blaze, and Taz. When her eyes come to mine in question, I give her a nod to tell me since Blaze is too pissed too.
“When we left to go to the hotel, we were followed…” Sin says.
Taz steps from behind, pulling me to his side. In a low voice, not to be overheard. “Let’s go to my office for some… privacy. I’m assuming this isn’t something you want to be overheard.” Taz says.
Blaze looks between Taz and me and grunts. Turning on his heel with me in the crook of his arm and without a preamble, Taz pulls me toward his office while my team follows. Oh shit. I suck in a breath, and Taz, being the dick that he is, chuckles. Fucker.
Once we make it to his office, Taz walks over to his desk, running his hand over it. He’s trying to be slick, and my eyes narrow, and he chuckles again, giving me a knowing look, which I ignore. Nearly squealing when he lifts me and places me in his lap. I don’t even try to get up. The arm around my waist makes it obvious I couldn’t if I tried. Resigning myself and ignoring not only looking at the desk, but the look on my team's faces. Focusing on the task, not on what this man does to me. My panties dampen, and my knees rub together, thinking about…
Focus.
“The Ferraris made contact. Or at least their people did,” Blaze seethes.
Blaze paces. Rocket and Pain are leaning against the back wall by the door. Sin’s seated in a chair opposite Taz’s desk. My eyes remain on Blaze as I watch my brother process. He rarely gets this damn worked up, so I know shit was said that has him ready to burn the world to the ground.
“We were able to get a hold of one of them.” Blaze’s eyes bore into mine before continuing, “They know who we were. Not what we are, but that I was Gunner's son. They had pictures of Mom, Bell. How in the fuck did they get pictures of her? HOW? Those slimy motherfuckers.” Blazes' anger is palpable as he holds out a stack of photos.
The photos are primarily of our mother, but a few of him and I are at the old house with Nanny. Blaze glares down at the pictures in my hand as I sift through them. His protective instincts are at eleven, especially knowing someone has pictures of our mother and us. Which never happens. Our mother is not someone who gets photographed willy-nilly. As angry as it makes me, I need to get the complete picture. Our mother is the best in the business. There is no way she didn’t or doesn’t know. So, why hasn’t she said anything to us? Why allow herself to be followed? And how long has she known? I do not doubt that she knows. And how long have they been following her?
Looking back at my brother, his eyes are narrowed, and I know he is thinking about how he will make them pay for this intrusion into our lives. Any threats against our mother, like Sin and me, send my brother into a rage. That’s a well-known fact. The Ferraris just made an enemy of my brother. Before tonight, this was a job to him, but now it is personal. They're bringing our mother into this was a mistake on their part.
Pulling myself up and away from Taz, who reluctantly releases me, I step around the desk. “Blaze,” I hiss.
“Blaze, explain everything to me. What did they say? What do they want?” I keep my voice calm and level. I need to know. The knowledge that our mother still keeps secrets will have to wait until I talk to her. The immediate task is to find out who attacked my team and handle them.
“Bell, it's not that these motherfuckers have pictures of mom. It's not even that they knew who we were to Gunner. It’s the fact that these motherfuckers think they are enough of a threat to come after you and our mother. I know you can handle yourselves. I have a feeling this is a way to use us. They think threatening us will get Gunner to do what they want. Motherfuckers like them.” He shakes his head. “They will send fucking threats directly to him if the shit tonight doesn’t get their so-called message across. I’m fucking livid over their fucking audacity...” He shakes his head again. “All this shit for a fucking marriage contract, I don’t fucking buy it, Bell. These motherfuckers are going too hard for this shit.” he says, and then something crosses his face. And my brows furrow in thought because it’s true and has seemed fucking weird to me they are going so hard, so fast.
With my head tilted. “I mean, I know Marco has the investigation going on in Italy. But even that shouldn’t make them…” I say without finishing.
Sin speaks up, “We were followed from here. I, Pain, and Rocket knew instantly. We let them follow us to the hotel. When Blaze pulled into the back of the building, he was still… processing.” Sin looks at our brother, and I know what she means. It’s rare, but Blaze gets in his head, and nothing registers but what he’s focused on. It rarely lasts long, but it is enough sometimes to be a minor issue. I can’t judge–I’m no better. We’re human, so I don’t hold it against him, and he doesn’t hold it against me. Thank fuck we have Sin, Pain, and Rocket at our backs and vice versa.
“Anyway, long story short, as soon as we parked three vehicles boxed us in. We knew they weren't there for a friendly chat, so we were prepared. Once out of our cars, we were met by Dario, Don Ferraris’ underboss. We were told we had forty-eight hours to get Princess to them, or you and Mom would be taken out.” She rolls her eyes as she air-quotes the last part. “They made threats, they showed photos, bullets flew, asses were beaten,” Sin says, amusement lacing her voice. “That’s the abbreviated version, anyway.” She shrugs, crossing her arms. I stare at my sister and then over to Blaze, Pain, and Rocket.
“Yep, that’s pretty much how it went. I’m pretty pissed I didn’t get to kill anyone,” Rocket says with a maniacal smile on his face. “But we’ll get them next time because there will be a next time.” His tone was menacing but had a hint of excitement.
I shake my head at my bloodthirsty cousin and look at Taz, texting on his phone. He must feel my eyes on him because he looks up. I stare at him, and I raise a brow. He shakes his head at mouths Prez. I nod in understanding and turn back to Blaze. “Did you call Mom and let her know about the pictures?” He looks at me and shakes his head. He’s too pissed at the moment. I understand I would have been the same way. I nod. Pulling my phone out, I dial our mother because I have questions and haven't checked in after shit went down earlier. Damn, this day won't end. The phone only rings once before she answers.
“What's the matter?” she says in her calm, melodic voice.
“Hello to you too, Mother. Nothing is the matter, per se. Well, nothing we can’t handle.” I say, unsure of how to approach the topic. The niggling in my gut says that she had to have known she was being followed.
“What’s up, girlie? Where’s your brother, sister, and cousins?” my mother says. She can tell I’m stalling. She always seems to know shit. And knows when I need a minute.
“Hey, Aunty.”
“Hey, Aun-Tay.”
“Hi, Ma.”
“Hello, Mother.”
“Ma’am.”
My siblings and Taz answer her, and my head shoots at Taz, and he has a massive smile on his face. This fucking guy. Oh shit. This may go one of two ways. My mother will act like she didn’t hear him or…
Damn it…
“Who was that last one? Cause I know, I only have three kids and two nephews.” she asks conspiratorially. I can hear the amusement in her voice. They all laughed, and I chuckled nervously. She hates talking on speakerphone, even though it’s the only way Blaze and I ever speak to her when calling. Hello, we are twins, and it is easier to talk to her together. And two, she doesn’t enjoy being surprised, and a sixth person speaking when I have her on speaker without telling her is a surprise.
“Um…”
Everyone laughs again, and I give every damn last one of them the evil eye.
“Well, Aunty, that would be Taz, the VP of the club, and Bellamy’s new man. Get this, he claimed her in front of the club and Gunner. It was amazing, Aunty. You should have seen her and Gunner's faces. Priceless.” Rocket cackles as I stare at him wide-eyed. Fucking snitch.
What the actual fuck is he telling her all that for? Shit. I stand stunned, not sure what the fuck to say. Mom says nothing. All I hear are cackles and chuckles. Shit, damn fucker, son of a bitch. And then here comes Taz’s ass. He couldn’t have just sat there like the sexy, bold gawd he is. I let out an annoyed sigh when he spoke.
“Hello, ma’am. My name is Xavier Taz Highland.” He smiles at me as I shake my head and mouth, “No,” several times at him. The idiot just keeps talking. “And I’ve claimed your daughter as mine. I want you to know that I see her as nothing less than my everything, and I will treat her with the utmost respect. And I will never let her go,” Taz says smugly as he pushes back in his seat. This motherfucker here. I stare at him. His words are sweet, but my mother is my mother. Shit, fuck damnity, damn it.
My mother sucks her teeth and says, “Boy, do you know who I am?”
Taz’s brows furrow, and he thinks for a moment, looking at me with a question in his eyes before he answers, “Yes, ma’am, I do. You are Svetlana Petrov, an amazing woman who raised three amazing kids,” Taz answers with a smile. Blaze snorts, as do Pain and Rocket. Sin is trying not to laugh at his goofy, clueless ass.
“Um, hmm, you know who I am and what I am capable of, boy?” my mother says, her voice stern. It’s a voice she uses when working, and mothering wants people to heed the unsaid warning. I’m smart enough to know this voice means not to say anything. Taz’s eyes fly between me and the rest of my team. I don’t help him, enjoying how he squirms in his seat. I keep my lips securely sealed. His dumb ass opened the door when he spoke up. Nobody told him to open his mouth.
“So, knowing what you know. And knowing my past with your president. Are you sure you are ready for the consequences if you choose to fuck my daughter over? With Gunner, I understood. With you, I will not. I will kill you, melt your flesh down to nothing, grind your bones to dust, and send your teeth to your mother in remembrance of the son that once was. And depending on the offense, if it is bad enough, I will end your entire bloodline. Do I make myself clear, boy?” Fucking hell, my mother has to go from zero to insane in such a short time. I groan, and my hand goes to my forehead.
People wonder where I get it from. Well, here you have it, folks. I got it from my momma. Taz stares at me, then back at the phone a few times with disbelief. I know he would typically be stoic and a badass MC VP, but what my mother said and how she said it would have anyone looking crazy in the face. He should have just sat there and kept his trap shut.
Clearing his throat and squaring his shoulders, he answers confidently, “Yes, ma'am, you have made yourself very clear.” I try to smile, but it appears as a grimace, and I shake my head at him. Next time, he will keep his damn mouth shut.
“Now, why are y’all calling me so damn late?” Looking at the time on my phone, I realize it’s after midnight. “I was trying to Netflix and chill. What do you want?” she says in a whiny voice as if she didn’t just threaten to kill an entire family.
“We had a question. Do you know you are being followed or have been followed? And if so, how long have you known and not told us?” My tone’s clipped. And I know I fucked up when I see the wide eyes staring at me.
“First, little girl, watch your tone.” I can guarantee my tone has her sitting up and staring daggers at whatever is in front of her. “Yes, I know the slimy bitch has had people following me. She has been since the day I left your father, or rather, he left me. She doesn’t know I know or who I am. I ensured that, but I also made it seem like I was just a normal office-working mom trying to get by. Giving her the illusion that I was on that working nine-to-five shit. The bitch is no threat to me, and if she says she is, that’s a damn lie. I let her take her pictures to make herself feel better. Let her feel like she’s doing something. Let her feel like she is watching me and reminding me of my place. That woman ain't shit to me. What about these pictures? How did you all find out about them?” Throughout her rant, we could all hear the anger in my mother's voice, making it very damn clear there was no love lost between her and Beverly.
I look over to Blaze and, like me, shocked to know that this has been going on our entire lives, and we didn’t know about it.
“I can feel you two thinking. She doesn’t know where I live, not really. I’m smarter than her, always have been. You all know that. Back then, I stuck around our old house once I figured out what was happening. The Organization, I set it up with one of my assets. As soon as you and your brother were old enough, I ensured you were unreachable unless I wanted you to be reached. It was all so very annoying and exhausting but necessary. I would take you kids back there now and then. I’m sure you remember our little adventures at being normal. It was planned and held its purpose.” She pauses. “You know what? It doesn’t matter. I did what needed doing, and the bitch was none the wiser. Again, what about the pictures?” she says, clearly irritated with thinking about the past.
Blaze steps forward, taking his shocked eyes off me to stare at the phone. “Tonight, the Ferraris approached us, and they were threatening you and Bell and had pictures of you. And… I may or may not have lost my shit and shot the Ferrari underboss. He pissed me the fuck off. I don’t like anyone getting that close to you, Ma. I don’t like anyone threatening you, Bell or Sin. I won’t have that shit, not on my watch.” He seethes.
My mother sighs. “Blaze baby, it's fine. Like I said, let them take their pictures. As far as threatening me…” she chuckles, “let them try. I’ve been dying to end that bitch all your lives. I haven’t because of the kids. But now, with the shit going on…” She pauses mid-sentence. I look at Blaze, wide-eyed. Oh shit. “Hmm.” she hums. Blaze and I look at each other because that sound says more than words ever could. “I think mommy needs to take a trip,” she says, then I hear a click. Did she just?
“Mom?”
“Mother?”
Blaze and I stared at one another. Oh shit.
“Oh… shit,” Blaze says, eyes nearly popping out of his head.
“She is coming here… Wait, aren’t Sebastian and Sarafina supposed to be here in the morning? Fuck me. This shit just got more interesting.” Pain says with shock on his face, a shock that I’m sure it’s reflected in my own.
We’re all stunned, staring at one another. My mother is coming here–here–where my father and other siblings are.
Well, fuckity fuck.