I Dare You To Meet Me
Chapter 16

-Natasha. My name came again from my progenitor’s lips, this time with a clear tone of warning that made me roll my eyes.

-I’m glad to hear you still remember my name, but I’d like to have this conversation in private if it’s not too much to ask. But it was only when the boy standing behind him put a hand on his shoulder and said something in his ear that made Hades finally realize the situation she was in.

-Relax all of you at once and get your asses busy doing something before I break your faces for starting a fight in the bar. He ordered with an angry look at everyone.

-Yes Prez. The collective affirmation made everyone go back to their business as usual, although a glance or two still lingered on my person.

When the moods of the bikers calmed down my bloodlust did too, I calmly turned and left the broken bottle on top of the bar. Then I took out a couple of hundred-dollar bills and gave them to the girl who was tending the place.

-For the inconvenience. I said calmly, behind me I heard a hoarse grunt and turned to see the biker who had loved my mother with an arched eyebrow.

-Let’s go to my office so we can talk quietly.” With my muscles tensing and without waiting for a reply from me, my father turned around and walked in the direction of what I assumed was his office.

Wanting to curse him for his arrogant attitude, I had no choice but to follow him, like a damn dog obeying its owner. My bad mood only worsened as the boy with the same eyes as me and the stalker biker followed close behind.

My father led us through a hallway to the last door in the hallway, opened it and let us through first before entering himself and closing the door behind him.

I calmly dropped into one of the chairs as I leaned back comfortably, ignoring how I had three pairs of huge men’s eyes on my person waiting for any movement on my part.

-Unless I have a bug on my face and haven’t noticed, I would appreciate it if they would stop staring at me so hard, a picture will last longer in case my beauty is the cause of their lack of words.

-Natasha,” said my father, using the tone of voice of a father correcting his young daughter, which made anger sparkle in my chest.

-Yes, Natasha, I know very well what my name is, although I thank you for repeating it so many times because I was afraid of forgetting it,” I sounded irritated and cutting.

Ill-mannered brat,” growled the dark-haired man, which made me look at him with a mocking look.

-Excuse me, but who are you?” I asked while I looked at him condescendingly, even though I already knew who he was, I wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of knowing it in a thousand years.

-He is Bruno, your brother.” “Stepbrother,” I corrected Hades immediately and gave a bored look to the third man in the room.

-And you are my uncle or some other lost relative? The man just folded his arms but said nothing, seeing me without a clear answer I turned to my tattooed father for him to answer me.

-He is Hunter, but everyone calls him Hell, and he is my VP.

My face showed the confusion I was feeling.

-You what?

-My VP, the Vice President of this motorcycle club, didn’t your mother explain to you anything about how this place works? The mention of my mother made my attitude return to a hostile one.

-She had more important things to teach me than how a damn caveman club works,” I said aggressively and I noticed how the three men became tense.

-Watch your words young lady,” my father said to me in a threatening voice, and although inside the girl who still missed her father trembled at the clear scolding. The woman I had become made me give him a crooked smile as I looked at him mockingly.

-And why would I do that? With deliberate slowness I blurted out those words, trying to gauge the reaction the bikers would have to the comment.

But I was disappointed when none of them made any attempt to pick a fight with me like the guy at the bar.

God only knew how badly I wanted to punch the man who gave me life.

-Because I am your father and I demand respect for me and all the brothers in this place.

A laugh escaped my lips at the sound of it.

-Please, you haven’t been my father for years, so don’t lecture me now about wanting to be one, don’t pretend you didn’t abandon me years ago.

I said with pain and anger, and before I could even blink my stepbrother had already approached me and slapped me in the face, which made my chin touch my shoulder.

-Watch your mouth when you talk about my snotty father.

Without him seeing it coming I gave him a kick in the stomach that knocked the wind out of him at the same time that I got up from where I was sitting.

-And you, don’t ever lay a hand on me again if you don’t want to lose it, beach pimp.

The boy approached me with clear intentions of hitting me again, but my father pulled him roughly towards him.

-We don’t hit women, much less if they are family members, so control your damn temper or I’ll get your a*s out of here. At his exclamation I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. It was the fourth time I had been physically assaulted since I stepped in this place, and he said they didn’t hit women, how stupid.

-Are you here just to cause trouble Natasha, your mother will be very disappointed when she replaces out about this attitude young lady, does she even know you are here?

His questions made my mouth drop open.

It couldn’t be that he didn’t know, could he?

F*****g shit, but if my family’s death had been on the international news, how could he not know?!

The possibility that he was playing with me crossed my mind, but seeing the honesty in his eyes only made me shake my head in disgust at him.

What kind of guy did he have as a father if he didn’t even realize the death of his wife and in-laws?

My father misunderstood my refusal and his eyes darkened as he looked at me angrily.

-How could you do something so stupid and irresponsible? I’m sure she’s dying of nerves trying to think where you are, how could you be so oblivious, you’ll probably give her a heart attack from the anguish-.

I couldn’t help it, an incredulous laugh came out of my lips and only increased at the ridiculousness of the situation, to the point that I had to hold on to the back of the chair to keep from falling.

-What are you laughing at, this is a very serious matter, you are in serious trouble young lady, at this moment you are going to call your mother to tell her where you are if you don’t want me to do it and make things worse for you.

His threat suddenly cut my laughter and I looked at him with all the disgust and contempt I was capable of.

-You can try but I doubt he will do anything about it or even answer you.

-Why teenagers always know what their parents are going to do, don’t they? The hoarse voice of the so far silent biker threw me off and made me take a second longer than planned to answer him.

-I’m not talking to you, you testosterone-overdosed caveman, so do me a favor and keep quiet for the rest of the discussion.

-I’m not going to let you keep insulting us, I’m going to make sure you’re grounded until you’re thirty,” his words were the straw that broke the camel’s back of my patience.

-And I’m not going to waste one more second of my time in this shitty place! From the pocket of my jeans I took out the crumpled white envelope with my father’s name on it and tossed it to him without looking at it, “Here, that’s all I’ve come for, to give it to you.

With a firm step I ventured in the direction of the door, which I opened with a jerk, and before going back the way I had come, I half turned my torso to throw the following words at him in the most hurtful way I could.

-We have an appointment with the lawyer Seitz who was a friend of mother’s tomorrow at ten o’clock, you have already been warned, and if you don’t arrive on time I will be sure to tell him how little you cared about being present and you will lose your right to whatever mother left you in her will.

I enjoyed the way I seemed to have hit him, for Hades lost color in his face and staggered sharply backwards. Both Bruno and Hunter rushed to hold him in case he fell.

-Will, what do you mean by will? He said in a trembling voice but I didn’t let his tone soften me, I had no heart anymore. And I replied cruelly.

-Didn’t you know, my mother, Anabella died three years ago along with my grandparents in a car accident in Russia.

Thick tears slid from the big man’s eyes, but I didn’t stay to see him sink in his grief, I left the place like the devil takes the devil and didn’t look back at any moment.

Several bikers followed me with their eyes when they saw me leaving in such a hurry but none of them made any attempt to stop me. As soon as I reached the street I frowned as I watched the sun set, apparently I had spent more time than I had thought waiting for my father. I shrugged my shoulders and just start walking in any direction, I would already stop any cab to take me to the apartment.

A few blocks later the roar of a motorcycle was heard in the distance, but I didn’t pay it any attention until it passed me and stopped, cutting me off.

My eyes narrowed as I saw the stalking biker on top of a red Harley, looking at me with a mixture of anger and, desire?

-What kind of daughter blurts out news like that to her father and then just rides off like it’s nothing,” the male voice ignited my nerve endings, and made me think I was in dire need of a night of s*x.

-The kind of daughter who was abandoned by her father. Make no mistake. I don’t know him at all and I have no interest in doing so, if I came looking for him it was exclusively because I had no other choice, but believe me I don’t care what happens or doesn’t happen to that man-.

-You’re here alone but you’re having problems, you’ll be very disappointed when he replaces out about this young man’s attitude. Does he know that you are there, even if you are?

His questions made me stay with his pouting mouth.

He couldn’t possibly not know, could he.

F*****g shit, but if my wife’s death had been on the news, how could he not know?!

The possibility that he was playing with me crossed my mind, but seeing the honesty in his eyes only made me deny it with the certainty of his person.

What kind of a guy did he have as a father if he didn’t even know about the death of his wife and in-laws?

My father misinterpreted my negative and his eyes darkened as he looked at me angrily.

I couldn’t help it, a little bit of incredulity came out of my eyes and only increased the ridiculousness of the situation, to the point that I had to hold on to the back of the chair to keep from believing myself.

-What are you laughing at, this is a very serious matter, you are in serious trouble young lady, at this moment you see him and take him to your mother but tell him where you are if you don’t want me to do it and you look worse.

His emeneze suddenly cut off my rise and I looked at him with all the scorn and contempt I could muster.

-You can try but I doubt very much that he would do anything about it or even answer you.

-Why do teenagers always know what they see and do their rocks, don’t they?” The hoarse voice of this older biker cell phone driver broke my concentration and made me take a second longer than full time to answer him.

-I’m not talking to you with an overdose of testosterone, so please do me the honor of continuing the rest of the discussion.

-I’m not going to allow you to continue insulting us, I’m leaving myself and I’ll make sure you’re safe for the rest of the thirties,” his fights were the only way to remove the veil of my conscience.

-And I’m not going to waste a second more of my time in this shitty place.” From the pocket of my jeans I took out the white envelope with the name of my father and I handed it to him without looking at it, “Here, that’s all I came for, and give it to you.

With a firm weight I moved in the direction of the door, I opened it with a jerk, and before returning to where I had come from, I half turned my torso to give him the following words in the most hurtful way I could.

A few quarters later the roar of a motorcycle was heard in the distance, but I did not make the slightest cease even though this weight was on my side and it stopped cutting my weight.

My eyes fell on seeing the biker echoing on top of a red Herley, who looked at me with a mixture of anger and desire.

-What kind of a guy drops the news on his rock and then just merge as if it doesn’t matter? The male voice ignited my nervous endings, and made me think that I needed a night of s*x urgently.

-I told him that I had been sent to him by his father. Don’t be mistaken. I don’t know him at all and I have no interest in doing so, if I came looking for him it was only because I had no other choice, but believe me I don’t care what he weighs or doesn’t weigh on that man-.

I said with all the cold honesty in the world, the guy looked at me with his black eyes for long moments before answering.

-What kind of human being can be so cruel, ruthless and indifferent to the pain caused to a person?

His accusing tone and words struck a chord in me. Mom would not have expected me to behave like that, but I still had fresh in my memory the long nights when I listened to her crying hidden in her room or her office for the man who abandoned us. As always she pretended to be strong for me. My mom became my hero when I needed one. And there was no valid excuse that would make me able to forgive my dad for breaking her heart. And mine for that matter.

So in a defensive tone I responded to the comment.

-The kind of person who has been stuck living in the absolute shit of this world and is tired. The kind of person who is too busy to deal with hypocrisy. The kind of person who has lost everything and everyone. And now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get to my apartment before it gets any darker, I don’t want anyone to get the idea of mugging me as I’ve had enough bad times for one day-.

I hurried around him so I could continue on my way ignoring the curious look he gave me, but the motorcycle soon followed me.

-Get on, I’ll give you a ride.

-No thanks.

-Come on, I promise not to bite.

-I’m perfectly fine.

-Are you afraid, little princess?

The question made me so indignant that I stopped to look at him while I put my hands on my h**s before answering.

-I’m afraid of you biker, in your dreams, I just don’t want to get a f*****g STD.

-STDs are transmitted in other ways, and I’m just offering you transportation, that is, unless you’d prefer something else as well. He said with a sly smile that made me blush with anger.

-I’d rather crawl on the ground all the way back to my apartment than let you lay a hand on me, biker, so don’t say stupid things and let me go on my way.

-I’ll take you, I’m sure you have no idea which direction to take, and you won’t replace a cab in this area that won’t mistake you for a prostitute offering her services, so don’t be a pest and get on the bike doll.

Without looking away from him I mentally shuffled my options, whether I liked the guy or not, he was right, I had no idea where I was, but I could tell it wasn’t a very safe neighborhood, every minute that passed it was getting darker and less cars were passing through the street. In the end, seeing myself cornered, I approached the biker looking at him with distrust.

-Why the insistence to take me safely?

The huge man shrugged his shoulders.

-You’re my Prez’s daughter, I just want to make sure she doesn’t suffer any more than she already is with news of your a*s in the hospital.

I rolled my eyes but nodded reluctantly agreeing, climbed up behind the biker and held onto his h**s refusing to touch him any more than necessary. He roared the bike, and took off when I gave him my direction.

It took much longer than I expected to get there, when the bike stopped in front of my building I got off in a hurry and put some distance between me and the biker.

-Thank you,” I said dryly and turned around without waiting for him to answer me.

-I heard his shout but I didn’t turn around to see him, as soon as I crossed the door I heard how the motorcycle came to life and disappeared down the street.

Once inside the building I asked the guy at the counter to ask a restaurant to bring me dinner, when he asked me what kind of food I gave him a look that said how little I cared what kind of food it was, as long as it was edible.

I took the elevator to my apartment and walked all the way to get inside, when I crossed the door my boots disappeared and I was barefoot, while I was waiting for my food I explored the apartment and made a mental note of everything it contained.

A study, a library, a kitchen, a music room with a piano, a billiard room with a mini bar, a living room, a dining room, a mirrored bedroom, three guest rooms each with a private bathroom, my bedroom, a small gym and two bathrooms for general use.

Mom really spent a small fortune on this place.

The sound of the doorbell made me go to the door where I greeted the food delivery man, paid him and went to my room to eat the lasagna the guy at the front desk had ordered for me.

I took off all my clothes leaving me in just my panties and put on a huge sweater to act as my pajamas. I got into bed and turned on the TV while I ate. When I finished I left the trash on the nightstand next to the bed and fell asleep while watching a movie.

The nightmares didn’t take long to appear, but this time, a handsome black-eyed man came to my call for help and wouldn’t leave me alone.

What the f**k was going on?