I Dare You To Meet Me
Chapter 27

I took a deep breath and stopped shaking his hand. I move my shoulders to relax.

If we are going to start a stepsibling relationship, we are going to do it right.

-My name is Natasha Kozlov, but everyone calls me Tasha, I am twenty-one years old. I was born in California but at eight years old I went to Russia, my mother’s native country to live with her and my grandparents. I take a breath, it seems I’m going to have to tell her my life. During the years I grew up I realized that something was not going well with my family. Mom spent a lot of time working when before she was always at home and my grandparents always distracted me with school. There was also the fact that my dad no longer lived with us, my mom always told me that he was busy with some work and that she would see him when it was over – I swallow and see Bruno with a half smile – As the years go by For years that excuse was losing validity and I was getting angrier and angrier. And of course? My father Demian had disappeared from the face of the Earth and no one told me why.

-He didn’t mark you? Or did he send you a letter? -. He asked and I shook my head

– Damn, that’s a bad face. I laughed a little although the thing was far from being funny.

-I got bored of asking and always getting the same answer so I just stopped doing it. When I turned fifteen I overheard my mother’s conversation by accident. She was fighting with someone on the phone, she was cursing at him and yelling at him about everything. She was talking about me, with my father, it was the first time I heard the name of Hades and the Black Ravens. Until then my childish mind continued to call him Dad or Demian. I tried to put it aside but curiosity was killing me. So for a year I secretly researched and planned a trip home. At sixteen I ran away and came here. To the clubhouse where I’m living with all the bikers. I tell it and the green-eyed man inhales sharply.

-Did you come here alone? But you were an underage brat! How did you manage to leave Russia and arrive without help? -. He asks and I hear shock, disbelief, and a bit of respect in his tone. She smiled petulantly at him.

-Money moves the world Bruno, that was the lesson I learned living with the surname Kozlov. Besides, you don’t have the slightest idea of ​​the power my name has in Russia. A small withdrawal from my savings account, an email to the airline manager and voila. A ticket to another country for a minor. I say and he lets out a low whistle, then he sees me and c***s his head a little.

-It means that you already knew who I was when we met, or well, when I met you.

He tells me and I hear a slight reproach in his voice, I shrug my shoulders.

-Guilty, as soon as I arrived at the airport I got in a taxi and went straight to the clubhouse. I had looked up the address online and had memorized it. You were having a party that afternoon and it wasn’t difficult for me to sneak in, no one really notices an undeveloped little girl who tries to go unnoticed. Although many years had passed, I still remembered my father perfectly and it didn’t take me long to replace him among the people. He was about to run into his arms, and I almost cried with happiness but someone beat me to it. I shudder to remember how my heart broke for the first time. My eyes search his and my tone hardens without avoiding it

-Gael came running so Hades could pick him up, he was crying about something. You came up behind him and while Hades was comforting him a woman with platinum blonde hair scolded you. You didn’t see me, but I was close enough to hear Gael calling the woman mom and Hades dad. I was shocked when I heard that, I had no idea what to do. After I saw your face and it was like a kick in the stomach when I realized that we had exactly the same color eyes – I tell and listen to how he chokes on his saliva – You know, everyone complimented my eyes, they always said that they were a pair of emeralds and how beautiful they were. My mother proudly told me that she had the same eyes as the man she had fallen in love with. After seeing you I started to hate the color and forbade everyone to comment on it.

-I remember that afternoon, we were having a barbecue for the dwarf’s birthday and all the brothers got together, the woman you saw is my mother. And Gael was crying because he had told him that he would never be able to get on my motorcycle. Mom scolded me and threatened to not let me get on one if she didn’t take back what I said. I don’t remember you there. She says and I roll my eyes.

-After seeing what I saw, the only thing I could think of to do was turn around and look for a hotel where they would welcome me. I stayed in a roadside motel and locked myself in the room, I cried for a whole week until my flight returned to Russia, I had stupidly thought that I was going to share time with my father and then return calmer. But of course it didn’t happen, when my mom came back she punished me for a whole year and almost killed me. I swallow and get nervous about the next part. Shortly after my next birthday I was at school when they took me out of class to the office. director, two agents were waiting for me and gave me the news that my mother had died with my grandparents in a car accident. My lips tremble and anger sinks me again.

-I spent a couple of days alone with the servants, but soon a government lawyer came and told me that until I came of age I needed a guardian who would be responsible for me. Apart from the fact that there were several gaps in the wills of my mother and my grandparents, and I ended up in foster homes where I had several problems, I am not going to tell you all about my sad and complicated existence in the following years of my life. I’ll just tell you that I became a very different person than I was before. I met great friends who I could consider family, I lost someone very important and I became who I am now. A month ago, according to my calculations, I received a letter stating that my mother’s will was going to be opened but that my father’s presence was needed. And I have no choice but to come here and you already know the rest. I say and breathe calmly that the headache is already going away.

Maybe I’m still hiding my mother’s special clause from her, but it seems to me that it’s unnecessary for her to mention it. I still have the right to have some secrets.

Bruno runs his hands over his face and rubs in frustration until his skin is red with irritation. Then he sees me and starts laughing in disbelief.

“F**k, I’ve been a f*****g idiot to you, you must have hated me.” He says and I shrug again.

-Just a little, the truth is that he was dying to kick you in the balls to teach you manners. Bruno laughs harder and leaves his hands clasped behind his neck -Well now it’s your turn, I want to know everything about you, or at least what you think is relevant that I should know.

My stepbrother’s gaze remains fixed on the ceiling while he speaks.

-Just as you lost your father when you were eight years old, I met him at that age. He was a pretty sickly child, really, I loved spending time outdoors and that caused me to get sick frequently. My maternal grandparents and my mother always did what they could to give me the best. But I didn’t understand why I couldn’t have a father like all the other children. My grandparents died leaving me alone with my mother, on one occasion I had a serious case of scarlet fever, the fever had me almost delirious. Mom was crazy trying to help me, but we didn’t have enough money to go to the doctor. After a couple of days where she didn’t improve she just left me with a babysitter and left. She came back hours later and she didn’t tell me anything. She made me soup and she told me a bedtime story. The next morning she put me in a car that wasn’t ours and took me to the clubhouse. There I introduced myself to Hades and he told me that he was my father.

I let out a low whistle, what a shitty way to meet your father.

-I wasn’t in a position to do anything more than stammer a couple of incongruous things. But I was happy. Incredibly happy, he had a father. After all, I was like the other children. My mother and Hades took me to a hospital that same day and I was hospitalized for a couple of nights before being discharged. Mom came to visit me every day but my father didn’t stop in the room even once. But he always sent me all kinds of gifts. When I finally left I was surprised that I didn’t return to the same house where he had raised me. No, it was a prettier one, better maintained, in a better neighborhood, it was small but cozy, on one floor and with two rooms. I naively thought it was my father’s house that took us to live with him. My heart almost broke when Mom told me that wasn’t the case.

Bruno’s attention returns from the ceiling to me, and with slow steps he approaches the bed and sits in front of me, he gives me a half-hearted smile while he shakes his head before continuing.

-I don’t remember much about the following days because in the mind of a child I only saw all the good things that he was suddenly experiencing. I started going to a great school, I had friends, my mom wasn’t as tired as before, and most importantly, I had a father. He might not have seen it, but he knew it existed and that was enough for the moment. But after a few weeks things began to change, a couple of brothers, who at that time did not have the slightest idea of ​​who they were, began to follow us everywhere. They waited for me to leave school and took me home, just as they escorted Mom everywhere, which drove her crazy and on several occasions she ended up yelling at them. Despite all the tension I continued living as if nothing was happening. Until one afternoon things changed, mom took me to the park for ice cream, and when we were going back a bunch of men with leather vests and motorcycles surrounded us. The men who always followed us shouted orders at my mother. She took me in her arms and ran, she asked me to close my eyes and I did. I didn’t see anything, but I’m very sure that was the first time I heard the roar of the engines, the screams and grunts of a fight, apart from gunshots.

A strange sound escapes my throat. Damn it, Gunshots? Bikers? At eight years old? At least my childhood was a success in that sense. Mom’s k****s and my dad’s antics were precious memories that I treasured like a precious gem. Bruno gave me a look that told me that if he dared to make a comment he was going to kick my a*s so I stayed quiet so he could continue.

-It wasn’t long before they caught up with us. They tried to tear me from my mother’s arms but she never let me go. I fought tooth and nail and thanks to a miracle I managed to throw the guy off the motorcycle. She got on it and told me to hold on tight. He took off and took us straight to the clubhouse while they chased us. When I grew up I found out that the brothers who protected us were taken away and tortured to get information about the club, but they did not betray us, we barely reached the doors of the place and the club protected us. My father was hysterical, he ordered that we never spend a single second without protection. And he took us to live there. Mom did not object, we were under a kind of house arrest for several months. We could hardly go out anywhere. There were always people coming and going from the clubhouse, and they were always tired or in a bad mood. Mom tried not to let me notice but it was pretty obvious that a lot of them were hurt, pretty serious injuries. The truth is that she didn’t understand what the hell was happening. My only company at that time was my mother, my father or my grandfather.

That last one made me interrupt him.

-Hadn’t your grandparents died? -.

Bruno gave me a curious look before widening his eyes and turning pale.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know.” “He said with an incredulous tone.

-Know what?-. I answer a little irritated.

-Wow, you really have no idea. Our grandfather. Adam Zeus Black, the father of Hades. Bruno says emphasizing the name and I feel stupid, of course I had another grandfather. I search my memories and a brief silhouette of an elderly but well-preserved man with the same eyes as my father and mine who gives me sweets comes back to me.

-I completely forgot, I did know him when I was little but I don’t remember him much. In fact I don’t remember many things before Russia, my life here is blurry, my mother and father are the only solid things I remember. The rest is just like a kind of dream that I see through a fog. Where is grandpa? I ask and notice how Bruno tenses with my question.

-He died shortly after that, I don’t know what happened. Except that Dad took us to his funeral where hundreds of brothers attended. After that afternoon the atmosphere in the club changed again. You could breathe sadness on the walls but there was a calm that wasn’t there before. Things went back to normal. Mom and I returned home and our lives continued. It never occurred to me to ask about the event, Dad made sure to make it clear to me that it was the past and that it should stay that way. Unlike you, as I already told you, I didn’t know about your existence until you showed up that afternoon at the bar. Neither from you nor from your mother. Until then I never understood why Hades never married my mother or gave her her vest with her patch. But after you arrived he explained to me who you were and who your mother was to him. I must admit that I hated you from that second. You really did look like a spoiled, spoiled princess and I hated it with every ounce of my soul. And well, you can imagine the rest.

My brain was trying to fit together all the information I had just received. My paternal grandfather died too. The family increased and decreased every moment. Bruno didn’t know about me until a couple of days ago, that explained and justified (a little) his shitty attitude towards me.

I guess he could forgive him for being a jerk if he didn’t do it again.

-And Gael?-. I asked finally.

There were many things I still didn’t understand. Bruno was the same age as me, which meant that his mother and mine had gotten pregnant at the same time. But daddy married mine and made her his Old Lady. What happened to Bruno’s mother and him in those eight years? Aside from the fact that my parents were never legally divorced, Mom only went with me to Russia, and Gael was little, she must have been born in the middle of my parents’ marriage. Did that make him and Bruno the children of my father’s lover? Damn I don’t understand anything.

-Gael is a separate case, I can’t tell you anything. If you want to know, you’d better ask my father because it’s not my business to tell.

-But my private life is. I can’t help but reply with acid to his comment.

The biker pales a little but he shrugs his shoulders.

-I’m sorry for that, but I still won’t tell you anything. Hades is the one who has to tell you about his life, not me.

I rub my face with my hands.

Going to interrogate Hades was not one of the favorite things he had in mind at that moment. Although he was aware that at some point we would have to sit down and put down all our cards. There was a lot to tell about those thirteen years where we were separated. My parents’ story was something I needed to know now more than ever, and I regret not having pushed Mom harder to tell me at the time.

But there were none, and now I would have to die with doubt or ask my father.

The problem was that I wasn’t sure I could believe him. Or if I would like what he would tell me.

Bruno opens his mouth to tell me something but we are interrupted by the door to his room that opens and gives way to the little tadpole who runs like an arrow towards his brother and a lady with platinum white hair and the same ice blue eyes as Gael.

The woman in question has the most enviable body for her age and she is dressed like an ordinary person. With jeans and a simple blouse. I assume she is the boys’ mother.

What was her name?

The blonde enters the room with a cell phone in her hand and hands it to Bruno who takes it and puts it to his ear while she leaves so she can talk.

Gael notices me at that moment and a smile splits his face in two.

-Tasha! You’re in my house!-. He says excitedly and jumps next to me.

I grimace because the hangover is still present and the blonde’s sudden movements and screams don’t help at all.

-Hello tadpole, your brother gave me a hand last night and let me stay the night. I tell him as I ruffle his hair.

-Tasha?-. I turn my head and see the pretty lady looking at me with her eyes wide. Her gaze moves slowly over me but I don’t feel intimidated. – Are you Kore’s Tasha? -. She finally asks and I nod.

-My mother’s name was Anabella, but I think they know her by that name around here, although I don’t understand why. I say calmly while shrugging my shoulders.

Although tranquility is the last thing I feel when I talk about my mother.

My mother murdered.

The woman shakes her head and moves a little in my direction before stopping and biting her l*p nervously. I raise an eyebrow at that, I’m the one who should be in that state, not the other way around.

-When your father claimed your mother as his Old Lady, your grandfather said that he could not belong to the family without having a good road name even if he was not a member as such. It is a tradition that Black people choose their road names based on mythology. So they called your mother Kore, which is another way of calling Persephone.

-The wife of Hades in Greek mythology-. I finished, her name already making sense in my head. The woman nods her head and moves a little closer.

-Maybe you don’t remember me, but I saw you a couple of times when you were a girl. You remain identical to your father. If you’re here I guess that means your mother came back too. Are they both living in the Club again? -. He asked calmly but my body tensed.

My fingers caressed Gael’s back and the boy saw me calmly, ignoring the seriousness of the conversation between his mother and me.

-My mother was murdered a few years ago in what until yesterday I believed to be a mere accident. No, I’m here alone, but I’m actually living in the clubhouse with Hades and the other bikers.

I say with an icy voice and the woman turns pale. She gasps like a fish out of water. It takes him a few moments to recover from the impact of my words.

-I’m very sorry, she was a great woman and whatever happened to her, she didn’t deserve to die so young. Forgive my manners too, I am Isadora and as you may have deduced I am Bruno and Gael’s mother.

I just nod my head because I don’t know what else to do.

What is the protocol when you meet the family with which your father replaced you?

An awkward silence settled between us, only saved by the tadpole’s questions about how he had gotten to his house.

Obviously I didn’t tell him the truth but I did tell him a very similar version. Fortunately for me, Bruno chose the moment where he was running out of conversation with the infant to return. He gave the cell phone to his mother and gave me a very serious look.

-What happened yesterday at the club? -. He asked me bluntly and I frowned.

-Nothing, nothing happened. Why do you ask?-. But he doesn’t answer me.

-Think about it, did something out of the ordinary happen? Something that was not common to see? – He pressed and I saw him irritated.

-Everything in that place is strange to me, but let me think-I forced myself to concentrate-Well I met another biker who wasn’t a crow, I knocked down two of his men. They called him poison, I think I remember. Apart from the fact that I heard my father say that my mother and my grandparents were murdered and did not die in an accident as I have believed for the last three years, everything else was quite common.

I say and I can see how Isadora and Bruno exchange a tense look.

-Gael, let’s go prepare breakfast, your brother and Tasha have things to discuss and it would be better if we left them alone.

Surprisingly, the boy listened to his mother and said goodbye to me before getting out of bed and following the blonde out of the room. They closed the door when they left.

-What is happening? Why are you asking me these questions? -. I say with a bad feeling running through me.

-Hades just called my mother because I wasn’t answering her cell phone. We have to get back to the club, now.

“I already told you that I’m not going to set foot in that place until I clear up the damn mess I have in my head.”

I say convinced but my stepbrother approaches me and takes me by the shoulders, his strangely serious eyes lock onto mine.

-You don’t understand, this is serious. Dad has called a church, brothers across the country are being called and alerted. Nomads rush to reach the closest headquarters they have. I don’t know what the hell happened but this is very serious.

A strange cold slid down my back, but I didn’t give in.

-You see if you’re in such a hurry, but my mental health is my priority right now. I don’t move from here without being ready. The green-eyed man lets go of my shoulders and separates himself from me while he laughs in disbelief.

“F*****g shit, you’re more stubborn than a mule.”

-They tell me that quite often.

Bruno and I remain silent, he rambling on about his affairs while I try to organize mine.

I needed contacts, it was a shame that my friends were in Russia.

The absence of my small circle of trust, Reykon, Caleb, Ivan, Boris, Anton, Sabrina. It hurt me much more than in the previous days. Right now I could use one of Ivan’s bad jokes, or a race with Anton, even a wild night of drinking with Sabrina.

-Okay, if you want to stay here the rest of the day I’ll respect that. But at night we must return to the Clubhouse, and if you don’t I will tell Hades where you are and he will come and lock your a*s in your room until he feels like it.

Bruno finally says, breaking me out of my thoughts and I give him a grateful half smile.

-He can try if he wants, but that’s fine, I accept-. My stepbrother nods his head.

“Well, now that that’s settled, let’s go have breakfast. I haven’t had a bite to eat since yesterday afternoon and right now I’m starting to see double.”

My stomach makes strange noises and I feel like my throat is closing. I don’t think my intestines are capable of retaining food right now but I’m not going to tell you that.

I remove the sheets from my body and I just realize that my dress from the night before is no longer on my body, in its place are pajama pants that are huge on me and a t-shirt that is at least three sizes bigger than mine. They cover me entirely. I raise an eyebrow at the green-eyed man but he shrugs his shoulders.

-Your dress looked very uncomfortable to sleep in, apart from the fact that it smelled of alcohol. Don’t worry, I put the shirt on first and then took down the dress. Believe me, seeing my half-sister naked is not something I want to do in this life.

He let out a snort but didn’t say anything.

When I stand up a slight dizziness staggers me, but doesn’t knock me down. Bruno heads for the door, but there is one last matter I want to discuss with him before life moves on.

-Bruno, wait-. I say and he stops to look at me. -I need to ask you a question and for you to answer me honestly – I say and he nods very seriously, he took a breath of air and my tone hardens -The guy from last night, what happened to him? -. I ask and curse myself for how my voice shakes.

My stepbrother’s eyes darken and his expression becomes grim.

-If he is a smart guy he will have already left the city. He saw the vest and saw my patch, you heard Hades a few days ago, you are under our protection. As soon as others replace out what happened, b***d will flow. The beating I gave him will seem like child’s play compared to what Toro or Hades will do to him.

He stared at me and I know he’s expecting me to be horrified by his words or feel sorry for the guy. But I really don’t, it’s more. I have so much anger and hatred coursing through my veins right now that I wouldn’t mind helping the biker with his task of seeking revenge.

-How do they plan to replace it? There were hundreds of people in the club last night, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. I say calmly, the biker gives me an enigmatic smile.

-If you want the details, I wouldn’t know how to tell you. But I can assure you that Demon is the best Intelligence Officer there is, and that there is nothing that can escape him. If he wants he can replace the guy in a matter of minutes. To him and even to the grave of his great-grandparents.

I nod my head and say nothing. But I feel the excitement and adrenaline running through my veins. Just like the one I felt when we hunted down the damn fighter who cheated on Niko.

-Do me one last favor. I want to be there when we tell Hades what happened last night, and I want to be there when Demon replaces him.

-I can’t promise the latter, that’s the Prez’s decision, but you have my word about the former.

-Don’t say anything about my mother and my grandparents either. I don’t want Hades to replace out that I know everything. There are still many things that they are hiding from me and that they will only hide more from me if they replace out that I am investigating.

-But…-.

-But nothing, she was my mother, my family. And they were murdered, I have the right to know what happened, I also have the right to seek justice.

He gives me a critical look.

-Justice or revenge?-. He asks after a few seconds.

-At this moment, both serve the same purpose for me so call it whatever you want.

He nods and I thank him.

Then we finally leave his room, he walks in front of me and I marvel at how cozy the house where I am looks.

The cream-colored hallways are filled with photo frames of Bruno, Gael, Isadora. But what catches my attention is not seeing a single portrait of Hades. How strange, why are there no photos of him in a family home?

I soon realize that it is a simple house, with one floor, it doesn’t take us long to reach a kitchen that connects to a dining room. Gael is sitting at the table while he eats some pancakes while Isadora has her back to us taking care of breakfast.

When she hears us arrive she glances at her son who shakes his head before giving her a k**s on the cheek and taking a seat next to the tadpole. The woman gives me a smile and I get a kind of grimace.

I really still don’t know how to feel about it.

Feeling like an intruder, I stand in the middle of the place. The tadpole notices my discomfort and with his little finger points the chair in front of him at me. A little more confident, I head to where the child tells me. And I feel stupid for seeking my little brother’s approval to feel better.

Isadora gives me a plate full of pancakes and asks me to eat with confidence while she passes a fuller one to her son. She also gives me a cup of coffee. And although my anatomy protests, I force myself to eat, not wanting to waste anything.

Gael starts talking up a storm. Asking all kinds of questions and comments to Bruno, his mother and me.

In the end, breakfast passes in a pleasant way thanks to my brother’s childish jokes. And although I still feel like a stranger, I also enjoy the family atmosphere that I haven’t been a part of in a long time.

When we finish eating, Bruno and I collect the dishes while Isadora says goodbye and goes to work and Gael watches TV.

Time passes relatively quickly.

I still wear pajamas the rest of the day while I take a lazy day. One like many years ago I didn’t have. I play video games with my two brothers. We watch movies. We laugh at antics.

It really is the balm my heart needs right now. Although everything is slowly rotting inside me, my head doesn’t stop spinning, planning everything I’m going to do to catch the bastards who destroyed my family, and what I’m going to do to them when they are within my reach.

Gael is an extremely sweet boy and if I hadn’t adored him before. At this moment he would have completely won my heart. Bruno and I are getting along better, there are still times when we don’t know how to treat each other but we do what we can.

We can’t just be best friends from one second to the next. I still think he’s an idiot. But an idiot who is helping me and I appreciate it. I guess I can try to be less of a bitch around him, but only a little.

Despite everything, I like to feel that way, I like to smile easily, I like to run barefoot around the room, I like to make strange faces to make the tadpole laugh, I like to feel calm.

I let the fantasy last all afternoon. I allow myself to live the lie for a few hours because I need it, I need this light before I plunge into darkness.

Because I was definitely going to do it, and I didn’t know if I could come back from there.

When you transform into a monster. At some point do you stop being one?

(…)

Time flies when you’re having a good time, and that’s just what happens when at eight at night Bruno tells me that it’s time for us to return to the Black Ravens. He didn’t want to do it, but I was no coward, and it was time to face my problems.

So without much choice I actually accepted the clothes that Bruno lent me from his mother. And I mentally prepared myself to return.

I must admit that I loved the outfit my stepbrother chose, as it was obvious that he had done it with a purpose in mind. And that was showing myself as a strong person and not a victim.

The leather pants stuck to my legs like a second skin and marked absolutely everything. A white blouse with the Harley Davidson logo in the middle and that was homemade cut so that there was a deep V neckline that showed my breasts, and also showed my navel. Also a small leather vest with studs and patches. Since Isadora and I were wearing different sizes, I had no choice but to wear the same heels. I braided my long hair into a braid that ran from my skull to my lower back.

I also borrowed a little makeup to cover my dark circles and add a little color to my lips and face, nothing too heavy.

The result was impressive. I looked like a real club biker. Or at least according to me, it seemed like I had grown up in that environment and I felt like another member of the strange family of bikers.

I’m not sure if my stomach turned because of that thought or because I still hadn’t finished absorbing all the alcohol from last night.

Bruno let out a low whistle when he saw me and I punched him in the arm because of the look on his face that said more than a thousand words.

See, he was still a jerk.

Isadora arrived in time to say goodbye to me and tell me to keep her clothes, that she didn’t plan to use them again. Gael had fallen asleep about half an hour earlier so I just gave him a k**s on the cheek, taking care not to wake him up and cause another whirlwind of energy like the one that had assaulted him all day.

I let Bruno drive my truck because in the first place, it was my fault (according to him), he had to leave his motorcycle at One Shot. And secondly, I had no idea where we were or how to get there with the crows.

The ride was silent, but not uncomfortable, a kind of truce between us had fallen like a cloak and we were both fine with that.

It took a little over half an hour for us to arrive, it took us a while to park because there were more motorcycles than normal. And that was a clear indication that Bruno wasn’t exaggerating when he told me that Hades was planning something that included calling in half the world as reinforcements.

What a bad feeling everything gave me.

But hurry up in bad weather.

My stepbrother and I got out of the Jeep and walked shoulder to shoulder towards the entrance, forming a most unusual team. I saw new faces who looked at me with curiosity, while others who already knew me only raised their eyebrows in surprise.

Once at the bar I could see at least twice as many bikers as there normally were, Bruno leaned even closer to my side and I smiled a little at that gesture, he reminded me of Nikolai.

From the other side I could see my father surrounded by his circle of trust, as we were able to get his attention from where we were. Bloody gave us a hand, him being the first person to notice our presence. Bruno motioned for Hades and everyone to follow us and then we walked to my father’s office.

The bikers didn’t say anything as they approached us but I could see the confusion in their eyes.

I don’t know what impressed them more, seeing the useless guy and me together. Or that we are calling them to talk to them.

Obviously due to the proximity, my stepbrother and I were the first to arrive at the cubicle and like shit I was really starting to hate those four walls of misfortune.

If he could, he would destroy it all with a hammer and build it again.

The entire ride I felt the eyes of a specific biker on me, but my head was too busy to figure out what I was going to do with my father’s VP.

…You’ll be so crazy about my a*s that you’ll beg me to take you to bed…

No, if before I couldn’t afford to sleep with a biker with divided loyalties, now much less so.

Apart from the fact that I would never lower myself to begging him for s*x. Not that I was the last man in the world, there were hundreds of others who could give me the same s****l satisfaction without the need for so much drama. TRUE?

Keep trying to convince yourself Tasha, maybe you’ll believe it in a couple of years.

In the end in the office we were the twins, Hades, Hell, Toro and Bloody, and no sign of the last biker, Bullet.

To my father’s credit, I lasted twenty-six seconds after we closed the door before expressing his annoyance.

-Where the hell were you both all day? I told you very clearly, Bruno, that I urgently needed you here. Aside from the fact that you don’t think I’m missing the fact that you didn’t get to sleep last night, Tasha. I know perfectly well that you are an adult who has her own life and that she can take care of herself but you are living under my roof and you will follow my rules. And that applies to you too boy.

Bruno and I share a look. But I am the one who takes the initiative to speak.

-It’s my fault we didn’t come back when you asked. She didn’t want to be here so I asked her to stay where we were until she was ready. It took me a huge effort not to shout in her face that I knew everything about my mother, but I restrained myself knowing that it was for the best.

Hades watched us with his brow furrowed, suddenly silent. Apparently he was realizing the new bond that united his son and me.

-And where were they if you can know?-. He finally asked a little calmer.

Too bad that calm wouldn’t last long.

This time it was the green-eyed man who cleared his throat and spoke.

“In fact father, there is a story we must tell you, and I think you’d better sit down for it.”

Hades’s enormous body tensed as did the rest of those present. Hell’s gaze burning me more than before. But I didn’t turn to see him. I still felt his warm hands running over my body, caressing me. The hot memory stained by the same caresses of a stranger taking advantage of my drunken state.

-I’m all ears-.

It was the only thing Hades said and so my stepbrother began to tell the story. One where he had seen me leaving very upset the night before and how he had followed me to poke me for a while because he was bored. He told my father how we went to One Shot where we lost sight of each other and when he saw me again I was no longer in my right mind and a guy was forcing me to leave the dance floor with him.

Bruno told him in great detail how he had to separate him from my body because he was overdoing me despite my efforts to get him off of me. And since after doing it I was bad enough that he didn’t want to expose me to the other bikers, so he took me to his house where I spent the night and consequently the rest of the day.

During the entire moment I remained stoic with my gaze fixed on the floor and my arms crossed on my chest. My feet played with the carpet, I was aware of how the tension increased in the air until it became something suffocating. When my stepbrother finished speaking there were a few moments of silence, those seconds that precede the storm. Then an expletive came out of Bloody’s mouth and triggered the reactions of the others.

Something broke, someone hit a wall, and everyone started cursing left and right. And yet I never took my attention off the ground. Heat burned in my face, I felt like a school girl going to the teacher to accuse one of her classmates for bad behavior. In the end he wasn’t as indestructible as everyone believed.

Finally some fingers grabbed my chin and lifted my face. Surprisingly it wasn’t my father who did it, but rather Hunter. The damn biker made my skin crawl with that simple touch and I hated him for it.

His eyes locked onto mine and they never seemed so black and dangerous to me before, his pupil had merged with his iris, leaving only a well of endless darkness. His whole face screamed hairy, and you could tell he was tense, his jaw moved and I could hear it creak.

“Are you okay?” He asked me in a low but cold voice. My heart raced as it always did because of his closeness.

At that moment it didn’t matter that we were surrounded by six other people including my father. I didn’t give a shit that my world had fallen apart again the night before. I don’t give a shit about the mess of emotions that was inside me. I don’t give a shit about what almost happened in the bar a few hours ago. The only thing that mattered was that Hunter was seeing me with a fire and intensity that no one had ever seen me with before.

And I was very close to grabbing him by the back of his neck and pressing his lips to mine. Suddenly I was attacked by the urgent need to ask him to take care of erasing all traces of that guy from my skin. That he will replace his disgusting touch with his own.

But thanks to a miracle my common sense was stronger, as was my thirst for revenge.

Fearing that my voice would fail me, I only nodded my head. The VP ran his gaze over my face, searching for the lie in my eyes. When he looked satisfied, he let go of my chin with a caress and separated from me. I blinked trying to come back to my senses.

I realized at that moment that everyone had stopped making noise to stare at us. My father was angry, Bruno was funny, Bloody was incredulous, Devil was smiling, Demon was curious and Bull was bored.

More heat to my cheeks, jeez, he was really showing me off like a babe.

-Where do you say the whole thing happened? -. Hades asked and I know he did it to refocus on the main problem and not what he had just witnessed.

-In a bar downtown, One Shot-. I said, finally contributing something and happy that my voice came out calm and confident.

“Demon, I want that guy’s face before tomorrow, give it to Toro, I want the bastard in the basement before noon.”

-Yes Prez-. They both answered in unison and then left the room ready to follow my father’s orders.

“You and I are going to have a talk about alcohol, young lady.” He says looking at me annoyed but I shake my head.

-It will be another day, due to the number of bikers that are gathered in the bar at this moment it seems to me that you have more important matters to attend to-.

My words hit the nail on the head because Hades shifts nervously. It is clear that he is divided by his obligation to the club and his duty as a father.

But I don’t doubt it, I always knew that I should never be anyone’s second option. And if it was so difficult for him to decide what to put first, I was going to give him a little push.

Without letting him respond, I thanked Bruno again for what he did for me and briefly said goodbye to everyone. Arguing that it had been a busy day and that he needed a shower along with my bed.

It wasn’t a lie, but he needed an excuse to escape Hades’ lecture and the growing tension between Hell and me.

I walked to my room, avoiding several brothers who greeted me while they drank. Others were too busy with sweet asses to notice my presence. But definitely no one saw me with the same distrust as when I arrived.

What had happened for things to change? No f*****g idea, but I wasn’t going to complain.

It was nice to arrive and not be the target of accusatory glances.

I finally arrived and felt strangely comforted by the four walls that were unconsciously becoming my refuge.

Moving my shoulders to release the tension accumulated in my back, I walked to my bathroom. Where I closed the door and took off my clothes, leaving them like a bundle in the laundry basket. I turned on the shower and put the water almost boiling.

I hadn’t showered that morning and the night before I had gone partying. I scrubbed myself completely consciously with special effort, trying to erase all the memories from my skin. I could see some marks in the valley of my breasts and some light scratches on my thighs. They weren’t a big deal but they were proof of how close I came to being raped.

I think in the end I could forgive Bruno everything just for saving me.

A few tears mixed with the water, but I didn’t allow myself to cry again. He had done it enough that day. Now is the time to be strong.

It felt like a small eternity the time I spent under the hot water.

But I finally came out when my skin was red and very sensitive from the temperature and my unusual rough treatment. It was as if he were a phoenix rising from the ashes.

I dried my hair as best I could and wrapped the towel around myself, leaving calmer than I had entered. But the tranquility didn’t last.

Well, a hot biker with charcoal eyes was waiting for me sitting on my bed. And he saw me as a hungry wolf that is about to devour his prey.

She wasn’t stupid, she knew perfectly well what it meant for Hunter to be there with that aura that ran through him.

And even though a few minutes ago I had told myself that I would not fall for him. The electricity that had run through us since we met became more present than ever. Really, if he laid a hand on me, I didn’t know how long my self-control would last.

-Hello-. I said with a calm voice, as if it were the most normal thing in the world that I was there.

Although serenity was the last thing I was feeling.

Control Tasha, remember who she is, and who you are.

But…

Wasn’t life meant to be lived just once?