I Dare You To Meet Me
Chapter 37

-Tasha, before you make a decision, I want you to know that if you decide to stay with me, there is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Even if… He took a breath, “Even if you decide you want a life away from the club. I’d follow you wherever you go as long as I’m with you. His voice breaks on that last part and my eyes fill with tears.

Hunter would leave the Black Ravens if I asked him to, but how can I even think about it when he loves being a part of this family, his family, so much?

No, I would never be able to do that to him. It was the hot, mysterious biker that captivated me from the start. To imagine him without his leather waistcoat or without his Harley is simply unthinkable.

I love him just the way he is, he doesn’t need to change anything.

Well, maybe he could spend more time with me instead of fixing club problems, but those are small details.

With the decision already made in my head and in my heart, I was able to smile openly at him, a smile that exposed all my teeth and hopefully expressed how happy it made me.

And putting doubts and buts aside, I confidently took the helmet from between his hands and placed it on my head.

Hunter’s eyes went from opaque desire to bright happiness as I climbed up behind his big body and hugged him to hold me. I brought my head to his shoulder and made sure I spoke loud enough so he wouldn’t miss any of my words.

-The only place I want to be is in your arms, biker. So hurry up and take us somewhere where we can be alone. I affirmed without hesitation and my raven roared the Harley in response.

-Whatever the princess desires. He said mockingly and sped off.

I pinched him in the ribs for using that nickname on purpose, felt his body vibrate from his hoarse laughter which I joined in.

I had no idea where we were going, but I trusted the huge tattooed man who had me in his nets, so I just got as close as I could to him and enjoyed his scent of cologne, sweat and alcohol.

The best smell in the world.

The smell of my man.

(…)

It took what seemed to me like hours, long, endless hours that I only hated more when Hunter refused to tell me where we were going. I was a naturally curious person.

What human being wasn’t curious?

And I needed to know where this hot and handsome man was taking me, but despite my pleas, the man didn’t reveal a single word.

Just as I was about to bite his shoulder and threaten not to let go until he told me our destination, it seemed we finally arrived.

Hunter parked his bike next to a big tree without turning off the engine, he got off first and asked me to sit down while he took care of a little business.

He didn’t let me answer as he walked away in the direction of the black metal fence that covered an entire entrance to a property. My eyes almost popped out of their sockets when I saw the muscular body of the biker in action climbing and jumping over the other side of the fence.

But what the hell…

I looked around hoping that no neighbours had seen him and would call the police for breaking and entering. Fortunately the streets were empty, and for the first time I realised what kind of neighbourhood we were in. Big, beautiful, modern houses adorned the neighbourhood. They came in every type, shape, size, and colour. But they all had that one common factor that showed they were worth a lot of money.

They weren’t as big as my grandparents’ mansion in Russia, but they could compete with the house my mum bought after a while in order to become independent from her parents for the second time.

But what the hell was Hunter thinking bringing me to this place, and why did I feel that whatever was going to happen next would change my life forever?

Because it already changed your slimy life, you agreed to stay with him in this country, remember?

My raven started to approach me and then I realised that I had opened the gate allowing us to pass through. My face actually had a very clear expression of bewilderment which he deliberately ignored.

-I need you to do me a huge favour, doll. He spoke to me and I could detect nervousness in his tone.

-What is it about? I asked more anxious than suspicious.

-I need you to close your eyes and promise me that you won’t see anything until I tell you that you can open them.

-Okay,” I said after a few moments of thought. I had already let him bring me almost blindly to this point. A few more seconds wouldn’t make a difference.

The onyx-eyed man got back on the Harley but this time I was in front of him and his arms were wrapped around me so he could reach the handlebars.

-Trust me and close your eyes. He whispered in my ear and I shivered.

It was amazing how quickly I closed my eyes and relaxed, leaning my body against his. Somehow I knew I would always be safe in his arms because Hunter would never hurt me.

It took only a few moments for the bike to stop again and this time he turned it off completely.

-Don’t open them yet. He warned me and I rolled my eyes even though it wasn’t noticeable.

The biker’s body heat disappeared, and I was gripped by déjà vu. Nikolai had done something similar to me a couple of years ago for Christmas.

Thinking about my friend made me sad for a few seconds. I would have given anything to have him here with me, I know he would have gotten along great with Hunter, even with Hades, he would have looked for a way to make things better between the two of them.

The lights flashed behind my closed eyelids and I bit my l*p anxious to open them, luckily the biker heard my thoughts and I heard his footsteps back to where I was.

-Don’t hallucinate, okay? He said nervously.

-Can I open my eyes now? I answered with another question.

-You can open them. I heard clearly how he swallowed saliva.

I opened my eyes unsure of what I was going to replace, certainly the beautiful house that was shown in front of me was something that I definitely didn’t expect.

It was like a small mansion, two-storey, with a navy blue tiled roof, large windows and bricks in different shades of grey, a large garden, and plenty of parking space. Having lived and travelled as much as I did in my childhood I could get an idea of the price of the property.

And it wasn’t cheap.

Hunter…

Where did I get this house?

-But you… But this… But how… But when… I started to stammer, my head was in a blender.

-Your father spoke to me a couple of days ago and told me that as long as we were under his roof, his rules would be enforced. I snorted and clicked my tongue.

-Yep, that’s something he’d definitely say. Hunter nipped my shoulder for the interruption as he came up to me and wrapped his arms around my back.

He wrapped his arms around my torso and placed his head in the crook of my shoulder.

-And while I was working at the hotel I couldn’t stop thinking about that conversation, and it occurred to me that he was right. I love living in the clubhouse, it’s great to wake up and see all the brothers and all the crazy stuff they do there- A lunge to my heart- But I also thought about how awesome it would be to wake up just the two of us, with no brother to sneak into our room because they’re looking for us. A place where you can yell at me all you want without risking my manhood,” He said this in a joking tone and I laughed, “A place where you can be completely you and at the same time only mine,” His hands caressed my abdomen and made me shiver. Then he kissed my neck and with his teeth he pulled my earlobe.

-Are you going to buy a house for me? I asked almost breathless, Hunter released me and turned me around so we were facing each other.

-No, I bought this house for us. He said full of confidence and I think my mouth opened a couple of centimetres.

-You already bought the house?! I exclaimed a little hysterically.

Oh my God, I had barely decided that I wanted to be by his side and he had already bought us a mansion. This man doesn’t know about walking on eggshells.

The onyx-eyed biker had the nerve to smile as he shrugged.

-I told you I wouldn’t let you go Tasha, I wasn’t kidding. Your place is with me as mine is with you. Here, in Russia, in this house, in your flat, in the clubhouse, wherever you want to go doll, but always together. He finished his words by giving me a k**s that stole my soul and erased all the doubts I had about this being too hasty.

Trying to get some order I broke away and took a deep breath.

-Wait Hunter, we need to talk. You can’t just buy a house, didn’t you think to check with me first? I asked and he shook his head.

-If you don’t like it, we’ll just buy another one you like better and that’s it. He said as if it was nothing and I laughed incredulously while he kissed me again until I separated again.

The crow let out a hoarse, sexy growl that tickled my nether regions.

-Just like that,” I raised an eyebrow, “Even when my mother was alive we didn’t spend money so shamelessly, you can’t make this kind of decision without asking me, what would have happened if I decided not to take that helmet? Now it was he who snorted and ran his hands through his hair in exasperation.

-He gave me a pleading look to which I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow. “Well, I also understand that you want to take care of the money, it wasn’t easy for me to be in a position where I can spend it without worrying about what I’m going to eat tomorrow. But if I’ve learned anything since I met you is that a life is lived to the fullest, taking all the risks with nothing to lose and everything to gain, besides…” He smiled at me with that panty-wetting smile I knew him so well “On this occasion it was better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission”. He approached me again and his hands captured my waist while I raised mine to tangle them with the hair at the nape of his neck.

I shook my head slightly as I smiled sideways.

-You’re crazy you know that,” I tugged a strand of his hair and he growled as he moved closer to my lips, “You could have asked me in a more romantic way if I wanted to live with you,” I whispered with our mouths inches apart.

-I’ll do it next time.

He said before closing the distance between us interrupting my next question.

I tried to pull away again but the biker wouldn’t let me, he squeezed my h**s and moved his hands down to my a*s where he squeezed it to his liking. When his tongue brushed mine I decided I could forget the fact that he had bought a mansion without consulting me for now.

I had other priorities on my mind at the moment and I wasn’t about to interrupt the best kissing I’d ever had in my life.

I hung completely around the man’s neck, standing on my tiptoes so I could be closer and friction between our bodies. Hunter lowered his arms even further and within seconds he was carrying me newlywed style while we kissed.

When he started walking towards the door he gave us both a break to breathe and I took the opportunity to look at the property out of the corner of my eye, as my attention was completely on the tattooed man with the trimmed beard and onyx eyes that held my heart in his arms and not just my body.

Hunter opened the auburn front door and kicked it shut as we walked through. As far as I could see before we moved to the stairs. The place was fully furnished.

Well at least I wasn’t going to have to worry about matching everything, besides I was lousy at picking out anything decorative.

I didn’t get to see much beyond a spacious living room and a beautiful polished wooden staircase because Hunter ushered us into what I imagined was the master bedroom. It was behind white double doors and was the size of my mother’s room in the Russian mansion. The king size bed was in the middle of the room and that was all I remember because the biker decided it was time to k**s again.

He walked over to sit on the edge of the mattress and arranged me so that I was sitting on top of him, with each of my knees on either side of his thighs. I tried to move my h**s but his hands wouldn’t let me.

-You’re still hurt Tasha, you can’t exert yourself much. He said with bated breath and dark eyes.

I knew he was right and that in the morning it would probably hurt like hell again, but at that moment all I needed was his skin against mine. So I moved in to leave k****s all over his neck and collarbone and the occasional nibble.

Then I slid my tongue along the trail I had created and moved closer to his ear.

-Bite me. I asked and tugged on his ear. He grunted something in Spanish and pulled me away a little roughly. I smiled innocently at him and licked my lips.

Hunter’s hands grabbed the blouse that had gotten us into so much trouble and quickly pulled it off with my help. I wanted to k**s him again but he wouldn’t let me, not until he got rid of my sports bra as well and left half of my body exposed.

Only then did he rejoin our lips as my breasts slapped against his shirt and the friction made my nipples harden. Hunter stroked up and down my back and his lips made their way from mine to my throat as I m****d softly. He continued down to the level of my heart, right where Nikolai’s name was, and there he paused for a few moments where he raised his eyes to connect with mine before leaving a long k**s on top of it.

A gesture that shattered me into a thousand pieces of tenderness, then he concentrated again on what he was doing and his fiery mouth finally reached one of my breasts, he covered it with k****s while one of his hands caressed the other one. He nibbled all over my skin and soon it turned from white to a deep pink.

His fingers pinched my nipple hard making me jump and m**n, but the m***s died when his tongue came in contact with my sensitive skin, Hunter opened his mouth and slipped the whole mound inside and stimulated it with his teeth and tongue.

I gasped and m****d louder and louder. My biker’s lips were hell and tasted like sin, I let myself be dragged into the innermost depths of hell and my soul burned in the unreachable flames of our love.

I rotated my h**s and my core brushed against his zip, I rose a little and then let myself fall hard and now it was he who m****d against my chest. I repeated the motion a few more times until Hunter turned us over and laid me completely flat in the middle of the bed. I squirm a little but his hands pin me in place.

His head starts to move up and we k**s again as if our lives depend on it and as my hands caress the leather of the waistcoat on his back, his hands grab the edge of my shorts and he pulls them and my panties off.

A slow smile breaks across the raven’s lips and he pulls away to place a tender k**s on the tip of my nose.

-I’ve wanted to do this since the first time you were in my arms. He said in a voice so husky I almost didn’t recognise it.

I swallowed and didn’t have time to protest when his body descended and his head buried itself in the most sensitive spot on my body.

-Hunter! I shrieked as I felt his lips and tongue caressing me in a way I had never allowed anyone to do before.

Because no ladies and gentlemen, oral s*x was something I never wanted to experience and that’s why I never let any of the other guys I slept with even try it.

But apparently this biker has the firm task of driving me crazy, because what he’s doing to me definitely had me raving on the verge of total collapse.

All sorts of unhealthy sounds came out of my throat, I wasn’t ashamed of them, but I controlled my hands and closed them tightly on the sheets so I didn’t bury them in the raven’s scalp and pull hard.

My man kept moving his tongue deftly replaceing my sensitive spot which made me scream his name loud enough for the whole damn block to hear me.

My muscles tensed and I was seconds away from finishing, but my biker’s tattooed body pulled away and left me whimpering.

My chest heaved up and down hard as my eyes stabbed him with knives for stealing my release.

-Don’t look at me like that. He said with a wolfish grin that I didn’t reciprocate.

Bastard.

-Come back here and give me my o****m if you don’t want me to leave you with no offspring Vice President. I threatened and my tone went several tones louder when I said his position.

He laughed a little but still stayed where he was.

-In a second doll, I decided that the only way you could cum was with my c**k buried in you and that can’t happen because I’m still dressed. He said and bent down to unbuckle his boots and pull them and his socks off.

I leaned back on my arms and raised myself up a little so I could get a better look at him. Under my watchful eye he took off his jeans and noticed he wasn’t wearing boxers. I bit my l*p and looked at him mischievously. Then he took off his leather waistcoat and dropped it and then took off his shirt.

When he was naked he approached me but I stopped him with my foot on his abdomen. I pointed to the forgotten garment on the floor.

-Take off your waistcoat. I ordered and he raised one of his eyebrows before nodding and bending down to pick it up.

He sat up and put it back on, I enjoyed watching as his muscles tensed and stretched, an electric current slithered through my limbs and the throbbing pain in my body had nothing to do with my accident.

We both smiled at each other and I shifted so that he could better accommodate me between my legs. Gently he gently pulled me back on to the mattress and showered me with sweet k****s all over my face. When he finally reached my mouth he kissed me softly and slowly, savouring every corner of that cavity and my hands caressed his back covered with the club waistcoat and tugged at his hair.

As we kissed I moved his h**s and he began to enter me slowly, stealing my breath and I gasped in mid k**s. His lips moved down to my neck and there he began to bite and tug at my skin.

Slowly he pushed all the way in and stayed there for a few seconds without moving, as if he was afraid of breaking me. Which was probably the best idea since I was nowhere near recovered from the accident and my abduction.

I knew Hunter loved to do it fast, hard, and wild. So when he went slow making sure I enjoyed every moment and didn’t hurt any more than I was I wanted to cry with happiness. I tried to move my h**s with his to help him but his hands stopped me, leaving me still.

I m****d but the look he gave me left no room for a response so I bit my l*p and just felt.

Unlike my near o****m a few minutes ago that came as fast as it went, this time it built slowly. Tensing every muscle in my body, even the ones I didn’t know I had.

Hunter really took care of himself and even though I begged him to go faster he kept his pace steady and gentle taking me to a new unknown point of madness.

I took his face in my hands and pulled him down to k**s him as much as I wanted to.

I really made the best decision to come here with him. Maybe a lot of people would call me impulsive or reckless.

But they can f**k off, I’ve been listening to my head for too many years now I want to follow my heart. I want to risk it all one more time and I don’t plan to lose the man I love because of my resentment towards my father.

I took a sharp intake of breath and pulled away from the tattooed man.

I love Hunter, how and when did that happen, will he love me back?

I bit my l*p and I think my eyes reflected my new discovery, the raven was too good at reading me because he came up to leave a tender peck on my lips.

-I love you Natasha. He said in his breathy voice and I was never so happy to hear my full name as I was at that moment.

I smiled and hugged him as he hit that sensitive spot hard.

-I love you too Hunter. I whispered and we both looked at each other with our eyes shining with happiness.

No more words were needed, he kept moving at that maddening pace and I didn’t let go. Not when moments later I came to my glorious end bringing Hunter to his as well.

He lay there buried deep as we both caught our breath.

I caressed his features and his face relaxed against my palm. I really needed this. I really needed him.

Hunter rolled off me without getting off me yet and settled me on top of him as he pulled my body to lie on top of his.

My arms wrapped around his torso and I left a k**s on his chest before resting my head in the same spot. The biker’s hands caressed my skin from my shoulders to my lower back. My body went numb and when I was about to fall asleep I heard Hunter’s voice.

-Don’t ever leave me, doll.

I never will-. I murmured with the little strength I had left.

I felt a k**s on the top of my head and fell asleep.

Peaceful dreams without horrors.

How peaceful it feels like…

I like it.

(…)

K****s on my cheeks are the reason for my awakening. A big smile breaks across my face and lips leave a soft k**s on mine.

When we part, I lift my head and open my eyes to see the image of my onyx-eyed biker, freshly risen. His hair is a bird’s nest, his cheeks are red and his eyes are bright as ever. He looks gorgeous.

And he’s mine alone.

I smile even wider at the thought and nuzzle his chest with my nose.

-Good morning, doll. He greets me, his voice hoarse from barely getting up.

-Good morning biker. I answered in the same way, my hands caressed his torso and I found a different surface. I looked down and back up with a raised eyebrow, “Did you sleep with your waistcoat on,” I asked amused, to which he shrugged.

-A beautiful woman last night asked me to wear it while we made love, and how sweetly she did it,” He said that word with irony to which I giggled, “I had no choice but to obey her, I am her most humble slave you know.

-Mmmm, is she that crazy about you? I pretended to be oblivious as I ran my fingertips over her skin.

-I would make her the empress of the planet if she asked me to. She answered with a raw sincerity that filled me with feelings.

-Empress, huh, that doesn’t sound so bad. What do you think is better, goddess, queen and empress? I came out with a mellow and amused tone. And Hunter saw me with his eyebrows raised, also replaceing humour in the matter.

-Of the whole world? He asked with a tone of irony and I laughed while I shook my head and got closer to his face.

-No, not everybody’s. Only yours. I murmured with our lips millimetres apart.

-Done. He answered and kissed me again.

When I felt his e******n grow inside me, (because apparently we spent the night like that), I knew I was going to have a busy morning.

What a great way to wake up.

Reykon was right, as he was most of the time. But obviously I would never tell him.

That would be giving him too much power.

(…)

-Are you ready for this? Hunter asks me as he parks the Harley in his parking spot in the clubhouse.

-I don’t care what they might think. My friends are the only ones I owe an explanation to but it’s not like they didn’t see it coming. I replied as I swung my leg over the bike and g*****d in pain.

We definitely shouldn’t have had that second round this morning. But that rational thinking thing has been failing me since I’ve been in California. More specifically since I was forced to live in a building full of huge, tattooed, rude, horny, motorcycle-loving men.

-Do you need help? He said visibly concerned and I shot him a look that said, don’t you dare when I saw his intentions to carry me.

-I’m fine, I just want my medicine and to be able to sit still and finally rest.

-You weren’t complaining last night or a while ago. He scoffed as he raised and lowered his eyebrows, I stuck my tongue out at him in response.

-Idiot. I complained.

Raven laughed and got off the bike and then took my hand and intertwined our fingers. He gave me a gentle squeeze which I returned and so we both began to walk slowly towards the entrance.

There were a few brothers and some prospects hanging around. They began to whistle quietly and let out various exclamations with derisive laughter.

-The Prez will hang your balls as Christmas ornaments Vice – Couldn’t resist Hell – Damn, if he kills you I want to keep your bike.

These were some of the things that were heard. But neither of us paid any attention and we both kept walking with a poker face.

We went through the door and made our way to the kitchen. By this time most of us should be eating breakfast. I wasn’t wrong, the tables were crowded and more than one of them choked on their food when our presence was noticed.

Neither the twins nor Toro were surprised to see us. But the red-headed copies started coughing like crazy when Hunter let go of my hand to put his arm around my shoulders and pull me to him.

The biker with the scar said nothing and just kept eating his French bread. Bullet let out a low whistle and turned to look in the direction of my father who was sitting at the head of the table with Bruno and Bloody.

My half brother gave me a lopsided smile while the man who gave me life had his hands balled into fists as he closed his eyes tightly.

-Well, that took longer than I expected. But you all owe me two hundred dollars anyway. Bloody said as he laughed out loud and placed his hands folded behind his neck while some of them g*****d.

-Did they bet that we would end up together? I asked incredulously.

-No pretty, we bet on how long it would take Hell to convince you to put up with him. I said it would take him 5 to 8 months. Others bet it would take the whole year. A few suggested he was going to end up freezing his a*s off in Russia to get you. And a couple of doubters swore he’d never make it. I exclaimed, clearly amused, and I could feel Hunter tense up next to me.

-You idiots…”. He started to say but was interrupted by a laugh that came from the deepest part of my being.

My head even tilted back as my hands clutched my abdomen. I don’t think I had laughed so hard in a long time.

The crows watched me with wide eyes. Surprised as they had never heard me laugh so freely. A slight movement beside me and soon Hunter’s laughter echoes mine.

I don’t know what amazed them more, that he’s hugging me so calmly without caring that Hades is a couple of feet away. Or that we’re both laughing like our lives depend on it.

A loud gasp cut our laughter short and I turned my head to see that Hades had his emerald eyes fixed on my face as he watched me laugh, which were quickly covered with tears.

-You two, in my office now.” A blink and the tears disappeared, “We have a lot to discuss.

That was all he said before he stood up and walked out of the room leaving an uncomfortable feeling behind.

A sigh escaped my lips and Hunter squeezed me tightly.

-It’s going to be fine, okay, the Prez learned his lesson and he won’t interfere in our relationship. Most likely he’ll threaten me or some shit like that.

I grimace and nod.

Hunter knew my dad best from being his VP for years, (ironic isn’t it), so I trusted his judgement. I really don’t think he’ll ever put the club above us again.

So we both bid farewell to the bikers who look at us with a bit of pity while a few brave ones wish us good luck.

We walked to the office, the door was open and we could see Hades inside.

He was sitting in his chair as he looked at a hole in the wall behind the desk.

But what the f**k, since when is there a huge hole there and how come I didn’t see it before? Are they remodeling?

My mind took a trip back in time trying to remember when was the last time I set foot in these four walls.

And if I’m not mistaken, it was the day I ran away. The day I was kidnapped. The last time I was here.

I am absolutely convinced that I will hate this damn office for the rest of my existence.

-I told you that as long as my daughter lived under my roof my rules were followed. And what did you do, you took her away to who knows where all night and you have the balls to come back and walk in like it’s nothing? He started in a tone of voice I couldn’t recognise.

-I don’t think… I started to say but my father raised his hand to stop me as I had done many times before.

-I don’t want to be rude Tasha so please don’t interrupt me,” I was surprised by his calm tone so I nodded and pursed my lips, “If I was talking to you like you Prez right now I would be beating you up for disobeying me and putting my daughter in danger.

-I understand and accept whatever punishment Prez wants to give me. Hunter replied and gave my hand a squeeze when I wanted to protest.

Hades’ green eyes went from Hunter to me and back again. After that he turned around and turned his back to us to start poking at the hole in the wall.

-I am not, however, speaking to you as the President of the Black Ravens at this moment,” he continued in his muffled voice, then turned back to us with a small black box between his fingers. His gaze lingered on mine before he sighed, “I’m addressing you both as Natasha’s father, and I know you hate it when I call you that but it’s a habit I can’t help.

His hand reached out and he set the box right in front of us on his desk.

-I’m the worst father on the planet Natasha, I probably don’t even deserve to have that title. When you were born my worst fear was that something in this world could hurt you without me being able to protect you from it. And to my eternal shame I failed. I failed you for most of your life. Now you are an adult and although it doesn’t seem like it, I trust you completely and I can’t tell you how proud I am of the person you have become. He declared, raising his tone higher and higher.

Okay, I definitely wasn’t expecting this.

-I hated the idea from the moment you arrived of you with one of my boys, because to me none of them will ever be worthy of being with you. When you went to Russia with your mother you were supposed to have a life away from all this shit and be safe. Which again, didn’t happen. I’ll admit that even up until a few hours ago the idea of you two still didn’t convince me- A lethal glare at Hunter along with an accusing finger pointing at him- Of all the crows I’m glad she stayed with you, but that doesn’t mean I won’t break every one of your bones while I rip your skin to shreds if I see a single tear because of you- Now she looks at me and I can read her sadness in that expression- She has enough dealing with my shit without adding to yours. So you better make her laugh like you did a few moments ago for all the days of her life. Although I’d also like her to kick you in the balls once in a while, whether she wants it or not. You’ve got White b***d running through your veins. His eyes sparkled and I almost thought he’d smile, but he didn’t.

-Tasha is my life, to hurt her is to hurt me. I have no interest in ever leaving her side again. She has a tendency to get into trouble every time she goes out. Said my biker and I heard an amused note in that sentence.

Damn it, I swear I don’t look for trouble, they look for me.

Hades nodded in the direction of his VP and then gestured to the box on the desk.

I gave the tattooed man a look and he motioned for me to take it. So I reached out and with slightly trembling fingers held the clear black velvet case.

I opened it slowly and when I saw inside my eyes filled with tears and I had to cover my mouth with one hand to stifle the sob that almost escaped me.

-Is that what I think it is? I asked in a shy voice and turned to look at my father who nodded.

-They are your mother’s and my engagement rings. We told you this story when you were little but I’m not sure if you remember it. When your mother accepted me and I gave her my waistcoat it was one of the best days of my life, later I met my in-laws, (your grandparents), and Anabella’s father demanded that we get married in church and civilly. For them that their daughter would wear a property waistcoat was not enough so I agreed because I wanted your mother to be mine in every way. So to celebrate the engagement my mother-in-law gave us the engagement rings that had been theirs, and their parents’, your great-grandparents’, and their parents’, and their parents’. They are an heirloom of the Koslov family, when we got married I bought another set of rings so we wore both of them. The day they left I found your mother’s under the bed, I kept it with a promise to return it to where it belonged. He said it with pain, he never saw my mother again after that and I could tell it really weighed on him.

-Mum told me she lost it when we moved. She felt bad every time she remembered it, several times I saw her stroking her ring finger looking for him. I remembered her melancholy look and sad smile every time I asked her if she wasn’t sure if it was in one of the suitcases.

-I don’t know what plans you two have for the future. But I’m sure your mother would want you to have them. He said, and I nodded as I pressed the box to my chest.

-Thank you very much. I said and I think it was the first time I felt totally grateful to my father.

-It’s an honour. His voice sounded raw and full of emotion.

Wow, I had kept the rings, all this time. I know that Hades loved and still loves my mother, you can tell for miles that he still grieves for her loss.

Which made no sense, he had moved on with his life when we both left the country, there is no way in hell his suffering is just a front to win me over.

There is still one last thing that demands an explanation.

I’ll never have peace if I don’t know it for sure.

I turn my head towards my biker and give him a small smile.

-Hunter, could you give me a few moments alone with Hades please? I asked him and they both showed their surprise.

-Are you sure, you don’t want me to stay? He asked but I shook my head.

-There’s something I want to talk to him about and I’d rather be alone. I asked and he nodded.

-Ok, I’ll be with the others in the bar, everyone will have finished breakfast by now. He says it while he comes closer to me and leaves a k**s on my head, “Don’t take too long, there are many things we have to talk about”. He said and I winked at him before he left and closed the door again to give us privacy.

When we were alone Hades looked visibly uncomfortable which amused me a little.

-What did you want to talk about Natasha? He asked and I admired how calm he sounded.

-You loved my mother. I affirmed rather than asked and watched as his body tensed.

-I love her and I will love her until my body leaves this planet, and even after that my soul will keep searching for hers until it replaces her again. He declared in a firm voice.

I swallowed hard and squeezed the box tighter.

-If you love her so much, why did you cheat on her,” I asked in a rather rude tone, so I took a breath to calm myself, “You had two children with another woman, and yet you claim that she has been your greatest love. And I’ve thought about that for a long time and I still can’t make sense of it. So explain that to me, because if you love my mother as much as you say you do, there wouldn’t be a guy my age with green eyes doing shit every breath or a blonde-haired tadpole.

By the gods I haven’t seen Gael in months, he’s going to kill me when I see him.

I grimace and make a mental note to buy him something so he doesn’t get too mad at me.

Hades’ body was stretched like a wire, in a nervous act he cracked his knuckles and the sound of his bones filled the awkward silence that had formed.

-I want you to know that I never meant to harm her and I am not proud of my actions. I love my three children, but if I could go back in time to avoid making the mistake of getting another woman pregnant besides your mother I would,” he inhaled and exhaled deeply before continuing, “Do you remember when I told you in the hospital how at some point I left your mother and took refuge in alcohol? He asked and his expression turned to one of annoyance at himself.

-When you found out who my mother was and where she came from? How could I forget that charming story.

He took another deep breath and pulled his hair out as he growled.

-Well, for two weeks all I did was work, get drunk, sleep, and the next day repeat. Except for one time, I was up to my a*s in Whiskey, so much so that I couldn’t even tell if I was standing, sitting, or lying on the floor. My father wasn’t there because he had gone to talk to the Prez of the Demon Angels so he wasn’t there to check on me – My stomach churned, I wasn’t sure I wanted to listen to this anymore – A lot of brothers tried to convince me to go to sleep but I sent them all to hell. Until Isadora tried- He let out a snort and rolled his eyes- Well that was an understatement, she threw the drink she was holding in my face and snatched the bottle out of my hand threatening to smash it over my head if I didn’t leave- He scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably and avoided my eyes- I didn’t want to hear her screams so I wanted to leave the bar but my legs wouldn’t cooperate. The last thing I remember from that night was her helping me to my room. The next day I woke up with our naked bodies in my bed. I cursed like hell and went to take a shower to get rid of the f*****g hangover. When I came out she was gone and nothing was ever said about it.

So Bruno really had been an accident.

One that probably almost cost my parents their marriage. What would it have been like to have grown up with Bruno as my brother? Would I have seen in him the clear difference between our families as I do now? Or because of the ignorance of children would I have loved him like any other sibling I had?

So many questions that will remain unanswered.

-I never told your mother when we got back because I didn’t want to spoil things and we only found out about your brother the day you were almost kidnapped. You must have been about seven or eight at the time, I hadn’t seen Isadora for years because shortly after I married your mother she left the club life and became a civilian. But she came back that day to tell us of our son’s existence because Bruno was very ill and she couldn’t replace a way to pay a doctor.

-Isadora hid from you that they had a child together,” I asked incredulously, well that explained why I don’t remember my useless half-brother from my childhood.

Hades shrugged.

-She had her reasons. When we found out about him, your mother demanded that I do my duty as his father and so I did. He was in the hospital when you and Anabella had to leave, and he came to live here after a few months because of an incident he experienced.

Bruno had already told me that part so I didn’t probe any further.

-What about Gael? According to the biker’s attempt he had it on a drunken night when he wasn’t in his senses.

But I think the tadpole’s existence was one of the worst blows I had to deal with as a teenager when I found out.

I hated the feeling of being replaced.

-Well that story is simpler but at the same time more complicated,” he began and his brow furrowed and his arms crossed, “Before I tell you, I need you to promise that not a word will leave your lips after you leave this office. Only a few of us know the truth and I can’t risk anyone else replaceing out.

I frowned and folded my arms with my engagement rings still in my hands.

-I promise. My tone was only deadly serious and my father nodded.

-As I said, Isadora dropped out of club life during Bruno’s childhood until she was forced back by circumstance. But she didn’t go back to being a sweet a*s, but she wasn’t a VD either because no one claimed her, so she was just sort of protected by us. Ten years ago, (Gael’s age), she started dating a prospect who was a couple of years younger than her- Hades rolled his neck and his bones creaked- A lot of us had a bad feeling about it, the guy wanted to change patches in a couple of weeks and that wasn’t possible. It can take years to go from being a prospect to a member. But she looked happy with the son of a bitch and that was enough- He clenched his fists and I recognised his hateful look- The piece of shit got her pregnant on purpose, when Isadora found out and told him he told her he had to talk to us and insist to give her his patch or else the baby wouldn’t grow up with a good family-.

-I hope they killed that idiot. I exclaimed in annoyance.

If it had been up to me, I would have given him a beating that would never let him walk or have children again.

But my father shook his head.

-Isadora was convinced that he was just worried about what kind of example he would be if the baby was born as the child of a prospect. So after several days of insistence on his part, he talked me into accepting it and asked me as a personal favour.

I arched an eyebrow in his direction.

-And you accepted it? My tone sounded incredulous.

-Something like that, I accepted after a long discussion. It made sense to me because if the guy got into the Black Ravens he would give her his waistcoat and she would be better protected. When we went to tell him we heard him talking on the phone with another guy. He was telling her that we were going to make him a brother soon and when we did he would make enough money to pay off the debts he owed him. He also asked her for enough poison to make the abortion look natural. He finished and I could see his knuckles turning white from the force with which he was squeezing the wood of the desk.

-And you’re telling me that even after all that you didn’t kill him? I asked between furious and confused.

Bikers were not known for their forgiving abilities, quite the opposite.

-I almost beat him to death,” my father confessed and I felt a little better, “but Isadora got in the way and told me it wasn’t worth it. To let him go because she didn’t want the b***d of her baby’s biological father to stain the hands of any brother.” He fell silent and took several breaths through his mouth before continuing, “I listened to her and ordered Toro to take him away, but before he left we burned the word Traitor all over his chest with live fire and threatened him that if he dared to step foot in California again, no one would replace his body.

Brutal and efficient, I liked him.

-While she was pregnant Isadora had a really hard time because the guy had accumulated a lot of debts. When he left, many began to hunt him down and came upon Isadora, threatening her several times and demanding money she didn’t have. And when Gael was born, she was scared to death that the same guys would replace out about her and try to hurt her to get back at the jerk. So I gave him my surname and recognised him as my son, we already had Bruno and it would look less suspicious than if another brother had done it. Bikers don’t usually hang out with women who belonged to another brother. It’s a kind of betrayal.

-So the tadpole’s not my brother?

-Not by b***d, but I think you of all people know the importance of family ties beyond b***d.

I sighed and nodded, looked down and traced the outline of the case.

So much information, when will the day come when this family’s secrets are done with?

It’s like the damned White House or the CIA, I’m tired of all this.

-Think about it, Gael is as blond as Isadora and so is Bruno, but he has blue eyes while you and your brother share the same green eyes that you inherited from me. It’s lucky he looks so much like his mother because otherwise it would have been harder to hide the truth.

I carved my face with my free hand before answering.

-I believe you, I really do, no one can be so disheartened as to make up a story like that. Even I was surprised by those words.

Hades nodded slowly.

-I think it goes without saying that Gael hasn’t the slightest idea of the truth, and under no circumstances should he know it. I heard the warning in his tone, and for once I did not resent it.

-Not a word will come from my lips, but it seems to me that it is something he must know in time.

-When he’s older and can understand better. He may not be my biological son, but I love him as one, and I’d like at least one of you three to have a normal childhood.

I let out an unladylike snort.

-Yeah well, you’re the president of a f*****g motorbike club so good luck with that. I said sarcastically and listened as my father laughed a little and nodded agreeing with me.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard him laugh before, is that how he felt earlier when he heard me?

I got goose bumps.

We were silent for a few seconds, which to both our surprise, wasn’t uncomfortable at all, I shifted my weight from one leg to the other while I bit my l*p and analysed everything that had happened to me during the day.

F**k Rosa de Guadalupe and all the Mexican soap operas Sabrina used to force me to watch. My life was far more interesting and dramatic than any written script.

What’s more, if they made my story into a movie it was sure to win at least a couple of Oscars.

At least I’ll never complain about the monotony.

I cleared my throat when I realised I’d started rambling while still standing in the office.

-I’ll go to Hunter, he must be wondering what’s taking me so long. I said with the same peaceful feeling I had fallen asleep with.

-Okay, tell him he can take the rest of the day off. He affirmed and I thanked him then I turned around and opened the door to go out- And Natasha…- I turned my torso to see him- I’m really happy for you, more for you. But I think with all my heart that you are ideal for each other-.

I blinked a couple of times and stared at him, not knowing what to say. He turned around again and analysed the hole, (which now that I could see had a safe in it), with a thoughtful expression.

-Thanks a lot to you for the rings…” A gesture with his hand, playing it down, “I really appreciate it, Dad. I let go and left, closing the door as fast as I could.

I didn’t hear what Hades did after that as I hurried away.

Hummm, maybe the biker is right and I do run away from time to time.

I mentally shrug my shoulders.

Nobody is perfect and we all have flaws.

I walked in the direction of the bar to look for Hunter, after the conversation I had just had I needed a hug from him badly.

And maybe a distraction or two.

So I picked up the pace as much as I could.

What a crazy life I had.