Page 33 of Blade (The Dark Angel’s MC #1)

Trinket clears his throat, and we lock eyes, his hazel ones full of guilt as he admits, “Only the five of us who were there know what happened.”

“What the fuck?!” Leo snaps while I shake my head, not surprised one bit, and Trinket winces and admits, “Axe thought his sister deserved the chance to tell everyone the truth, Blade. If I had it my way, I wouldn’t put her through this because she’s been through enough, but Axe is the Pres and believes this is the right way.

As far as the brothers know, Brock is involved in club business. ”

“He’s punishing me,” I confirm, and Trinket shakes his head in denial, but I state, “I chose to stay with Leo instead of allowing him to bring me here, a place he thinks is my home, but it isn’t.

I ran from here because his closest friend, his VP, his right-hand man was abusing me right underneath his nose,” I sigh, “He wants to punish me, and what better way than to get me to tell everyone what has happened.”

Trinket looks away, knowing I’m right, while Leo curses, but I just shake my head and mumble, “Let's get this over with, shall we?”

“Princess, I don’t think this is a good idea,” Leo says, and I look at him. His eyes soften as he whispers, “You tried to end everything. I don’t want them in there to put you back.”

I give him a half smile as my heart skips seeing the worry he has for me, but instead of answering him, I grip his hand and pull him towards the door because, as he says, I need closure, and whether I have a family after this will determine how my family handles my truth, the truth they have ignored for years.

“Axe,” Trinket shouts as we walk through the door and everyone looks our way, quickly quietening when they see me and then who’s holding my hand.

“Luna Lottie, where on earth have you been?!” I hear my mother snap, and I roll my eyes and look toward her usual table to find her standing with her hands on her hips glaring at me, her top way too low cut for a woman in her late forties.

Damn, even the club girls are dressed more appropriately than her.

She’s sitting with Screwball and Cleo, and I must swallow my scoff. What kind of bitch forces her ‘lover’ to sit next to her with his old lady, Mama obviously.

“Answer me, young lady!” she demands like I’m some kind of child, “What the hell are you doing with a Dark Angels brother? They have caused a lot of problems for this club Luna Lottie, and the fact you are whoring yourself out to them is not fucking acceptable.”

Leo growls and steps forward, but I squeeze his hand, keeping him with me. I look at my mother, locking eyes, and nothing but hate fills me.

“Pretty brave of you to accuse the Dark Angels of stuff in front of their presidents mama,” I say, and she freezes, looking at Leo again before her throat bobs as she eyes his patch.

I continue, ignoring everyone, only focusing on my mother, and state, “Have you not noticed a certain brother missing, mama?”

She frowns and looks around the room, and everyone else does too.

“Your VP was trying to start a war with the Dark Angels,” I announce, and Mama laughs like I just told the funniest joke while the brothers frown, looking towards their Pres, who hasn’t denied me instantly like Mama is.

“Let me guess, he also attacked you again?” she mocks, and I squeeze Leo’s hand tighter, hoping his strength will get me through this as he tenses.

“Is that the road you were about to go down, Luna?” Mama asks as she shakes her head and sighs, “I am so disappointed in you, girl. For years, you’ve had a thing for that man, but because he didn’t pay you any attention, you decided to try and ruin his life like the little whore you are. ”

Ouch. I turn my head and look towards the bar, looking for a certain person, and within seconds, Axe and I lock eyes.

“Have I been punished enough for your liking now, big brother?” I ask, and he frowns and opens his mouth, but I don’t let him speak.

I ask, “Is hearing my own mother call me a liar in front of your club punishment enough for me to choose to stay with Leo instead of coming back to the place that holds too much trauma for me?”

“Luna –” he starts, but I cut him off, step forward, letting go of Leo’s hand, and snap, “No, I tried to kill myself, Taylor! I swallowed a bunch of pills begging for the darkness to take me and had to have my stomach pumped after they gave me CPR because I nearly succeeded.”

The brothers stand, some chairs falling over while they demand, “What the fuck?” “What is she talking about, Axe?” and shout in outrage when their pres doesn’t answer their questions, looking between us and Leo steps up behind me, his front heating my back and wraps his arm around my waist.

See again, he’s showing I’m his, basically claiming me before my brother’s club, yet his actions over the past few days have shown otherwise.

I look around the room, ignoring my thoughts, and look at the brothers, the anger and pain shining off them for me, before locking eyes with my mother.

I state, “Brock wanted to start a coup but knew none of the brothers would go against Axe, that he was well respected, so he got new prospects to do his dirty work to try and start a war.”

“But a war wouldn’t convince us to vote your brother out,” Dirty says, and I look at him. He gives me a slightly crooked smile and says, “Not only is your brother one hell of a president, but it was your family that began the club, and only family will continue its legacy.”

I tilt my head at him, showing him my sadness, and his mouth drops as he mutters, “Including if a brother made you theirs… Fuck.”

I shrug and admit, “I wasn’t lying when I was thirteen.”

Everyone stills, and this time, instead of me speaking, my brother stands and moves to the middle of the room. All five brothers who witnessed everything stand behind him, gaining everyone’s attention.

“Seems we were all fooled, brothers,” he begins, “For years, we were made to believe my sister had an obsession with our VP, my sister who I should have taken more seriously,” he looks around his brothers and admits, “Turns out, the obsession was his.” Axe swallows hard and looks towards me before speaking to his family, “Over the years, while we were refusing to listen to her, to see her pain, my little sister was raped nearly every day by Brock.”

“Taylor, she is lying!” my mother snaps, “How can you stand there and allow her lies to be heard against your own friend, your right-hand man?” Mama scoffs, “You’re lucky he’s away on club business instead of hearing this crap.”

“Fucking bitch,” Leo mutters and tightens his hold around my waist while I try my hardest not to burst into tears.

My own mother…

My brother glares at her as the brothers look between all three of us, not knowing who to believe while also being very aware of a certain man behind me.

Some are skeptical. I can see the denial in each of their eyes, while others look ready to kick off for my sake, which I must admit is kind of nice to know they believe me.

The club girls sneer my way, Brock being their favorite brother.

“Funny, considering I fucking heard the truth from the dick myself!” he snaps, and Mama’s mouth shuts instantly, and my body deflates because damn.

One word from her precious son, and she listens. Yet I pleaded with her, begged her to hear my words, and she didn’t. Instead, she degraded me in front of everyone and made the club think I was a liar.

Jokes on them, though, because I wasn’t.

Axe looks around the room, “Luna moved out, hoping it would save her from him because we never did, but it didn’t work. His attacks were less but still there, and the fucker even branded her!”

Leo gently kisses my head as he moves his arm from around my waist, but I grip them, not ready for this moment.

“You’ve got this, princess. Let’s throw their stupidity back in their face and go home.

” he whispers in my ear, and I swallow hard as Axe points to me, causing everyone to look my way, and slowly Leo takes one step back and gently, he lifts my flannel, exposing my sides and stomach, exposing the scars, the branding and it’s like everyone just freezes in the moment, eyes wide while my mother sits down in shock and Leo brings my top back down before placing his arm around my waist again, pressing his front against my back and I lean against him, taking some of his strength.

“For the past six months, brothers, while we were trying to find my little sister, she was struggling with the trauma that fucker did to her for seven fucking years, only two hours away,” Axe admits, and even the club girl’s look down in shame.

“Speak your truth, princess,” Leo encourages, and I take a deep breath and state loudly, “Three days ago, I sliced Brocks's dick off and forced him to choke on it,” and everyone looks at me in shock.

“He’s dead. I killed him. He’s not away on club business, he’s currently somewhere in the air after being burnt to ashes.

I got my revenge, and I made myself safe without my so-called family,” I state bluntly, and the brothers flinch before I look at my brother and admit, “I can’t do this.

I don’t forgive this club, I don’t forgive you, and I don’t forgive Mama, and as far as I’m concerned, I have no family. ”

His eyes turn sad, and the brothers tense at my admission. I look towards Leo and whisper, “Do it.” He winces but does as I ask and gets his phone out.

The only way they’d understand my truth is to see their VP was deranged.

Leo presses a few times on the screen before suddenly every phone in this room beeps, and within seconds, everyone is watching my rape outside of my apartment building.

It turns out Venom is extremely good at what he does and managed to find the CCTV outside a little house next to the building that caught everything.

My pleas and screams echo in the room, and one by one, each brother looks my way with pain and guilt, but I ignore them all and look towards my mother.

Tears stain her cheeks, and I ask, “How does it feel to know your daughter was raped every single day, and you allowed it?”

“Luna, I…,” she stutters, but I shake my head.

“You are selfish and never should have had children,” I snap, and her eyes widen.

“I fell pregnant, Mama. I had found out after the hospital revived me that I had a baby growing inside me, a baby that may not even make it because of my trauma that Brock,” I spit his name, “had put me through!” I curl my lips at her, “And even after hearing that I may never be able to have children, and after three weeks in the Psych ward, I had an abortion because I didn’t know if he was the father or Leo, and I wasn’t willing to breed more of his DNA. ”

“Fuck she just used Blade’s legal name…” one of the club girl’s whispers but I ignore them and say to my Mama, “Who’s the lying whore now, Mama?

Me, who has been raped since I was thirteen by a brother you all put before me or you for forcing a brother to have an affair with you because you can’t be bothered to get off your ass and get a job like a normal person then force said brother to sit with you and his old lady? ”

Screwball’s eyes widen, and his old lady looks at him with shock, absolute pain, and as guilt crosses him while my mother’s face pales.

She is pathetic, and so are the brothers in this room and my brother. They all knew what Mama did, and they all allowed her to continue with her games.

She looks at Cleo but doesn’t say anything to me, her daughter, who has told her the truth. Her main concern is an old lady who slowly stands from her seat.

“Cleo, baby, I…” Screwball rasps, but she ignores him, shoves him out of the way, and pulls her arm back before punching Mama. We all watch as she falls, hitting her hip on the table, and she cries out, blood spilling from her nose, and Cleo looks my way.

“Thank you, Luna, for being the only person in this room willing to tell me the truth,” she says, and the brothers wince.

, But she just shakes her head and mutters, “Get away from this club, Luna. They’ll never have your back,” before she turns and shoves past some brothers as she takes her property cut off and throws it on the floor.

Some brothers try to stop and plead with her not to leave as her old man rushes, pleading, “Cleo baby, please. She drugged me and said she was going to claim we were having an affair. I didn’t want to lose you.”

She ignores him and storms out of the clubhouse, and he follows, and I just shake my head as Leo mumbles, “Right thing to do was explain the situation instead of fucking her for years. What a fucking idiot,” and I snort and eye everyone in the room.

No one looks my way. No one apologizes for not being there for me or believing me.

No one tries to make amends.

“Take me home, Leo,” I beg with a whisper, and his arm tightens around me, his tension obvious while Trinket looks at me with fear hearing me, and he rasps, “Luna, wait, please,” but I just shake my head.

Even my brother has gone after Cleo instead of being here for me. He’s clearing up Mama’s mess so he doesn’t lose a brother while I’m drowning in the realization that I have no family.

Gently, Leo pulls me back, and I allow him to guide me out of the clubhouse, a place I’ll never want to return to again, all while panic squeezes in my chest.

“Fucking hell, Axe, Luna is leaving!” I hear Trinket shout, and more cursing can be heard, but I ignore them all and climb into Leo’s club’s truck, still a little salty that he didn’t want to come on his bike.

I’m not his old lady.

If my own family can easily forget me and the trauma that they allowed to happen, what is stopping Leo from leaving me?

Am I destined to be alone?