Page 38 of Blade (The Dark Angel’s MC #1)

Luna

Buzzing surrounds us, and I squeeze my eyes tightly as Psycho gently goes over the B burn marks on my right hip, pain shooting through me.

Okay, so this definitely hurts more than I thought it would, like a lot more. Psycho offered numbing cream, but I declined, thinking it would be fine, and I was wrong.

I can feel sweat building on my forehead, and I try to breathe through the pain because once this is done, I’ll no longer look at the burns and feel disgusted. I’ll look at them and feel like a survivor, giving me the courage to continue to fight to live and that makes this pain worth it.

I’ve sat in this chair for the past hour as Psycho tattoos colorful flowers, from roses and daisies to sunflowers, along my lower stomach and the B on the right side. He’s already done my left, which, thankfully, wasn’t as bad as the right.

He went over the half shape of a B but continued making it a full letter and then, in beautiful script, added l.a.d.e.

Blade looked emotional when he saw what Psycho was doing.

“You’re my strength.”

Those were the words I whispered before he ordered Psycho to give my body a break after doing my left hip, then demanded to tattoo my name on his neck, shocking me.

I eye the large script, and my heart skips a beat.

It’s large, takes up the whole side of his neck, and if I hadn’t believed he loved me before – which I did – I would have thought it now.

Leo scowls, and I blink, getting back into the room and out of my head.

“All I’m saying is come to the clubhouse family day, at least, then Luna will have extra people, and the brothers can start trying to make amends,” my brother says, and I snort.

The man won’t give up.

Leo, whose hand I’m gripping tightly, replies, “I’m not making any plans. If my girl here wants to come to your club, I’ll gladly attend with her, and I know without a doubt my mama will be holding her hand, but you can’t force her Axe. It’s taken a lot for her to let you see her.”

My brother sighs, “I’m not trying to force her. I just miss my sister, and the odd phone call here and there is not okay anymore. I get it’s only been three weeks, but I need her to give me an inch.”

“She is Axe. You’re here, aren’t you?” Leo states, but my brother just shakes his head and mutters, “It’s not enough.”

I wince as Psycho outlines a sensitive burn and I swallow my words that want to come out, the snap these two deserve for talking about me like I’m not even in the room building.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” Psycho mutters, and I nod, looking up at the ceiling.

Three weeks and every Fury brother has tried to contact me one way or another, including Screwball, despite my outing his crap with Mama.

From the voicemail he left me, he’s grateful for what I did and is currently trying to win Cleo, who has moved out, back but years of an affair when he could have told her what had happened in the first place, well, I doubt she’ll take him back, not even for their child.

Mama hasn’t tried to contact me, and I don’t expect her to. From one of the dozen text messages my brother sent, she’s been banned from the club and had to move off the property after returning her old lady cut that Daddy gave her.

“You two do realize I’m sitting right here.” I mutter, then gasp as Psycho touches another sensitive burn, one that he went over several times, burning me.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” Psycho mumbles again, and I swallow, squeezing Leo’s hand tighter as he growls, “Don’t make me fucking kill you, brother.”

Psycho snorts, “You’d never kill me, you’d miss me too much.”

Leo rolls his eyes, and I take a deep breath and state firmly, “I’m not going to your clubhouse, Taylor.” My brother drops his head, but it soon shoots up as I finish, “But you can come to Leo’s if everyone is alright with it, including my boyfriend here.”

“Old man, princess,” Leo corrects me and I scrunch my nose at him, and he grins.

“I can go for that,” Taylor says, then questions, “Mama?”

I shake my head and instantly deny, “No. I want nothing to do with her.”

He swallows but nods, knowing not to try to persuade me. I gasp again, and I’m pretty sure I’m breaking Leo’s fingers, but he doesn’t flinch. Instead, he tightens his grip on my hand.

All the others, along with my stomach and Blades' name, didn’t hurt as much as this one does, but he focused on this side for a few years.

“That fucker is lucky he’s dead,” Psycho mumbles as he lifts his gun and dips it in more ink before continuing his work, and I take deep breaths.

“Distract me,” I plead, looking at Leo and then my brother.

My brother winces and admits, “Cleo found out she was pregnant again,” and my mouth parts in shock, “She says she’s going to have it mainly because of your situation, but she won’t take Screwball back.”

I swallow hard and whisper, “Taylor, she can’t keep a baby because of my situation, and you need to tell her so.”

He smiles gently and reassures, “I have, and she also admitted she wouldn’t be able to get rid of it anyhow because she does still love Screwball. She just isn’t willing to forgive him.”

I shake my head with a sigh, a little guilt filling me—guilt I know I shouldn’t feel. No one in the club told her what was going on, no one put her first, but I did, just not for her, and I think that is why I feel guilty.

I did it to hurt my mama.

“They’ll figure it out, sis, and stop looking guilty. You may not have mentioned it for her, but you still outed Mama’s crap,” my brother says, and I snort, “Can you read minds now?”

He grins, “No, you just wear your heart on your sleeve now,” and Leo agrees, “He’s right, you do. When we first met, I couldn’t get a read on you, but since you freed yourself, I see your emotions, and I love it.”

I smile, and my brother gags, “You two are sickening. "

I grin wide because, yes, yes, we are.

Leo’s phone pings, breaking our connection, and he shakes his head, checking it before wincing at whatever he reads.

“Well, looks like Dad has officially locked mama in the house,” he mutters shaking his head and my mouth parts as he finishes, "He caught Mama loading up her car and flipped."

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Psycho mutters, “Finding out Anna did all that shit over the years just so you would kick her out was probably an eye-opener for him.

His woman wanted out of their marriage and knew he wouldn't end things unless it was something big.

Everyone has a limit, and Anna reached hers with the crap everyone said about her.

All because she didn't want to accept the fact her husband had a child with the woman he cheated on her with and while yeah, she fucked a prospect, she didn't get knocked up by him. She only did it because Brick was having fun with the clubwhores and she walked in on it but despite the shit that has happened Brick loves Anna more than life itself and he isn’t willing to choose between her and his daughter.”

“Said daughter still wants fuck all to do with him anyhow, or me and the club for that matter but Mama won’t stay here if Skylar comes, at least I don't think she will. Every time I try and bring her up, she changes the subject,” Leo mumbles, “and dad needs to realize he can't force her,” he looks at me, “Like my girl here said, it’s not right forcing that on her.”

I half smile but wince when Psycho goes over another burn, and Leo growls, causing my brother to chuckle.

Idiots.

“Your mother loves your father, they’ll figure it out,” Psycho says, hoping to distract my ‘old man’ from killing him, and I smirk his way.

“Maybe,” Leo mumbles, then looks down at where Psycho is tattooing, and he grins wide. “Fucking perfect, princess,” he says, and I look down for the first time as Psycho leans back, removing the needle, and my tears fall.

Beautiful, they are absolutely beautiful. Full of color and large, not one burn mark in sight.

“Luna?” Axe whispers, and I sniffle and admit, “I love it,” I look at Psycho, “I can’t thank you enough.”

Psycho smiles and says, “It was a fucking pleasure, Luna. Not many people can sit here for as long as you have and deal with the pain you’ve just dealt with. You’re strong, sweetheart.”

I sniffle at his words and whisper, “Thank you," and he grins before gently grabbing some wipes, ready to clean my tattoo.

“So, Saturday, my club coming to yours?” Axe says as I stand ten minutes after Psycho has finished wrapping my tattoos up. Leo looks at me and raises a brow, and I swallow hard.

They’re not going to give up until I give in.

Be brave, that is what my dad said to me a week before he died when I was afraid of riding on the back of his motorcycle when he picked me up from school.

It’s also what Leo said to me before we got here when again, he told me to climb behind him on his Harley, him claiming me in front of his entire club who was outside to witness it because I have yet to get a cut.

Be brave.

I nod once, and Leo’s eyes soften before he looks at Axe and states, “Be there at four,” and my brother visibly sags with relief, and my stomach tightens at his reaction.

He really does want this, and he wants his sister back.

Shaking my head, I grab my jacket, but Leo gently takes my hand, confusing me. I look his way, and my tears fall as I see the black leather hanging on his finger, the stitching, ‘Princess’ just visible.

Damn this man.

“Leo,” I choke, and he grins, letting go of my hand before holding the cut out for me. I turn, allowing him to help me put it on.

“Damn, I never thought I’d see the day my little sister put a property patch on,” Axe whispers, and I lock eyes with Leo as I turn and face him.

He nods, looking me over, and lust shines in his eyes. I swallow hard, trying my hardest not to rub my legs together.

“Ready to ride, princess?” Leo rasps, and yet again, tears fall.

He’s not asking if I’m ready to ride home. He’s asking if I’m always prepared to ride with him, and I am.

I nod, and he grins, gripping my hips. Pulling me forward, he presses a kiss against my lips, keeping it PG, knowing we’re not alone. Then, gently pulling back, he pulls me towards the door, my brother and Psycho both following. I grin, not able to wipe it from my face.

Having this man come into the diner that day was the best thing that ever happened to me. He lit the spark in me and made me want to live, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with him.