Page 16

CHAPTER

FIFTEEN

DEMI

When I gave Luna the message from Xavier, she started huffing and puffing, pacing the living room. She’s gone from growling to waving her hands through the air as she talks beneath her breath.

The vocabulary rolling off her tongue, when it comes to cursing, is entertaining to say the least.

It’s a proud moment for me because she never lets herself go off the rails.

I have to admit, it’s nice to see someone acting so damn protective of me since I didn’t have a lot of that care and devotion growing up in the homes I was placed in.

As always, it’s her that wants to destroy my enemies and make them burn.

“I’m going with you,” she insists.

“No, sis, you’re not,” I disagree–passionately. “You’re not a fighter and there’s no telling how this is going to play out. It makes you vulnerable and I need to get in there, roll up my sleeves, and kick their asses.”

“You’re not wearing sleeves,” she harrumphs, staring at my tank top through slitted eyes.

“It was a metaphorical statement and you know it,” I retort. “Think about the baby, he or she is your future, Luna.”

“I’ll stay in the background, Demi,” she says, trying to compromise with me. “I need to be there and have your back. I may not be able to throw any fisticuffs, but I can be your cheerleader.”

“I’ll be too worried you’ll freak out and snap, and then try to join me in confronting them, sis. My sole concentration needs to be on them and not divided,” I point out.

“I’m going,” she snarks, stomping her foot.

“What’s up with the foot stomping?” I ask, raising my brows at her. “That’s not like you.”

“I’m livid!” she thunders, her chest heaving as she breathes in and out from the energetic exertion. “Those motherfuckers messed with my family, they’re finally within reach and I want to see them pay the piper for their misdeeds.”

“And they will,” I promise her. “Aren’t you the one that’s been preaching about trusting the others around us to take care of my baggage?”

“That’s different,” she seethes.

“It isn’t,” I claim.

“It is,” she argues.

“I’m not going to ask you to explain why that makes sense so in your mind, Luna, because you aren’t acting rational right now.”

“Am too,” she grits out.

“And now we’re done,” I tell her. “I’m not going to sit here and have an argument with you over who’s right and who’s wrong.

This isn’t about that. Besides, do you really think your man is going to allow you to be anywhere in those fuckers’ vicinities?

Because if you are thinking that, then this pregnancy has done something to your critical thinking skills, Luna. ”

Her eyes narrow further at me and I get the impression that she and I are fixing to go toe-to-toe.

She can be just as stubborn as me, so when we butt heads which is seldom, fireworks explode in the background.

As I go to protest and lay out the pros and cons of her following me, her phone rings and a sly smile crosses her face.

“Guess we’re fixing to find out if I can come or not,” she sasses, jabbing the phone with her finger to answer it and walking out of the room. She’s going to finagle her way into getting her way, Kodiak has a hard time saying no to her when her voice gets all whiney.

I, however, don’t suffer from that ailment. I can say no to her like a boss! Marcum needs to find his balls when it comes to his old lady because if not, she’s going to manipulate him for the rest of their forsaken lives.

“I can’t believe you managed to talk him into letting you tag along,” I rant. When she goes to throw her attitude at me, I hold up my hand and stop her. “Nuh, uh, Luna. Not right now.”

From the front porch of Luna and Marcum’s house, which sits on the back half of the compound, we can hear the thumping and pounding of the music as the clubhouse is lit up like the Fourth of July.

I can feel the vibration from the stereo system under my feet.

I’m steaming mad at my bestie as I swallow a mouth-filling gulp from my giant-sized wine glass—liquid courage is key to keeping myself from getting overly wound up.

“Demi,” Luna whispers, “you can’t stay mad at me, you’d do the same thing if the roles were reversed. If it makes you feel better, I have to stay behind the bar in case things get rowdy and out of hand.”

“Doesn’t make me feel better, Luna. I’d feel better if you stayed here where nothing could happen to you,” I state, tired of this tiff between us but still wanting to stand my ground.

“And you’re right, I would be at your side, fighting beside you, but I wouldn’t do it if it could potentially put my baby in jeopardy. ”

“That’s a low blow, Demi.”

“Maybe, but it’s the truth, Luna.”

“I also had to agree to other terms,” she sighs.

“What terms?” I ask, wondering if Marcum’s going to wrap her in bubble wrap as an added provision as well.

He’d love nothing more than to have her padded in a swaddle of cotton the moment she wakes up every morning until she crawls between the sheets each night.

I’m beginning to understand why he feels that way.

My best friend is one of the most hard-headed and determined individuals I’ve ever met.

When she sets her mind to doing something, no matter how bizarre or ludicrous her ideas are, it’s next to impossible to change her way of thinking, no matter how smart or valid your argument is.

“Not only did I have to agree to have the bar between me and the assholes, but I also had to promise that I’d stay glued between Rev and Risk,” she explains.

I suppose it does help me feel better knowing that she’ll have the two burly men guarding her—but only by a smidgeon if I’m being realistic.

“I still think it’s risky, Luna. But I understand why you want to be there. I really do, but after you nearly lost the baby because of that slut, I’m having a hard time putting you in harm’s way on purpose,” I contend.

That particular fear sits on repeat in my mind because not only did she nearly lose hers and Kodiak’s baby, but she also nearly lost herself during that jealous bullshit as well.

I have no clue where her self-preservation skills have gone and think I should research to see whether or not pregnancy affects that part of the body because she’s grown even more stubborn than normal.

“Marcum would never let me be involved if he thought there was any danger to either one of us,” she vows, patting her belly. “We’re the most important things in his life.”

I swear she’s determined to make me pull my hair out from my scalp by the roots.

“I know that, Luna. But it still makes me feel edgy.”

“Let our boys take care of me and our peanut, you concentrate on making them pay,” she instructs. “I’m only making sure I’m there in case you need a shoulder to lean on or an ear to listen to your rant once you’ve said your peace.”

“I could do that afterward even if you stayed here, Luna.”

My rebuttal holds virtuous merit in my opinion.

Plus, I know Conan will be right there and while he doesn’t know what he means to me, yet, he’s up there in my estimation as one of my people.

I just haven’t said anything because of his ego which is already the size of the Grand Canyon.

But if I’m being completely honest with myself, she’s right about one thing, it would take an army to keep me from being smack dab in the middle of the showdown if she was the one in this perilous situation.

Dammit!

From the shadows, I see the two men in question come strolling out from between the trees.

Luna reaches out and grabs my hand, clearing her throat before saying, “You may not realize it, Demi, but you need me there whether you’re willing to admit that to yourself or not. I wasn’t there when you needed me the most, but I am now. Don’t deny either one of us that, okay?”

It’s with that last statement that I know in my gut if I were to keep putting my foot down, and adamantly insist she stay here, she’d do it out of loyalty and respect for me.

Inhaling deeply, I nod my head and agree. “Okay, but promise me that you won’t step a foot out from behind that bar. Not even if Peanut starts tap dancing on your walnut-sized bladder. You hear me?”

“I won’t, Demi. I already promised and you know how I feel about keeping my word when I swear to something.”

“Yeah,” I say, gripping her hand in mine, lightly squeezing it.

“You ladies ready?” Risk asks.

“Yes,” we answer simultaneously.

“Remember what you promised, Luna,” Rev presses, maintaining eye contact with her.

“I remember. I’m not coming to cause any problems, Rev,” Luna swears. “But family sticks together, through the bad times as well as the good ones.”

“That’s the only reason pres gave in to your demands,” Risk states. “Come on, the drugs are starting to kick in and the four idiots are nice and lazed back.”

Luna and I glance at each other and smile. This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for to gain some closure. It isn’t until I look deeply into Luna’s eyes that I realize she’s needed this almost as much as I have.

“Come on, sis. It’s showtime,” I say, standing up and lifting her with me. “You can call it research if you’d like, even,” I tease, deciding that maybe her seeing what’s coming will help her with the book she’s going to write.

“Go get ‘em, Tiger,” she whispers. “Afterward, I’ll make you a pitcher of margaritas and we can talk about their small dicks.”

“I’m not sure about their size, but I can say they weren’t memorable,” I pun, joking and playing off the fact that I can’t remember much about that night.

I know most of that is due to the drugs they fed me through my drink, but I’m choosing to believe it’s because their prowess sucks.

And it’s definitely going to suck to be them by the time the guys are through and I’ve said what I have to say, that’s for damn sure.