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CHAPTER

SEVEN

CONAN

“What the fuck is that noise?” I ask, cupping my ears as I leap from my seat and begin to rush toward the doors.

Glancing over my shoulder, I notice Kodiak’s head hung as he thumps his fingers on the table. He doesn’t look like a man who’s about to get up and go research the reason behind why there’s a piercing noise echoing throughout the clubhouse.

I stop moving long enough to ask, “Brother, are you coming?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there shortly,” he answers, waving his hand through the air.

“Kodiak, anything you’d like to share with the rest of us before we go charging in?” I continue, noticing that every man in attendance has stalled long enough to see what’s going on with their pres, and listen for what he has to tell us.

“Luna’s baking. According to your woman, she’s not great at that,” Kodiak tells us.

“What are you talking about? Luna’s a fantastic cook,” Hemi declares.

“Cook, yes,” Kodiak answers with a nod of his head. “Bake, not so much from what Demi shared with me. Let’s just say things catch on fire when she tries.”

“For fuck’s sake!” I yell, rushing out of the room, intent on keeping the clubhouse from going up in flames.

I get he doesn’t want to upset his woman more than she probably already is, but she’s his woman not mine and he needs to be her emotional support because I’m going to be in fireman mode.

And there are times I can get prickly when I’m in a rush, I can’t be cognizant of not hurting her feelings.

All I’ll need from her is for her to get the hell out of the way.

“Conan!” Kodiak shouts my name. Once again, I turn around to look my brother in the eye. “Be kind. Please. She’s… hormonal.”

“Did she know she catches shit on fire when she bakes?” I ask.

“Yes,” he sighs.

“Then she knew better, brother. If you want to keep her from bawling her eyes out, you need to get off your ass and come with me. Her feelings aren’t going to be my top priority.”

With that warning clearly issued, I run from the room as fast as my feet can take me and into the kitchen where I see Demi’s arms wrapped around Luna as she cries into her neck and our brother, Risk, putting out the fire with the extinguisher.

I level a furious expression at Demi and she stares back at me with a cautionary look I haven’t seen from her, at least not aimed my way. I’ve never been one who minds their Ps and Qs so I start my interrogation. “What the fuck happened?”

“The recipe didn’t go as planned,” Demi answers on behalf of Luna.

Crossing my arms across my shoulders and planting my feet firmly on the floor, I ask, “How so?”

“The brandy caught on fire in the oven,” my woman states. “It was accidental, Conan.”

“Is this something known to happen?” I snark. “Because my brother said it’s a known occurrence.”

“Did he now?” Demi returns, her eyes full of piss and vinegar.

“He did when I asked him about it,” I apprise her.

She remorsefully bobs her head and confirms what my brother told me. “It happens from time to time, but not every time.”

When I glance over at Luna, I lose my steam because she looks regretful, apologetic, and I have a feeling she’s beaten herself up enough and doesn’t need me to say anything to make it worse.

“Are you okay, Luna?” I ask my sister.

“Yeah,” she answers around her tears. “I’m so sorry, Conan. I followed the recipe to a T. This shouldn’t have happened.”

“But it did and everyone is alright,” I digress. “I’m sorry I came in like a bull charging the red flag. You can’t do shit like that to me, sister. The old beater can’t take it.” I tap my palm over where my heart rests and send her pleading eyes.

“Luna. Come here, baby,” Kodiak says as he shoves his way through the throng of brothers.

Her steps are hesitant, but she eventually shuffles through the crowd and shoves herself into his chest. He leans down and whispers something to her, and she responds by nodding her head, wiping her tears and snot on his shirt.

It worked for Kodiak, so I try it for myself. “Demi. Come here, beautiful.”

She snorts at me and says, “Conan. You come here.” My eyes widen at her words because she not only said them in front of my brothers but did so with a disparaging tone.

When she notices the displeased emotion coating my face she rolls her eyes and stomps her way over.

“I’m not a dog, Conan. If you want something from me, ask, don't demand it and snap at me.”

“I didn’t snap,” I contend.

“Whatever,” she says, her sass dominating her voice. “You won’t leash me, Conan. Been there, done that, got the nightmares to prove it. It will never happen again.”

“Who leashed you?” I ask, my tone laced with venom.

“I told you about that,” she excuses.

I peer into her eyes, anger riding me hard enough I could spit fire. “You most certainly did not. I’d remember a conversation like that, Demi.”

“I’m sorry, Conan. I could’ve sworn I told you,” she apologizes.

“Well, you didn’t,” I humph. “But I think we should talk about it later. These are things I need to know so I don’t do or say anything to trigger you, Demoness.”

“Okay. I appreciate that but nothing you could do would set me off, Conan. Whenever we’re together, the ghosts from the past don’t rear their ugly heads. I know that you’ll take care of me and never let anything bad happen. I trust you.”

That declaration hits me in the gut like a sledgehammer, nearly bowing me over. “That makes me happy, babe. I’m glad I give you that.”

“Brothers, back to church,” Kodiak issues, pecking Luna on the cheek.

“I’m not sure how long we’ll be, but we’re moving forward with your ex co-workers,” I provide. Telling her in not so many words that those ghosts will soon be laid to rest.

“Yeah?” she asks, pulling back from me and keeping her eyes glued to mine.

“Yeah. That’s what today’s church is about, Demi.”

“Thank you,” she whispers. “On not only my behalf, but for all women. If they got away with doing what they did to me, they’ll try to implement that plan again and their next victim may not be as lucky as I was.”

“How’s that, Demi?”

“I’m well known because of my old pastime activities.

If I had suddenly gone missing, it would’ve been shouted from the rooftops and an inquiry would take place.

Not everyone has that, Conan. I may not have had many friends back then, but I was respected in the underworld and everyone knew I’d never miss a scheduled fight unless I was in a bad way.

Those men and women I fought alongside would've moved Heaven and Hell to locate me and they wouldn’t have been nice about how they went to get those answers. ”

“Conan, move it,” Kodiak orders.

“Coming, pres. Give me a second. I’m gaining more information on our targets.”

“See you at church,” he tells me as he moves out of the kitchen, which is now empty, outside of Luna.

Normally, I’d demand she leave too, but she helps Demi stay emotionally and mentally intact so I let her stick around for that purpose if nothing else. Plus, Demi is more vocal when she’s around, so that’s a plus.

“I wish I had more time to spend with you since you’re in a sharing mood, baby. But I really have to go. Can we take this up later?”

“Yes. I don’t mean to keep things from you, Conan. But there’s so much that I sometimes forget you don’t know everything,” she justifies.

I’m not always great at using my words, especially when there’s a topic that fires me up, so instead of saying anything I peck the crown of her head with my lips and squeeze her hips.

“No apologies, Demi. You tell me what feels right when the time is right, okay?”

“Okay,” she mimics. “Tonight, I’ll give you the cliff notes version of my life.”

“As long as you’re prepared to expand on those things if I have questions, that works for me,” I convey. “Gotta go, baby.”

“I’ll be here with Luna if you need me,” she clarifies.

“I have both of our work laptops in Kodiak’s office. We’ll be in there working if that need arises,” Luna informs me.

“Thank you, sister,” I say, leaning over and squeezing her shoulder. “No more baking, got it?”

“Got it,” they simultaneously say. Both of them have mirthful amusement twirling in their eyes.

“Be good,” I issue the command as I leave them to themselves. There’s never a dull moment when it comes to my woman and sister. I can hear their giggles follow me down the hallway which has me smirking.

When I waltz into church, everyone is already in their seats, and once I plop my ass into mine, Kodiak bangs the gavel and our meeting officially begins.