Page 27 of His Flawed Ride (Sons of Lost Souls MC #16)
Chapter Twenty-Five
Leo
N ews of Lily’s suicide has spread around the club and Harper’s worrying me. She hasn’t said a word, only clutching what I’ve been told is Lily’s note to her. Lily’s body was taken away an hour ago and Harper hasn’t moved from the swing seat on the front porch since.
Dad sits beside her just as quiet and every now and then, she grasps onto his hand, squeezes it, and then places her hand back onto her lap.
I light a cigarette, not wanting to be here but not wanting to leave her. I give her the silent support she needs at the moment.
Until she says, “I don’t blame or hate her for doing this.” Her voice barely above a whisper. “I was so short with her, even after she came back beaten.”
“This is not your fault, darlin’,” Dad tells her.
If she were to look in his eyes, she’d see anger that Lily has done this and left Harper, though not in floods of tears, but still in obvious pain.
“Deep down I know that. She wasn’t my responsibility, and she could always manage to find herself in some sort of trouble, but she was lonely and when you’re not in a good place, you don’t make good choices.”
“I could argue with you, but you’ve lost your mom and I’m not gonna add to your grief.”
She offers dad a small, sad smile and the still, quiet air is disturbed by a motorcycle riding around the corner of the clubhouse.
Luca.
Harper stands and walks toward him. He climbs off of his bike and dad and I share a slightly stunned glance when Luca collects her in his arms.
Her shoulders bob up and down, the tears we’ve been waiting for now hitting her, while Luca rubs her back affectionately.
“Considering she knows it was Luc that ran her mom out of town, it’s a little surprising that she’s clinging to him now,” I state.
“Nah, they sorted that shit out a while ago. She drove out to the city to speak with him. For all Luca’s reputation he does care about certain people.”
I join my father on the swing seat and toss my cigarette in the ashtray.
“Did you see this coming?” I ask him.
“Like fuck. I didn’t think about her to see it coming. To be honest, I thought she was too selfish to do something like this. Between us, I’m glad she’s gone. Harper will move on in time and she’ll never have to worry about what her mother is up to again.”
“Agreed.”
Slade steps out of the house, a sullen look on his face, which is soon replaced with a manic glare when he sees Luca walking toward the house with Harper.
“I wanna talk to you!”
Luca’s shoulders set straight, and I know this action. Luca is going into fight mode.
“Harps, go in the house and tell my nephew his uncle is here,” Luca instructs.
“Why? What is this?”
“I’m guessing Slade wants to talk about me running Lily out of town.”
Slade steps toward Luca. “You’re damn fuckin’ right I do. If you hadn’t, she wouldn’t have met Hopper and she…”
“Uncle Slade, it’s all been dealt with…”
“Listen to your brother. Go in the house.”
Dad rises from the swing seat and takes Harper by the arm. Reluctantly, she allows him to walk her into the house, leaving her uncle and brother in a standoff.
“Regardless of what people think of me, I’m here for my sister cause your sister has made her cry. So to answer your questions before you waste breath asking me, I held my gun to your sister’s head and promised I’d kill her if she ever came back. That literally sums up what happened.”
Slade shakes his head. “She would’ve come to me if it was just that. What else did you do to her?”
“I’m not a fuckin’ liar. I didn’t do shit to her. I didn’t need to. She believed me and did as I told her… well, until she did come back of course.”
“Why? Why run her out of town?”
“Because she’s… was , a cunt. I wasn’t prepared to watch her upset my mother and sister any longer.”
Slade flies down off the porch steps and Luca is quick to step out of his way.
“I don’t want to hurt you, old man,” Luca jibes.
“You patronising fuck.”
“Not patronising, truth. You know yourself what your sister was like, you won’t get an apology outta me.”
Slade rushes him and I stand. JJ and Dad come out of the house and together we pull them apart. Luca doesn’t throw a single punch.
“Slade! Cut this shit out!” Dad bellows. “Let’s go get a fuckin’ drink.”
“I don’t want a fuckin’ drink.” He shrugs dad off and storms over to Zach and Nina’s house.
Luca slaps the dust from his cut and smiles at Dad. “Hey, father dearest. Good day for us, shit for Harps.”
I roll my eyes as Dad mutters, “Fuckin’ hell, son. Read the room, this is why people wanna punch you.”
“What can I say? It’s my charm.”
Together we walk into the house and find Jay with Harper and Gunner in the living room with Mom.
JJ tips his head asking if shit is okay, and I nod once.
“I can’t stay long,” Luca begins. “I wanted to check in on you and make sure you’re doing okay.”
Harper smiles. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
“Tor wanted to come but I told her to stay home. She’ll be here for the funeral if you need her.”
“Shit, I’ve got to sort out arrangements…”
“It can wait for today,” Mom tells her. “And we’ll help you. You won’t have to go through it alone.”
Harper nods and Gunner finally notices Luca. His grin grows and he toddles over to my brother. Luca whisks him up and walks with him out the back door and into the back yard. I can’t bear the grief any longer filling every corner of the room and follow him outside.
I close the door behind me and fall onto the garden bench. Gunner’s laughter as Luc chases him around is a nice change to murmurs of mourning.
Gunner is soon distracted with toys and Luca joins me.
“You really need to learn some tact, brother.”
“I know when to be tactful. Slade knew what Lily was like. He’s acting like she was an angel.”
“He was already feeling guilty about her getting beaten, grief makes people remember lost ones in a different light.”
“Whatever. She’s gone now, that’s all I care about.”
“You care about Harper too, and no matter what we all thought about Lily, she was still her mom.”
“Harps is strong. This won’t drag her down.”
“You seem to be sure about that.”
“Cause I am. She’s like us, and like I said, she’s strong. Not weak like her pathetic excuse of a mother.”
“I don’t disagree, but seriously, Luca, keep this shit to yourself at the funeral.”
Mom slips out of the back door and joins us, sitting herself between us.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had both of my sons in the same place.” Her smile wanes as she looks to Luca. “I heard what you told Slade. You shouldn’t have done what you did to Lily. She didn’t bother me…”
“I saw you crying many times after it came out Harper was dad’s daughter, especially when you thought you were home alone.”
“It was my battle to fight. You might be stronger than me physically and think you know best but that was my business, and I was handling it myself.”
Luca shrugs. “I wouldn’t change it even if I could.”
“I know, because I know you. Lily is gone now, and Harper will need her brothers for a while. Luca, call her a couple times a day after you leave.”
“Sure,” he promises, then she adds, “And for the love of God, please keep your opinions to yourself at the funeral.”
I laugh. It’s not just me that knows Luca so well.
Gunner toddles over and goes straight to Grandma. Mom picks him up and sets him on her lap.
“You know, when me and your dad first got together, I visioned my life being like this down the road. I didn’t account for a stepdaughter, but I knew before then that life is always laughing at you and the only way not to be sucked down by it is to laugh right along with it.
Harper is the daughter I never had, she’s the sister you never had, and now, I wouldn’t change it.
We’re a family, and this little guy along with your children are proof that we’re laughing harder and louder, and our family is growing strong. ”
Mom has always had such a positive outlook on life considering the hurt and grief she’s endured. She lost both her parents before her eight birthday. She’s lost brothers she thought of as blood uncles and her brothers. But throughout it all, she’s remained positive.
Excusing myself, I make my way out of the side gate and light another cigarette. Nora catches my eye, stood on my porch, on the phone. I wonder who the fuck she’s talking to? Just the sight of her makes the pains in my chest return.