Page 23

Dante

I knew Rachel was looking for a reaction, which is why I was ignoring her attempts to draw me into an argument. Bee saw a lot for a five-year-old, but she wasn’t going to see me lose my shit because some woman was throwing a bitch fit that she didn’t get to cum this morning.

Although, watching her with Bee, it was clear I had made one correct judgement in my assessment of her.

She was as brilliant with her as she was the boy from the Greasy Spoon.

She had a natural affinity with children, and I could see Bee warming to her more and more.

She was telling her about her time in America, and how the boy she had looked after – Joseph – had been trying to learn English slang.

Rachel did an American accent trying to do a British accent, and it had Bee cackling into her cereal.

“Can I be done, Daddy?” Bee asked me, showing me her empty bowl.

I just nodded at her and watched as she scooted off the chair and rushed to the kitchen.

She knew the bar would soon be filled with the bikers, so she was excited to get dressed and spend the day with them.

She fitted in perfectly, a proper little biker.

I was just about to feel some hope arise out of the shitty decisions I had made, when my mother chose that moment to strike.

“You know,” she said, her voice sweet enough, unless you knew her. And I knew her. I could hear the poison in it as she leaned towards Rachel. “You should be setting boundaries with that girl.”

“Really?” Rachel replied, eyeing my mother up and down. “And how would you suggest I do that?”

“Well, you’re not here to be her friend, are you?”

“Am I not, no? You tell me then, Big Mama,” Rachel replied, sarcasm dripping from her voice. “What am I supposed to be to her?”

“As an old lady—”

“That’s not what I asked. I couldn’t give two flying fucks about being an old lady. I asked what I was supposed to be to her, to Bee.”

“You could try being a mother.”

“I’m not her mother. Next.”

Macbeth and my dad must have realised this was getting serious as their tones got harder and firmer. Both of them lifted their heads from their food and paid close attention, cringing as hard as I knew I must be doing. My mother didn’t take kindly to people calling her out.

“You will be her mother.”

“Says who?”

“As Dante’s old lady—”

“Well, let me just stop you there. I’m not his old lady. I have no intention of being his old lady.”

“It’s a good job, because you’re clearly not up for the job.”

“What!” Rachel gasped, clutching her hands close to her chest. “I’m not up to the job of being the old lady? Ruling over this shit hole? Oh, no… anyway…”

“How is it you think I’ve spent twenty years running this place? Because I can assure you, it wasn’t with sarcasm.”

“Pointless question, because I don’t think you’ve spent any time running this place,” Rachel replied with a shrug, stealing another piece of toast from my dad and giving him a small, flirty wink. He grinned back at her, and I could tell he already liked her.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re excused. Are you off to be a grandma, since establishing the roles in Bee’s life is so important to you?”

Pride made my mother’s spine straighten as she ignored Rachel and went back to her point.

“I’ve been the leader of this club for so long because I’m firm.

Was I my children’s best friend? No. But did I have their respect?

You bet your ass I did. People might not be my friend, but I’ve got the respect of everyone—”

“Yeah,” Rachel interrupted, stretching the word out as she sucked the breath between her teeth. “I’m just not sure I buy that.”

My god, did the woman never shut her fucking mouth?

“What don’t you believe?”

“Well, you’re a mouthy little gobshite. I’ll give you that, and you’re certainly full of opinions no one asked for. And I’m sure that worked in your favour – at least in the beginning. But let’s not sit here and pretend that’s kept you at the top.”

“Now who’s full of opinions?”

Rachel laughed. “Is this your ‘gotcha’ moment? I’ll go on record that this opinion is fact.

” She leant forward, resting her elbows on the table, and linked her fingers under her chin.

“You’re the old lady because you went on your knees and worshipped at the holy stick of every biker here, like the good little club whore you were.

Crash here,” she nodded her head towards my dad.

“Liked your skills enough to pick you up and keep you as his little trophy. But that’s not enough, is it?

Because how could Crash possibly keep such a prestige position when he wedded and bedded the club whore?

That’s when you bred your little biker heir and a spare.

That kept you in the favour of the followers for a while.

Now, you get to be the loudmouth bitch, because you rely on the muscles of your sons to keep the order.

Did I nail it, or have I missed some vital piece of information? ”

My mum stood up, her chair falling to the ground as she leant over the table, slamming her hands down in front of Rachel.

To give her credit, she didn’t even flinch. She remained exactly where she was.

“Did I touch a nerve?” She asked pleasantly.

“I am the leader of this club because—”

“Are you the leader, though? I know enough about the club to know you’re nothing.

Your old man is the leader. You’re just the whore at his side,” Rachel interrupted, sitting back in her chair and putting her feet up on the chair next to her.

“If I’m to be Dante’s old lady, and Dante is due to take over this club, what will that make you?

Which is the reason why you’re so angry right now.

You’re intimidated by me. You fear me, because you know that if I play the cards a certain way, I can take everything from you, all because your son is desperate to fuck me. ”

“That’s enough,” I said, standing up and grabbing Rachel by her upper arm and hauled her to her feet. “You won’t speak to my mother that way.”

“Her attitude receives my attitude,” she spat back, ripping her arm out of my grasp. “She drew the battle line; I just had the balls to meet her head on. It’s not my fault none of you have ever put her in her place before!”

She stormed out of the room without a backwards glance. I shot an apologetic glance at my mother, who looked absolutely livid, and went to chase after her.

“Don’t walk away from me, Rachel.” I called once I was out of the bar.

She was already halfway up the stairs, and instead of stopping, she just lifted her hand and raised her middle finger over her shoulder.

I raced up after her, taking the stairs two at a time, and grabbed hold of her once more when we were both at the top.

“I’m getting real fucking sick and tired of your hands on me, Dante. I’m not a fucking rag doll.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I hissed in her face, noting the way her green eyes were sparkling in her anger, the way her blonde hair framed her face. It was still mussed up from our interrupted session earlier, and it absolutely reeked of sex appeal.

“I might have problems, Dante, but they’re nothing compared to the fucking God complex—”

I kissed her. I was sick and tired of her fucking attitude, and this was the only way I knew to shut her up. I didn’t realise it was possible to both love and hate a mouth so fucking much.

She leant into me almost immediately, her body surrendering to mine, but just as I pressed us closer together, she clamped her teeth down on me and tugged her head sharply to the side, taking a chunk of skin with her. I felt the blood drip down my chin the second her lips left mine.

She threw her head back defiantly and placed her hands on her hips. “Don’t fucking touch me. I don’t need you chasing after me playing the saviour. I don’t need your mother’s approval. I don’t fucking need any of you.”

“What the fuc—”

“You might think you’re a fucking god, Dante, but you’re just like your mother.

And like her, you need knocking down a peg or two.

Don’t delude yourself into thinking a simple kiss can silence anyone, least of all me.

And don’t think so little of me to believe I’m that sex starved and desperate for attention that I’d fall for your tricks! ”

She turned, and all but ran to her room, slamming the door behind her.

I almost followed.

Almost.

But if I followed her into that room, I would kill her.