Page 1 of Viper (The Dark Angel’s MC #4)

Prologue

Lake – Age Ten

I slowly chew my bottom lip as I wring my hands together, eyeing my dad’s bedroom door wandering if I should knock or walk away.

I mean, the only thing he could do is say no, something he doesn’t really do a lot if I ask for something that I want which isn’t something I normally do but I know I’ll be upset is he doesn’t agree with this.

Okay, that was a lot of something’s…

I shake my head. I know he says he’s trying to protect me, but I’m ten and my period has just started, a period my tutor said wouldn’t happen until I was at least twelve when I asked her about it

I hear a bang, and I jump as Daddy curses behind the door.

He doesn’t sound like he’s in a good mood. Maybe I should ask another day?

But when, though? I can’t keep using tissue…

I sigh, dropping my chin to my chest, feeling conflicted. Growing up, it’s only been my dad and me, no one else. Despite working at Dark Angel’s Motors, none of the brothers know me, except for the President and his woman so it was just us and I never needed anyone else, until now.

The club has many rumors about them, some good, some bad, but Daddy works with them, so they can’t be that bad, he just didn’t think I needed anyone else around.

Maybe I could call Mrs. Lopez, the presidents old lady?

I swallow hard and eye the door before taking a deep breath, knowing I need to do this. I lift my hand to knock, but before I can tap on the wood, I jump when Daddy opens the door, about to walk out.

He halts when he looks up and sees me as I take in his appearance.

He’s in his overalls, his black hair is a mess, but his hazel eyes are assessing me, and he raises a brow in question.

“Pumpkin?” he says and I wring my hands together again, really nervous.

“Are you going to work?” I ask quietly, and he huffs as he admits, “Old man Trivers’ Chevrolet is in yet again.”

I wince. The man's car always breaks down. Daddy says it’s a classic and should be driven on special occasions, but the man loves his car and will only drive that one, meaning Daddy is the one who fixes it.

“Can I come?” I ask, and he tilts his head at me, his eyes yet again assessing me and my most likely weird behavior.

“Can I ask why?” he questions, “You never wanted to come to the garage before.”

I swallow the lump forming in my throat as I tighten my fingers together before I admit, “I want to see my mama,” really quietly, and he stills. I push through, “I’m uh, I’m ten now, Daddy and I need–”

He cuts me off and snaps, “No!” making me flinch, and I try, “But Daddy, I–” and he cuts me off again and growls, “I said no, Lake! You are not having any contact with that woman, do you understand me?!”

“That is not fair!” I tremble, “She’s my mama, and I need her!”

“Lake I said no!” he shouts making me step back with wide eyes shocked.

He’s never shouted at me before…

He shakes his head and says more calmly, “She is not a woman you need to be around, so I will only tell you this once, never will you have contact with that woman, and I don’t want to hear of it again.”

My bottom lip trembles before anger takes hold and I scream, “I hate you!”

Daddy’s mouth parts in shock, and guilt instantly fills me for saying those three words for the first time ever, and I quickly turn and run down the hallway in our apartment before rushing out the front door without a second thought.

“Lake!” Daddy shouts but I ignore him and sprint down the road, going as fast as my legs will take me.

He doesn’t get to tell me no because I want to see my mama. I need her right now with something he doesn’t know anything about and he’s being mean and selfish for denying me the opportunity to see her. He’s not being fair or thinking of me, only himself and his own feelings.

With those thoughts in mind, I disobey my father for the first time and I run to the clubhouse a mile away where I know she will be, while trying to ignore the hurt and pain I feel for telling my daddy that I hate him…

I sniffle as I stare at all the different kinds of tampons and pads an hour later, my heart hammering in chest and I wipe away the tears that won’t stop falling.

I don’t even know which ones to grab, there’s too many…

I sniffle again as my body trembles.

I don’t know what to do. Daddy was right, she doesn’t want me, she never did. I’m stupid for thinking she could help me with this, and I'm even more stupid for going to that clubhouse to begin with, not realizing the danger I had put myself in, all because I wanted to see that woman.

I never knew how dangerous the men in the club really were…

“I wonder if Cherri’s daughter will be able to suck head as well as she can?” a man says as I rush out of the clubhouse doorway, but freeze in shock at his words, my eyes wide as my tears fall hard and fast.

“Fucker, the brat is like ten or something,” another guy says, and I peek around the corner to see a large man with long blonde hair grinning as he replies, “Maybe, but she’ll be legal at eighteen, and like mother like daughter, right?”

He laughs like it’s the funniest thing he’s ever said and I flinch back as he gloats, “I’m going to make sure I’m the first one to have a ride with her.

Cherri is fucking amazing in bed, her cunt and ass a perfect fit for my cock, so just imagine how tight her daughter will be then, maybe even sooner if she grows tits quick enough. ”

I wipe away more tears as I sniffle.

The other guy who was with the first one didn’t say anything, just walked away shaking his head while the guy followed, cackling, like it’s the funniest thing to gloat about taking me.

I owe my daddy an apology, a big one. I never should have told him I hated him. I never should have thought of him as selfish. If anything, I’m the selfish one.

All he was trying to do was look out for me. He knew what she was like, knew how she’d react to seeing me, and I should have listened instead of thinking I knew best.

I should have just told him what I needed.

“Sweetheart?” I hear and I turn my head and lock eyes with light brown ones and I sniffle, wiping my tears again and whisper, “Hi Mrs. Lopez…”

The President of the Dark Angels’ wife kneels before me and cups my cheeks, gently wiping away my tears as she looks at me with concern.

I don’t know many people from the club, only the President and his wife, and they’ve always been nice to me. However, by the sounds of things, the rest of the club thinks I’m exactly like ‘Cherri’, or that I'm going to be like her anyway.

“What’s happened, sweet girl?” she asks as I hear, “Anna?” and Mrs. Lopez tenses before Brick, the President of the club, walks around the corner looking mad before he sees me and frowns, his dark blue eyes assessing me.

“Lake, sweetheart, your daddy has been looking everywhere for you,” he says as he rushes over, and my tears fall some more as he looks behind me, then his eyes soften in realization.

“I-I, I told Daddy I hated him,” I hiccup, guilt eating at me, and Mrs. Lopez's eyes soften as she promises, “He knows you didn’t mean it, Lake.”

I sob, “But I was so m-mean, I-I told him I-I wanted to see my-my mama but didn’t tell-tell him why and he said n-no and I-I shouted at him and went-went against his rules and went-went to see her.”

Mrs. Lopez tenses and Brick demands softly, “What did she say to you, sweetheart?”

I sniffle and admit, “That-that I-I was a mistake.”

My body trembles and Mrs. Lopez quickly grabs hold of me, pulling me into her arms before I hear, “Randy, I need you to come to the pharmacy, it’s Lake…” and I sob on Mrs. Lopez’s shoulder.

“Why-why didn’t she want me…” I cry, and the arms around me tighten.

“Because she’s an idiot, that is why my sweet girl. You are so special and sweet, and it is her loss, do you hear me?” Mrs. Lopez says firmly, and I nod, squeezing her tighter as my tears fall, wishing she were my mama.

I never should have gone to the club.

“Do you want me to help you here?” she whispers in my ear and I nod gently.

Pulling back, Mrs. Lopez wipes my eyes before looking at the tampons and pads behind me and says, “I think for your age, pads are the right route to go.”

I nod again, wiping away my tears as she stands before she grabs a few packets of pads and goes over to the counter, the lady looking at me with concern while Brick wraps his arm around me, holding me tightly to him and I close my eyes.

“A b-brother with long b-blond hair said he-he can’t w-wait until I’m legal to-to have me,” I whisper, and Brick tenses, and I lock eyes with Mrs. Lopez as she walks back over to me with anger, hearing my words.

“Viking,” she says, and Brick mutters, “Is no longer a brother,” tightening his arm around me as he guides me towards the door, and I mumble, “I don’t want to go to the club again…” as the hate in my mother's eyes haunts me.

“Mama?” I whisper as I tap a woman’s shoulder with red hair, my heart pounding.

Walking through the gates, I thought I was going to be sick.

The man behind the booth was looking at me suspiciously when I told him Cherri was my mama, then walking into the big room full of men in leather vests.

I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared before in my life until I heard cackling from a group of women dressed in what looks like underwear.

The man with long blonde hair asked if I was lost when I was staring at the woman and I whispered Cherri was my mama and asked for him to point her out which he did but while his eyes roamed my body making me feel uncomfortable. Even now, I can feel his eyes on me.

She turns, raising a brow at me, her dark green eyes staring at me, eyes I apparently inherited.

“I think you’ve got the wrong person, darling,” she chuckles as she moves her red hair out of her face, and I swallow hard.

I reply, “My name is Lake Marshall.”