Page 23 of Viper (The Dark Angel’s MC #4)

Viper – Two Weeks Later

I swallow hard as I lean against the hood of my car and eye the big brown door while my heart fucking pounds and my palms sweat.

It’s been two weeks since I last saw Lake. She was supposed to come home last week, but requested an extra week, which is good, I guess, that she realized she needed longer, but it was fucking hard because Dr. Gren suggested she doesn’t have any visitors.

I ended up bringing another shirt that I had worn the day before and another box of cinnamon buns, not caring that it was a four-hour round trip anyway, especially knowing the tee I had given her would no longer smell like me.

I’d drive to the other end of the earth if she’d asked me to.

I chew my bottom lip, not taking my eyes off the door.

She doesn’t know it’s me picking her up. I spoke to Randy, and we both agreed that I can pick her up so we can talk while he finishes her room for her return.

With the help of Psycho, Blade, their women and Callum who was devastated that he missed the signs of her depression, we packed up Lake’s bungalow she was renting, handed in her keys and instead of bringing it all to my home, we took it back to her childhood home.

That pissed me the fuck off and that fucker Randy decided to give me a deal so I couldn’t fight him.

He’ll stay at the garage if I allow Lake to choose when she moves in with me.

The way Blade fucking pouted at me…

I shake my head. Of course, I had to accept, especially when Ivy made her eyes tear up, so now, Lake is moving back in with her dad, and I’ve got to take it.

He promised to keep a watchful eye on her, and so has Callum.

Apparently, she’s returning to work when she gets back, her therapist agreeing it would be a good idea for her to get back to a normal routine.

Work and school.

They’re all fuckers, I’d rather wrap her up in cotton wool and bring her everywhere I go.

The doors open, and I stand up straight as a fearful Lake walks out wearing my shirt over her long-sleeved one, hiding her wrists, wheeling her suitcase, and without a thought, I move towards her up the steps, causing her to look my way.

Her lips part as the wind blows some of her loose hair into her face.

“Hey,” I whisper when near, and I gently tuck her hair behind her ear and place a kiss on her forehead while taking her suitcase from her.

“You’re here,” she whispers in shock, and I smile gently at her and wrap my arm around her waist before lifting up her suitcase and gently guiding her down the steps to my car.

“Of course I am,” I murmur as I guide her to the passenger side and open the door before helping her in, all while she looks at me in shock.

Chuckling, I click her in before placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, then shutting her door. I put her suitcase in the trunk, then walk to the driver’s side as I take my cut off and climb in.

“Hold this for me, shorty?” I ask as I pass her my cut, and she takes it before pressing it against her nose, and my eyes soften as hers close.

I really fucking hope we can overcome our issues...

Swallowing hard, I start my car and put it in gear before pulling off from the curb. Then, as if on instinct, I gently place my hand over her bump, rubbing it as our daughter moves underneath my palm. I move my hand to her leg, covering her thigh and clutching it.

“Harder, Jaylen, please,” she gasps as I thrust hard and fast, keeping one leg above her head so I can reach that sweet spot.

Fuck, I really cannot get a hard-on right now. I know I haven’t had sex in six months, the last time when we made our daughter, but getting hard will get me no fucking favors.

Shaking away the sexy as fuck memory that I’ll most likely jack off to later, I pick up speed.

“Dad didn’t want to come?” she asks quietly after a few minutes, and I snort, making her side eye me with a raised brow.

“Your dad and I have had a few disagreements this week, so him giving me this wasn’t a choice,” I admit and her brows hit her hairline in shock. I chuckle, “Yeah, this was what I was promised, as well as him staying on at the garage if I allowed him to move you back home.”

“Dad’s staying at the garage?” she confirms with a smile, and I nod and look back at the road, replying, “He is, though it wasn’t easy not to just say fuck it and take all your shit to my house.”

“You did not just call my stuff shit!” she says with warning, and I grin with a shrug, making her huff.

“Sorry, but you don’t need all that makeup stuff, you look perfect without it,” I say, and her cheeks heat with the blush I love oh so much that makeup would usually hide, and I smirk.

“It’ll be weird living back at home,” she murmurs, and I promise, “It’s only temporary, Lake, just to make sure you don’t relapse, and after today, I’m going to ensure Cherri is kicked out of the club.”

She sighs, “You don’t need to do that, she has nowhere else to go.”

“I don’t give a shit,” I snap, making her look at me with wide eyes, but I ignore it and growl, “If the kids weren’t around at Sky and Fury’s wedding, I would have choked her to death. Her words are what sent you over, Lake.”

“I know,” she whispers, “but I won’t let her affect me again, I promise, Viper.”

“Jaylen,” I snap, making her jump, and I sigh.

Fuck I really need to control my anger.

I murmur, “Sorry, just, Jaylen alright, Viper doesn’t sound right coming out of your mouth, it never has.”

“Okay,” she whispers, looking at me with concern, and I get it, I’m wired, I can’t help it, two weeks not seeing her was hard, fuck knows how I managed two months, though the fact I kept riding from place to place may have helped a little.

“When was the last time you went to the gym?” she questions, knowing that it is my way of release.

“Before I killed Joey,” I admit.

I had hoped that going nomad would soothe me, but it didn’t.

“You did what?!” she demands with shock, and I look her way quickly before looking back at the road. I admit, “You were drunk, Lake, and he took advantage of you. Not only that, Venom managed to catch on video that he slipped you a date rape drug, a small amount, but enough to make you compliant.”

Fucker is lucky I already killed him because when I found that information out, I was ready for war. Blade did mention he said something about it when I was hitting him which is why Venom looked more at the cameras, but I was in a rage, everything he said didn't register.

“Oh god,” she gasps.

“Yeah, although I didn’t know that at the time when I beat him to death. He’d gloated at the strip club about how he had you, how you could barely stand, which is how I had found out. He recorded you, shorty,” I finish and she clears her throat.

“Okay, so I’m glad he’s dead,” she admits, and I chuckle, gently squeezing her thigh before rubbing my thumb over it.

She’s quiet for a little while before she speaks again and whispers, “There’s so much hurt and pain between us.”

I swallow the lump forming and agree, “There is.”

“So what happens now?” she asks really quietly, and my heart pounds as I ask, “What do you want to happen? Do you want to coparent, or are you still adamant about adoption?”

I want to ask if she can learn to forgive me and work on us, but I know I need to tread carefully and deal with one thing at a time.

“Would she be accepted in the club?” she asks, and I squeeze her leg again and reply, “She will, and if one fucker tries to make her feel like they did you, I’d kill them, I don’t care who, our daughter is my priority, I promise.”

She hums but doesn’t reply, so I keep my mouth shut, allowing her to think.

I know she’s most likely discussed this with the therapist, so I need her to consider it. If she comes up with adoption again, I won’t allow it.

Fuck what Randy offered, I’ll handcuff her to my bed until she realizes she can’t live without me and our daughter.

Fucking stupid depression, we’ll kick its ass together, I’ll make sure of it, and I’ll spend the rest of my life ensuring she knows how sorry I am for not fighting for us sooner.

An hour and a half later, I pull up against the curb of her dad's house, Randy waiting on the porch already, and I swallow hard.

I want her with me, but I know she needs this.

She spent the rest of the drive in her head while she traced the tattoos on my hand that was on her thigh the whole time.

“I’m going to give you full custody,” she whispers as her dad opens my trunk and grabs her bag.

“Lake–”

She cuts me off and whispers, “I drank heavily, I cut knowing the danger I was putting her in, she deserves more than me.”

My heart fucking tears open at her words, and I ask, “And what about me?” needing to know as her hand goes to the handle.

“You deserve more as well,” she chokes before climbing out, and I look forward, breathing heavily.

She’s putting all the blame on herself when she shouldn’t.

“I’ll meet you inside, pumpkin,” I hear Randy say before he opens my door and crouches down. “Son?” he questions and I mutter, “She thinks me and our daughter deserve more than her.”

“Fuck,” he curses.

I look at him and demand, “I need you to talk to her, Randy, this isn’t just about her depression, this is about her guilt with not only cutting while pregnant, but sleeping with someone else.

She didn’t say it, but she wouldn’t look me in the eye.

She won’t listen to me, but she will to you, please. ”

“I’ll speak to her, son,” he promises and clutches my shoulder, stating, “Drive safely,” and I nod as he closes my door.

I look at her house to see her looking out the window at me, and I nod. All the shit that was said, the feeling of her being a patch chaser over the months, none of it matters.

She’s my heart, and I won’t allow her to give up on us, on me.

With that thought in mind, I put my car into gear and drive off, heading to the clubhouse, trying to come up with a plan.

If she gives up on me, on our daughter, she’ll regret it and go down a dark path, and I won’t have that.

***

I sigh as I walk back into the clubhouse ten minutes later, the common room full, and Cannon shouts, “Yo Viper, where in the fuck have you been, brother? You missed church .”

I look up to see everyone looking at me before I lock eyes with Blade, and he tilts his head, and I know he’s got my back, and I know it is time to tell everyone the truth about Lake.

I side-eye Cherri before I announce, “I just got back from dropping Lake off at her dad's after she’s just spent four weeks at Graves Medical Facility, which is where I’ve been going every week.”

My dad stands with shock while everyone quiets, not knowing what to say, though I do hear Cherri whisper, “Fucking bitch is trying to trap a brother by faking suicide, seriously, using his mama’s attempt to get his dad?”

I grit my teeth and send her a harsh glare for comparing my girl with that woman, making her flinch.

The other clubwhores to look away before I address the brothers and admit, “For years she’s been called a whore, a patch chaser, way before she was even born all because of who she was born from and well, she couldn’t handle it.

She started cutting three months ago and four weeks ago, after Cherri,” I glare at the bitch, “said some shit at the wedding, she cut too deep. I found her in the shower, drenched in her own blood, just managing to get to her in time before her,” I take a deep breath, “and our daughter could die.”

I look around the room at the shocked faces, and I threaten, “If I hear one comment about her trying to trap me like that bitch then I fucking promise, brother or not, I will slice your throat.”

“With all due respect, Viper,” Dirty pipes up, “How do you know she didn’t trap you?”

I raise a brow as Blade cuts in, “How about the fact she didn’t tell him she was pregnant?”

Dirty winces and mutters, “Alright, that would definitely prove it. Normally, they show up with the stick.”

Brothers nod in agreement, and I sigh and say, “She’s been trying to put the baby up for adoption behind my back.”

“Fuck off!” my dad shouts, “ No stranger is bringing up my granddaughter!”

I give him a sad smile. I know this probably sounds a little familiar to him. The only difference is that Lake didn’t tell anyone.

Swallowing, I admit, “They won’t be, but I just have to convince her she should be in her daughter’s life, my life.”

“What do you mean?” Blade questions and I swallow again, my throat dry, before admitting, “The reason why she wanted to place our daughter up for adoption is because she doesn’t want a label being put on her head like she had.

She didn’t want her to be homeschooled and have to walk down the street with people whispering and wondering if she’ll turn into a patch chaser like she was accused of even at the age of five,” the brothers flinch with shame, “Her therapist managed to help her see that the club wouldn’t do that, that I wouldn’t allow you all to, I’d rather hang up my cut first,” Blade growls but I ignore him.

I admit, “Before I dropped her off she said she’s giving me full custody. ”

“Fuck,” Dirty rasps and Anna snaps, “That is not fucking happening, I’ll make sure of it!”

“Randy’s going to speak to her, she thinks she doesn’t deserve to be a mama, doesn’t deserve me after everything.

She has really bad depression, and every day will be difficult for her.

We just have to make sure she doesn’t relapse.

She’s finally gained some more weight and is looking healthy again, and the doc has given her the okay to return to work. ”

“I’m sorry, Viper,” Brick says, and I look his way with everyone else. He sighs, “I allowed the brothers to make shit up, to treat her poorly when I knew the girl. I knew how sweet she was, and I’m sorry I didn’t step in because then maybe just maybe, you two would be okay right now.”

“We can’t change the past,” I reply, “We just have to do better.”

He nods and Blade announces, “One malicious word or mutter about Lake or her daughter, I will be taking your patch and clubwhores, you’ll be booted out of the clubhouse as well as any old lady who opens their mouth.”

The brothers nod before Dirty states, “I say we celebrate. While Lake is recovering and thankfully okay, Viper here is going to be a fucking daddy!”

The brothers cheer, and I half-smile before locking eyes with Blade, who nods me over. I sigh, doing as told, knowing I can't disappear.

Fuck I hope Randy can talk some sense into her because I can guarantee she won’t like my way…