Chapter 2
I looked at her blue eyes and freckled face and said, “Can I have a Dr Pepper, please? I will go with what you recommend next time. I can try something new. Thank you, Lisa. My name is Layla.”
“Nice to meet you,” Lisa replied, her smile widening as she jotted down my order. “I’ll be back in a few minutes with your Dr Pepper.”
I have my drawing pad and pencils out, and I'm drawing a tattoo I’d worked on for years. I sell them to my godfather's tattoo artist, and they put all the money in an account. Every dollar from those sales went into an account my godfather set up for me, locked tight in some bank no one could touch. No one can buy them off and try to access it, he’d told me once. I don't know why but he said it was his job to take care of me now.
Lisa brings my Dr Pepper and says “your food will be out soon,” then turns to help another table.
I flipped to a fresh page and started sketching, the pencil scratching softly against the paper. This design was for me, a tattoo I’d been planning for my birthday. Six dragonflies. One will be bigger and have my dad's name on it, and then Montgomery under it. The tattoo artist Tats at Spirit MC will do it for me. I couldn’t wait to feel the needle’s sting, to make this piece of me real.
Lisa set a steaming plate of chicken parmesan in front of me, and the rich scent of marinara and melted cheese filled the air.
“Thank you, Lisa,” I said, closing my sketchpad and setting my pencil aside, then I ate. She gave me a quick nod, sliding the check onto the table before moving to greet the new group.
When I'm almost done, the bell above the diner door jingles, pulling me out of my focus. A group walked in—five men and three women, their leather cuts marked with the Wolf MC patch. The president, VP, and sergeant-at-arms led the pack.
I keep eating, not paying attention to them. Then I hear a low, rough voice muttered, “Why’s she everywhere?”. I get up, close my book, and put $50 on the table. The Wolf MC group was still talking, their voices a low hum, but I didn’t look back. I pushed through the glass door, the bell jingling behind me, and stepped into the cool night air. My 2015 Chevy Silverado was parked a few spaces down, and I drove home.
When I get home, I unload and put everything away, then I walk into my main house with a bag full of food for them as well, and there is a note.
We went to a welcome BBQ, see you tomorrow.
Hell, it wasn’t even three in the afternoon, and they just didn't plan on coming back. Oh well. Well, guess I wasn't invited, oh well. The sting was dull, familiar, like a bruise I’d stopped noticing.
Back in my own space, I pulled out the crockpot I’d bought, its box still sealed from Walmart. I set it on the counter, the weight of routine grounding me. I grabbed a roast from the fridge, seasoned it with salt, pepper, garlic, and onion, and poured in a can of beef broth, the savory scent already filling the small kitchen as I set it on high. I poured myself a cup of coffee, the bitter warmth steadying my hands, and settled at the small table with my drawing pad and pencils. Outside, the faint thrum of music and laughter drifted from the BBQ across the complex, a party I hadn’t been invited to. Not one call, not one text.
Fine, I thought, flipping open my pad. I’d focus on my work, sketches that would add to the account my godfather kept safe for me.
I was halfway through a new design when my phone buzzed, the screen lighting up with Godfather. I smiled for the first time all day and picked up. “Hello?”
“Hey, sweetheart. Do you want me to bring your wolves tomorrow or today?”
“Today, please!” I said. I hadn’t seen them since the move.
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” Marcus said. “Tats, Rock, and Star will be with me. I’m sure Tanner will show up eventually. Star’s bringing them in her truck for you.”
“Okay, see you soon,” I said, hanging up.
I see the laptop and phone. Uncle Rick’s warning echoed, and I decided not to take chances. Well, I guess I should put those away for now. I walked to the small desk in the corner, where a fireproof safe was built into the bottom drawer. It was one of the few things I’d insisted on installing when I moved in. He didn’t say who could see it, so it's better not to take any chances. I knelt, punched in the code, and locked the laptop and phone inside. Whatever was on that laptop, it could wait until I was alone, until I could trust no one was watching.
The rumble of engines and the crunch of tires on gravel snapped me out of my thoughts. I stood, glancing out the window. Star’s black pickup truck pulled up. Before I could step outside, I saw Mom striding across the lot, her voice carried through the open window.
“What are you doing here? We just left today. Do you always have to follow her?”
Star, leaning against her truck with her arms crossed, didn’t flinch. “We're bringing the wolves to Layla to protect her. We know you, and that MC right there will let her get hurt and not even come check on her, so get used to the visits. ”
Her words were a blade, cutting through the tension, and I felt a surge of gratitude for her loyalty, even as Mom’s face tightened. Then I walk out and she says, “Hey, bestie. How are you? Let's go look at your apartment.”
Before Mom could snap back, the president of the Wolf MC strode over from the BBQ, his boots heavy on the gravel. “Deacon, why are you here with this troublemaker?” he said, his voice loud enough to carry over the music. “Come join the party and forget her.”
Marcus didn’t even blink. “Tank, if all you believe is what others have to say about this young girl without actually investigating this family, you’re one stupid SOB,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “I did plan on signing an alliance, but from that comment alone, I can tell you’ve got some growing up to do. Bye now.” He turned, motioning to his crew. “Let’s go down, guys. Rock, will you grab the bag of goodies we got for Zero and Lady? Plus, the one we got for our Princess.”
So we all go down, and Deacon asks, “Why aren't you over there with them?”
I point to the paper on the counter then put food and water down for the dogs and I cut up potatoes at the island.
“So, you weren’t invited?” he asked, his voice soft but edged with anger. “Well, after that conversation out there, I can see why you wouldn’t go even if you were.”
I shrugged, grabbing bowls to set out food and water for the wolves, their eager nudges making the space feel less empty. “I didn’t know if I was or wasn’t,” I said, moving to the kitchen island to cut potatoes for the roast. “My towels were missing or stolen by them, so I went to get more. Found my sheets cut to hell, too. I’m sure they were looking for the paperwork you gave me from Dad’s, but that won’t happen. No one knows how to find where I put them. When I left, they were upstairs. When I came back with food for them, I found the note. It’s fine. I don’t like their president. He’s judging me without knowing me. They listen to whatever BS he spouts and don’t do background checks, which is bad for any MC.”
We sat around the table, the roast’s savory aroma filling the air, as Rock moved quietly through the apartment, his small device scanning for bugs. He found ten small, black dots hidden in corners and under furniture. Without a word, he collected them and slipped upstairs to plant them in Mom’s place, a silent middle finger to their snooping. Let them listen to their nonsense.
The door burst open, and Tanner stormed in, his work boots still dusted with sawdust from the shop. His voice carried from the lot, loud and pissed. “What the fuck? Why wouldn’t you invite her? She’s your VP’s girlfriend’s daughter, and the rest of her family’s here!”
“She doesn’t belong here,” Tank’s voice shot back.
“Oh, I get it,” Tanner snapped. “Her stupid brothers and mother got into your ear. She’s not the troublemaker, but have fun with that. Bye. I don’t respect a president who believes the snake instead of investigating.”
I caught Star’s eye and nodded toward the door. “Go get him,” I said. She jogged out, and I turned to Marcus, Tats, and Rock, their faces dark with anger.