Legend (Requiem MC #6)

Chapter One Bad Moon Rising

Legend

I stood next to Fate as Zed officiated over the double wedding.

My MC brothers were getting married. The twins were anyway. Justice stood as Liberty's best man and I stood as Fate’s. Glory and Scarlet were Maids of Honor. Honestly, we all stood there in support, period. It was hard to believe that all of the Walker brothers were now married or about to be.

Just now, the vows were being read by Belle as she held both of Liberty’s hands in hers, “I choose you to be my mate, knowing in my heart that you will be my constant friend, my faithful partner in life and my one true love. On this day, I give to you my sacred promise to stay by your side in sickness and in health, in prosperity and adversity. I promise to love you and cherish you. To honor and respect you, to provide for your needs as best I can for as long as we both shall live.”

Liberty then repeated the same vow.

They exchanged rings and then turned to Zed.

Fate now read his vows to Briget, “You are my lover, my confidant, my best friend, my accomplice, and my true counterpart. I will love you, hold you, honor you, respect you, encourage you, and cherish you, in health and in sickness through sorrow and success for all the days of my life.”

With tears in her eyes, Briget repeated the same vow back to him as she had to pause and hiccup twice.

“So adorable,” Fate stated in awe and chuckles rippled along the row of guests. Then finally, they exchanged rings.

Zed nodded at the four of them and said, “You may now kiss your brides.”

The couples turned to each other and instantly embraced as they kissed. The twin Walkers tucked their brides close as they kept on kissing. The kisses went on for a full minute then into a second minute as both brothers dramatically dipped their brides without breaking the kiss.

The small crowd in the room all laughed. We all knew that these two Walker men had their own ideas about life. Everyone close to them knew this to be a fact. They did it their way. It just happened to be the hilarious way to all who knew them. We also knew that this long kissing at the altar hadn’t been rehearsed. Nope, it was just Liberty and Fate being themselves.

“Hello?” Zed called to them.

The grooms kept on kissing their brides.

Zed looked out at the crowd and shrugged his shoulders, the expression on his face was comical. More laughter echoed in the room.

Finally, the two couples broke their kisses as everyone could hear their breathlessness.

Zed shook his head and spread his arms wide to announce loudly to the room, “I now present to you all, Mr. and Mrs. Walker…Doubled!” He smiled hugely.

Holding hands, the couples all turned and beamed at the people in the room.

Glory and Scarlet shouted, “Yay!” And they held their phones up while taking video of the wedding from each side of the couples for the rest of the family back in Texas.

Suddenly, the small terrier who had been sitting there quietly this whole time started barking and turning in circles at our feet.

“Yes, Daze,” Fate spoke to the little dog as he bent down to pick her up. “We are all married now!” Anyone who’d been around him and Briget knew about this little canine. She was a part of their lives and Fate absolutely doted on the dog.

Again, the group in the room laughed and then applauded as the couples headed back down the aisle. People tossed white and gold confetti streamers at the couples when they went by.

I couldn’t help it and I couldn't stop it, as my gaze finally swung over to Glory like my eyes had a will of their own. I knew better. I knew I shouldn't look at her at all. My head said she cannot be yours while my heart and soul completely disagreed with that.

She stared straight at me.

I knew she would be looking at me at this moment in time. She believed we should’ve been up here too and not just as part of the wedding party. We should be the bride and groom. Deep down, I wanted the very same, but there were things about my past that would be downright dangerous to everyone in Requiem.

The truth was that I really loved Glory. She was the girl of my dreams and always would be. Although, I’d kept those feelings to myself. If she knew how I really felt, she would push it too far and then I would have to run while leaving the only true home and family I had. The woman would push it for sure as she was notoriously headstrong and stubborn. And I loved all of it. I loved everything about her, but she could never know that.

I finally found the inner strength to look away from Glory. Sadness clutched me in its wretchedly painful talons when all I should have felt was happiness for my MC brothers, Fate and Liberty. It was a struggle to feel anything but torn. I wanted a life with Glory and I knew her family would be okay with it. But I couldn't chance it. I couldn’t attach the Walkers to a load of trouble and perhaps mayhem. Hell, they already had their hands full with Deacon on their trail.

I had already been lucky that my past hadn’t risen back into my life like a bad moon. I shook my head. è come una luna cattiva che sorge. A phrase that my mother used to say when I was just a kid. But it still haunted me even up until this day. He is like a bad moon rising.

I’d been with Requiem since I was almost nineteen years old. Ten years. If I hadn’t left home at eighteen, never to return, I wouldn’t have needed Jarret’s help for college. The fact was I didn’t want anything to do with my family or their money. Jarret had helped me to financially make it through medical school. So when I finished my residency, I came home to the Requiem. I then became the MC’s doctor. Something I was both glad and proud to do.

How I met Jarret was a little known story.

The man had been on a ride across the United States, on his own. What they call a Nomad Run. He had set out to ride across the country. I still did not know today, why he chose to go by himself when he was a leader of a whole MC and had a huge family back home. But I never asked. People had a right to their own stories. To their own truth. At that time, I was out on my own as well. I owned a bike and had a little money, so I too was out on the road.

To say I was a nomad would have been putting it lightly. I was alone, very alone in the world, at least I’d decided to be. In my immature angst, I truly hated the whole world back then. I came from a highly influential family. I had fought with my father and my brothers about what my future would be. Then before they could stop me, I packed very little, put it into the saddlebags on my Indian Chief and left my childhood home. Withdrew all the money from my savings to live on so they couldn’t track me by credit cards and went out on the road.

This one particular afternoon, Jarret and I were both on the same freeway. We recognized that we rode the same type of bike. Jarret was an older rider but I didn’t care and he didn’t seem to care that I was so young either. We exchanged waves and smiles while riding along the hot asphalt. So we rode side by side for a long, lonely stretch through the Arizona desert. It had been the first comradery that I had experienced since I’d left home six months before.

After about fifty miles of eating dry desert dust, we both pulled off at an exit for a truck stop. We dismounted from our bikes and walked up to each other to shake hands. Then we went inside and talked for an hour over a meal.

Afterward, we came out to get our rides and go gas up at the pumps. After we stepped outside, we both headed to our Chiefs. Looking up, I heard a loud rumbling sound and saw a large truck heading across the parking lot, straight for Jarret. Running as fast as I could, I leapt at him, literally jumping on top of him to knock him out of the way. We both rolled along the parking lot cement as we managed to be just barely missed by the barreling vehicle.

The truck kept going and it literally ran over Jarret’s bike, effectively crushing it to a twisted pile of metal. It then took off like a hit and run offender would do. After the cops came and took a report, we were left with more questions than answers. Jarret arranged to have his bike taken to a local towing-auto shop to see if it could be salvaged.

I offered to allow Jarret to ride on the back of my bike and I would take him the rest of the way home. He said he hated riding bitch but it was better than riding a greyhound home. Once we arrived in Texas at his ranch, he offered to let me stay and be a part of his MC. I had no future and I wanted to have no past, so I agreed. Having a new start and a whole new life had made me hope I could be my own man and make my own destiny.

So now, we were having the reception. Food laden tables filled the room. There were swinging white garlands and cute little bells strung from the high ceilings. The Requiem’s main room never looked so bright. The music started and we all watched the couples having their first dance.

Another half hour went by as the couples cut their cakes. The celebration turned to more dancing and laughter.

Glory had avoided my gaze now for almost the whole reception. In fact, she acted as though I did not exist. I wondered what was happening with her but I also had no right to ask her. Did she honestly feel like this should have been our wedding? I at least hoped we could remain friends, but I now realized that probably wouldn’t work either. It looked like she intended to hang on to this anger. I wanted happiness for her, I wanted her to have the best of everything. So, maybe I should leave it alone and perhaps, she would find someone else to have a future with.

I actually froze as this thought sunk in like an ice shard through my heart. Could I really see her with someone else, day after hellish day? Stand to the side and be utterly invisible to her as she eventually got married? Had kids and shared her life with another guy?

I went from this stunned feeling of dismay to the hot rage of jealousy in a mere thirty seconds. Damnit, I couldn’t let that happen. Here I had avoided the woman at all costs and now I felt like the price of loyalty to the Requiem was just too high to pay. Why did I break away from my place in another life if it wasn’t so I could be happy? All of it would be for nothing if the woman I loved wasn’t part of my world anymore.

Raising my gaze, I met Glory’s sweet but solemn eyes from across the room. No. I was done running…done with denial and avoidance. Glory was mine and had always been mine. I would have to tell the Walkers and my fellow MC brethren the truth about my background and let the chips fall where they may.

With real purpose and a rapidly pounding heart, I stalked over to where she stood and grabbed her up. Tucking her tightly to me, I lowered my head and smothered her lips with mine.

Her body had gone stiff as my sudden onslaught of affection seemed to shock her. Then raising her arms, she wrapped them around my neck and kissed me back.

To say, the kiss was off the charts would be undercutting it. The electricity zapping us both increased with every second that went by. I felt hard all over and my skin heated up. As this fevered but magnificent kiss went on, Glory’s knees went weak and I had to hold her up.

Never before had I experienced a moment or several moments like this one. The world simply drifted away to a silence only known by people who were in love…There was no one else and nothing else except for me and my Glory.

Finally, we broke apart and stared into each other’s eyes.

Glory looked dazed as she blinked at me in a stunned shock. Then her expression changed as she suddenly looked angry. Raising her hand, she hauled off and slapped my cheek.

The smack of it and the sting of it took me by total surprise. Not to mention that I never expected this response from her. Slowly raising my hand to rub my jaw, I stared at her.

“By all that is holy…what in the hell took you so damned long?” she exclaimed.

I shook my head and then laughed even as my cheek still throbbed a little. Opening my mouth to speak, a voice cut me off.

“Legend?”

Turning, I stared at Zed.

He slowly shook his head and said, “I really hate to interrupt you. I really do,” he emphasised. “But there’s someone at the gates, requesting to see you.” He raised his cell phone and handed it to me.

Taking it from him, I gazed down at the screen. It showed a security camera feed at the Requiem gates. A long black limousine sat at the gatehouse. My head shot up as I stared at him.

“Who is it, Legend?” Glory asked in concern.

I wanted to say that it was nothing and no one. A mistake. That I didn’t know who the occupants of that limo were. Instead, all I could say was, “Una brutta luna.” A bad moon…