Legend (Requiem MC #6)

Chapter Five Never Say Never

Legend

This was bad. So bad. My father getting in on this war. I knew my father would see this as a favor. One, where he would expect a return. I did not want him in on this at all. Yes, Zed and Justice were correct. Stephano Descalia would put an end to Deacon. If anyone could, it would be him. But there would be a price. There was always a price. In my family’s world, that was rule number one, pretty much.

Just one guess at this price. I scoffed as I headed out to the back area of the compound. Me going home. End of the reason he even came here today. To get me to come back to the empire…period. He thought he could use this war as an excuse to get me back into the fold. He would protect the people I chose over his family. Then he would demand that I come home.

I hadn’t been totally honest with Justice. I knew all about the trial he mentioned. Yes, it had bothered me. When it went public, I intermittently looked up news on it. Dante was my brother, so of course, I cared. They had set him up good. It had been all about revenge over my father, I was sure. Being gone so long I didn’t know the details, but I didn't have to know. Bad Moon had obviously made someone so angry that they framed one of his sons for murder. It was as simple as that.

During the time of that trail, I suffered a thousand deaths, you might say. Dante was the best of all of us. Sometimes while growing up with him, I really believed he might become a priest. He had wanted to be a humanitarian. Always attempting to talk Dad into setting up charities. Dante had also been a gentle person and I assumed he still was. I hated it when Dad would try to toughen him up by berating him. I had gotten into our father’s face more than once over that.

My father had no depth as far as allowing his children to be who they were. Maybe he couldn’t help it. From what I knew, his father had been the same way. This was how they kept the generations in the mafia. Despite the power and the money, many of the younger generation felt it was safer and better to make your few million in something else. Or just make a regular income. Being a doctor wouldn’t make you poor, so it was good enough for me. Not for my dad though. Nothing short of being CEO for some mafia company was good enough for him.

I paced the patio for several minutes, wondering what to do about this issue of my father arriving and throwing my life into further chaos. I had finally decided to be with Glory right before he arrived. Now, I might not be able to stay. I needed to head this off. If I’d been thinking clearly, I would have done it half an hour ago, but I had been in shock upon seeing him and Luca showing up here.

There was also the fact that Deacon had to go. He had been a menace for a long time. I wanted to kill him myself when he took Glory. I tried not to think about that time in my life. When she disappeared, I felt cold inside, like death had knocked at my door. Her light was gone, that exquisite spark she carried in her eyes. Her sweet voice and snappy jokes. Yes, it did hit me with a pile of regrets. One of them was not taking her on a date. At least one, like she had asked me. I never want to go through that again. Not knowing if she was dead or alive. Or if I would ever see her again.

This had always been my safe place and the last thing I thought of while watching that beautiful wedding earlier was that I might have to leave. I realized just after the weddings that I needed to finally admit Glory was my woman. I never want to be without her again.

“Legend?”

Turning, I saw Glory coming toward me. Damn, she was so fucking stunning. Gorgeous, tough and yes, just like my dad and brother found out…she was mouthy as all hell. Didn’t matter to me. She had been a firecracker since I’d known her. Fifteen…she had been 15 years old when I first arrived here. I was almost 18 at that time.

The first thing she ever said to me was… “Your Road name is Legend? Why? Are you just one in your own mind? Cause if you are, you can kiss my ass.”

I had stared at her wide eyed as her brothers all laughed.

For a couple of years, her one-liners and scorching razzing didn’t quit. She was a smart mouth with me whenever I was around her. She would ask me if I rescued a princess that was not in a game or what grand deed I'd accomplished to be this so-called legend. I was away for six months at a time for medical school and it was rough. Anyone who tells you that medical college was a cakewalk would be nothing but a liar. I told her once that anyone who could go to school for eight years like me was at least a worthy hero. It had actually shut her up during that visit.

Then at around seventeen, she was smiling at me whenever I saw her. I admit, it sort’ve gave me the creeps, when she changed to that. I’d gotten used to the flippant attitude and glares from her. But whenever she saw me.. she would smile and her tone had gentled. She was dare I believe it …sweet?

I had assumed at the time that she intended to pull me into her prank war with her twin brothers. But I found out later that hadn’t been it, either. After I heard what she had done to Liberty and Fate, I felt glad to not be them. So it proved she was still a girl that could show you what for , as Jarret always said about her. He said one time what did we all expect when she had been raised with four brothers and at least twenty more that were MC brothers? She showed how tough she was and she stood tall as a Walker.

Then finally, when she turned 18, she came up to me and said as bold as you please, “I’m old enough now. Let’s go on a date.”

I remember now that all I could do at the time was blink at her. While I shouldn’t have been surprised by her bold candor, I was still stunned as I tried to laugh it off. She had to be joking, right? Well, she hadn’t been amused. I knew she was serious but I had to tell her that I didn't want to upset her father or brothers by dating her. This made her mad as hell. But damn, she was just out of high school and I felt like she was still too young. Luckily for me, I had to return to school.

I was just 21 years old. I did try to date a couple of girls in school, but they weren’t Glory. I really tried to wipe out her image in my head by taking a few very pretty women out. The problem with that hasty plan had been the fact that everyone paled in comparison to her. They didn’t sparkle, and they didn’t have her firebrand nature.

I would come back home and look for her. She would always be there. I had taken an awful chance that she would lose that crush. I now know that had she gotten with another guy I would have been heartbroken. But I had a long way to go to become an MD. At least, a couple more years until I could come back and stay. I also hadn’t been honest with her or anyone else about my background. I came from a Mafia world. I wasn’t sure if tangling them up with my family would be good for anyone.

Now as she smiled at me, I felt my whole body tighten up. She was a full grown woman and not a child. The kiss we shared earlier seemed like forever ago. I wanted her. She had been offering me happiness for quite a few years and now I felt ready to accept that we were meant to be together.

I wrapped my arms around her and smothered her mouth with mine. I needed this woman. Yes, she had been the pursuer, but not anymore. I now went after her.

The kiss went on and on. The heat built between us as my hands roamed over her. The flavor of her mouth was making me crazy. Her curves were spectacular. I’d noted this before but now I want to feel every inch of her with both hands.

We kept kissing as her hands lowered to and she passed her fingers over my back. Then she lowered them, grabbed my ass cheeks with both hands and squeezed.

Well damn, I’d never had a woman do that to me. I raised my head and broke the breathless kiss to grin at her. “Damn.”

She laughed as she tried to catch her breath. “Y-you have the b-best ass and… I needed to do that.”

I chuckled as I held her cheeks and passed my thumbs over her just kissed lips. “Ok, but no worries I will be returning the favor.”

“Dang it, Legend. The way you kiss? I get weak in the knees.”

I chuckled a little. “One day soon when I get you where you need to be, you will be passing out then.”

“Promises, promises,” she teased. “But I’m glad you finally got smart.”

I cocked my head at her. “Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah. I have been waiting forever!”

“Glory, you were too young. I mean what if it had been just a teen crush? I wouldn’t take advantage of that. Then I felt you were too young.”

She tisked and rolled her eyes at me. “You are just 3 years older than I am!”

I shrugged. “Then maybe I was too young then?”

Again, she laughed. “Yeah maybe. You would actually blush whenever I wore that red dress, remember?”

Very true and what she did not know was I got hard as nails too. That had been right before she was taken by Deacon. The dress should be outlawed, period. It showed every curve and had a dipping cleavage. In fact, it needed to be hidden in a closet somewhere, so she could never wear it again, except in private…with me. “Yeah, I remember. That had been cruel.”

“Really?” Glory asked as she kept smiling at me. “No. Not cruel…You deserved it.”

“Yeah, maybe I did.” I grinned at her. “But you need to promise not to wear that dress again.”

Raising her brows, she asked, “Why?”

“Why?” I repeated to her. “You are mine now and no other guy should see you in that flaming red, man trap of a dress.”

Staring at me, she then burst into laughter. She again wrapped her arms around my neck and asked, “So I also have a second why to ask.”

I stopped smiling at her and asked, “Ok, what is it?”

“Why did you finally come to your senses? Was it the weddings?”

I shook my head. “Yes and no. I suddenly realized that if you got over me, I would someday have to watch you marry some other guy. I felt so fucking jealous so fast that I couldn’t even think straight.”

“Then you kissed me until I couldn’t think straight.”

We both laughed.

“I know you were upset earlier, that was why I came out here,” Glory said. “And I know why.”

“You do?” I asked.

“Sure, if your dad gets rid of Deacon, he is gonna want something in return.”

I tucked my head back in surprise and asked, “How did you—”

She tisked. “I watched all of the Sopranos, Legend.”

I chuckled. “Okay. Well, I was never a huge fan.”

“I can understand that.” She raised her hand and stroked her fingers along my cheek. “That must have been rough. You kept this to yourself for all these years.”

“It was part of the reason I kept you away.”

“What do you mean?” She looked puzzled.

“I come from a mob family, Glory. I didn’t want to tie that to you or your family.”

“Oh, my God, Legend…” She sighed. “You still don't get it.”

I looked into her eyes and asked, “What?”

“You are already a part of our family. It was too late years back. My brothers all love you like a brother and you know how my dad feels. Then you shoulda known how I felt. I made it clear enough.”

“Yes, you were never shy about it.” I shook my head.

We laughed together.

“So,” she went on. “How can it make a difference now? And I don’t care where you came from or who your family is.”

“I’m glad for that, Glory.” But in my heart, I knew they would all have to care someday. My dad was a force to be reckoned with. It was just who he was. I leaned closer and kissed her again.

We wrapped our arms around each other and fell into another wild kiss. This one went on for a couple of minutes and then I needed to let her come up for air.

Breathless again, Glory gave me a dazed look and said, “So, let’s go.” She stepped back and tugged on my hand.

“Go?” I asked as I felt a little high from that kiss myself.

“Yes. My room or yours?” She yanked on my hand and pulled me along with her to the door.