Tyrant (Satan’s Angels MC #1)

Chapter 12

Lark

“W here are we going?” I ask the question laughingly and with trust because this is Raiden here. He’s borrowed our parents’ sedan so that Penny can safely come with us. He told me last night that he had plans for us this morning, something we needed to do and would enjoy in the end.

Very. Mysterious.

My brother isn’t one for surprises. He wasn’t before prison and now he detests them. It makes me even sadder when I realize, no matter how he tries to deny or hide it, just how much he relies on order and structure. He had five years of conditioning and it’s a terrible thing that no amount of freedom is going to just cancel that out. There’s no forgetting.

“You’ll see,” Raiden responds cryptically, inked hands strong and steady on the wheel.

Penny hadn’t seen a lot of tattoos before, but she’s never made a comment to me about them. She was absolutely exhausted by the end of the Day of the Flowers, but she was up extra early the next day. She was the only one. Raiden isn’t much of a morning person, my dad must have been up during the night with my mom, and while I should have slept soundly, all I did was lie awake, replaying the strange and unexpectedly wonderful day over in my head.

“Is this something that Gray planned?”

I caught him looking at me funny a few times that day. Funny, as in… I’m not sure how to pick those expressions apart. He didn’t bother to guard them, and I can only say they were heated and a little animalistic. He looked at me like he had plans for us and the fact that he had no business doing it only made it shamefully hotter.

“Can’t say one way or the other on that, but he isn’t going to be there. He’s meeting with the city this morning about rezoning a warehouse we just acquired. He wants to turn it into low-income housing, and they aren’t happy about it. They say it’s too industrial, but they really just want to keep poor people in their place.”

Fuck. Does Gray have to be so damn likeable? It’s really hard to hate a good man.

Never mind that my mom cried tears of pure joy and my dad sobbed right along with her when she walked out into the backyard and saw that ocean of flowers. It smelled like heaven and even though she’d been in a lot of pain the day the club came and worked their magic, she was more like the old mom I knew before I left home.

Ran from home.

It’s been a few days and Mom has spent hours in the backyard, just sitting on her lawn chair or perched on the porch swing. Morning, afternoon, and evening, she’s out there. I never would have fulfilled her wish on time if it was just me. I know what a debt I owe Gray and the rest of the club.

“Okay…” I study the scenery as we move past.

My parents’ car is older, but it’s near immaculate and has almost no miles on it. No rust, either. My dad’s been meticulous about caring for it. It’s been garaged all its life when not in use.

The houses end and the industrial area starts, but even that fades away. “There’s nothing out here except the golf course and the gun club,” I snort. And wait. Raiden’s silence is so telling. “Ray!”

He shrugs, giving me that faux innocent look, like it wasn’t his idea and he’s just the driver.

“Raiden! You can’t bring a kid to a gun range!”

Penny has no idea what that even means. She’s not paying much attention to us when I turn and look at her. She’s lost in her own little world, playing games on my phone. Educational ones. I have a few really good apps including Spanish for kids, which I really want her to learn, and a few learn to read and do early math ones.

“You can when it’s club owned.”

“That’s not the point.” This should be common sense.

“Gray arranged everything. The range is open, but you’ll have Bullet’s undivided attention. He owns the place. You’ll never have a better teacher.”

“He was there the other day?”

“Yeah. The scary big guy with the beard and the—”

I can’t help but laugh. “You do know that’s every single guy.”

Raiden grins. “Not the prospects. They have trouble growing beards and their scary levels are dubious at best. They try, though. We have a great group of prospects, I have no complaints. Anyway, he was there. Served a couple tours overseas. He was in special ops.”

“Oh. My. God.” I motion pointedly to Penny, as in, this is who you guys are going to trust with my daughter? Never mind that because there’s no way I’m letting her anywhere near there, but you let this guy handle guns all day, every day?

For real, no judgement, but special ops? Doesn’t that come with a ton of PTSD?

“Bullet’s a good guy. I’d never leave my sister with anyone that I wouldn’t trust with my own life.”

I huff. “What about Penny?”

“Penny? I’m taking her for ice cream.”

“Ice cream?” Penny doesn’t selectively tune that out, but what kid would?

My brother glances sheepishly my way as we pass the golf course. Tall trees perfectly planted and spaced line the immaculate greens. “If that’s okay?”

“Ice cream for breakfast?”

“Technically we already had breakfast. Thought about stopping at the library after.”

“Stop. Stop softening the blow. Plus, she doesn’t have a library card and neither do I.”

He winks at me. “Won’t need one. Just my word is enough.”

I treat him to another long-suffering sigh, but I know I’m going to have to give in. “Fine. Apparently, the whole world is freaking upside down and that’s okay with me. But just know this. One day you’re going to meet a woman and have kids of your own. I’ll just leave it there and hope you take it as a light threat.”

He just laughs at that too, even when I scowl back. “I’m being forced to learn how to kick butt today. Don’t forget that.”

“Nah. Self-defense and knife training comes later.”

“I thought Gray said there was nothing to worry about.” Sure, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared, but prepared for what? Or does he think I’ll just give in on the whole ‘his world is too dangerous for us’ thing if I know how to use a gun or kick some asshole in the balls?

“There isn’t. Money talks so much louder than violence and if there’s something that we have, it’s a ton of cash, but everyone should know how to protect themselves. We’d all feel better knowing that you know your way around a weapon and at least basic self-defense.”

Well. I can’t really argue with that. I’m not going to get out of this either, so I shut my mouth and let Raiden steer us down the road to the range.

I have to say, when we pull up, it isn’t what I expected. There’s a lot of land and it’s nice. Manmade hills roll in the distance. They’re set at strange angles to each other, with banks of targets. There are several covered constructions made of wooden beams with metal roofing. There are pits of sand and way far away, it looks like exciting things might happen with targets that explode. There’s another area that looks a bit like an obstacle course, with old burned-out car shells.

The rattle and occasional burst of gunfire echoes outside as Raiden parks in the gravel lot.

“You’ll do just fine.”

He has more faith in me than I do in myself, but I’m not going to let anyone see me rattled. I told myself that when I first left Hart, determined to raise a child by myself. The little girl who needed her big brother to take care of her had to be put to rest, and a kick ass woman who was strong and brave had to emerge.

“Thanks.” I reach for my bag, looping it over my sweater. I wore a tank underneath and leggings, since Raiden told me to dress in layers. He also instructed me to wear flat shoes, not heels, for the surprise outing, so I have a pair of sneakers on.

“I’ll pick you up in two hours, but if you need anything sooner, don’t hesitate to call.”

“Okay.” I turn around to the backseat. “You’re okay with hanging out with Uncle Raiden this morning?” If for a second she’s nervous or scared of being without me, there’s no fucking way I’m setting foot outside of this truck.

“Ice cream!” Penny announces and nods her head so hard that her high ponytail flops over her face. She laughs, brushing it back.

“And books,” Raiden reminds me.

“Just a baby cone,” I admonish.

He holds up his hands. “Certainly. Never thought about anything more.” He clearly did, but doesn’t he remember how I used to get such belly aches after eating too much candy or going for ice cream trips with him and Gray?

A pang shoots through me, but I shove the memories away. “You also call me if you need me. I’ll have my phone on and with me at all times.” I get out and open the back door to lean in and kiss Penny on the cheek. “Have fun, sweetheart.”

“You too, Mommy.”

Penny’s sweetness never fails to do me in. “I’ll try.” I’m not sure what good gun training will do if I never have one around. Going straight to the self-defense would have been more appropriate.

“Oh, you will,” Raiden says darkly. He grins like he knows something I don’t, but then he confesses. “There are fire targets. Those are always a literal blast.”

“You’re such a dork, big brother.”

He nods. “Yup. You love it.”

“I do. Always.” Other siblings might not be so close, but we will be, forever , bar nothing.

I stand and wave them out of the parking lot. I trust Raiden with Penny. I trusted a bunch of bikers and their kids with her the other day, even if I kept as much of an eye on her as possible in all the craziness. I should have been worried about her, but I wasn’t. I felt extra safe with all those big, burly, protective men around. They might have led and might still lead lives of violence, but I knew that as Raiden’s sister, they’d do anything for me—even if they know nothing about me and Gray.

I swallow back the painful inevitability that is waiting for us in the next few months and push thoughts about the hard decisions I’m going to have to make to the back of my mind. I had a good job in Ohio. A great one that gave me leave, no questions asked, when I needed it most. I’ll have to find work here. Arrange some place to live. Rebuild my life again. Figure out how to co-parent. Pick up the mess when my brother finds out I slept with his best friend and had a kid.

I face the front entrance, my throat raw. I don’t seriously want to learn how to shoot, but if Raiden thinks it’s important, I’ll humor him. Gray might have arranged this, but it’s only my brother’s opinion that matters.

If I was a better liar than I am, I might even half believe that.