“Like I said, fucking cockroaches!” Girth growled.
“And is this the intel the prospects gathered?” Rodeo asked and I nodded.
“They’ve been picking up buzzes, but that isn’t the biggest proof we have. Someone got threatened and a message was delivered directly to me,” I said. A silence fell like a shroud on the bar now. All eyes were on me again.
“A message? Who was threatened?” Lewis asked, banging his fist on the bar counter with rage.
“A girl I know. She works at the diner across the street,” I said.
“Those fuckers were here? Like right here?”
“Yesterday,” I said and Lewis was cursing.
“What did they tell her?” Rodeo asked.
“That we need to forfeit the territory we took from them.”
“Or else?” Lewis hissed.
“They’re going to hurt the girl,” I said. I could predict what the next question was going to be.
“Hurt the girl? Who is she?” Lewis growled.
“She’s…I’ve been…”
“Banging her?” Rodeo asked with a smirk. I clenched my jaw but said nothing.
“More than that? Something going on between you two?” he continued and I just glared at him. There was silence in the bar until Lewis spoke up again.
“It doesn’t matter. We’re not going to take a threat to us like this lying down. They’re affecting our business, but we’re not giving the territory back to them It’s fucking ours!”
I felt relieved they were not tossing more questions at me.
“We need to protect her. Kaya. That’s her name,” I spoke up. I needed to make my priorities clear to the club before this meeting came to a close.
Rodeo, Girth and Lewis were all staring at me now, making the connections.
“We got her, brother,” Girth said, and came over to thump my back. All Lewis had to do was nod his head and the decision was made. Kaya would have the MC’s protection now. She was someone important to me. They could all sense that, and the Marked Skulls would always protect their own.
26
Kaya
After Oz left, I offered Dash some coffee, which he drank while I showered and got ready for work.
With Oz gone, even though I knew I could trust Dash and that he would be able to look after my safety, I still felt nervous. Having Oz around me just made me feel more secure and now I didn’t anymore.
But sleeping with him again last night was wrong. I could see that now. The last ten days had been a whirlwind. Before I even knew what was happening to me, I was falling for this man whose lifestyle was dangerous and so different from mine.
And my encounter with the Dark Legions, seeing the gun in Oz’s hand earlier—they should have been enough to deter me from sleeping with him again. So, why couldn’t I control myself around him? Why couldn’t I just stop myself from wanting him?
When I emerged from my room, I saw Dash standing by the front door.
“You could have sat down while you waited,” I told him, tying my hair in a thick braid.
“It’s okay. Are you ready to go?” he asked and I nodded.
“I’m going to walk you to the diner, and spend the day there,” he said.
“You’re going to spend the day at the diner?” I was a little surprised.
“I’ll take a corner booth, out of your way, so don’t worry. Nobody there is going to tell me to leave.”
I gulped and nodded. Hearing that made me feel a little relieved. I was worried, especially after the nightmare I had that those thugs were going to show up again while I was working.
“Okay,” I said, and then we left my apartment.
Instead of walking with me, Dash kept his distance, just a few paces behind me. I guessed it was because he wanted to keep a constant eye in all directions, and maybe because he wanted to avoid having a conversation with me too—so that he wouldn’t get distracted.
I kept my head down as I walked and tried not to think about Oz too much, or what he was doing. Even though I was afraid, I knew he was going to solve this very soon. Just a few days and this would all be over, I told myself.
At the diner, Dash took a corner booth just like he said he would. I offered to bring him some breakfast but he declined, just asking for coffee instead.
Unlike my usual days at work, today I couldn’t bring myself to smile as I usually did. Other than the chef and two other waitresses and a few early morning regulars, the diner was still empty. Melody hadn’t come to work yet and I was getting anxious to see her.
Was I going to tell her everything? I didn’t know yet. But after the nightmare, I just wanted to see her and make sure she was doing fine.
* * *
Melody arrived later than expected, and I was waiting for her the whole time. While I took orders and served our customers; I kept a constant eye on the door. When she walked in, I was relieved.
“Hey, you!” she greeted me when I followed her through the kitchen door into the small changing room.
“How are you? All good?” I asked, as she began to slip out of her jeans and sweatshirt into the uniform. Melody looked up at me a little confused.
“I should be asking you that question. What happened to you yesterday?” she said and I gulped nervously.
“Nothing. I just had to go home.”
“Right after you hung out with Oz’s friends?” she said with a laugh. She obviously had no idea how serious the matter was, but then she saw it on my face. I wasn’t even smiling.
“Are you okay, hun? You look like you saw a ghost.”
I nodded my head vigorously.
“I’m fine. No ghosts,” I said, trying to force a smile. But Melody knew.
She sat down on the bench in front of the old coat hanger.
“I’m not going anywhere till you tell me what’s going on with you. I thought you were excited to meet Oz’s friends. Then you randomly disappeared, and now you’re here, asking me if I’m okay.”
She crossed her arms over her chest which meant she was serious about this. I was going to have to tell her the truth…at least most of it. I was worried of scaring her, but she deserved to know.
“They weren’t Oz’s friends. They were from a rival MC. There’s something going on between the two groups,” I told her.
Melody’s eyes grew wider.
“What does that have to do with you?”
“They’ve seen me with him. They thought they could get to Oz through me. They threatened me, Mel,” I said. Those tears were coming back, and she stood up and threw her arms around me.
“Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”
I couldn’t tell her how they had a gun to my stomach. That was too much.
I shook my head instead.
“They wanted to get a message delivered to Oz. They didn’t hurt me, but they said they would if Oz didn’t do what they want,” I said and blinked my tears away. Melody was looking into my eyes, searching my face. She was worried and fearful. I could see it in her eyes too.
“Did you see him? Oz?” she asked and I nodded.
“He…he took me to my place…and he spent the night there,” I said.
Melody took in a deep breath and shook her head.
“I know what you’re going to say. You told me so. And I know I should have listened to you. I am such an idiot!” I said and covered my face with my hands, but Melody was prying them off.
“I wasn’t going to say that. What’s done is done. You did what you wanted to do…what made you feel good. And if Oz makes you feel safe, who am I to judge?”
I stared at my friend. This wasn’t the reaction I was expecting.
“I told him it was over,” I said. Melody looked like she was in disbelief.
“Why?”
“Because this is not the life I want to lead. I don’t want to be in constant fear, under threats…”
Melody pulled me in for a hug again.
“I understand, hun. If you want him gone, that’
s a brave thing to do…because I can see how much you really like him,” she said.
I looked up at her, trying to not cry again.
“I don’t really want him gone. I just wish things didn’t have to be this way. It’s going to be hard getting over him. I know we didn’t spend a lot of time together…”
“But when you know, you know,” she added and I nodded.
“I think it’s for the best. I’m sure he’s relieved, too. I was a distraction to him, and he’s probably not interested in the kind of relationship I was looking for.”
Melody couldn’t do anything but look at me sympathetically and nod.
“It’ll take some time but you’ll move on, hun. I’m really sorry this is happening to you.”
I tried to smile at her again.
“He’s asked one of his friends to spend the day with me. He’s sitting at one of the booths now, keeping an eye on me,” I said. That made Melody smile.
“We should probably get back to work,” I told her and she agreed.
We both went out again and I saw Dash look at me worriedly. Was he anxious when I’d disappeared to the back for a few minutes? I felt relieved. It made me feel a little safer now, knowing that someone capable was going to be here all day watching over me. I knew that if I saw those men from the Dark Legion again, I would not be able to keep myself from crying.
I tried to get on with the day. Like Melody said, it would take some time and then soon enough I would hopefully be able to move on with my life again. I just needed to take it one day at a time.
I tried not to think about Oz and what he was doing.
Was he taking care of the situation right now? What did that even mean? Was he putting himself in danger? I wished I could ask Dash what was going on with the Dark Legion, but I was pretty sure he wouldn’t tell me. Like Oz, he would want to protect me from the reality of it.
I brought Dash a plate of pancakes eventually, when he still hadn’t ordered anything to eat.
“On the house, of course,” I told him with a smile, and he smiled back.
He thanked me and I went back to work. I just needed to keep myself busy.
* * *
I thought I was doing fine at work, keeping myself distracted. But, as the afternoon wore on, I started to feel sicker than I thought possible.
More than just a feeling of sadness in the pit of my stomach, I was actually nauseous. As I was bringing food to a table, the smell of the food made things worse. I quickly dropped the tray of food down on the table I was serving and without saying anything to them, I rushed out to the back where the staff bathrooms were.
In the bathroom, I hurled my guts out. I could feel my forehead feeling sweaty and my lower back aching. This feeling had hit me all of a sudden, before I even knew what was going on.
There was a knock on the stall door next moment.
“Kaya, are you okay?” Melody asked. I flushed the toilet and used the toilet paper to wipe my mouth and face. When I opened the door, Melody was still there, looking worried.
“Your friend…Oz’s friend…he saw you running and told me to come and check on you,” she said.
I brushed past her to go wash my face and mouth.
“Hun, did you get sick?” Melody asked me. I looked at her reflection in the mirror as I washed up. I didn’t have to tell her for her to know.
“What happened?” she asked me and I shrugged.
“I think I’m just panicking, I’m nervous…”
Melody watched me and smiled weakly.
“Just drink some water and take a rest. I’m sure you’ll be fine in a bit.”
I nodded and sat down on the bench. My stomach still hurt a little, and the lower back pain seemed to be getting worse. Melody sat with me to give me company.
“You don’t have to do this. You can get back to work if you want. I’m just going to take a minute,” I said. Melody was looking at me intently now. I could sense there was something on her mind.
“Hun, are you sure you’re not pregnant?” she asked.
I squinted my eyes at her. That was a ridiculous question to ask! But my heart started sinking when I started to count the days. In the middle of everything that was happening, I hadn’t even noticed I was late by a couple of days.
“I’m late,” I cried. Melody reached for my hand and squeezed.
“Okay, calm down, Kaya. It’s only a couple of days. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“What am I going to do?” I was panicking. I was sure now. I hadn’t thought of it before, but now I knew. This was why I felt so sick, why I was so emotional and breaking into tears!
“Okay, you stay put and I’m going to go out and buy a few tests, okay?” Melody suggested.
I couldn’t reply to her. All I could do was nod. She patted my hand once more before she left. I rocked myself back and forth on that bench. My mind had gone numb and blank. I didn’t know what to think or what to expect anymore.
* * *
Melody returned with a packet of pregnancy tests fifteen minutes later.
“That guy was asking about you. I think he’s really anxious. I told him you’re not feeling well and just taking a break,” she said.
I could feel myself breaking out in a sweat again. Melody could see how nervous I was, and she sat down with me on the bench again.
“You don’t have to do this here if you don’t want to, sweetie. You should take the rest of the day off, go home, and take the tests,” she said.
“I don’t want to go home. I don’t want to be alone right now. Besides, I took half the shift off yesterday. I can’t keep doing this,” I told her.
Melody squeezed my knee.
“Whatever happens, I know you’ll figure it out. It’s going to be okay, hun,” she said and I nodded my head.
“I just…I don’t know if I’m prepared for this.”
Melody was gentle, friendly, and just the person I needed right now. I took the tests and went into the stall. I came back out and saw that Melody was pacing the floor.
“We have to give it a minute,” she said, and I placed the test down on the counter.
“What am I going to do?” I asked her as we waited.
“You don’t have to do anything, or think about anything for the next minute. This could be nothing. We’re both probably just overreacting,” she said.
But the minute passed by and the second red line started to appear on the pregnancy test. I stepped away from it, completely in shock.
“Here, take another one. This one could be faulty!”
I went into the stall again and emerged with the second one. Another minute went by and this test was a positive too. Melody made me take the third one just in case and there was no doubt about it now—I was pregnant.
I could feel it too. I felt pregnant. When Melody asked, I couldn’t describe the feeling to her. I just knew I was carrying something inside me. Something was growing.
Neither of us could do anything, or speak for several minutes, after we realized it was actually happening.
“We should go back to work,” I told her.
“Kaya, c’mon hun, we need to talk about this,” Melody said, but I was shaking my head.
“We don’t need to talk about it right now. We need to get back to work. God knows I can’t lose this job right now. Besides, Dash is probably losing his mind already,” I said.
I didn’t wait for Melody to hold me back. Before I could panic again, I needed to immerse myself in work and keep busy. There would be enough time to worry later. My whole life was changing, and I didn’t want to take a moment and acknowledge it, because I was afraid.
How was I going to do this alone?
27
Oz
After everyone decided we were going to give Kaya the club’s protection, Church continued. None of us could still wrap our heads around the fact that the Dark Legion had now appeared out of nowhere. We were going to put up a fight for the territory that we had gained over the last year
.
But we still needed more information on them.
Who else was working with them?
How many were there?
How strong were they now?
Time seemed to be going slowly while we waited for more information. All the prospects except Dash were out there, working their asses off with their contacts and collecting intel.
I spent the time trying to have conversations and plan for future attacks with Rodeo and Girth. I also kept looking out across the street in the diner’s direction. I knew Kaya would be there by now, and Dash was with her, too.
It was over between us. I just had to accept it and move on, but I was going to miss her. I finally thought I’d found someone who could be my woman. Whose face I would love waking up to every morning.
Abe burst into the bar, pulling me from my thoughts, and from the redness of his neck—we could tell he was pissed off.
“I fucking saw them again!” he growled.
“The Dark Legion?” Girth asked as Abe strode over to us.
“Yeah. I was talking to Diego near the warehouse, and I saw them drive-by. Think they’re trying to round up all our possessions and territory. They’re definitely planning something,” he spat.
A can of beer was handed to him and he drank from it thirstily.
“And those motherfuckers weren’t alone,” he added.
“Who did you see with them?” Lewis asked. Abe threw me a look and shook his head.
“Hell’s Drifters. Whatever they’re doing, they’re working together,” Abe replied.
“Fuck them!” Lewis growled and kicked a chair. The Hell’s Drifters were the club that killed Fred last year. The club thought their beef with them was over, but apparently, they just joined up with the Dark Legion to attack the Marked Skulls.
“This is why they’ve emerged from whatever shithole they were hiding. They have the Hell’s Drifters on their side. Those scum,” Rodeo was pissed too.
“We need to figure out what they’re planning,” Girth added.
Marked Skulls MC Series: Books 1-5 Page 54