Page 5 of Tech

Daddy's eyes widen in shock, his mouth hanging open while Momma gasps.

She grips my cheeks, shakes her head, and says sternly, "No….you, my darling girl, are irreplaceable. Do you hear me?"

I shake my head and sob."But-but you're having a baby of your own; you're making your own family now."

"Fuck…"Daddy rasps and wraps his arm over my shoulder, holding me against him as Momma tries to wipe away my tears.

She whispers, "We're not making our own family, baby girl, because you are our family. Do you hear me? You, me, and your daddy are a family; we're just adding to it, that's all. We're allowing you to become the amazing big sister we both know you'll be."

Daddy sighs and kisses my head before laying his cheek on the top of it. "We will never treat you differently, Brook. You're our Petal, the flower your mother left us, and I'm so fucking sorry I told you like this."

Momma leans forward and kisses my forehead, whispering, "We have a big sister t-shirt that I wanted to give to you. I love you so much, sweetheart; you are my daughter, blood or not. Do you hear me?"

I sniffle and ask, "I won't be replaced?"

Daddy squeezes me. "NeverPetal; you’re irreplaceable."

I nod, closing my eyes.

When the puppy licks my neck, making me giggle a little, my daddy sighs.

"What have you named her?"

Her?

Huh, guess I didn’t think to check….

I blink and look at the puppy, her striking blue eyes looking at me, making me melt. I stroke her back as Daddy scratches behind her ears, making her wag her tail.

I answer on a whisper, "Shadow. I found her cowering in the alleyway near Devil's Rose Bar."

Daddy sighs in defeat."She doesn't sleep in your room."

I grin wide asMommachuckles, kissing my head again, both of them holding me tightly. Shadow licks me, showing me her affection, and my uninjured hand slowly moves toMomma'sbelly.I feel a small bump, and gently stroke it as Momma holds me even tighter.

I close my eyes, happy to be in their arms, praying I don't mess up being a big sister, while promising to make my parents proud of me.

Although, Daddy won’t get his way, because Shadow will sleep in my bed tonight and every night.

1

Tech – Ten Years Later – Twenty-Eight Years Old

I grunt as I hit the bag harder, sweat dripping down my back.

Left, right, left, right.

“Brother….”

I ignore Snake and hit the bag, fucking angry with myself that I didn’t catch it.

“Brother, it took Star years to even pick it up.”

I scoff, side-kicking the bag, and then punching it again.

Left, right, left, right, elbow, kick.

Star is the Untamed Hell Fire’s MC princess whose father was kidnapped by our now-former VP Hairy—information that has only recently come to light. The fucker started a coup, trying to take over the club, tried to start a war between our clubs, and fucking raped Star after learning she was following him. He thought it was because she recognized him from when the fucker shot her and her dad down when she was just a kid; he didn’t realize that she knew her dad was alive after he failed to kidnap her and took her dad instead.

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