Page 35 of Blade: Blade Outlawz MC

“I taught myself. I was home alone a lot. I would watch videos online and practice them. It wasn’t like my father had time to show me, and with no mother around, I had to fend for myself.” Sadness filled me when I thought about it.

“Damn. Sorry you had to go through that.”

I smiled. “Thanks. It is what it is at this point.”

I scooped some beans onto my spoon and ate some. I didn’t know how people ate beans with a fork; it was so weird to me.

Neither of us said anything as we continued to eat. A few minutes passed when I thought of a question to ask. It wasn’t anything important, just something that served as an icebreaker.

“If you could celebrate one holiday per year, which one would it be?”

“I don’t really fuck with the holidays like that. It doesn’t make sense to me why people go all out for a day that someone made up to make money off. If I love you, you are going to know every day.”

“That’s interesting. I’m not big on holidays either, because my father and I never celebrated. Before my mom left, I got Christmas gifts and birthday gifts. My uncle did the best he could, but it wasn’t the same.”

I didn’t think that question through because the shit made me sad all over again.

“What’s the furthest you ever rode on your bike?”

I was glad he asked something simple because I wasn’t trying to get in my feelings about my upbringing and the lack of things I missed out on.

“Not far at all. Maybe like two hours. I also wanted to go further but didn’t want to go by myself. Plus, my bike wasn’t the best, as you know.” I smirked.

“Maybe you’ll still have the chance to ride wherever you want to go.”

I cleared my throat. “I hope so.” I didn’t know if that meant he would eventually let me go or we would ride together. I didn’t want to read too much into it. “There’s ice cream for dessert if you want it.”

Dion sat back in the chair and rubbed his stomach. “Nah, I’m good. If you want, we can talk some more in the living room. I’ll put the dishes in the dishwasher.”

He was being extra nice to me, and I didn’t know why. I wasn’t going to ask either, at least not at the moment.

“Thanks. I think I’m going to pass on the ice cream myself.”

Eating ice cream after eating all that food we had wouldn't have been good for my stomach, and I wasn’t trying to be gassy around Dion.

“Cool.” Dion stood and gathered the dishes we used.

Since the pitcher of lemonade was on the table, I carried it along with the cups into the kitchen.

After I put the pitcher in the fridge, I left Dion in the kitchen and went into the living room. The music still played, but I turned it down so we could hear each other. There was a question that I had thought about over the last few days, and I figured it was the perfect time to ask.

Dion entered the living room with two bottles of water and smiled at me. Something about him was different. He seemed… lighter. Even his eyes didn’t seem as dark and scary as they had been. The sudden change in him was even more of a reason for my question.

As soon as he sat down, I asked, “Why am I really here?”

Deep down, it felt like it was more to his story, and I needed to know what it was.

It was time I told Pepper what I felt for her. Having that conversation with my mother put things in perspective for me, and coming into the house to find Pepper cooking for me solidified everything. I wasn’t ready to let Pepper go, and I wanted to see what she thought about taking the next step. The situation with her dad was still a little tricky because I had wanted his blood on my hands for years, but I never expected to fall for his daughter. Killing him could make things bad for Pepper and me. My mother was right, though; killing Harold wouldn’t bring my brother back. It was a decision I needed more time to think about, but for the moment, I needed to talk to Pepper.

I took a moment to admire her pretty face while I thought about how much I wanted to share with her.

“There are two reasons why you are here. Like I told you from the beginning, I wanted to get your father’s attention because I wanted him to pay for what he did. At the same time, I’ve liked you since I laid eyes on you, Pepper. You never knew who I was, but I’ve always known you. It was never in my plans to hurt you, but I wanted your father dead. A part of me still does, but at the same time, I don’t. Not just because it wouldn’t change the past,but I don’t want to hurt you, and killing your father would do that.”

Long seconds that felt like minutes ticked by as I waited for her response.

“Wouldn’t it have just made sense for you to approach me regularly?”

“No, because it would have messed up the plans I had for your father. But it still didn’t work out because it seems as though he doesn’t care, which I find odd. The fact that he hasn’t come to get you, or at least attempted to, makes me feel like he still needs to die, because what kind of father is he? If it were my child, the day wouldn’t have gone by without me trying to get my child back. It doesn’t matter how old you are; you are still his child, and he should have done more to protect you.”

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