Page 2 of Always Mine

Lash, his father, got the whole club out of that bullshit, and Anthony wasn’t going to drag them back in.His plan had been to take care of the club without involving the Skulls.

After so many attacks, so many bad guys, it had been the right decision by the club, and for the longest time it had worked.Anthony would never forget the gunshots, the attacks, the fear, or the screaming.They were distant memories, but they were still there, not that they bothered him.Nothing ever seemed to bother him.

Anthony always knew he was different.He didn’t scream like normal children did.He’d watch Miles and Tabitha and knew he wasn’t like them.He couldn’t fucking put his finger on it, but one day he came to realize it was because he was unusual.For some reason, he didn’t feel, not like others.But he was loyal.The Skulls’ blood ran through his veins, and he would do anything for the club.

He first met Daisy when they were children.He recalled seeing her with her brown hair not brushed but pulled into a ponytail, and it wasn’t even done right.She had stained clothes, because her parents hadn’t given a shit about her.From the moment he saw her, sunlight had been shining down all around her, and she looked like a beacon of hope.From that one look, Anthony knew he wanted to get to know her.

She had the sweetest smile.Even toothless, she’d been gorgeous to him.The way she would read, her voice would capture him, and in his darkness, for just a little while, it would all make sense to him and it wouldn’t matter.

He knew how to act, to play the part, and no one ever tried to call him out on his own shit.Not even Daisy.Whenever he asked her to read, she’d sit with him and just read, no questions asked.She would fight him and argue with him, but in the end she always had his back.She only questioned him one time.

“Are you in love with Tabitha?”

Even now, he heard her words ringing in his head, and it pissed him off.At the time, which was last Christmas, he’d burst out laughing.He and Tabitha had been close, kind of like he was with Miles, Rachel, and Markus.Even to a certain extent, Constance, Blaise, Damien, and John.Their friends who had no parents in the club.Tabitha was simply that—a friend.He cared about her to a certain extent.Anthony had been the one to find Tabitha after Ryan had raped her.

He had felt nothing when he saw her, although he had put his arms around her.All their lives, they had grown up together and were close, until Tabitha left.Now she was a member of Chaos Bleeds, while he, Daisy, and the rest were Skulls.He was not, nor would he ever be in love with Tabitha.She was too ...Tabitha.He’d never doubted where his feelings lay.

Anthony recalled last Christmas.

The laughter boomed out of his chest, he just couldn’t help it.The very thought of being in love with Tabitha was simply ludicrous.It wasn’t even worth thinking about.However, the moment he opened his eyes and saw how hurt Daisy was, he knew he’d fucked up big time.

She was about to storm off, and in truth, she kind of had a right to, but he wasn’t going to let her go that easily.He reached out, stopping her.“Daisy, stop.”

“I’ve got stuff to do.”

“I know what you’ve got to do, but you need to talk to me.”He somehow managed to pull her in close to him, cup her face, and then stared into her eyes.“It’s you,” Anthony said.“Since we were kids, to now, to eternity, it has and will forever be ...you.”

“It is?”

“Come on, Daisy, you know it is.You can pretend all you want, but you and I, this is a guarantee, like it was for Simon and Tabitha.We started our story when we were kids, and it’s going to end when we die.”

Anthony pulled out of his thoughts as those memories resurfaced.

It wasn’t going to end now.Daisy wasn’t going to die.She couldn’t die.He wouldn’t let her die.

The doors opened and Anthony watched as his father, mother, along with most of the Skulls’ parents stepped through the doors.Tiny and Eva were close on Lash’s heels.Nash and Sophia, Murphy and Tate, Killer and Kesley were there also.He knew there would be more to come.

Anthony knew he didn’t have to wait long before he felt his father’s wrath.He was grabbed and suddenly thrust up against the wall.There was no way he was going to fight his father.

“You little fucking shit.What did you do?”Lash asked.

He had seen his father angry many times in his lifetime, more than any kid should.He was aware he was not the first true child of his parents.He was their firstborn son, but their first child was killed in the womb after his mother was shot, which they never talked about.Not that his parents ever made him feel less.Knowing he was the second didn’t bother him.

Back home there were also Chloe and Conner, but neither of them had anything to do with this plan.

“What the fuck did you do?”Lash asked.

“Lash, come on, this is not the time—”

Anthony loved his mother, but he also knew it was not her place to stop this.This was the consequence for his actions, and part of him wanted to feel the sting of his father’s knuckles.Not that Lash had ever hit him, not truly.Sure, he’d spanked his bottom from time to time, but nothing he didn’t deserve.Lash was a good father and an amazing leader.

“I did what you couldn’t,” Anthony said.

The anger in Lash’s face was acute.He had never seen him act like this, never seen this amount of rage.

“Oh, is that right, is it?”Lash asked.“You did what you thought I couldn’t.”

“They raped Tabitha, and it took her driving all the way over here to put them in their place.You and I both know the Monster Dogs wouldn’t stop.They needed to be taken out.They needed to be fucking annihil—”

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