Page 29 of Flyboy's Nightingale
I make sure not to say anything, I’m just keeping my head down and not bringing any attention to myself while everyone catches up. If I’m honest with myself, I’m shocked that they would be this happy go lucky, as if they knew everything was okay.
“Riley, sweetie, why don’t you come take a seat?” Blue asks as she invites me to come over, pulling me into a tight, motherly hug before guiding me to sit beside Flyboy on the couch.
I finally lift my eyes and find Steel sitting behind his desk, Torch sitting on the edge of it, and Duck sitting in a chair to my left. Blue squats down in front of me, wiping the still flowing rivers of tears off my face. Concern is written all over her face as she glances back at Steel before pulling me into another tight hug, opening the floodgates all over again. I sob into her shoulder, letting out the years and years of everything I’ve kept locked away since my mother died. Being hugged by her is likemy mother has reached down and wrapped me in my favorite blanket, and she tugs me close to her, holding me snugly.
“Sweet child, what's got you so upset?” she whispers as she holds me. “We’re just trying to figure out what's going on.”
I just shake my head no. “As much as I would love that, you can’t. I just need to leave.”
“You can’t just leave. Our women love you and want you here. We can help you,” Steel says as he tries to reassure me.
“That's just it, Mr. Steel. I can’t let you help me. The trouble that it would bring isn’t fair to you or anyone here. It’ll just be so much easier if I just leave here and start over someplace nowhere close to your town.” I word vomit, knowing that every word spewed from my mouth will just lead to more questions.
“That’s for us to decide,” Steels says, his voice firm and unyielding.
Flyboy growls, “You’re not going any fucking were.”
I start at the malice in his voice when he says that. I drop my face in my hands, propping my elbows on my knees, letting out all the agony and frustration that seems to never end or go away. Why can’t they just understand and let me go?
The snarky voice in the back of my mind pipes in for the first time in weeks,“You know if you just get over yourself and tell them, they may actually decide that you truly are worth it in the end.”
That’s it! That’s how I convince them to let me go. To protect themselves. To not have a traitor in their club. I take in a wheezing breath before rolling my shoulders back to sit up straight and look Steel in the eye, knowing that I’ll never be able to watch Flyboy’s reaction to what I’m about to tell the men in this room.
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
Flyboy
Riley's wordsabout needing to leave in order to save everyone causes a pain in my chest like I’ve never felt before. I would rather lay my bike down and get hit by a car a thousand times over before losing this woman beside me again. There’s absolutely nothing that she could say that would keep me from her. Most of all, I know that I’ll be spending however long it takes to show her that the asshole that I was in hospital, isn’t here to stay. That Icanandwill bethe man that she deserves.
“If I’m going to tell you all what I need to, you all will have to not speak or interrupt me until I’m done with what I have to say.” Riley looks over at me with searching eyes.
What she’s searching for, I have no fucking clue, so I try convey to her what’s going on in my head with no real words between us and hope to fuck she sees the truth behind my eyes. We just sit there watching each other. I'm practically holding my breath, too afraid to spook her.
“So, are you going to tell us what’s going on, or do we need to leave so you two can continue staring at each other?” Torch asks in annoyance, the drawl clear in his voice.
Cutting my eyes in his direction I just exhale, leaning back into the couch. Reaching up, I rub my temples before scrubbing my eyes, readying myself for what's to follow. I don’t know what Riley could say to cause any of this to make sense.
“My full name is Megan Riley Merritt, and I’m the daughter of Crispy, who is the Prez of Daz…”
“You’ve got to be fucking shitting me?” Steel barks, cutting her off. “You dumb motherfuckers really have to get shit figured out before bringing this shit into my motherfucking clubhouse.”
“What the fuck did we do this time?” Duck shrieks out the question like a little girl.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Steel points first at Torch then Duck. “You two find your woman wrapped up in a sex trafficking ring causing war with an entire club that we’re still trying to fucking clear up.” He then turns, glaring at Razor. “That fucker brought us war with the cartel that I’m still not a hundred precent sure is done and over with, and now, we fucking have Flyboy here who falls for the princess of one of the nastiest clubs in Texas. I swear you boys are trying to bring shit into this club that’ll keep us fighting for the rest of our lives.”
“I mean at least we’re not boring and we’re keeping it interesting for you,” Duck chuckles leaning back into his chair.
“Now, you understand why I need to just fucking leave. I will not bring my shit to your doors.” Riley pointedly looks at Steel.
“Like these assholes have already said, you can’t, because all of our women in this club have decided you’re a part of them. So, just do us all a favor here and start at the fucking beginning. Do not leave out a fucking detail!” Steel commands, watching her for a reaction like a father who’s watching over his child.
“You know who my father is. Why would you ever think of bringing this to your table? Just let me leave. I’ve been one step ahead of them for the last nine years. I just got too comfortable here.” She harumphs, over this already.
“Talk, and don’t make me tell you again,” Steels demands. His eyes are harder than I’ve ever seen them when talking to a woman.
Growling, Riley crosses her arms across her chest, and all I can do is watch as a bystander as the cogs turn in her mind. I watch her shoulders square when it seems that she has made a decision about what she's going to tell us.
