Page 55 of Banshee
I stared at him. I didn’t have the heart to tell him what I knew. What my mother had told me about his president. Not King. King was a good man, and my mother respected him. She respected Banshee too. She respected the way he’d stood up to my father. Stood up for me.
“How is Amber?”
He groaned but accepted my subject change. For now, anyway. I knew he wouldn’t let it go.
“She’s hurt, but she’s alive.”
“What happened?”
“She overheard Kytten and Mimic talking and found out Valhalla was her mother.”
“Wait. What? Val is Amber’s mother?”
That didn’t make sense. Why would Val continue to hide Amber if she was her mother? Why wouldn’t she keep her with her and protect her?
“Apparently. I don’t have all the answers, baby girl. But what I do know is, Massacre found her and she’s home.”
This was life in a motorcycle club. It would always be this way. Danger lurking around every corner. Secrets, lies, betrayals. Suddenly, I understood why my father didn’t want me getting involved with someone in a club.
Except that was exactly what he set me up for.
Weeks passed and not much happened in our little bubble. Banshee stayed caught up with the club, but we didn’t leave the cabin. Things were heating up with the Death Dogs, and with Banshee.
We spent most of our time in bed. He’d had to call a prospect multiple times to run out for more condoms. We were running through them quickly, with nothing else to do.
At one point, Massacre and Amber were staying at another cabin. We’d visited them some, but they were in their own bubble, and I didn’t want to burst it open with real life.
Haizley still came out regularly to meet with me. There wasn’t much to talk about without rehashing the same shit. The truth was, I didn’t feel like I needed her anymore. At least not for the shit I’d gone through. I didn’t talk to her about my father. Maybe I should. But that was a can I wasn’t ready to open.
I would much rather live in ignorance. As long as I convinced myself I wouldn’t see him again, then I didn’t have to deal with my feelings of abandonment and betrayal.
News of Daniel Scott being killed in town reached us quickly. As did the news of Tundra, a prospect, being dropped outside the gates at the clubhouse.
Skinner had officially declared war on the Silver Shadows. And as I suspected, it had nothing to do with me. Though it did mean the Death Dogs would make their presence more known.
It was more important now for me to stay on the ranch. Amber was leaving. She was moving to California with Massacre and the Golden Skulls. I was happy for her, but I would miss my friend. And because of the war, I couldn’t even go and say goodbye.
We’d gotten close while I was at the clubhouse. Bonded over trauma. We’d both had our share of it over the years, and it felt like I’d met someone I could talk to. Now she was leaving.
I heard the rumble of a motorcycle coming closer to the cabin. It wasn’t unusual for one of the brothers to stop by with an update. They weren’t there to speak to me, so I didn’t bother getting up. I stayed lost in the book I was reading until Banshee opened the door.
He’d been outside with Diesel, and I hadn’t figured on him coming in until the visitor left.
“Baby girl, can you come outside please?”
“Why?” I asked without looking up from my book. I wasn’t in the mood for guests.
“Because I fucking asked you to.”
I looked up at him then. He never spoke to me in that way.
“I’m sorry. Please just come outside.”
His apology was sincere, but it didn’t have me rushing to obey. I slowly folded over the corner of the page and closed mybook. I slipped on my shoes and with an exaggerated sigh, I hefted myself off the couch.
Banshee grinned. He knew what I was doing, and he met me in the middle of the room.
“I’m sorry. I’m feeling a little cooped up and, consequently, my temper is short.”
