Page 83 of Banshee
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Aspen
My mother was the missing sister of Kane Baudelaire. Known in the biker world as Morpheus. President of the Brotherhood of Bastards.
I’d never met any of the Brotherhood. As children, we’d all heard the stories. There wasn’t a person in our world who hadn’t heard of Morpheus and his uncle.
My mother’s uncle.
I sat at the bar, Banshee by my side, and stared at my mother, looking at her as if seeing her for the first time. My brother’s name was Kane. I’d never even considered he could be named after Kane Baudelaire. Why would I?
But now it made sense. Why my mother told me that if I ever truly needed help, I could go to them. I never even considered it after the stories I’d heard. But she was adamant that if I told Morpheus her full given name, he would protect me.
Nav’s response to my mother’s confession was confusing. He was angry. In the time I had been here, I’d never seen him angry. He occasionally came out of his office, cussing up a storm. But he was generally mad at himself and his computers. Once he saw the women or the little girls, his demeanor quickly changed.
He felt safe.
But seeing the way he grabbed my mother, the rage in his eyes... it gave me pause. I could have called Diesel off. Could have given him one word and he would have come to me, no longer a threat. But the Silver Shadows were my family now.
I liked Eros; he was quiet, but always kind to me. Not much was known about him. He was close to my brother’s age, but he’d saved my father’s life. So when he was offered a place in the club, he accepted on the condition that his past was his own. My father agreed as long as his past didn’t come after the club. He assured my father it wouldn’t. That his past was dead. I guess his past wasn’t as dead as he’d thought.
As I looked around the room, I clocked where my brother’s men were. Poseidon stood sentry behind my brother, who sat at the bar. My uncle Issac was on his left. Atlas on his right. I’d always had a crush on Atlas. He was a few years younger than my brother. But he was kind.
I assumed my father knew of his relationship to Bane. My father would have thought that was a win. The cousin of a Soulless Sinner loyal to the Gods of Mayhem.
And Atlas was loyal.
I’d seen him watching me. I’d even flirted and tried to seduce him. But he wouldn’t budge. The club came first, always. He wouldn’t risk his place, or the respect of my father for one night.
And he’d assured me that was all it would be.
It was why I’d sought out Erebus. Erebus was young and stupid like me. He was across the room talking to Romeo. My father had made him my shadow when I turned eighteen. Before then, I wasn’t allowed out of the clubhouse without my parents or Zeus, or Uncle Issac.
Erebus and I became close. We’d spent so much time together; it was only natural that feelings would develop. We had a quiet, sneaky fling for a few months. But a pregnancy scare put things into perspective for both of us.
He was no longer willing to risk his place in the club, and I was no longer willing to risk his life. Sex wasn’t that important. If I were being honest, it wasn’t that good.
Sure, I enjoyed my time with Erebus, and the few hook-ups I’d had in college. But when Pepper made it known he wouldn’t sleep with me, I wasn’t disappointed. Sex was ok, but living without it wasn’t a hardship.
Until Banshee.
I crossed my arm over my chest and placed my hand over his on my shoulder. He squeezed my shoulder, letting me know he was there. He’d felt my need for reassurance. Banshee had shown me what passion was. What heaven was like.
He made me feel loved. Cherished. Like he couldn’t breathe without me near. Now that my parents were here, and they knew where I was and what had happened to me, maybe divorce was an option. Maybe now I could be free to be Banshee’s old lady.
“Aspen?”
I turned to my sister. My mother was across the room, sitting with my father, watching us.
“Mom and Dad would like to talk with you. Maybe we could all sit and talk. I still have to tell them everything. I’d like you to be there. Maybe you can tell them everything too?”
Her voice was soft, as if she were afraid she might scare me off. I looked back at Banshee.
“It’s your call, baby girl.”
“Will you come with me?”
“Of course I will.” He kissed the top of my head, and I nodded to my sister.
