Bucking Tradition (Devil's Knights 2nd Generation 5)

Chapter Two

Luna

“She needs to sleep, Troy.”

Dad shook his head and shrugged. “And she can sleep with me sitting next to her, Marley. I’m not going anywhere.”

Dad was right. I could sleep with him sitting next to me, but he needed to get rest for himself. “Please go home, Dad. I promise I’ll be fine.”

“Ransom said there will be a police officer posted at her door. No one will come in without permission,” Mom reminded him.

Dad grunted. “Ransom, the same guy who let you get kidnapped and beat because he can’t catch the psycho going around killing girls?” he spat.

“He’s been trying to get his hands on this guy since day one, Troy,” King rumbled from the corner of the room. He was leaning against the wall with Meg sitting at his feet. She reclined against his legs and hadn’t taken her eyes off me since she walked into the room. Hell, no one had really taken their eyes off of me since I fell out of the back of the van.

“I can stay with her,” Meg volunteered. “We can take shifts.” My wonderful godmother to the rescue. Dad and Meg had been friends for years, and she really was like my second mom. Hell, for most of my childhood, Meg had been the one to feed Brock and me.

“Do I get a say in this?” I asked softly. Everything just ached, and the slightest movement hurt. Even talking seemed to hurt my head. I guess that was what happened after your face was smashed into the pavement.

“All you need to do is heal,” Dad grunted. “You don’t have anything else to worry about. You act way too independent for your own damn good and look what happened.”

“Excuse me?” Mom spat. “You’re acting like this is her fault. It’s not Luna’s fault some psycho is killing women.”

“It’s not her damn fault,” Dad growled. “But maybe she needs to realize she can’t be traipsing all over the damn place when there is a killer on the loose. She was doing everything she could to keep the girls from the club safe, but she wasn’t doing anything to keep herself safe.”

“You’re a dumbass,” Mom and Meg said in unison.

The corners of my lips curved into a smile. Mom and Meg were always there to put Dad back in his place. Though, he did have a slight point. Of course, it wasn’t my fault that I was attacked and kidnapped, but I certainly wasn’t doing everything I could to keep myself safe like I was everyone else.

A knock sounded on the door.

“Come in,” King called.

Dad sat up in his chair and glared at King. “You really think we should just be letting anyone in here without knowing who they are?”

Dad was a little bit on edge. I understood it, but pretty soon, he was going to need a Prozac to chill him out.

King ran his fingers through his hair. He looked tired and ready to fall over. It had only been a couple of weeks since King had been in the same position, in a hospital bed. He shouldn’t be here worrying about me; he should be recovering from the stroke he had. “Remember that cop at door?” he droned.

The door opened and Ransom stood in the jamb. “You’re all still here,” he stated. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

He looked around the room, and then, his eyes landed on me. After I had been admitted and checked over, he had talked to me for an hour, wanting to know everything that had happened. Even with a huge goose egg on my head and a hell of a concussion, I had remembered most of everything that had occurred—only I never got a chance to see the guy’s face.

But one thing I would never forget was the sound of his voice and what he had said to me.

“You find the asshole who did this?” Dad thundered. Mom moved to his chair and rested her hand on his shoulder. She may have just called him a dumbass, but that didn’t change anything. Mom and Dad were as solid as a couple could be. They bickered and teased each other, but you never doubted the love they had for one another.

Hell, that was basically every couple in the Devil’s Knights. They gave us all an amazing example of what to want, but sometimes, it seemed pretty unattainable.

Ransom shook his head. “Guy turned into a ghost. There is no sign of his van after he drove away from the stoplight today.”

“How the hell does a fucking creeper van just disappear?” King demanded. “You have the fucking plate number, right?” he asked.

Ransom nodded. “Yeah, we got it off my dash cam, but the plates are coming back to a car that was stolen two days ago.”

“He planned this,” Dad sighed. “He fucking planned to kidnap and kill Luna, and there isn’t a damn thing you are doing to find him.”

“I’ve been working on this case for weeks, Troy,” Ransom growled. “I have chased down each and every lead we get, and they are all coming up empty.”

“Then find a different lead!” Dad pushed up from his chair. “There has to be a trace of this guy somewhere. A fucking camera at a gas station or something. It’s impossible how this guy seems to be able to just pop up, kill a woman, and then disappear into thin air. You’re missing something!” A charge sizzled through the air in the room, and you could feel the tension roll off my dad. I was twenty-four years old, but I was still his little girl.

“I know we’re missing something,” Ransom confessed. “I’m searching all over to find the key that will unlock this damn case, but right now, we don’t know what it is.”

“Maybe the town of Rockton needs a better detective than you are.” Dad’s words were harsh and forceful.

“Troy,” Meg called. She gingerly stood and wiped her hands on her pants. “I think we all need to take a breath and stop.”

King reached out for Meg and laced his fingers through hers. “I think letting Luna rest while we all go home to our own beds is what we need.”

“I’m not leaving,” Dad insisted.

I sighed heavily and everyone looked at me. “I don’t care what you guys do, but I am tired, so you can go out in the hallway to figure this out.” Normally, I needed to be fully involved in what was going on, but right now, all I wanted to do was sleep. Sleep, and not think at all.

“We’re going home,” Mom stated, “and we will be back in the morning after we get a good night’s sleep.”

Dad opened his mouth to rebuke, but Mom tugged his arm.

“Shut it, Troy,” Mom hissed. “Or you’re sleeping on the couch, and I’ll make breakfast.”

Dad scowled down at her. “So you’re not going to play fair?”

Meg smothered a laugh. “How about if you go home, and I’ll bring over coffee and muffins?” she suggested. “But only if you go home and stay there.”

Dad rolled his eyes. “None of you are playing fair.” He raised his finger and pointed it at Ransom. “If one hair gets out of place on her head, I am personally going to kill you.”

“Jesus,” Meg gasped.

Ransom nodded. “And I’ll ignore the fact you just threatened a police officer.”

“And I’ll ignore the fact that my daughter was kidnapped on your watch,” Dad shot back.

Ransom held up his hands. “I will personally make sure nothing happens to Luna until you get back here in the morning.”

“If that is supposed to be reassuring, it’s not.” Dad moved over to the bed and leaned down. He pressed a kiss to the side of my head. “Be safe, my angel,” he whispered.

“I will,” I sighed.

Mom gingerly gave me a hug and squeezed my hand. “I promise he’ll be better behaved tomorrow.”

She and I both knew that was a lie. When something got Dad going, he didn’t let it go. He wasn’t going to chill out until whoever tried to kidnapped me was behind bars.

Meg was right behind Mom and also gave me a hug. “You know I’ll bring you a muffin, too,” she promised.

“Apple cinnamon?” I asked.

“Would I really bring you any other muffin beside apple cinnamon?” she laughed.

Meg knew that my ultimate favorite food was her apple cinnamon muffins. I swore every time she made them that she needed to package them up and sell them to the whole damn world; they were that fucking good. “Better bring me two,” I whispered.

Meg winked. “You got it.”

She stepped back into King. “Try not to give the nurses a hard time,” he drawled.

“That doesn’t sound very fun. What if I get bored?”

King chuckled. While Meg was like a second mom to me, King was like my second dad. He may give me hell, but I always knew that he would be there the second I needed him.

“If you’re bored, sleep.”

“Maybe you should do the same thing,” I advised.

Meg glanced up at King. “That’s what I keep telling him.” There was worry in her eyes and she forced a smile. “I’m not ready for either of you to leave me,” she whispered.

King leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “No talking like that, babe. No one is going anywhere.”

Meg gave a stiff nod.

I knew she worried since King’s stroke. You could see it etched on her face. She was still her carefree and silly self, but she didn’t take a second for granted anymore. She lived in the moment and now knew that they may be her last. With any of us.

“We’ll be back in the morning,” Mom promised. “Try to get some sleep.”

King and Meg followed out behind Mom and Dad and closed the door behind them. Ransom moved to the chair dad had been sitting in and plopped down in it.

I laid my head back on the pillow. “You can leave, too.”

Ransom sat back in the chair and kicked out his legs in front of him. “I value my life too much to leave,” he chuckled. “I like to think your dad was joking about killing me, but part of me fully believes he would make good on his promise.”

“You’re afraid of my dad?” I chuckled. “That seems unlikely.”

“I’m careful of a man who I know will do anything to keep his family safe, and to avenge them if he needs to.”

“You do know he’s not actually a member of the Devil’s Knights, right?” I drawled. Dad always had the option to be a member, but he always said no. He always said it wasn’t who he was, though he had complete respect for King and the club. Hell, from where I stood, he was pretty much an honorary member even if he insisted he wasn’t.

“And you think that means anything? I know what kind of man your dad is, Luna.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And what does that mean?” I asked. Dad worked at the local factory in the warehouse. He had for the past thirty years of his life.

“I really don’t have it in me to talk about this, Luna. I’m bone tired from today.” Ransom sighed and leaned back his head.

“Then make sure the door doesn’t hit ya where the good Lord split ya on the way out.” I reached for the remote and dimmed the lights. “The cop at the door will make sure I’m safe.”

“I am the cop at the door,” Ransom sighed.

“You’re joking,” I snapped.

Ransom reached for the lever to lean back the chair and raise his feet. “I wish I was, Luna. The department doesn’t have enough bodies to post someone at your door tonight. I’m what you got.”

“Funny how you failed to mention that to my dad before he left.”

Ransom raised his arms over his head. “I respect your father, Luna, but I also know how to get him to do what I want. Him staying here and being your watchdog wouldn’t help anyone. You’re safe with me for the night.”

“You know they’re going to find out you lied to them, right.”

Ransom sighed. “And I’ll deal with it then. Right now, I need to sleep and so do you. I’m assuming the nurse is going to be in and out of here all night to check on you, so we should try to sleep when we can.”

I wanted to tell him I wasn’t tired, and he couldn’t tell me what to do, but I was downright exhausted. Sleep really was the only thing I wanted. “He’s going to kick your ass,” I mumbled around a yawn.

“You’re worth it,” he muttered.

“Huh?”

“Nothing, Luna. Just please go to sleep,” he pleaded.

My head was already foggy and throbbing, and I didn’t have it in me to figure out just what he meant by saying I was worth it. “I’m only going to sleep because I want to, not because you told me to.”

“Whatever gets you to shut your mouth, Luna.”

I huffed and closed my eyes. “And I was almost going to thank you for helping me today.”

“You’re welcome,” Ransom drawled. “Now sleep.”

“That wasn’t me thanking you,” I insisted groggily.

“Luna,” Ransom growled.

One word, and it silence me. It also made me feel something else, but I didn’t want to think about it. I pushed that feeling down and cleared my mind.

Minutes later, I was fast asleep, and unfortunately, the man in the chair next to me played in my dreams as much as I didn’t want him to.

But that was just like Ransom. He did whatever he wanted and didn’t care who did or didn’t like it.

Even in my dreams.