Chapter Eight
Luna
“Can I drink?”
Mom peeked at me from the behind the fridge door. “You mean like booze?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I could use an Old Fashion.”
Mom grabbed a bottle of soda from the fridge and laughed. “Well, no one could ever tell you that you aren’t a Wisconsin girl, honey.”
“And the same can be said for you, babe,” Dad called from the living room. “I remember a time you locked yourself in the bathroom and drank your booze from a coffeepot.”
Mom rolled her eyes and set the soda in front of me. “You would think after all of these years that he would get sick of reminding me of that,” she muttered. “And I think you should wait until you’re off of the pain meds before you have a drink,” she advised. “I don’t want you falling down the stairs and breaking your other wrist.”
“Solid advice,” I agreed. Though, I didn’t really like it.
“What time did Ransom and Wolf say they were going to be here?” Mom asked.
I cracked open the soda and took a swig. “He didn’t say. I just texted him that I was going home, and he hasn’t replied.”
“Do I want to know how you have his phone number?” Mom asked softly.
I shook my head. That was something Mom did not need to know because what that was, was in the past. My phone dinged, and I swiped it open. “He’s on the way now,” I called to Dad.
“Speak of the devil,” Mom laughed. “You think I should get something going for dinner?”
“No!” Dad and I shouted.
“I’m not really hungry right now, and I’m not sure what Ransom and Bear like to eat.” Dear Lord, I did not need my mom cooking dinner. With my luck, she would try to make some new recipe she had never tried before and end up giving us all food poisoning.
It had happened before.
Twice.
You would think that she would have picked up on the fact that she really wasn’t a good cook, but she just kept trying. It was like she thought if she kept trying that it would finally click.
We had been waiting on the click for over twenty years.
Wasn’t going to happen.
“I thought we could pick up Marco’s on the way home, babe,” Dad told Mom. “You know how much I like the garlic knots.”
Mom sighed and wiped her hands on the dish towel. “I guess. Though you know those knots go straight to my hips. I swear I can’t eat any carbs without them going straight to my hips and butt.”
“Then we’ll get two orders!” Dad hollered. “You know how much I love your butt.”
I groaned and buried my face in my hand. “Too much,” I shouted. “I may be on my own, but that doesn’t mean I want to hear about you liking Mom’s butt.”
Dad chuckled. “I didn’t really think it was a surprise.”
“Right?” Mom shook her head. “He can’t keep his hands off of it.”
Never had I ever wished for Ransom to appear instantly than I did right now. Jesus. I would be happy for a tornado to split the house in two if it meant that I didn’t have to hear about Dad loving Mom’s butt.
“Knock, knock.”
Thank God. Saved by my brother coming over unannounced.
“Hey,” Bristol called.
They walked into the kitchen, each carrying plastic bags and Pie with a cooler in one hand.
“You’re not a tornado, but just as good,” I muttered.
“Huh?” Bristol laughed.
Pie dropped his bags on the table and set the cooler next to the fridge. “Mom and Dad getting handsy again?” he asked.
I nodded and slumped in my chair. “More than usual. I was wishing for a tornado when you walked in.”
“I think it’s kind of cute,” Bristol admitted. “I hope when I’ve been married for twenty years that my hubby loves me just as much.”
“Hubby?” Pie grabbed Bristol’s hand and pulled her to his chest. “I think you mean me.”
She rolled her eyes and slapped him in the chest. “That would mean you would have to propose to me first, Pie.”
“In time, babe.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“It’s time for a wedding. We haven’t had one in ages,” Mom sighed.
“Just wait,” I laughed. “You’re probably going to have four right in a row with Hero, Frost, Marco, and Pie being lucky enough to find woman who can stand them.”
Pie flipped me off.
I wrinkled my nose at him.
“You really are a bratty little sister.”
“Some things don’t change,” I muttered.
Bristol held up the plastic bag she was holding. “When Pie told me you were released today, I got to making some meals for you for the next couple of days. And I did make enough for Ransom and Bear.”
“Wolf,” Mom laughed. “Meg changed his name to Wolf.”
Bristol shook her head and moved to the kitchen. “I don’t know how you guys think that Bear isn’t a badass name. I mean, you can get mauled to death by a bear.”
“Yeah, and then they have to sleep for six months to recuperate,” Mom chuckled.
“I think that might be a slight exaggeration,” I mumbled. I didn’t see anything wrong with the name Bear, either. Come on, how many people could say they were named after a fierce and ferocious animal? I mean, I was named after the damn moon.
Bristol and Mom worked on emptying the bags and cooler while Pie went into the living room with Dad.
I didn’t live in a huge house, but it was perfect for me. My house was on the outskirts of town with neighbors on each side of me, but they were far enough away that we weren’t able to see into each other’s windows or anything.
I had three bedrooms upstairs with a full bath and the kitchen and huge living room and dining room were downstairs. My spare bedrooms were never used and mostly empty—a desk in one, and in the other, a spare bed and a couple pieces of exercise equipment I used when the feeling struck, which was not very often.
“What the hell is with these frou-frou pillows?” Pie called.
I rolled my eyes. “They’re for decoration, not for you to lay your greasy head on.”
“I’m flipping you off right now, just so you know,” Pie growled.
“And I am doing the same to you.” I smirked and sat back in my chair. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was ready for a nap. What the hell was with all of these naps I was needing lately? I mean, sure, I had a concussion, which was probably making me more tired, but this was just ridiculous. I hadn’t done much today other than get dressed and brushed my dark purple hair. They didn’t even let me walk out of the hospital on my own. Dad had given me a slightly scary ride in a wheelchair out to his truck.
Bristol glanced at me and rolled her eyes. “You guys are the epitome of a brother and sister.” She pointed her finger at me and lowered her voice. “And I won’t tell your brother that you’re not actually flipping him off.”
I shrugged and crossed my arms over my chest clumsily. I was still getting used to have a hard cast on my wrist. The doctor wasn’t exactly pleased with how much swelling had gone down in my arm, but he had agreed to put the cast on. Well, I had made him agree to put the cast on. I wasn’t about to spend one more night in that crappy hospital bed with Ransom snoring next to me. It was a miracle I had gotten any sleep last night once he had knocked out and started his lawnmower noises.
“Are you okay with meatball subs for dinner?” Bristol asked. “Or you could do the tuna casserole. That will take about forty-five minutes in the oven, though.”
“Let’s go with the tuna casserole. It sounds gross, but I’m a firm believer that you can’t make anything gross.”
Bristol beamed proudly. “You won’t regret it. That’s one of my favorite things I make. I really am just a simple Midwest girl at heart.”
“Who happens to be the chef to one of the world’s most ruthless mob bosses,” Pie called. “So simple,” he chuckled.
“Uncle Leo is not ruthless,” I said defensively. “He always remembers my birthday and the Christmas I turned sixteen he had a car sitting in the driveway for me.”
“He did that for all of us, Luna. Don’t feel so special,” Pie scoffed.
I rolled my eyes.
“Leo bought you all cars?” Bristol asked. “That was before my time working at Wyndemere.”
“He did, and he still has all of the guys pissed off at him for it.” Dad walked into the kitchen and stood next to Bristol to watch her take the tin foil off the casserole.
“You can take it down a notch, Troy. You’re acting like he gave them all Porches.” Mom shook her head. “None of those cars were worth more than five thousand dollars, and I’m pretty sure Fayth had said that he had written them off on his taxes. I think it helped him out as much as it helped the kids out.”
“Still,” Bristol laughed. “I would have loved a car when I was sixteen. I was driving my mom’s minivan back and forth to school.”
“I remember that,” Pie called. “You were the hottest soccer mom in training.”
Bristol rolled her eyes. “You can stop lying right there, Pie. We’ve established that I was not cool enough to even be on you radar back in high school.” She opened the oven and put the casserole inside. “Which I am more than fine with. You probably would have broken my heart and then I never would have given you the time of day today.”
“And that is why I like you. You put my brother right in his place.” I held out my fist to Bristol and she held out hers to me in a sort of air fist bump.
“You and my sister are not allowed to get along,” Pie called. “Pretty soon, you’re going to be flinging flaming donkey shit at me and I am not going to like it.”
“Flaming donkey poop?” Bristol asked.
Dad put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. “Luna and Greta were a tornado of trouble back in high school. Unfortunately, the neighbor’s donkey got involved in it, too.”
“Malcom!” Bristol exclaimed. “That was you?”
I shook my head but smirked. “I can neither confirm nor deny that on the advice of my attorney.”
The doorbell rang, and Mom moved to the door. “I hope you didn’t order the pizza to come here, Troy,” she scolded Dad.
Dad held up his hands. “How in the hell do you think I could have ordered pizza five minutes ago, Marley, and it’s here already? I’m not the pizza god or some shit.”
“Some shit is right,” Mom mumbled. She opened the front door, and Ransom and Bear stood there, both holding duffle bags.
“Oh, you boys look like you’re here for a sleepover,” Mom laughed.
Pie scoffed. “Don’t let them in, Mom. They’re snitches.”
“Brock Michael, you stop that right now. I love the Devil’s Knights, but you somehow have a distain for the police that I don’t understand.” Mom opened the door wide and motioned for Bear and Ransom to come in. “Come on in, boys. You are more than welcome here.”
“Um, excuse me,” I called. “Last I checked, this is my house and I should be the one welcoming people, not you.”
Mom hushed me. “You’ve got a broken wrist, honey. I can take care of it for you.”
“Why does everyone think because I broke my wrist that I can’t walk anymore?” I raised my arm in the air. “Did I miss something in anatomy that connects my arm to my legs?”
Bristol busted out laughing, and Dad shook his head.
“Why don’t you boys head upstairs to put your bags away and then you can come on down for dinner. Bristol made a tuna casserole,” Mom informed them. “You boys can have the first two rooms on the right.”
Ransom nodded, and then, his eyes connected with mine.
I wish I could say I truly hated the man and I wished to never see him again, but I couldn’t do that. Well, I couldn’t do that and actually mean it.
Two years ago, Ransom and I had hooked up for a couple of months, but then, it changed. I started thinking about how I wanted to break free from the Devil’s Knights telling me what to do all of the time, and I knew running into Ransom’s arms was going to give me the same thing. I didn’t want to be told what to do all of the time and be treated like I had rocks in my head.
While the Devil’s Knights weren’t some chauvinistic pigs, I still knew that they weren’t going to treat me the same way they treated the boys and men. I hated that. So fucking much.
I couldn’t be a part of the club just because I had a vagina instead of a dick. I didn’t think it mattered what you had between your legs when you were riding a motorcycle and handling club business.
It wasn’t as if Ransom had treated me the same way, but I just couldn’t see him ever treating me as an equal. Hell, I didn’t think that there was any man out there who was capable of it.
Ransom always asked me why I had cut him off, and I never gave him an answer. Well, I gave him the answer that we were too different. Which was true, but it didn’t have anything to do with why I stopped seeing him.
There were nights I had laid awake thinking about him, wondering if I had given him enough of a chance. I mean, we basically only saw each other when we were in bed and for a couple hours after which we were normally sleeping.
But after I stopped seeing him, things had changed. He started treating me as just another girl, and since the murders had started, he had just been trying to push me out of the way and telling me to stay out of it.
I wasn’t going to stay out of it. This psycho was going after my girls, and I wasn’t going to let it happen anymore.
“How are you feeling?” he asked me.
I shrugged and held up my casted arm. “This thing has the beat of a drum going through it and I could stand to take my fourth nap of the day.” No sense in not telling the truth.
“Then maybe you should be in bed and not sitting at the table.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Now she is going to sit at that table until she dies,” Pie laughed.
And that was the damn truth. Telling me what to do was a sure-fire way to piss me off and have me do the exact opposite thing you were telling me to do.
“Maybe in a few hours, I’ll sleep.” More like I was going to wait until the casserole was done, feed my face, and then I was going to pass out wherever I landed. I didn’t need to tell Ransom that, though.
“Stubborn,” Ransom muttered. He followed Bear up the stairs, and Mom moved back into the kitchen.
“I don’t know why you have to be so mouthy with that man,” Mom scolded me. “All he is trying to do is find the guy who tried to kill you.”
Again, I rolled my eyes. “And he could do that while also taking my thoughts and feelings into account.”
Mom nodded. “You’re right. I was just checking to make sure you were giving him hell for the right reasons.”
And there was my mom who stood behind me no matter what, but she also checked me to make sure I was standing up for the right reasons. There had been quite a few times when I was younger that I would be stubborn just to be stubborn, and Mom and taught me that wasn’t the right thing to do.
I needed reason behind the way I treated people. I couldn’t be a bitch just because I wanted to be. But that also meant I didn’t have to be nice to people if I had a reason to not treat them right.
Then there was Dad, who had taught me I needed to treat people the way I wanted them to treat me. That became a fuzzy line because if I treated people how I wanted to be treated, that didn’t mean that they were going to treat me the same way back.
I only gave people nice until they showed that they weren’t going to give me the same courtesy.
The problem with Ransom and me was I had flipped the switch on him before he had really shown me anything, and now, it was hard for me to flip the switch back without looking mentally unstable.
“Luna has reasons why she gives people hell?” Pie joked. “Here I thought that was just her personality.”
“And here I thought the reason you were so dumb was because Mom dropped you on your head when you were a baby, but she swears up and down that she never did.” I shrugged and reached for my soda. “Some things are just unexplainable.”
Bristol laughed softly. “As enjoyable it is to watch you two go back and forth, I need to get back to Wyndemere. I have a roast in the oven that needs to come out in twenty minutes.”
“We need to get going to so we can be home when the pizza gets there in ten minutes,” Dad called.
“I knew it!” Mom yelled. “You ordered pizza on your phone, and now, we need to rush home. Why couldn’t you wait until we were ready to leave?”
Dad shook his head. “Because if I were to wait until you were ready to go home that would have been nine o’clock and then we wouldn’t have had pizza until ten.” He held up his phone. “Nine minutes.”
Mom rolled her eyes and dropped the dish rag on the counter. “It’s a good thing I love you, Troy. You drive me insane.”
“Right back at you, doll.” Dad pressed a kiss to the top of my head and then moved to the stairs. “Hey, Ransom,” he called. “If one hair on my daughter’s head gets messed up, I’m stringing you up by your balls, got it?”
“Dad,” I hissed. My God, Dad was being ridiculous.
“Yes, sir,” Ransom called.
Dad nodded smugly. “I feel better now. So, let’s get a move on it, Marley, or the garlic knots are going to get cold.”
Mom rolled her eyes and leaned down. She wrapped me up in a tight hug and kissed my cheek. “Stay safe, honey, and try not to give that handsome cop too much lip, yeah?”
I patted her hand and laughed. “I will try my best, Mom.”
Mom and Dad left with Bristol and Pie right behind them.
“Oh,” Bristol called before the door shut. “I have a timer set on the stove. You have about half an hour left.”
I gave her a thumbs up. “Thank you, Bristol. I really do appreciate and don’t actually hate my brother.”
Bristol laughed loudly. “I really think it’s the opposite. You two love each other a lot, Luna. Have a good night.” She closed the door behind her, and I sagged into my chair.
“Are you all right?”
I jumped up and clutched my hand to my chest. “Holy hell, man. You should give a girl some warning before you scare the living shit out of her.”
Ransom chuckled and moved to the fridge. He had changed out of his work clothes and was now wearing gray sweatpants and a white t-shirt. “I hope you don’t mind, but Bear jumped in the shower.”
I shook my head and flitted my hand. “Make yourselves at home.” I didn’t have the energy to be a hostess to Ransom and Bear, so it was good that they were okay with making themselves comfortable. “Just don’t use my shampoo.”
Ransom grabbed a beer and popped the top. “I’ll let him know.” He nodded to the cast on my arm. “How are you holding up?”
I shrugged and looked down at the bright white cast. “Well, I’m kind of regretting not getting a color for the cast, but it’s not like I’m going to be wearing it forever, right?”
“I can’t really imagine you with a colorful cast,” Ransom chuckled. “Unless of course they had black.”
I smiled broadly. “They did, but I was more leaning towards blue.”
“Well,” Ransom drawled. “If you have to get it refit, you can always go with the color.”
“And that could be possible because the doctor said I was still swollen, but I told him I wasn’t about to stay another night. I promised to sleep with my arm above my head.”
Ransom shook his head and smiled. Man, he really did have a beautiful smile. Hell, the whole man was beautiful. He could totally be in one of those cop calendars. Hot Men on the Force or some bullshit like that.
“I broke my arm when I was seven. And then again when I was seven and a half.”
I tipped my head to the side. “That sounds like a good story.”
Ransom chuckled. “I fell off the bed the first time, and then the second time, I was trying to ride a skateboard and fell right on the old break. I spent that year pretty banged up.”
“I bet you kept your mom on her toes.”
Ransom nodded and took a drink of his beer. “I think she would tell you she was always putting a Band-Aid on or wrapping up a cut for a good ten years.”
“Sounds like life at the clubhouse.” Those were really good years. We all gave each other hell, but at the end of the day, we would all fight and defend each other ‘til the end of time. I technically only had one brother, but most days, it felt like I had seven brothers and one sister.