Knox's Stand (The Last Riders 3)

“Of course, dear, you know when I cook I always make enough for leftovers.”

Diamond was afraid of that. . She hadn’t had time to warn Knox about the lack of cooking skills her mother had or that she only felt the need to subject the family to said cooking in order to impart a piece of news that she felt was important to them all. Diamond studied her mother, looking for any signs of illness she might be hiding and was relieved when her mother looked healthier than she had in years.

“What in the fuck is he doing here?” Sex Piston asked as she set the beer on the table when they entered the dining room.

“Sex Piston, watch your mouth,” Diamond’s mother snapped at her daughter.

“You don’t care you have a murderer sitting at your table?” Her mother cast Knox a sharp glance.

“He’s innocent, Mom.” Knox stood there quietly, not trying to defend himself.

“I’m sure he is.” Her mother tried to stop the argument brewing between her two daughters.

“He sure as fuck isn’t,” Sex Piston retorted, her hand going to her hips.

“Shut up. My car had a flat and he gave me a ride here,” Diamond explained, hoping that it would calm her sister.

“Well, you’re here now. I’ll give you a ride home. See ya,” Sex Piston smarted off to Knox.

“Sex Piston, stop it,” her mother scolded. “Everyone, sit down. I’ll get your father.” Diamond and Sex Piston shot dirty looks each other’s way as they sat down at the table. Knox sat down next to her at the table across from Sex Piston.

“I should have warned you sooner. My mom’s not the greatest cook, so make sure you take small portions,” Diamond warned.

“I bet it tastes better than prison food,” Sex Piston snapped.

“Sex Piston, if you don’t quit bugging your sister, the police are going to be charging me with another crime,” Knox threatened.

“Bring it on, asshole,” Sex Piston taunted, picking up the carving knife and laying it beside her on the table.

“Cut it out.” A sharp voice from the doorway had all eyes going to her father. Sex Piston’s mouth snapped closed. Diamond was relieved when her sister called a halt to her antics and picked up her beer. Her father came into the room, holding his hand out to Knox.

“I’m Skulls.”

“Knox.”

Diamond watched the two bikers introduce themselves.

“Have you met Sizzle?” he asked, pulling out her mother’s chair.

Diamond wanted to crawl under the table when her father told Knox her mother’s nickname.

“It’s nice to meet you both.” Knox barely managed to keep from laughing. Diamond threw him a dirty look.

Her father took his seat at the table. “Sex Piston told us Diamond is representing you for killing a woman in Treepoint.”

“Yes.” Knox looked her father in the eyes.

“You do it?”

“No. I couldn’t stand the bitch, but I didn’t kill her.”

“Good, let’s eat. Sizzle, bring on the food.” Her father barely managed to hide his grimace.

Her mother brought out a roast on a platter with potatoes, carrots and rolls. The whole table stared at the food as her mother took a seat. Serving everyone took several minutes as the roast was almost impossible to cut. It had practically been burnt to a crisp. Passing the rolls, she shook her head when her mother offered them. She could tell by looking at them that they were raw.

Not even for her mother would she gag down raw bread dough. Her father and everyone else at the table hadn’t been so smart. She couldn’t hide her vengeful smile when Sex Piston wasn’t able to prevent the retching noise as she took a bite of one.

To Knox’s credit, he managed to clean his plate, which was a big mistake as her mother forced seconds on him. Her father manned up and took seconds for himself, not wanting Knox to outdo him. Washing the dried meat down with several swallows of beer, she managed to eat half her plate. Throwing Sex Piston a who’s-a-pussy look when she couldn’t eat as much.

“Anyone want dessert?” her mother asked happily.

“No,” the whole table chorused together.

The crestfallen expression on her mother’s face had everyone retracting their answer except Diamond. Been there, done that.

“I’m on a diet, Mom,” she responded to Sex Piston’s threatening glare accompanied with the finger behind her mother’s back.

Her mother returned to the table with a cake that looked remarkably good, but Diamond had learnt that looks were deceiving where her mother’s cooking was concerned. She always waited for the consensus before jumping for a slice of chocolate cake. The look of horror on their faces confirmed her fears.

“Sizzle, we need some milk. Beer and chocolate don’t go together.” Her mother went back into the kitchen and everyone sprang into action. Sex Piston dumped her cake onto her father’s napkin and he dumped his there also then left the room just as her mother returned with the milk and paper cups.

Diamond wanted to go through the floor, wondering if the night could get any more embarrassing as she watched Knox when her father returned to the room, explaining to her mother he’d had to go to the restroom. Knox managed to take a couple of bites before even he couldn’t gag any more down.

“I’m not a big sweet eater,” Knox explained to her mother when she cast him a questioning glance.

“I’m not, either, but I know they enjoy it when I make something sweet to finish off dinner.”

“It was a delicious meal as always, Sizzle,” her father lied.

Diamond had, with that, had enough. She wanted to escape before she had to have any more time in her father’s company.

“Mom, what did you want to tell us? Knox can leave, go in the other room while we talk—”

“There’s no need, Diamond; it’s not bad news. I just wanted to ask you two girls if you’d be my bridesmaids. Your father and I have finally decided to tie the knot.” Sex Piston whooped, getting up to hug both parents. Her mother’s smiling face turned toward her as Diamond rose carefully from the table.

“I’ll talk to you later, Mom. I need to leave. I don’t want to hold Knox up any longer than necessary. I was worried you may be sick again. I’m glad it’s good news.” Diamond put her chair back under the table. Not waiting for Knox, she practically ran for the door.

“Diamond, what on earth? Wait a minute. The wedding is going to be at the Destructors’ clubhouse. We’re going to have a caterer and everything.” Diamond could hear the tears in her mother’s voice, but didn’t stop.

“I can’t, Mom. I just can’t,” Diamond answered, pulling open the door and going for Knox’s bike.

“Damn it, stop, Diamond,” her father yelled.

Diamond stopped; her back to her family, sensing Knox stopping by her side.

“What’s your fucking problem?” Sex Piston yelled. “Why are you being a bitch to Mom? They’ve been together for years. You should be happy.”

Diamond swung around facing her family.

“Why should I be happy to see her marry a man who has fucked around on her for years? Now that he’s an old man and not president of a motorcycle club the pussy probably doesn’t come as easy as it used to, does it, Pops?” Years of hurt along with

feelings of betrayal welled and found their target. The stunned look on her father’s face had her wanting to inflict more hurt. “You haven’t deserved Mom for years, so no, I’m not going to watch you get married to my mom when you damn sure don’t deserve her now.”

“You bitch!” Sex Piston yelled at her sister.

“You’re calling me a bitch? You’re the bitch; always in heat for some man. You’re just like him, chasing anything with a dick—you and Ace both. The only difference is you didn’t get knocked up like that woman he’s got now.”

Diamond saw the look of pain on her mother’s face, and with a sob, went to Knox’s bike, getting on and putting on his helmet. He paused, but then hopped on to the bike, starting it and pulling out. Diamond cried all the way back to Treepoint. Angry at her parents for springing the news on her and even angrier at her mother for putting up with her father’s shit for all the years they had been together.

She was also embarrassed that she had let loose in front of Knox. She should just have left, but she had lost control when she had faced her father. All the admiration she’d had for him as a little girl when she would have at one time been overjoyed for her parents to get married were washed away by the memory of him with that other woman at the Destructors’ clubhouse.

The hardest thing to admit was that she could finally understand her mother after all these years; the attraction of wanting someone you knew was incapable of being faithful and being the man you wanted him to be. The torture of a body in need versus a mind that said it was a heartache in waiting. Knox was like the wind rushing passed them, uncontrollable and free. He would never be the man she needed to make her happy.

Chapter Thirteen

As Knox pulled up in front of Diamond’s apartment, she barely managed to wait for him to stop to jump off.

“Thanks for the ride.” Handing him the helmet, she took off for her door. When she was there, she realized too late she had left her purse in Knox’s saddlebag. As she turned to go back, she bumped into Knox.

“Diamond, what’s wrong with you? Don’t fucking jump off my bike like that again,” Knox growled, handing her purse to her.