Ember

12 - Thank you, Daddy

Ember

I walk into Snakes Henchmen clubhouse and smile at the guys milling around the place. I was born into this life. My great-great-grandfather started this club so many years ago. My great-grandfather was President after him, then my grandfather, then my uncle, and it will continue to pass down through the father for many years to come.

My daddy is VP. He might be in his early fifties now, but he’s still as strong as ever. Crossing him is like signing your own death warrant. Stupid.

“Hey, baby girl. What you doin’ here?”

“Hi, Bomer. Is my dad around?”

Bomer is a nice guy in his thirties, intelligent, and as dangerous as the rest of them. But he’s good to women and kids, and that’s all that matters to these men. He kind of has a thing for me, but he’d never admit it; my dad would strangle him. Besides, I don’t look at Bomer in that way. I only know he has a thing for me because I can read it all over his face when he looks at me. His father was once part of this club, but Saxon died a few years ago of a heart attack.

“Sure thing. He’s in the office.”

I thank Bomer and make my way to the office. I knock on the door once, and my dad yells for me to enter. I open the door and instantly smile. My daddy is standing in front of me with his big arms folded around his big chest, smiling wide at me.

I close the door, and emotion instantly overwhelms me. My dad notices right away, and his face drops.

“Baby girl, what’s wrong? Why are you cryin’?”

I didn’t want to cry in front of him, but I couldn’t stop it.

“Oh, Daddy!” I wail and throw myself in his arms.

I’m safe in my daddy’s arms. The only man in the world I truly trust is my father because he’s the only man who would never let me down. This man gave my brother and me a wonderful childhood. Yes, we were born into a motorcycle club, and their way of life is not what most would want for their child. Teaching their children to fight, to shoot a gun, to kill if they have to by the age of ten is not what any parent wants.

But you see, all the shi.t this club went through before I was born, all the women they lost through vengeance, no one wanted to risk losing anyone else. It was my mom’s idea for the club to train the women and children to take care of themselves. My grandfather, Shepard, wasn’t too keen at first. However, he caved when my uncle Hammer and his brother, Lydia’s father, Don Vidal, told Shepard that it wasn’t such a bad idea. Shepard was President of Snakes Henchmen MC then and wanted the woman and kids safe. Shepard was, and still is, a good man. Snakes Henchmen is the club it is today, thanks to my grandfather.

All of the women and children were trained by my mother to fight. She taught us all how to be strong and take down a man three times our size. Yes, she taught us to injure, to maim, even to kill if we had to, but only if we had to. If there was no other choice and our lives were in real danger, then we were to kill. Of course, we never killed anyone in training; my mother wasn’t that crazy. But she would force some of the men in the club to act as our victims. You’d think it would have given us nightmares, but it didn’t.

We kids have trained since we were small, but the truth is, not one of us has ever killed anyone. We’ve never had to; the adults always protected us. We’ve been in a few fights, but nothing to write home about, usual kids’ stuff. But just because we’ve never had to defend ourselves against real attackers doesn’t mean we might not one day have to.

I love my mother, and I’m proud of her for teaching us all how to protect ourselves. Nova Marshall is a powerful woman – one who knows how to take down attackers quicker than anyone I have ever known. She can fight like a man four times her size; she’s even been in the boxing ring with men a lot bigger than herself, and we’ve watched her take them down like they were nothing to her.

My mother is everything to me. I have always looked up to her. She’s my inspiration, and I’m strong because of her.

However, it’s my father from whom I get my patience. Believe me, my mother has none. Dad taught me never to go off in anger and ruin people’s lives because anger can lead to terrible things. Not everything is always as it seems, and regret is a motherfucke.r of an emotion to hold onto. That sounds crazy for a biker when ninety-nine percent of them are hotheaded, attack before thinking, and do not care for the fallout of their actions.

My daddy has never been like that, not to my knowledge. Yes, he’s dangerous when pushed. He’ll do whatever he has to do to protect his family and the people of this massive MC, but he’s a good man. He’s my hero and always will be.

“Daddy, everything is so messed up.” He strokes my hair, calming me the way he used to when I was a little girl.

My dad is my best friend and has always supported everything I’ve done in my life, including school, music, singing, friendships, and everything else. I’ve always been able to come to him when I’ve needed him.

Tank Marshall was the kind of father who went to every school production, not caring, who stared at him for how he dressed or the bike he rode. He drove me to school dances and music competitions, and he would be the dad standing and cheering the loudest when I won trophies. Dad did the same for Eagle because he loved us both the same.

Most would be embarrassed by this, but I was anything but because Dad made my brother and me so happy. Our dad cared about us and didn’t care if he looked stupid because all that mattered to Tank was his son and his daughter’s happiness. Not every child is as lucky as we are. Both Eagle and I are proud to be Tank’s children, and we’d do anything to make him proud of us. But right now, I feel like a complete failure.

“Tell me what’s going on, Ember.”

“I’m so tired of everything, Dad. I need to get away from here. I feel like I’m drowning.”

He pulls me at arm’s length, eyes scanning me wildly. God, I want to tell him everything the way I always do.

But how can I tell him that my best friend, his big brother’s niece, has been sleeping with my boyfriend?

He’d go crazy, and then he’d tell my uncle Hammer, and between them, they’d kill Toby. Plus, Lydia is my dad’s second cousin, so we’re blood. If I told him that she tried to kiss me, he would be disgusted. Hell, I was disgusted.

“Has someone hurt you? Toby?”

Yes!

“No, Daddy, I just want to get away. I want to do something with my life. Something more than right now. I’m going to take Colin up on his offer.”

“What offer exactly?”

“To join his band. I’ve been thinking about it a lot over the last week. I don’t have to sing or publicly show my face if Uncle Jett says otherwise. I would never risk the world finding out about the club.”

Dad tucks my hair behind my ear and smiles at me.

I look at him for a second and smile back. “But I think it will do me good to get away for a while. The band wants to record my songs, Dad. I’ll be able to get some of my music out there. I’ll be away for three months, but I want to do this, Daddy.”

“What about Toby? Is he going with you?”

I shake my head. “We broke up.”

Dad narrows his eyes a little. “I thought you were in love? Love doesn’t just fade out like that, Ember.”

I nod my head and swallow hard. “Toby isn’t the one, Dad. I wanted him to be, but we’ve drifted apart these past few weeks. Toby and I want different things out of life. I don’t want to sound selfish,”

Ironic, right?

I’m the least selfish person there is, yet I’m here making out like Toby and I breaking up is on me. But only because I don’t want my dad to kill him. He deserves a beating for hurting me, but it wouldn’t end there. I know it wouldn’t.

“But I want to tour with Colin’s band, and I want to write songs for them. I need space to find myself, Dad. I have to follow my dreams, right?”

Dad pulls me into his arms and kisses my head. “So, the theory goes, baby girl. I can’t stop you from going; you’re a grown woman. But only go if it’s the right thing, Ember. Don’t just go because you’re hurting over something.”

“It’s the right thing, Dad. Please support me on this.”

“Princess, I will always support you no matter what you do.”

“I know because I am the luckiest girl in the world to have a dad like you.”

“Not as lucky as I am to have you as my daughter.” He smiles and holds me close to him. “Are you sure touring with them and being out of the limelight will be enough?”

I pull away from Dad and look at him. “How do you mean?”

“Ember,” He laughs loudly. “Darlin’, you know exactly what I mean. When you’re out there, and you see how amazing it all is, can you honestly tell me that you won’t long to join them?”

I swallow hard and shake my head honestly. “I know that I will, but I can handle it, Dad. I’ll be honest with you; Colin wants me to join and be an official member. I’ve been thinking it over long and hard, and joining would be out of this world. But I can’t do that,”

My dad takes my shoulders in his hands. “What’s really stopping you from joining…?”

I laugh. “Dun’s Dungeon,”

“Dun’s Dungeon,” He nods. “Is it just the idea that too much information could be leaked about the club?” This time, I nod my head. “Baby girl, nothing we don’t want to get out will. You can’t put your dreams on hold for the club. None of us want to hold you back from what you really want. No matter where life takes you with this band, Draven will help keep our lives private. Don’t let anything stand in your way, Ember.”

Is it any wonder I love my father so much when he says things like that?

I look at my father and wonder how I got so lucky. “There’s just one problem.”

“What’s that?”

I swallow hard. “I’d have to leave in the morning after tomorrow.”

Dad’s eyes widen for a second. I watch him watching me, and he suddenly smiles. He cups my cheek in his big hand, and I momentarily lean into his fatherly touch. “Go out there and live your life, Ember. Your family will be right here waiting for you because we love you, and nothing will ever change that.”

A tear slips from my eye. I’m not sad; I’m happy. “Thank you, Daddy.” I walk into his open arms and smile to myself.

Maybe I can do this, be part of Dun’s Dungeon, and keep my family’s secret. I guess only time will tell. But I know my family and Draven Vidal will keep everything hidden that they don’t want to get out. Draven can do anything he sets his mind to. With all that power, there is nothing he can’t hide.

As my dad makes me promise to call him every day, to see my mom before I go, and to let Eagle know that I’ll be okay, I know that I can do this.