Page 32 of Kodiak

“Please don’t,” Demi cries, burying her face into the Kleenex.

“Why? Still ashamed of me, Demoness?” The sound of his voice has my head bolting backward. “Only want to meet me in the backroom of your fights, release some stress?”

“Conan, you know why it has to be this way. Please don’t do this, I’m begging you,” Demi pleads.

“No, I don’t know why it has to be like this,” he retorts. “I’ve done as you asked. I’ve even taken other women to my bed to try and forget you. Forgetus. But you’re always there like a ghost haunting me. It’s always your face I see, but it’s different for you, isn’t it?”

“No,” she whispers. “It’s exactly the same.”

“What the fuck?” Luna asks, sounding as if she’s been kicked in the gut. “Demi, what’s going on?”

I can hear the hurt in her tone and as little as I actually know about the two women, I suspect that Demi’s been keeping a few secrets from my Luna.

“Luna,” Demi says, reaching toward her friend. “I… I just can’t right now, okay?”

“You can’t what, exactly? Tell me what’s going on? Tell me why you’ve been hiding secrets from me?” Luna questions, her voice sounding like she’s equal parts angry and upset. “I tell youeverything. Every single thing!”

“Leave and let us talk,” Xavier demands, glaring at me while motioning to Luna. “I promise, I’ll explain it all shortly.”

On one hand I want to give my brother what he wants, but on the other, Demi just relived something pretty traumatic and I’m not sure that Xavier’s hurt feelings aren’t going to cause her more emotional damage. So I express that, “Brother. Demi was in the middle of telling us what happened to her so I could bring it to the table to ask for help in getting her some revenge. This is not the time for you to go barbarian on her. She needs comfort right now, now a caveman.”

“You take care of your woman and let me take care of mine, Marcum.”

“Xavier, you’re crossing so many lines right now. You need to step back and remember who you’re demanding things from,” I state, reminding him of his place in the pecking order.

“I’m not your woman,” Demi argues. “This mentality is why we decided to not be in any sort of committed relationship. I’ll never be anybody’s property, Conan.”

“No,youdecided that, princess. I never said anything about wanting to control you. One of the things I admire most is your fierce independence. And for your information, being a biker’s property,” he sneers, using the same tone she just did, “means more than you know. It’s a sign of a lasting commitment, one that supersedes marriage, although I’m willing to give you that as well. Fuck, Demi, I want it all, woman! The highs and lows, the good and bad, the happy and sad.”

Now I feel like we're encroaching in a territory I’m not comfortable being a third party to. This is something they need to work out between them without any witnesses. Since we’re not going to get back on track anytime soon, because they are both distracted with whatever this is brewing between them, I stand from my chair and walk around the desk, holding my hand out for Luna to take.

“Come on, sweetheart. Let's let them hash this out. We’ll revisit this at a later date,” I implore, not wanting either one of us to be dragged into this mess. At least not any more than we already have been.

She takes my hand and we walk out of my office. “Luna, let’s go to my place for a little bit of privacy,” I say as I take in the rowdiness that is currently occurring in the backyard. The club girls have shed a lot of their clothes, several of the brothers are getting blowjobs and if I’m not mistaken, Pepper is being fucked from behind while she pleasures one of the brothers with her mouth.

“Yeah, that’s not a bad idea.”

Good because there’s something going on with her as well and I think it’s unrelated to Demi’s situation. I want to get to the bottom of that and maybe get her into my bed.

My cock perks up at the thought, the memory of our night together plays on repeat, especially when I’m alone in bed or standing underneath the spray of my shower. I’ve jacked off so many times since first meeting Luna that I worry I may have taken off some of my girth from rubbing one out. I chuckle at the thought causing Luna to glance up at me.

I pull her into my side as we maneuver through the crowd. All of the brothers are in attendance, along with a bunch of folks from town, which is typical. The women want a walk on the wild side, while the men are hoping we’ll let them prospect or some shit.

They have no fucking clue what it takes to be a Deviant Knight. It’s more than sliding on a leather cut and riding a bike. It’s in our blood; the roar of the wind as we travel down the road, the pumping of our blood as we take care of those who hurt the innocent. Prospecting for us isn’t for the pussies of the world, and a quick glance shows me that most of the men posturing around the yard are nothing more than weekend riders, if that.

It doesn’t take long for us to weave our way around the partygoers and head behind them, heading toward the crop of land where a few of us have built our homes. When we cross the threshold of my house, Luna stops and stands in the middle of our living area. I’d like to be able to be in her mind and hear what she’s thinking. This is the epitome of a bachelor pad. It consists of two recliners, a large screen television hung above the fireplace, pictures on the walls of motorcycles with half-dressed chicks lounging over the saddle. Beer cans line my coffee table and kitchen counter and the dishes from breakfast are sitting unwashed in the sink. I hadn’t had a chance to clean yet, and since Xavier could care less, that chore falls on my shoulders.

“I swear I’m not a slob,” I chuckle. “Xavier doesn’t help me pick up and I had a few contracts to look over and bills to pay beforethe barbecue started so I didn’t get a chance to make things presentable.”

“Honestly, Marcum. It looks better than I expected seeing as you’re a single man. Xavier lives here with you?” she asks, walking over to Xavier’s chair and removing the cross body purse from her body.

“Yes. We didn’t see the point in building two houses when we’ve always lived together. We haven’t really ever been a part. We rode the nomad life together when neither one of us wanted to be stationary. That need didn’t hit until a year back. We were happy riding on the open road with no responsibilities and nobody to answer to if we wanted to take an unplanned trip.”

“It sounds freeing,” she says, crossing her legs as her fingers begin trailing over the trim of her purse.

“What are you avoiding telling me, Luna?” I watch her face drop as fear washes over her.

CHAPTER TWENTY

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