Page 17 of Viper's Claim

Is that what he thought all this time? “I didn’t Demon. I miscarried. And I went through grieving a child alone. Just like how I go through everything else.” I didn’t have anything else to say to him. Wait no I did. “I know you love her.” I didn’t feel angry. “The other woman you were with when you were with me. It was stupid of me to think, you just loved me. Now leave, just like you did back then. For her.”

“You honestly thought that? I told you that. So you wouldn’t love me. So you’d leave me. But instead, I had to end it.” His voice was low as if he was ashamed. “I wanted you to end it, Aurora. Why you loved me made no sense.”

“You’re right.” I agreed with him. “You wanted me to walk away then. Well, I did. Now don’t come here again.”

“They’ll kill you.” He looked me dead in the eyes.

“I hope they do.” And I slammed the door shut in his face and locked the deadlock.

I sank against the door, as I cried loudly. And that’s when the worst thing could happen. I felt the pain. I felt my own emotions, and it was suffering as I sobbed, feeling everything I used to keep down.

Then I opened my eyes just briefly, and that’s when shock covered me.

I wasn’t alone…

I wrapped my hand around the glass. It was stupid thinking of her. Yet here I sat. With Aurora on my mind. One month ago I stopped fucking club women. One month ago, everything changed. I felt and now I couldn’t turn off the emotions.

“Need it handled,” Dad spoke.

I was barely with it. What was this meeting about? Oh. Right. The dockland territory.

“Viper, are you right to handle it?” Dad questioned.

I looked up from my glass. Everyone at the table had their eyes on me. Axe was the one concerned about me. Kept telling me that I was off.

“Yeah, whatever you say, dad.” I threw my drink back and my one word shocked him. I hadn’t called him dad, since I took a seat at the table. I had always referred to him as Reaper. “Axe can handle the backup,” I muttered and looked at my best mate.

He nodded his head.

Dad gulped, “Settled,” and the hammer went down.

The table emptied but I remained seated. One look from the old man and I know he wanted a word, maybe a real conversation.

Axe looked at me. As if saying, he wasn’t leaving me with the Reaper, just in case he needed to step in and calm down the situation. As always.

I nodded my head, and he left.

The doors closed.

“You alright son?” Dad asked and leaned forward on the table.

I ran a hand through my hair. “No,” I said. “I can’t get out of my fucking mind. I can’t fucking…think.” I groaned and looked at him. “What did it feel like when you knew mum was it? Was it…”

“Consuming?” he sighed, “When I met your mum it took me too long to admit she was it,” He looked at me explaining. “She made me feel, and it scared the shit out of me. She tore the numbness from me. Made me confront commitment. Love.”

“And you what? Let her?”

His eyes that didn’t have coldness in them, looked at me. “I fought it too long, and it nearly cost me her. We lost your brother because of my fucking need to be numb and not have a weakness. We… never really came back from that.” He sighed. “Then you came, and…”

“What solved the problem?”

“Fuck no,” Dad grunted. “Your mum fought for both of us, she could have easily died. But that’s Abby for you. Didn’t give up even when the odds were against her.”

I felt my stomach wanting to ask one question. But I got up and then paused. “When did you know? That was mum was it?”

“The day I laid eyes on her and got her on the back of my bike. Never let a woman on before her.” Dad stood up. “You went numb when Cleo ripped you apart. But son she wasn’t the one.”

I scoffed. “How would you know?”

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