Page 24 of Devil in Disguise

“I’ll eat, I’ll eat,” Danny interrupted, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Just promise me you won’t throw away the food before I have time to taste it.”

Stella smirked, a small victory gleaming in her eyes. “Deal. Now, go rest. I will call you when dinner is done.”

Danny shuffled off, leaving Stella to oversee the preparations with a satisfied air as Digger took his list and left, no doubt in search of a grocery store.

Stella turned to me, a knowing look in her gaze. “You see, hon, you gotta take charge. These boys need direction. If not, they will run roughshod all over you. Stand your ground and tell them to fuck off, but you gotta mean it. Grew up around the club my whole life. Bikers are nothing more than a bunch of overgrown children with too many toys. Let them run over you and they always will. Now, come sit a spell with me and get me caught up. What’s really going on with you and Danny?”

I sighed, taking a seat opposite Stella. “It’s complicated,” I began, knowing full well that Stella had little patience for ambiguity. “Since Danny’s accident, he’s been under a lot of pressure. The club’s dealing with some heavy stuff and they can’t make a move until Danny gets his memories back. To make matters worse, Ace and his crew keep hounding Danny for information he can’t remember. It’s a big mess. No one knows anything, and the one person who does, can’t remember shit.”

“And how are you handling everything?”

I sighed, shaking my head. “I’m hanging on. Trying to be strong for Danny, but it’s a lot. I miss him. I know he’s in the other room, but it’s like living with a stranger. I just want my husband back.”

Stella’s gaze softened and she reached across the table to pat my hand. “You’re stronger than you think, hon. Danny will come around. Just give him time and support. Remember, he’s been through hell, but he’s got you and that’s something.”

I nodded, grateful for Stella’s words, but the uncertainty gnawed at me. Every day felt like an uphill battle, and the weight of the club’s expectations only added to the strain. As Stella began talking about her own experiences with the bikers, sharing anecdotes and wisdom, I found solace in her strength. She had seen it all, yet here she was, unyielding and fearless.

The conversation drifted to lighter topics and for a moment, the heaviness lifted. We laughed, reminisced, and for the first time in weeks, I felt a glimmer of hope. Stella’s unwavering spirit was infectious, and I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, things would get better.

The hour passed quickly, and soon it was time for dinner. Danny emerged from his rest looking more relaxed, and I marveled at Stella’s ability to bring order and calm to our chaotic world. As we sat down to eat, I couldn’t help but feel a renewed sense of determination. With Stella’s guidance and the support of the club, perhaps we could navigate this storm and find our way back to each other.

Hearing a knock at the door, Stella ordered, “Dante, go let our guests in.”

“Huh?” I looked at the woman. “What guests?”

Before the woman could respond, I heard the front door open and turned to see Reaper and Montana walk in.

“Stella!” Reaper happily greeted, walking over to the woman to hug her, only for her to slap him upside the back of the head.

“What the hell, woman?” Reaper groaned, rubbing his head as Montana chuckled.

“You should have called me sooner!” Stella ripped into Reaper like he was an errant child. “I don’t want to hear any of your excuses and I’m not asking about club business, but what the hell is going on here?”

Reaper looked at Montana, who held up his hands, taking a step back.

Reaper grumbled, his shoulders stiffening slightly. “It’s complicated, Stella. There’s been a lot going on and I didn’t want to drag you in and dredge up old memories.”

Stella’s eyes hardened, her voice firm. “Does this have anything to do with my past?”

“No,” Reaper admitted carefully as Stella took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Her husband, Digger, walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her as she nodded. “Then you should have called me. You know that I’m the only one Ace listens to. Fucker is afraid of me.”

Digger chuckled. “Woman, we’re all afraid of you.”

“Good!” Stella scoffed. “Then I’m doing my job. Now, we can discuss business later. Let’s eat.”

And just like that, the tense discussion was over.

It was late by the time Montana and Reaper left, Danny having already gone to bed, saying his head was hurting again. I should have known that too much stimulation would cause a problem, but Stella assured me that if it was a problem, Danny would have left earlier. Digger left with Reaper and Montana, saying he wanted to check out the Soulless Sinners’ clubhouse, which was a lie, because Stella just shook her head and said he only wanted to go get drunk. In the end, it was just me and Stella when she asked, “So, let’s talk about the elephant in the room.”

Confused, I looked at the woman. “What elephant?”

“The little girl’s room that’s missing a little girl.”

Stiffening, I looked past Stella to the locked door and gulped.

“Don’t worry, I only peeked.”

“I wish you hadn’t.”

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