Chapter 70 70
BLURB
Daisy has spent two brutal years as a ghost in her own life—working dangerous jobs, hiding from enforcers, and bleeding to repay a gambling debt her cowardly father saddled her with when he disappeared. When she finally delivers the last $10,000 in a seedy biker bar called The Club Joint, she believes freedom is within reach.
One choice shatters that illusion.
Dax, the feared and ruthless president of the Storm Vipers MC, steps out of the shadows that night.
DAISY POV
Location: 4022 West Side Alley—The Club Joint
I stared at the message on my cracked phone screen until the words blurred. Then I looked back at the mirror. My eyes were so red, pulsing with broken veins. I don’t even know why I’m crying anymore. It’s not like this is the first time I’ve had to do this. I’ve been a "jack of all trades" for the worst people in this city for two long years, but finally, it’s ending. Maybe that’s why the tears are coming. The relief feels as heavy as the fear.
My father is a coward. There’s no other word for it. He’s a man who left his only daughter buried under a mountain of his gambling debt and just ran away into the night. He left me to face the bloody thugs he owed. For twenty-four months, I haven't been a girl; I’ve been a machine. I worked, I scraped, I hid, and I bled. And now, I’m finally here to pay the last $10,000.
What if I said I have thought of Suicide so many times, But somehow, I passed through it. I’m still breathing.
I stood up, wiped my face with the back of my hand, and pulled my black hoodie cap low over my eyes. I headed out into the humid night air. It was 2:30 AM. Reasonable people—are already deep in sleep by this time. But I’m fucking here.
The Cub Joint. I stopped for a second to change my composure. I have a thin body, almost fragile-looking, but I’ve learned to fake a boldness that isn't real. When I walk into places like this, I square my shoulders and harden my jaw. If I didn't fake being a person who could kill you, these bloody scumbags would have raped me a long time ago.
I pushed the heavy door open.
The Club Joint was a pit. The air was a thick, grey soup of cigarette smoke and the smell of drugs. The walls were covered in peeling paint and old posters for bike rallies that happened a decade ago. sound of gravelly voices, the clinking of bottles, and the low roar of motorcycles idling outside.
I walked through the crowd, found a table with an empty chair—well, not totally empty, because there was a half-drunk bottle of whiskey sitting there. I sat down anyway. I knew Tyler would be here in five minutes. He’d take the money, sign the paper, and then I could finally live a normal life. I could finally think about my own dreams instead of someone else's nightmare.
I kept my head down, The joint was packed with the worst of the worst. Bikers, thugs , gamblers .It was just a big, dangerous mix of scumbags.
Suddenly, a shadow moved over the table. It blocked the dim light, making the wood in front of me go dark. I lifted my head, thinking it’s Tyler. But when I looked up It was someone else. My first instinct was that it was just a regular drunk looking to flirt or harass me, so I started to look back down at the table. I didn't have the energy for a fight.
"You should not be sitting here," a voice said. It was deep, but it didn't come from the man right in front of me.
"Why?" I asked, snapping my head back up.
I looked up. The guy talking was tall, shaved head, tattoos on his neck. But it was the man behind him who stopped my breath.
He was huge. Muscles pushed against his black t-shirt and leather cut. Tattoos covered both arms and climbed up his neck. Dark hair. Sharp jaw. Straight face. No smile. No expression at all. Just those storm-gray eyes looking right at me. Handsome in a way that hurts to look at. I had never had a crush on anyone in my life. Not really. But this man made something twist hard in my chest.
"You dare look at Diesel that way?" the man in front of him snapped.
Diesel.
Whatever tiny spark of a crush I felt died instantly. Do you all know who Diesel is? The leader of STORM VIPERS MC
"Do you have a death wish?" the sidekick asked, stepping closer to me.
“Maybe I do,” I said. I looked up at him, not at Diesel. “Can you fulfill that?” I said, just trying my best to hold my ground.
For a split second, Diesel’s face changed. He seemed to smile—just a tiny, barely visible twitch of his lips. He didn't say a word; he just stared at me like I was a puzzle he was interested in solving.
Right then, the door creaked open and Tyler walked in. He was looking around, probably looking for me, but when his eyes landed on Diesel standing over my table, he nearly tripped over his own feet. He looked like he wanted to turn around and run back, but it was too late. Diesel had seen him.
“Diesel! Brother!” Tyler said “Didn’t expect to see you here tonight.”
And the idiot instantly forced a wide, shaking smile onto his face. He reached down, grabbed my shoulder, and pulled me up out of the chair. He put his hand on my shoulder, his fingers digging in nervously.
"Hey! I am so sorry for keeping you waiting, kid sis," Tyler said, his voice cracking.
“Kid sis, my foot”
He looked at Diesel and the other guy, laughing like a maniac. "I told her to stay home, you know? She’s just a brat. Sorry if she bothered you, Diesel."
He even reached out and touched my cheek, acting like a protective older brother. It made my skin crawl. He was playing a fake show, trying to pretend I was just his innocent little sister so he could get me out of there before I said something that got him killed.
Diesel didn't move. He just watched Tyler with those dead, shark-like eyes. Tyler started to drag me toward the door, his grip tightening on my arm as he tried to rush us out of the intense silence.
Suddenly, Diesel’s hand shot out.
He grabbed my other hand. pulled me back toward him.
The shock of it went through me like an electric current. His hand was huge and warm, completely surrounding my wrist. Everyone nearby stopped talking.
Diesel looked down at me. His eyes were dark. Intense. Like he could see every lie
Then he spoke. Low. Calm. But the whole room felt it.
"Is he your brother?"