Chapter 82 You have not seen my body
Lia
I cannot do this. I love Owen, but there is no way. Visiting for a cookout is one thing. Living here? That is something else.
I looked around the clubhouse. Some of the girls were sitting right on the brothers’ laps. A couple were giving dances right there. Hands were everywhere, grabbing. One couple was basically going at it on the couch in the middle of everything. Is this every night? This was not even a special night. I can only picture what an actual party would be like.
“Hex,” Owen asked, his voice tight. “Is it always like this?”
“Yeah. Honestly, this is pretty calm. Wait a few more hours. People get drunk. Clothes start disappearing. That is just… how it is.”
“Right,” Owen said. “And the weekend things are worse?”
“Oh, yeah. Weekends we have other clubs come. Supporters. Anyone. People just show up. It gets… wild. A lot of skin. Sometimes fights, but it is usually just fun.”
I looked at Owen, my eyes wide. He just shrugged at me, like ‘what can you do?’
“Come on,” Hex said. “We have to see Butcher.”
We followed him through the crowd. It surprised me when a few people yelled my name. They waved, all smiles. So I waved back, smiling too. No reason to be rude. We turned a corner, went down a hall. We passed closed doors. From some of them, I could hear… noises. Moaning.
Hex looked back at us and grinned.
“Some of the brothers’ rooms. As you can hear, they are busy.”
“Where is your room?” Owen asked.
“We fixed things up last year. The ranked guys, the ones without kids, their rooms are upstairs. It is like its own little place up there. Six bedrooms. They share a living room, a kitchen, a place for games. The rooms have their own bathrooms. Mine will be there now. Beast’s is there. Doc’s, Clown’s, Bear’s. Clown and Bear have their women living with them. But Clown and Carrie… they just found out she is pregnant. So they will get their own place before the baby comes.”
“Oh, that is sweet,” I said, the words feeling strange in this place. “I would like kids someday.” I swallowed. “Where would I stay? Is there an extra room up there?”
“Um,” Hex said, not looking at me. “Let us see what happens.”
“I could stay down here if there is a free room. I do not want to be in the way.”
“That,” Hex said, his voice firm, “is definitely not happening.”
“Why not?” Maybe I would not be staying here at all. Maybe Hex was wrong. He seemed so sure the club would let me come, but now…
“Let us just talk to Butcher,” he said. “He has all the answers.”
I nodded. We stopped in front of a door with just ‘OFFICE’ on the frosted glass. Hex knocked. A big, booming voice told us to come in.
“Lia!” Catalina squealed. She pushed herself up and came right for me, wrapping me in a hug. She was so small, but her belly, huge like a basketball, pressed into me. I giggled. Jenna was right behind her, hugging me too. I saw Viper and Torque were not there. But Beast was. He smiled at me, gathered me right into his arms, and kissed me softly. My cheeks were on fire when he let go and sat me down in a big chair in front of Butcher’s desk. I looked at Butcher across from me. He smiled. I tried to smile back.
“Hello Lia, and Owen. It is good to see you.”
“Hello, Mister Butcher,” I said. Owen smiled and gave a little wave. Everyone chuckled at me calling him ‘mister.
“Just Butcher, sweetheart. So. First things first. I want to tell you how thankful I am…” He started, but another knock came at the door.
Before Butcher could say anything, it opened. Jenna and Catalina both yelled “Papa!” and ran to the door. I looked behind me and smiled. I stood up. After the girls finished hugging Mister Morelli, he walked further into the room.
“Ahhh, my little artist. How are you, sweet girl?”
I loved his accent, thick and warm. After meeting him two months ago, I started learning a little Italian. Not much, but enough to say hello.
“Buonasera, papà Leonardo,” I said.
“Buonasera, piccolo artista,” he answered, his eyes crinkling. “I am doing very well. I am finished with your project.”
“Bene.”
“When would you like it?”
“Friday. There is a party here for Jenna and Catalina’s birthday. Just family for dinner, and then one of their… ragers.” He said the last word with wide eyes and jazz hands, making the whole office laugh.
“Oh, Papa,” Catalina said. “You know you love our parties. If I remember right, three months ago you had a little too much to drink and woke up in Viper’s old room. With Miss Sasha.”
“And Miss Kiki,” Jenna added.
I looked at Mister Morelli, my mouth a little open. I mean, do not get me wrong, he is a very handsome man. But he is fifty-five. Not that fifty-five year olds do not have sex, but ‘threesomes’? What do I know? I have been with one man. Well, one and a half if you count Beast’s tongue and his fingers.
“That,” Leonardo said, his smirk wide, “was a wonderful night, if I remember.” The men laughed. The girls giggled.
“What is this project you did for Dad?” Catalina asked.
“Do not worry about it,” Leonardo said, waving a hand. “It is a surprise.”
“Can we please,” Butcher said, sounding a little annoyed, “get to why we are all here?”
Everyone settled down, found seats.
“As I was saying,” Butcher began again. “I want to thank you. And so does Mister Morelli. For saving Catalina at the grocery store a couple days ago.”
Was it only a couple of days? It felt like weeks had passed.
“No thanks are needed. It was the right thing. She was in trouble. I was there to do something.”
“Regardless,” he said. “This is from Mister Morelli and the club. Viper and Catalina want to give you their own gift later.”
He handed me an envelope. I opened it and pulled out a cashier’s check. My eyes found the number. One hundred thousand dollars.
Spluttering, I threw the check on the desk like it burned me.
“I cannot accept that.”
Owen reached over me and picked it up. I heard his breath catch.
“Yes you can!” he whisper-yelled. I do not know why he whispered. Everyone could hear him.
“No. There is really no need for this.”
“Piccolo,” Leonardo said, his voice gentle. “You saved my daughter. My granddaughter. If you would let me, I would give you millions. But after talking to you, getting to know you, I know you would never take it. Please. Take this small thank you. Please. You will make two old men very happy.”
Butcher growled at being called old. Leonardo just smirked at him.
I knew I could not say no to him. I nodded, took the check from Owen, and folded it. I slipped it into my back pocket.
“Now,” Butcher said, his voice shifting. “The unpleasant part. Most of us in this room heard what you said last night. About your ex. I want the whole story from you.”
“Why?” The word came out before I could stop it. “You all do not know me. Owen is the only one I have told most of my story to. That is because I trust him. I have known him for years.”
“Because, Lia,” Butcher said, leaning forward. “You are going to become part of this family. We take care of our family. You are running from someone. We want to protect you. To do that, we need to know what we are dealing with.”
“How am I becoming part of your family?” My voice felt thin. “I am just someone who did a good deed. Owen is the one becoming family. Hex asked him. I am just his friend. Once I find a place, I can move on. Now that you gave me this money, I can do that even sooner.”
“Absolutely not,” Butcher said, his voice flat and final. “You are in danger. You will not be safe on your own.”
“I will get a couple of dogs.”
“No.” Butcher’s stare was heavy. “Listen, little girl. You are young. You are beautiful. You are fragile.”
“I am not so little. I am five foot five. I do not think I will be in any danger. Liam has no idea where I am. I am far from beautiful. And I am not fragile.”
“What do you mean, far from beautiful?” It was Beast who spoke. “Sunshine, you are gorgeous.”
I felt my face get hot. “I am not. My body is all wrong. I have too many marks on my face. My lips are too big for my face. I know what I look like.”
“No.” Owen’s voice was tight, angry. “You know what that bastard told you. That is all you know. He said all that to you. Your ass is phenomenal. Your tits are perfect for your frame, they are so pretty, just like you. I wish I had your lips. And what marks? The freckles on your cheeks? Or that cute little beauty mark by your eye? I drew one on my face as Misfit because I love how it looks on you. Get him out of your head. He is full of shit.”
My head dropped. I looked at my lap, my fingers twisting together. I felt a tear fall from my right eye. It landed on my hand.
“Hey, angel. Come here.”
Beast’s voice was close. He leaned over, picked me right up, and sat me on his lap. He held me, cuddled me against his chest.
“You are so beautiful,” he said, his voice low, just for me. “You are the sexiest woman I have ever had my mouth on. My hands on. Your hair is like gold, like the sun kissed it. Your skin is so soft. Your lips… I have dreams about your lips. Your face is perfect. Your beauty is… exquisite. Your body is a dream. You are a goddess.”
“You have not seen my body,” I whispered, the words so small I barely heard them myself. “You would not say that if you did.”
At my whispered words, the whole room went completely, deathly still.