Dawn came as Titan woke up and found he was alone in his bed. He sat up and looked around the room. He saw Cat at the window, looking out into the woods.
He pushed the covers off and got to his feet in his boxers. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close to his body. “How long have you been up?”
“A while I guess.” She leaned back into his chest.
“Come back to bed,” he whispered in her ear. “It’s too early to be awake yet.”
Cat shook her head. “I can’t lay in that bed and close my eyes anymore.”
Titan frowned. “Why? What’s going on?”
Cat turned to him and shook her head. “Last night every time I closed my eyes, the bad memories kept crowding in my mind. I don’t know why but some door in my head got opened up, maybe it’s because my mother planned to start the clubhouse on fire but I was taken back to when I was a kid again, and I can’t seem to think of anything else. I remember being left alone every day. I felt so alone and afraid, Bear was the only one there for me. I woke up with my hands over my ears this morning. I sat up in bed and was crying because I remember doing that when I was a kid. Every night, they would scream and fight with each other and every night I would lay in my bed with my hands over my ears. Hawkins tells me my dad loved me, but I don’t know about that being true at all.” She shrugged. “Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t. I do know my parents weren’t happy together and neither one of them ever thought about me, as they were too caught up in their own lives. Maybe I was better off in the orphanage.”
Titan felt so empty, hollowed out by her words. “Cat, everyone makes mistakes.”
Cat nodded. “I know and hopefully we can learn from our mistakes but Jesse didn’t get the chance to do that. Isobel or Gellis or whatever her true name is, never intended to learn from her mistakes. Instead, she just got rid of them.” She rubbed her hands over her upper arms. Turning, she brushed her lips over his and said, “Go back to bed and get some more sleep. I’m going to go out and make some coffee. I can’t sleep anyway.”
Titan tightened his hold on her, “Are you sure you’re all right?”
Cat looked up at him and smiled softly. “No I don’t think I am but it’s nothing that you can help me with. I know I’ve got you in my corner and that’s something I haven’t had in a long time. I’m hoping that once this is settled, I’ll find peace again.”
“I can come with you,” he offered.
“I just need some time alone, ok? Please …” Cat whispered.
Titan nodded. “Alright, I can understand that. I’ll just take a shower and come out when I’m done.”
Cat nodded. “I love you,” she whispered. “Don’t give up on me because I do love you so much.”
Titan held onto her tighter and gently kissed her sweet lips. The kiss got hot rather quickly.
Cat pulled away all too soon. “Please don’t give up on me. I need you so much.”
Titan nodded. “I’ll remind you about that, but I can be patient for a little while.”
Cat slipped out of his arms and went out the door.
Titan knew she was troubled but he wasn’t sure how to help her. All he knew was that he didn’t want to lose her. He could see a future with her and that was something he didn’t want to lose.
Cat walked down the hall and her footsteps were the only sound in the clubhouse. She went to the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. Carrying a cup, she went out to the main room and sat in the shadows as she watched the sunlight fill the room.
A few minutes later, she heard another set of footsteps coming down the hall and she had to smile.
Luna was up and when she came into the room, she smiled at Cat. She disappeared into the kitchen and brought out a carafe of coffee and an extra cup. She joined Cat at her table and poured coffee into both their cups.
As she sipped her morning brew, Luna carefully studied Cat’s face. “So you didn’t get any sleep last night did you?”
Cat just shook her head and took a sip of her coffee.
Luna ran her finger over the rim of her cup. “So I have a question to ask you.”
Cat turned her head and stared at her face. “What is it?” she finally asked.
“What’s going to happen if we find out we’re related?”
Cat continued to stare at her then asked, “What if we do?”
“Is it going to be weird for you?” Luna wanted to know.
“Why would it?” Cat asked. “We’ve been as close as sisters for most of our lives.”
Luna nodded. “I know but that was by choice, I mean what if we really are related by blood?”
“Well, is it going to be weird for you?” Cat frowned.
Luna shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. I mean I always knew that there was a possibility I might have family out there and I hoped that one day, I would meet them but for that person to be you. That would be great.” She paused to sip her coffee. “But that mother of yours—ours. That’s not so great. That bitch is clearly off the deep end.”
Cat chuckled. “I hear you, girl.” She reached over and patted her hand. “Either way, we are sisters even if it’s from another mother. So it wouldn’t matter to me. We will just leave the mother part out. I mean she didn’t raise us, we raised each other, remember?”
Nodding, Luna grabbed her fingers and they held hands for a moment then Luna asked, “So would it be like too weird if I liked your uncle?”
“Kota?” Cat grinned. “No I think…I mean it’s not like he is your uncle.” She paused and looked at her. “So…ummm, you like Kota?”
Luna shrugged. “I could but he doesn’t look at me the way Titan looks at you.”
“Titan loves me, warts, and all.” Cat shook her head. “I just hope it’s enough.”
“Enough?” Luna whispered softly.
Cat nodded. “You’ve heard I’m sure, that I never wanted to come here right?”
Luna nodded. “I know how hard that was for you.”
Cat looked out the front window while mindlessly running her finger around the rim of her cup. “Yeah, but I did come to this town on my own. I had my reasons for not wanting to come here to this clubhouse but Titan wouldn’t let me stay away. I think fate had a lot to do with my coming back here. Fate, karma, or whatever you want to call it, this is where I ended up again. But there is nothing left for me here either. I know I was born here and I know that my mother never wanted me. As for my dad… Well, he just ignored me, and I had a grandfather that just didn’t care one way or the other, I guess he still doesn’t.”
Luna took her hand in hers as she listened.
“Now, I find my mother wants me dead, she’s tried at least five different times to kill me, but I just won’t die for her.” She shook her head. “I guess I can’t blame the brothers for how they feel about me, I am her daughter after all.” She turned to look at Luna. “In one way, I hope you are my sister but yet, I don’t think I’d wish Isobel on anyone. As a mother she sucks.”
“Then it’s a good thing she’s not your sister isn’t it?” Boots told her as he walked into the room. Looking at the two girls he stated, “I got a call from a friend first thing this morning. He ran the blood tests for me and he told me you two are not sisters. In fact, you’re not related at all. But he did tell me something else. He found Dennis Matchy’s blood test was registered with the prison’s systems and he said there was no way you were his child either.”
Luna looked at him then at Cat in shock. “Then who the hell am I?”
“My friend is running your blood work through the system and he hopes that will tell us something.” Shrugging he admitted, “It’s the best we can do at the moment. The real question other than who you are is why and how you came to be with Dennis Matchy in the first place.”
Cat squeezed her hand. “You are Luna Moon and don’t you ever forget that. It doesn’t matter where you came from. You are my friend now and forever.”
Luna nodded slowly. “At least now, I know Dennis Matchy isn’t my father, that’s one good thing to know for sure. He was real trash and he never treated me decent. So that part is a huge relief.”
“And Isobel isn’t your mother,” Cat told her. “I only wish I could say the same, but I can’t. So for now, we work to find what Jesse hid and then we’ll move on.”
Kota, Titan, and Hawkins came into the main room.
Hawkins looked at Boots then over at the women and asked, “Well, what did you find out?”
Boots shook his head. “They aren’t sisters. And Luna isn’t related to Matchy. We don’t have any idea where she fits into this mess.”
Kota exhaled loudly and ran his hands over the back of his head. “Well, that’s good and bad news all at the same time, isn’t it?”
“How is that good news?” Luna looked up at him.
“You aren’t related to that psycho bat shit crazy bitch, Isobel,” Kota told her. “The bad news is we don’t know who you are. But that doesn’t mean we won’t find out.”
Cat felt the blow to her heart, even if she felt the same way about her mother, it still hurt when she heard others saying what was true about Isobel. She understood where his sentiment was coming from but she felt it was one more strike against her in their eyes.
Titan growled and pushed Kota out of his way, then he came over to sit with Cat. He glared at Kota while putting his arms around the back of her chair.
Kota just groaned and shook his head. “I didn’t mean her, man.”
Cat got slowly to her feet. “I’m well aware of the hostility your brothers have for me and why they feel the way they do. It’s justified and I know it but just remember something, I didn’t get to choose my parents. If I could have, I sure as hell wouldn’t have chosen them.” Then she looked at Hawkins and changed the subject, “I think I remembered where that stone with the B is. When can we check it out?”
Hawkins scratched his jaw for a moment then suggested, “As soon as enough brothers wake up to watch our backs. We don’t know if Isobel or any of her men are waiting for us in those woods.”
Cat nodded. “Ok, well it is early in the morning and that may make it easier.” She stared down the hall at the back door and whispered, “I just hope we can get out there and back without running into anyone else. I want this over almost as much as you guys do.” She stepped around the table and went to stand by the window overlooking the front yard. Crossing her arms over her belly, she ignored the room and the people in it.
Titan rose up to go to her.
Luna reached out and placed her hand on his arm. When he looked at her, she shook her head. “Just give her a minute. She’s working things out in her head.” She looked over at Kota and shook her head. “She also knows her mom is insane and no good, but what she doesn’t need is you guys to keep blaming and beating her up about it. There’s something you guys do have to remember, her mother took her to a couple of people she didn’t know and just left her there. She then ran them off the road but never came forward to claim her daughter. She let the state take her and they put her in a place that should never have had kids in it. She’s been alone most, if not all of her life. Then she came here and you say that you want her here but you show her no compassion, no love of family. Again, even here where you say she belongs, she’s still alone. Titan welcomed her but no one else has. How do you think she feels about that?” Luna got to her feet and stared at Hawkins. “Don’t be too surprised when after all she’s done to clear your MC and help you get rid of the threat to your MC that she just walks away and if she does that… you will never see her again.”
Luna turned to walk away when Kota stopped her. She gazed up at him with sadness in her eyes. Then she stepped away from him and continued over to where Cat stood at the window. She simply stood beside her as she did not say a word.
Kota watched her and every step she took away from him, meant he would never get close to her if things continued like they were. Sighing, he shook his head and stared down at the table.
