Page 84 of Lick

“But I am entitled, no, deserving of that type of love. It took me leaving the confines of your home, my childhood home to finally find love and family. I am home. Here, I am who I was meant to be. I’m cared for here. I’m wanted. Here I am needed.” Striding over to Tylan, I take his hand in mine. “Now I am,” I repeat myself. “I’m part of something that I never want to give up. That I will never give up. I’ll never walk away from this place and these people because you don’t leave your family behind. That’s what these people are.”

I turn towards my father. He seems small as the curtain of men stands behind him. Tylan’s right. He is a weak man.

“Foolishness,” my father declares.

“No, not foolishness. It’s a different belief than your own and that’s why you can’t open your mind to it. Or to me, for that matter. I love you, Father. No matter what, you will always hold a special place in my heart. It saddens me that I’ve never been your precious daughter, but that’s okay. You are who you are, and no one can change that, but you aren’t able to change who I am either. I will never be devout to you. I will not take a seat in one of your pews again. Those days of forced worship are over.”

“You will not denounce me or your future.” He shakes his head. “Never will I allow that. Not while there is breath in my body.”

“It’s not up to you,” I say.

“But it is. You are my child.”

Tylan takes my hand. “And soon she’s going to be my wife.” Tearing my eyes from my father, I’m met with a smile on Tylan’s face. I swallow down my emotions, tears spring to my eyes. “I’d be a damn fool not to make her my wife so I can spend the rest of my days worshiping her and her body.” He gives me a wink, making me smile.

“Sir…”

Micah’s voice has me turning my head. My father is red-faced, his eyes narrowed at me, and his lips in a thin line.

“Is what he says true?” he asks me.

“Yes,” I say with confidence. “Tylan is going to become my husband. I love him, and I love my life here.”

He shakes his head. “You’re such a disappointment.”

“Daniel,” Micah breaks in. “It’s time to go. We’re not wanted here.”

“Fuck yeah you’re not,” Hawk yells from behind him. Then I hear the others telling my father to leave, to get outta of here, to move tail.

I continue to stare at my father, realizing he’s nothing more than a stranger to me. It’s such a loss, on both our parts, but nothing either of us can do will change the fact that we will never be a true father and daughter. Genetics doesn’t make family.

Feeling his arms wrap around my waist, Tylan pulls me into his body. “You good?” His voice is soft.

“Yeah,” I say, wiping the fresh tears from my eyes. I look into his eyes, I hear the slam of the metal door over the murmur of the voices around and I know that my father’s gone. “Are we really gonna do this?” I ask.

“Fuck yeah we are, Sugar Tits.” He bends down, placing a kiss upon my lips, “Fuck yeah we are.”

“You ready for this?” Cut asks me when he walks into my old room at the clubhouse. He’s wearing his cut, just as I am, over a long sleeve button down shirt. His shoulder-length hair is pulled back into a low ponytail, and dark denim jeans cover his legs along with his black boots.

Three days ago, Jenni’s father showed up at our house, no, our home and tried to take her back to Texas. I’d never felt more threatened in my life. She doesn’t know this, but my heart pounded in my chest the entire time in that clubhouse. The idea of her leaving, of never seeing her again, is unimaginable. She is a constant for me. Without her, I can’t breathe. She is the better part of me, and I wouldn’t have been able to continue living if she had chosen to leave me.

I knew she cared for me. I knew she told me the words that should have solidified her feelings, but when you grow up knowing that love can be hollow, worthless, destructive, the true meaning of it can be hard to grasp. She could have easily conformed to what her father wanted and left with him. She could have realized that her place was by that fucker’s side and left without a second thought. But she didn’t. She chose me, the kids, and this club over the man who helped give her life. We are so alike in that aspect.

For almost a year, I’ve watched her. I’ve waited for her to prove to me that she wasn’t so different from the rest of the women, but she’s proven me wrong. Jenni has taught me so much about myself. She’s opened my heart up to love, a task I never thought would happen and I’ll be damned, but I’m fucking glad she did.

“I’m ready, man,” I tell Cut.

He’s going to marry us, in the clubhouse, among my brothers, Bianca, the kids, Savannah, and The Fallen. In the state of New Mexico, they recognize online ordained ministers, and Cut was eager to become registered. There’s no waiting periods for wedding licenses, so I thought it best to get this shit done and finalized before Jenni changes her mind.

I called Maggie to let her know that we were committing to each other and our family, and she was pleased with our news and wished us the best of luck. I didn’t ask her how this would deter the douchebag dad’s petition for custody. I knew that it was something we would have to tackle, just not now.

Taking a seat next to me on my bed, Cut rests his elbows on his knees. “Life is a fickle bitch, you know?” He looks at me, but I don’t answer. He knows I agree. “Growing up, I saw my parents and the way they loved each other, but club life puts strain on a marriage.”

“I’m aware,” I tell him.

“It’s not for everyone. Even a love as strong as my parents. It’s a rough life to live, and only the strong survive it. Did you know that my parents almost didn’t?”

“Had no clue.” I shake my head.