Chapter 6

GRIZZ

Iwork out extra hard in the gym, with thoughts of Luna and Danii on my mind. I snuck out of Luna's at five a.m., after giving Ivy a bottle and putting her back to bed. Luna didn't stir once, but then, I did wake her twice during the night. I smirk at the thought. I left her a note to tell her I'd fed Ivy at five and I'd be back later to see them both. If she knows I'm coming back, maybe she won't try to get her job back from Thalia.

I'm in the steam room when Axel turns up. He grins, and we fist-bump. "Before you give me shit, I haven't come for a workout," he says, sitting down and resting his head back.

"You're late anyway. I did two hours before coming in here."

He rolls his eyes. "You work out too hard."

"You don't work out enough."

"I got some information out of Lexi last night," he says with another smirk.

I groan. "I knew she couldn't keep her mouth shut."

"She had no choice. I basically accused you two of having an affair."

I glare at him, and he laughs. "Brother, I know you wouldn't go there, but it got me the information I needed, and then she spent the night giving me makeup sex to prove she's only got eyes for me."

"You're a narcissistic prick," I tell him.

"How did it go, and why the hell didn't you want me to know?"

"Cos I wanted to avoid this bullshit," I say.

"Who is she?"

"No one you know."

"Brother," he says, sounding exasperated, "come on, give me something."

"She works near The Bar," I mutter reluctantly. "We've had a few dates."

"Fuck," he says with a shit-eating grin. "You like her."

"Don't be a dick."

"You do, cos you're keeping her from the club. You don't wanna scare her off."

"Well, she's gonna be at the opening, so there'll be no more hiding her."

"That's great, brother. I'm pleased for yah. What's her family like?"

I smile at the memory of last night. "Nice. Welcoming. She's got her parents and two sisters. They look like a normal family."

"Good. Did Fable give you shit last night?"

My smile falters. "I caught her almost fucking Fletch on the bar."

He stares at me for a long minute. "What's going on there, brother?"

"Nothing," I say a little too quickly, "but she should be resting after having the kid. The brothers need to lay off her."

"She's free to say no at any time," he says. "Was Fletch outta line?"

I shake my head. "No, nothing like that."

"I'll speak to the guys, make sure they check she's okay before they do shit."

I give a nod, hating the thought of my brothers being with her. "And for the record, she likes being called Luna."

"Why?"

"That's her name, dickhead," I say with a grin. "I like it."

"I reckon you like way more than her name," he says, his tone teasing.

I give my head a shake. "Nah, it's not like that, Pres. She's a mess, barely looking after the kid, and she's got no money. I don't need a reminder of my own mother."

"Which is why you're dating a mystery woman with a good family?"

I give a nod. "Exactly. She's a businesswoman and has her head screwed on right. She'll be good for me. I'm just helping Luna get back on her feet so she don't let that baby down."

This timewhen I walk into her shop, Danii has my coffee waiting. I smile, grabbing it from the counter and taking a seat while she finishes up dealing with the line of customers.

When she joins me, she kisses me on the cheek before taking a seat. "What was that for?" I ask, smiling.

"My family loved you. I wanted to say thank you for coming, I know it was a weird request, but it gets them off my back for a while."

"They seemed nice," I comment, sipping my coffee.

"They were quizzing me after you left. My parents were so impressed when I showed them pictures of the work you did in The Bar."

"You took pictures of my work?" I ask, laughing.

"I don't know if you're aware, but you're amazing with your hands." She blushes when she realises her words, and I smirk. "Oh god, I'm so embarrassing."

I laugh harder, taking her hand and tugging her closer. "You're perfect," I say, kissing her on the nose. She stays close, bringing her eyes to mine. She wants me to kiss her, it's written all over her flushed face, and I almost do. My lips are a breath from hers, but Luna appears in my head. I pull back and take another sip of coffee. "Have you been busy today?" I ask, looking around.

She looks disappointed as she sits back in her seat. "Erm, yeah, rushed off my feet."

"That's good."

"Yeah."

We fall silent, and I inwardly scold myself for being a pussy. There's no future for me and Luna. But Danii, she's different. I should be kissing her. We've been on three dates, and I've met her goddamn family, so what the fuck is stopping me?

I stand abruptly, taking her by surprise. "I better get on."

She gives a nod. "Okay. See you soon?" She sounds hopeful.

"Yeah, sure."

She frowns. "Sorry, but what happened?"

"Huh?"

"Just there," she mutters. "You just withdrew right in front of my eyes, and I don't want to be that girl but . . ."

I panic. She's calling me out on my shit, and instead of being honest, I lean in, pinching her chin between my fingers to tilt her head back, and I kiss her. It steals her breath, and her hands go to my shoulders. The kiss is slow and sexy, and I have to picture Axel to stop my cock embarrassing me. I pull back, and she smiles, her cheeks flushed. Oh," she whispers.

"I can't take you out tonight, but the opening is this weekend. Will you come?"

She nods, smiling wide. "Yes, I'd love to."

I place a gentle kiss on her lips. "Good. Eight o'clock."

I findLuna in the kitchen when I get to her place later that day. I follow the sound of her singing, noting how beautiful her voice is. Leaning in the doorway, I watch as she presses something gooey on the worktop while singing a nursey rhyme to Ivy, who's also on the worktop in a bouncy seat.

I clap my hands, and she jumps in fright, laughing with embarrassment when she realises I heard her singing. "You shouldn't sneak in like that."

"You should keep the door locked."

She glances at her watch. "You're early today. We don't usually see you until late into the evening."

I go over to Ivy and gently bounce her chair. "I finished at The Bar early, thought I'd stop by to make sure you don't try to go into work."

"I'm giving up on that," she tells me, working her hands into the puffy dough. "I figured you'd soon get bored of watching me, so until then, I'll just wait."

I smirk and nod at her hands. "What are you doing?"

"Bread," she says, frowning like I'm clueless. "Haven't you ever made bread?"

I scoff. "Do I look like I've made bread? In fact, you don't look like you make bread."

"I always make my own bread," she says, looking a little insulted. "You don't know anything about me, Grizz. I might actually surprise you." I rub my hands over my tired face. That's what I'm afraid of. "As you can see, I'm safely here at home, where you want me to be, so you can go about your life."

I snigger. "That's exactly what you want, for me to think you're behaving so I'll leave you alone."

She puts the dough into a tin and shoves it in the oven. "Haven't you got plans tonight?"

I narrow my eyes, wondering if Lexi mentioned my date to Luna. It doesn't matter—Luna knows the score.

"Nope. I'm free as a bird."

"Well, I'm not, so go and make yourself busy." I watch her take a different tin from the oven as the smell of freshly baked bread hits me. My stomach growls loudly and she laughs. "Have you eaten?" I shake my head. "Sit down."

I slide into the seat as she cuts a chunk of bread from the loaf, then she adds butter and hands it to me. I inhale the yeasty, buttery goodness and take a large bite, closing my eyes as my taste buds light up. "Jesus," I mutter around a mouthful, "that's amazing."

"I like to experiment," she says, smiling shyly. "It's got a hint of red chilli." She slides a pot of butter my way. "And this is homemade garlic butter. Dip it," she urges, nodding at me excitedly. I dip the warm bread and take another bite. It's exceptional, and she smiles proudly at my groans of pleasure.

"You could sell this," I tell her, reaching across to grab the loaf so I can rip more from it. She glows under my praise and it tugs at my heart.

"Try the olive one," she says, sliding a cupboard open and taking out a fresh loaf.

"How much bread do you have hidden away?" I ask, grinning.

"I make it for the church," she says, cutting a slice and passing it over. She's right, it's even better. "And I take some to my mum."

"The church?"

"They feed families that can't afford to eat."

It drags memories from my own childhood and I give my head a shake to clear them. "Do they pay you?"

She laughs. "No. And I wouldn't take a penny if they offered. They're doing it out the goodness of their hearts. There are loads of volunteers who help out. It's where I'm heading now. Actually, would you watch Ivy for two minutes while I get changed?" I give a nod, and she rushes off.

I sigh heavily and gently stroke a finger over Ivy's cheek. "Now what, little goblin? Why's she gotta be baking bread and helping others like Mary damn Poppins?"

LUNA

I pullon a hoody and some jeans then stick my feet into my tatty trainers. Grizz looks me up and down, and I wonder what he's thinking. I'm not sure he's seen me in normal clothes. I take the fresh loaf from the oven and tip it into a box for my mum.

"Sorry I've got to shoot off," I tell him, taking Ivy from the chair and carrying her to her pushchair in the hallway, "but thanks for stopping by."

"I'll come," he blurts out and immediately frowns like he didn't mean to offer.

"It's fine. You must have things to do," I say, tucking Ivy under her blanket.

Grizz leans over. "Will she be warm enough in there?" he asks, checking the thickness of the blanket.

I laugh. "Yes. I have this too," I say, holding up the thicker blanket. He takes it from me and covers her over. I can't help the way my heart squeezes at how he fusses over her.

I grab the bread boxes and stick them under the pushchair, and when I open the door, Grizz takes control of the pushchair and I follow him with a smile on my face.

We get in the lift, and he screws his nose up at the smell of urine. "You get used to it," I tell him, laughing.

"She shouldn't breathe it in," he mutters, nodding to Ivy.

We go up to the next floor and move along to Mum's flat. "Wait here," I tell him, pushing the door open.

He ignores me and follows me inside. I inwardly groan, praying she isn't in a mood today. I take a loaf and go into the living room, hoping she's asleep so I can just dump it and run. I freeze when I spot Nate and his friend on the couch smoking a joint. Mum is in her underwear, and for a second, she looks relieved to see me. "Here she is, Perfect Polly with her loaf of bread," sneers Nate.

I place it on the table. "Are you okay, Mum?" I ask.

I feel Grizz's presence behind me. It was too much to hope he'd stay in the hall. Nate's eyes look past me to the man-mountain now filling the doorway. "Yes, love, I'm fine," she answers, her eyes also fixed behind me.

"I topped up the gas key," I tell her, producing her key and sticking it in the gas meter, "so you can put the heat on."

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" asks Nate, glaring at me.

"Mum, eat something," I say as I stuff the gas key back in my pocket. There's no point in me leaving it here, she'll only lose it.

Nate stands, blocking my path, and I sense the way Grizz suddenly stiffens, his eyes fixed on my brother's back. I give my head a slight shake, wanting to avoid any trouble. "I'm Grizz," he announces, dragging Nate's attention back to him. He moves forwards, holding out his hand. Nate takes it, and they shake.

"What are you doing hanging round my sister?"

"Just passing through," says Grizz.

"You're a Chaos Demons biker," says Nate, glancing at the patch on Grizz's kutte. "Why are you sniffing around Lu?" Nate throws a protective arm around my shoulders, and I automatically flinch. Grizz doesn't miss it and his eyes narrow.

"Like I said, passing through."

"Her bedroom?" he pushes.

"Jesus, Nate, he's one of my bosses from Zen. Relax," I snap, shrugging him away. "He came to see me about some extra shifts and saw me struggling with the pushchair."

Nate gives a slight nod. "Don't do too many extras. When will you fit my lads in?"

I head for the door. "Okay," I mutter.

We get outside, and Grizz is staring at me as I press for the lift several times. "His lads?" he asks.

"It's a side hustle."

He pinches the bridge of his nose. "Of course."

We walk to the church in silence. I'm so lost in my thoughts, I don't have the words to make him see it's not my choice. But I can't have Nate bringing his friends around on a regular basis. Not with Ivy in the flat.

We enter the church and it's bustling with people. The vicar spots me and rushes over, embracing me and turning to Grizz to shake his hand. "This is my friend, Grizz," I explain as I offload bread into his arms.

"You're very lucky to have such a wonderful friend in Luna," the vicar tells him. "She's been sent from Heaven especially to help us."

I laugh, rolling my eyes. "He's being dramatic," I tell Grizz.

"She never lets us down. We rely on her breadmaking skills," he continues, and we follow him to the row of tables where large pots of food are presented. He places the breads and dips at the end, and people immediately line up to get some. "See," says the vicar, laughing, "I think half these people come especially for Luna's bread."

He wanders off to help serve, and I begin to stack dirty dishes into a bucket. "What about Ivy?" asks Grizz, glancing into her pushchair.

"She's fine. She'll sleep."

He follows me to the kitchen, carrying another two buckets of dishes. "So, you come here every day?" he asks, watching as I roll up my sleeves.

"Every Wednesday," I tell him, turning on the hot tap. "I wish we could do it every day, though, cos this area needs it. But everything is voluntary, even down to the food. We rely on people cooking and donating."

He stares out the hatch to the room of families all enjoying a hot meal. "I used to come to a place like this when I was a kid," he mutters. "Not with my family. On my own."

"They're essential," I say, not wanting to push him in case he doesn't want to give me details. "They've helped me so much."

He turns back to me. "How long has your mum been like that?"

I shrug, dunking some plates into the soapy water. "A long time. Worse since my dad left."

"Everyone thought you were from a good family."

I feel shame wash over me. "I lied. One of the guys asked me one night and it caught me off guard. I told him I'd lied to my family, who thought I was an accountant." I shrug. "It's stupid, I know, but I wanted to feel normal for once. Like I actually came from a really nice family."

"What happened to your dad?"

"He left. Ran off with Mum's friend. She was devastated, and she slipped further into depression. We never heard from him again, but he left us with a load of his debt."

"Debt?"

I begin to stack the clean dishes while he grabs a towel to dry them. "He was a gambler, drug user, alcoholic. When he left, his debts transferred to us."

"Did you pay them?"

I give a nod. "Kind of. Mum and I worked hard. Nate not so much. I think he made the debt worse."

"Do you know who the debt was owed to?"

I shake my head. "Mum never went into detail. I was only eleven or twelve when he left."

"How did you pay the debt?" he asks, frowning.

I scoff. "How I always pay debts, Grizz."

He freezes, his eyes burning into me. "You sold yourself at twelve?"

"Of course. How do you think I got into this mess?"

He shrugs. "I never really thought about it."

I laugh. "Do you think I turned eighteen and decided I wanted to prostitute myself as an ambition in life?"

"When you put it like that . . ." he mutters, looking troubled.

"My family was in a mess and I didn't know any better. I'd seen my mum do it a thousand times cos she wasn't shy about having sex. She'd have sex with my dad's friends or dealers so he could have a free fix."

"Jesus," he mutters, shaking his head.

"It happens more than you think," I tell him.

"Don't you want different for Ivy?" he asks, and I stop what I'm doing and stare at him.

"Of course. I'd never let anyone lay a finger on Ivy. I love her with all my heart and I'm doing everything I can to get myself out of that flat and to somewhere better."

"And safer," he cuts in.

"It must be easy for you," I mutter, going back to washing the plates. "I bet you don't go to bed hungry or lie awake worrying about how to pay the rent."

"Not anymore," he says, "but I did. When I was younger. You know, there's a place at the clubhouse."

I scoff. "You really believe that, don't you?" I snap. "You keep offering it like it's a lifeline."

"Isn't it?"

"No, Grizz. I'm no safer at the clubhouse. Yes, Nate's friends won't turn up and do shit I don't wanna do, and the brothers won't force themselves on me, but I still have to give myself over. And it's for free. I don't make any money yet I'm expected to perform whenever a man wants me to, sometimes more than once a night. I can't have Ivy lay in my room while men are visiting me."

"That's what's keeping you from coming to the clubhouse?"

"Not just that. I want independence. I don't want to rely on a man to keep me safe. I'm Ivy's mum, she should be able to depend on me."

"And she will. Come to the club, get yourself straight, and then find somewhere to live. I'll make sure none of the brothers touch you."

"How?" I demand. "You know the rules. Unless I'm an old lady, I'm fair game. You can't keep them away from me."

"I'll speak to Axel."

I give up because he's not listening to me. "What I need is a job."

He gives a nod. "We'll look at some later. I'll grab my laptop."