Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

LONDON

"I don't think I could eat anymore," I mumble, pushing my plate away. "I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach."

"You think?" Diablo smirks, reaching over to slide my plate toward him and forking up a large bite of the chocolate pie still on the plate, along with a piece of cheesecake and banana pudding. I'd already eaten the pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and a slice of chocolate cake. All of it was so good, I wanted to have all of it, but I couldn't help it.

I was starving while smelling all the delicious food while helping the other women out in the kitchen.

I'd been nervous at first about being alone with them all after the party last night. I thought they'd treat me differently and look at me strangely, but they didn't. In fact, Sutton dropped an arm over my shoulder and said, ‘Welcome to the family,' like beating up a skank was an initiation or something. It surprised me, and I didn't know what else to say.

I was also slightly reeling still from what Diablo said to me at the house about him touching me. The very thought of it has my body humming with anticipation. I want to be able to take him in my mouth and pleasure him. Have him show me what he wants. I'd never done it, so like everything else that goes hand in hand with sex, I don't know what I'm doing. The only experience I had in any of it was making out and what I've read in books.

Reading can't be counted as experience, can it?

"Diablo, one thing to learn now about London is she's always got eyes bigger than her stomach," my dad says, pointing a fork in my direction, chuckling. "Every time she's home, and we have cookouts, she piles her plate full and eats maybe half of it."

"I try to make sure I don't have to get up and go for seconds," I mutter quietly, glaring in my dad's direction.

There's one thing Liam Weaver loves to do is to tease his daughter. I usually don't mind it, but I didn't want him to say something that would make me out to be a dork when I'm just getting to know these people. People who are very important to Diablo. They're his family. The men are his brothers. The women his brothers claim are just as much his family but in different ways.

Diablo doesn't have to explain it for me to see he has claimed family in the men. They're the ones he chooses to be family to. The women I know they're the ones who claim him. He's their family whether he wants them to be or not.

Beast I know welcomes me. I've known him since I was thirteen. Granted, I don't actually know him anymore, but six months of my life was spent with him helping Diablo look out for me.

Next to my dad sits four of his men, two on either side of him. Mark Jessup and Reed Masters are to his left. Gray and Cyan O'Neil to his right. There were four more guys, but they weren't here. My dad said they were working on a job trying to finish it so they could be done with them.

Knowing my dad as well as I do, I knew he wasn't telling the complete truth and that it's probably hush-hush stuff he doesn't want to talk to me about. There's a lot in his line of work he doesn't talk to me about, which I get. It's a dirty business to be in. He's just trying to protect me.

"It's alright, she don't eat but half," Diablo states, reaching for another bite. His other arm goes around my shoulders as he tucks me into his side. "Means I don't have to get up to get dessert."

My toes curl at the words, mainly because he'd told me at the house what he intended to ‘eat' later. It's hard to keep myself from blushing, hopefully no one notices.

The rest of the evening goes well. Laughter fills the room, and it was amazing seeing how my dad interacted with those of the club. I was even introduced to Beast's brother and Bristol's dad and her brother.

Josephine's parents and brother joined us as well. I was shocked that my dad knew her brother, though I shouldn't have been. It seems he knows everyone.

"London, would you give us a few minutes alone with Diablo and his brothers?" my dad asks shortly after everything has been cleaned up.

Stiffening, I narrow my eyes, glaring at my dad. "Is this something else you think you can't talk about in front of me? Or does it involve me somehow?" I huff out both questions as I step toward him, hands planted on my hips. "I'll tell you now, Daddy, if it has anything to do with me, I swear if you don't tell me as well, I'm going to be upset, and I might just kick you."

"It wouldn't be the first time she kicked you, bossman." Reed snorts, shaking his head. He had a huge grin on his face.

"London, sweetheart." Dad sighs, hands on his hips, and he tilts his head back. "You're a pain in my ass, girl."

"But you love me anyway. Now, does this have anything to do with me?" I demand, watching my dad but feeling Diablo wrap his arms around me from behind.

He lowers his head to my ear. "Chiquita, calm down. It's club business he needs to talk to us about."

Whirling around in his arms, I narrow my gaze on him. "If it has anything to do with Taylor, then I have a right to know."

"London, it ain't got anything to do with that fucker. He doesn't equate in to this any longer. Your dad's got business to discuss with the club about shit that doesn't involve you, so quit arguing and drop it," Diablo says a bit harshly and drops his arms from around me.

I stare up at him for a few moments longer before taking a breath. "Fine. But if I find out that you're hiding something from me, I won't be happy, and just so you know, what you said earlier, it definitely won't be happening."

I barely spin to walk away from him when he snags me around the waist and yanks me back to him, my body flush against his. Diablo dips his head down and brushes the hair away from my ear. Against the shell of my ear, he whispers only for me to hear, "The threats don't work on me, baby. You think to keep me from touching you, think again. I'll make sure you're begging me to by the time I'm done with you as punishment for even thinking you can." He lets me go and lifts his head enough to meet my gaze.

There's no missing the retribution in his gaze. Okay, so maybe using a threat against him like that isn't the best idea.

Regardless, I'm getting sick of them hiding stuff from me. I know they're going to be talking about that group. The one Taylor supposedly was going to take me to.

With a huff, I pivot on my toes and storm off in the direction heading for the back of the clubhouse. I didn't even notice the other women had already disappeared. They probably went to clean up the kitchen. I should help them, but I'm too frustrated to be around anyone right now.

The fact my dad, and even Diablo, thought they could keep me out stings more than I want to admit. Sure, I'm used to Dad asking me to step out, but this is different. It's both men who I care more about than anyone else. People would think I was crazy if they knew I didn't just care about Diablo. That I was in love with him, but to me, he's always been my white knight in shining armor. Granted, he doesn't come on a horse or is in shining armor. No, my knight, he comes brash, in a cut, and rides a motorcycle.

All of which I love most about him. Those things are who he is.

Still, I wish they'd let me stay and find out what's going on.

Sighing, I find myself outside Diablo's room. I twist the doorknob. I push through, thinking to myself how I hate being on the outside of everything and thinking how I should go back in there and demand they include me.

But what good will that do? They won't listen, and it'll cause strife when there doesn't need to be any.