Dragon Chapter 21

Finally, we were in Florida. Things came together with our schedules, and we got seats on the first available flight here. We planned to pack up Micaela's place and get her the hell outta here and back to where she belonged, with us. Daredevil and the rest of her family be damned. We knew he was aware we were headed here. Shain had been talking to Micaela, and she informed her that we were going. At least she had some support from her. Shain was desperate to find a way to bridge the divide between her man and new family and her sister-in-law.

We picked up the rental truck after getting a ride from the airport to the truck rental place. It was a tight fit with the four of us. Since it was so tight, Micaela had to sit on one of our laps, so we decided not to tow her car when we returned to Texas. Instead, we'd take turns driving it.

I checked out her apartment complex as we exited the truck in the parking lot. It was a nice place. The air was rather humid, but it reminded me of parts of Texas, so I could handle it. The palm trees were different to see, and the glimpses of the ocean were amazing, but I still would pick Texas every time.

"I'm in apartment two eighteen. It's over here and up the stairs to the left."

The complex was a large one. The buildings and grounds appeared to be in good shape. It was likely a decent and safe place to live, but I couldn't wait to get her out. She'd already talked to her landlord and gave her a move-out notice verbally and in writing. It was the first week of June, and technically, she had until the end of the month to be out. We'd take care of everything while we were here, so there was no need to return.

We followed her up the stairs. I kept alert. Anytime I was somewhere new, I was extra careful. I felt naked without my cut. Since we were in another state and had no idea who the Dom club was or if they would be alright with us wearing our colors while in their territory, we had them tucked away in our luggage.

Taking her key from her when we got to her door, Ashes unlocked it and preceded her inside. Vicious and I had her between us. She didn't protest our overprotectiveness. She was getting used to it, Not to say she didn't push back. She did, but only when it was something she truly wanted to protest. It was hot and slightly stale-smelling inside from being closed up all this time. She went to the control box on the wall and fiddled with it. The air conditioning kicked on, and blessed cool air came out of the vent above me. I closed and locked the door.

"Where do you want to start first? I recommend you pack and let one of us help while the other two break down your bed and get it packed in the truck first. We'll put in any other furniture or bigger items you want first. The boxes can be next," I suggested, thinking of logistics.

"Sounds good to me. The kitchen will take the longest. How about we get the boxes and tape and start there?" she suggested.

"Works for me. I'll go grab some. V, wanna help me?" Ashes asked. Vicious nodded, and just like that, they were out the door. I went into the kitchen with her. She began opening cabinet doors and pulling out drawers.

"God, I hate moving. I never think I have a ton of stuff until I do. When I moved here, I packed for days."

"It won't take long. The stuff you're donating will be picked up tomorrow. We just need to set it aside so the people coming to get it know what to take. They have to do the work of loading it and all that. It'll help reduce the amount we have to mess with. And don't forget, there's four of us to do the work."

"True. Okay, let me start by setting out what to pack. Then we'll put the stuff I want to give away in boxes and sit them in that section of the living room," she pointed to the right of the couch.

With a plan, as soon as the others returned with our moving boxes and tape, all purchased from the rental company, we got to work. I helped her in the kitchen while they went to break down her bed and move out her dresser and nightstands. On the way over, we stopped to grab drinks since she had cleaned out her fridge before coming to stay in Tenillo. As the hours passed, we would take breaks and have a drink, then go right back to packing. She refused to stop and eat until we called it a day. When she got a notion, she was single-minded about it. No matter how many times we tried to get her to sit and rest, she kept working right beside us.

By late afternoon, we had the kitchen all packed and in the truck, along with her bedroom suit. We still had decor, sentimental stuff, clothing, and things of that sort to pack. It could wait until tomorrow. The living room furniture and the small dining table set were in the living room, along with the other donation items. Other than her bedroom, the other bigger items she insisted on taking were her desk, chair, and the printing and other photography equipment she had. She had a small second bedroom, which she used as an office. That was all packed and stowed in the truck.

"I say we call it for the day, go check into the hotel, maybe rest and shower, then grab something to eat. We can come bright and early tomorrow and finish this off. If we get done in time, we'll decide if we start the drive back or wait until Sunday morning to begin," Vicious said as we were taking a break from carrying out more boxes. I was game if the rest of them were. A quick scan of their faces showed they were nodding.

"It looks like that's our plan. Come on. Let's lock up. Babe, where's your car? We should take it to the hotel so we don't have to ride around in the truck to go to dinner. Both will be safe parked at the hotel," Ashes told her.

"It's not far from where we parked the truck. I'll show you. The hotel isn't far either, about three miles down the main road we came in on."

She'd been in charge of finding a suitable hotel. It made sense with her living here. One room with double queen beds had been booked. We planned to push them together so we could all sleep together. The communal bed was becoming a given. I was rarely disturbed if I brushed up against one of my brothers. It wasn't sexual. I think they were feeling the same. None of us wanted to be far from her. Even if all we were able to do was reach over one of our brothers and sleep with a hand on her, it was good.

"Alright, here are the keys. Let's get out of here. I'm starved," Micaela said.

She was ahead of us, so she got to the door first. Rather than waiting for us to open it, she did. It was done without thinking because she was in a hurry. As it swung wide, we all came to a halt. Standing there was a group of people. I recognized them. It was her parents and brothers. To my astonishment, Daredevil was with them, too. Their faces were grim.

Jesus Christ, when would they stop? Did they honestly think ambushing us was the way to go? Or did they think they could take her away from us by force? This thought had me crowding between her and them. V and Ashes were right behind me. We spread out. She peeked between us.

" Papá, Mamá, Hermanos, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"We're here to talk to you," her dad said. He was eyeing me and the guys.

"Mr. Torres, Mrs. Torres, we're not sure this is the time or place for this," Ashes said calmly.

"Why not? Is there a reason you don't want us to see or talk to our sister?" Renzo asked slightly accusingly.

"I'd change that tone. An attitude will get you nothing you want. The only reason is she's been hurt enough by all of you. We don't want her to be hurt worse," Vicious growled.

"We don't want to fight. Boys, settle down," her dad ordered them. Her mom appeared ready to cry. She was wringing her hands and never took her eyes off her daughter.

"Forgive me for being cynical, but if he's here, I hardly think it's a friendly chat you want to have. And if you think for a second, we'll leave her alone with any of you, you're out of your minds," I added as I pointed to Daredevil.

Daredevil stiffened. "We wouldn't harm her."

"Emotional pain can be worse than physical pain," was V's response. If anyone would know, it would be him.

"Please, we need to talk to her. We can do it anywhere you want. I just need to see and talk to my fille , daughter," her mom pleaded.

"It's up to you, Sweet Sugar," I whispered to her.

"We might as well get it over with," she whispered back before she said it loud enough for them to hear. "Come in, find a seat. Sorry, the place is a mess, but we've been packing all day."

We moved back, allowing them to come inside. It was a little confusing when we all went to find seats due to the jumbled pile in the living room. Her brothers and us remained standing while she and her parents sat on the couch and chair. No one said anything. We stared at each other in an uneasy silence. I was about to break it when her dad, Sal, did. He seemed to be the one taking the lead.

"We understand from Rome that you've been claimed as their old lady. It's obvious, since you're here packing up your home, that you're moving to Texas. Are you sure this is what you want? You know we're working on moving to Tenillo. Why not wait and go when we do? If you truly want to be with them, what's the rush? Spend time getting to know each other. You can take turns visiting each other. There are phone calls, texts, and video chats. It's much easier than it was in our time."

"We just don't want you to make a mistake by rushing into anything. What if you change your mind or they do?" her mom added.

"It's not normal, Mic. Three guys with one woman. It was weird enough seeing Raine with those other two, but this is over the top. Don't you care that people will gossip and say mean, nasty things to you and about you? What about if you ever have kids? Have you thought about how your lifestyle will affect them?" Diego asked.

"We're only looking out for you," came Marco's input. None of us interrupted. Let them get it all out, and then we'd counter their issues unless they got ugly. Then, all bets were off.

It fell silent again. When no one said more, Micaela took control. "Anything else you want to say? I think I've heard it all but hit me with anything new before I respond." No one said a word.

"Well, let me begin by saying that since I went out with Dragon, Vicious, and Ashes, the people who should have my back have attacked me left and right. No, it's my turn," she hissed at Renzo. He closed his mouth.

"My oldest brother essentially called me a whore and said I was no better than the women who like to come to the clubhouse and service the members. I've been accused of not knowing my own mind, acting like a child, and a host of other things. All you care about is how it will look to other people and what they think. Although you claim it's what they'll think about me, it's really about what they'll think and say to you. Don't pretend otherwise.

"In case you forgot, I'm an adult of above-average intelligence. I pay my own bills and have absolute say over my life. None of you bothered to ask me why I wanted to be with them. What it is they give me. Or what we want. It was all about you.

"Not a single one of you have ever had your girlfriends or even fuck buddies chosen by the family. Daredevil met and claimed Shain in a matter of days, and when he told us, we celebrated. No one told him to stop and reconsider what others would think or to take more time in case they changed their minds later.

"Daredevil has been downright hateful and won't even come near me. He acts like I have the plague, and he's even worse than the rest of you in denying this relationship. Well, here it is. I'm their old lady. I'm moving to Texas, and I will be living with them. They gave me a property cut, and we're going to start building a house soon. They've helped me find a potential site for my photography studio and are helping me pack and move. They worry about my health and happiness. They do everything they can to ensure I have what I need and want. And yes, I sleep with all three in one big bed, and there is sex involved. So you can take your prejudiced bullshit and keep it to yourself. I'm done explaining and crying over my family treating me like shit. Daredevil, you'll have to get used to ignoring me at the compound because I'm not letting you run me off. Don't worry. I won't tell them you're their uncle when we have kids. You won't need to worry that our defective offspring will be associated with you and yours," she spit out angrily. She shook with rage.

The three of us converged on her. We brought her to her feet, found our spots around her, and wrapped her in the middle of us, where she was sheltered and safe. She buried her face in my chest. Vicious rubbed her back and kissed her while Ashes whispered in her ear and held one of her hands.

Her mom, Evita, was crying. Sal was sickly looking. Her three younger brothers were staring at the floor as they slumped against the walls. Daredevil was holding his head. What a clusterfuck. This was achieving nothing but making her feel worse.

"You need to leave," I told them.

"You can't kick us—" Renzo started to argue. Vicious let go of Micaela and was in his face in a heartbeat.

"Wanna bet? Your sister is in fucking tears. That's our goddamn woman, and we won't let anyone upset her, not even her family. We wanted to get to know you and be a part of your lives, but we see that's impossible. I guess the Infidels, with the exception of Daredevil, will have to be her and our children's extended family of parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents," he snarled.

"Stop, please, enough, Axel," Micaela whimpered. It was clear she was distraught. Otherwise, she wouldn't have messed up and used his actual name in front of them. She gasped as soon as she realized what she had done.

"I'm sorry, honey," she told him.

Forgetting about the others, Vicious left Renzo to come back to her, and he reassured her about her slip-up. "There's nothing for you to be sorry about, baby. Shh, stop crying. You're making yourself sick."

A loud groan came from Daredevil. He lifted his head to stare at us. He looked wrecked. Good. He should. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did or gone to the rest of the family and told them they had to help me prevent you from destroying your life. You probably don't believe me, but it was truly out of concern. I didn't want you to be devastated. When you're not in your right mind, terrible things can happen. People are ugly, even if your partner, or partners in your case, stick with you."

"Why would you assume we wouldn't stick with her or that people would tear us apart with their prejudices?" Ashes asked him.

Daredevil remained silent for a good minute before he answered. When he did, he was no longer looking at Micaela or us. Instead, he was gazing at their parents.

"I kept thinking about April and what happened to her. I would never be able to stand it if that ever ended up happening to Mic."

"Oh God, you remember that?" Evita said in disbelief.

"I do. I was young, but I still remember it. I recall how badly she was hurt and how the final outcome hit her family and us so hard."

"April? Who is that? What happened?" Micaela asked in confusion.

"April, why is that name familiar?" Diego muttered. Marco and Renzo had blank looks. They obviously had no idea who April was, along with Micaela.

"Son of a bitch, you never said anything, Rome. We thought you forgot, which was a good thing in our book," Sal said, scanning the rest of us and then back to Micaela before continuing. "April was a cousin of your mamá. Even though April was a couple of years younger, they were best friends since they were kids. She was the maid of honor at our wedding. She was at our home almost as much as her own.

"When Rome was seven, April became involved with three men. She was single, but she was eager to find someone and settle down. She said she wanted kids like ours. She adored you boys. Things went badly for her when it became known that she was involved with them. She was ostracized by the community for being engaged in sexual pursuits with all three. She acted as if she didn't care and carried on with them. Her family disowned her, yet she didn't stop. We still stuck with her despite our misgivings. However, eventually, they broke up with her. She was beyond devastated and kept trying to get them to come back to her. After months of them saying no and that it had all been a mistake, they went as far as being in steady relationships with other women. We think the women were what convinced her they weren't coming back to her. She mentally broke and took her own life," Sal explained, then fell quiet.

Stunned horror took over all of us for several moments until Micaela spoke up. "And you were worried that would be me? Was she in a reverse harem like we are? Were they making long-term plans? Why did they break up? Was it that they didn't want to be with her anymore or was there too much pressure from society?" Micaela asked Daredevil.

"I was worried you might end up like her. All I remember is she was always such a happy, loving person, and then one day, she flipped into someone miserable who no longer hugged or kissed anyone. She was withdrawn and barely talked. She was in a daze of sorts. When she died, Mamá was shattered. I heard her crying in her room for weeks. I cried, too. She was a beloved aunt to us. You weren't born yet, but she would've adored you," he explained.

"Rome, honey, you don't know everything about April. Since you never mentioned her, we never explained. There are differences between April and your sister. For one, the men April was involved with were men she was sexually attracted to, and she was sleeping with them, but not in the way your sister is. They were separate men. She was sleeping with them individually, never together. There were never times she did things with all of them at once, even if it was non-sexual. She talked of future plans, but they didn't. They were merely having fun.

"The community did talk about her because she chased after them, despite them constantly telling her no and being seen out with other women. She became obsessed with them. When they broke it off, she became a stalker. It was their refusal to get back together with her that pushed her to more extremes. She ended up breaking into their homes and running off any woman she saw them with. They had restraining orders against her. She couldn't handle it, and even though I tried to get her help, she refused. In the end, when they settled with other women, and she came to the realization it was truly over, she committed suicide, that's true. However, afterward, we learned her behaviors were classic symptoms of bipolar disorder. She'd been this way since she was a teenager, but not to that degree. None of us knew she was sick and, with treatment, likely would've been okay. We failed her," her mom explained through the occasional tear falling.

"Another big difference is that you didn't know those men April was with, but you know us. We're your brothers. You told Micaela we weren't serious about having something permanent with her, and we'd cheat on her, that we couldn't or wouldn't stay faithful to her. That was a goddamn hurtful thing for you to say. Do you honestly think we'd do that to her?" Ashes asked angrily. I knew myself, and Vicious felt the same about that particular comment.

"I would've said no, that none of you would lead a woman on, but then I'd never heard any of you talk about wanting a woman to share together. You never mentioned it when Bullet and Phalanx said they wanted to claim Raine. Then bam, here you were, all hanging around Micaela and taking her out. She was openly seeing all three of you. I kept thinking of how April was and how the people around her were hurtful. I might not have experienced it firsthand, but I overheard her conversations with Mamá. We were with her a couple of times when she was stopped on the street and called ugly names. We were young, seven, five, and three, but I remember those times vividly. There's no way I can let Micaela experience that, and I damn well won't let her get to the point she would think to take her own life." he uttered firmly with conviction.

While this explained better his mental state and the purpose behind his awful words to Micaela, it didn't make them okay. Why hadn't he just told her this?

"I'm sorry your cousin killed herself, Mamá. And I'm sorry you have such a horrible memory of that whole incident, Rome, but this isn't the same, and I'm not her. Dragon, Ashes, and Vicious aren't those men. From what you said, they were out to have fun and not get serious with her. They had no agreement or mutual understanding with each other. Hell, did they even know each other? April refused to accept she wasn't wanted and had an unfortunate mental condition.

"We're absolutely committed to each other. You may want to say it's not possible, but just like it was with you and Shain, I love them, and they love me. It's not in doubt. We're planning the rest of our lives together. Hence, I am moving, starting over in a new place, and building a home. They let me be me and protect and cherish me. They claimed me as their old lady. You know how sacred that is to the Infidels. And I've never been one to brazenly sleep with men just for sex, especially more than one at a time.

"I went out with each of them to determine whether any of them might be the one for me, a husband. They explained they were all extremely attracted to me and wanted to spend time with me to see the same thing. It became clear quickly to all of us that what we felt wasn't waning, and I couldn't choose between them. I was thinking of returning here because to make a choice would hurt all of us. I would feel I lost something with the two not chosen. They would be hurt, and the man I did choose would always wonder if I was fully his.

"Dragon and I were approached on one of our dates by our dance instructors. After class, we discovered they were in a relationship exactly like Bullet, Raine, and Phalanx. They're happy. Sure, there are some people who say things, but they ignore them. It led to a frank discussion involving the four of us, and they agreed that while they'd never thought of sharing a woman if it meant they got to have me, they were willing. Only it had to be them, not anyone else. They're not only club brothers but best friends."

"Where exactly do you see this ending? Marriage? Children?" Sal asked.

My best friends and I had been quiet long enough. Nodding to them and getting their chin lifts in return, I gave him answers. This wasn't the way we wanted to do it. We had a plan, but if this helped to heal the fractured relationship with her family, which we knew she needed to be as happy as possible, then so be it.

"Mr. Torres, it's simple. We plan to ask Micaela to marry and commit to the three of us. She can only legally marry one of us, but we'll work it out. She'll have a commitment ceremony with the two she doesn't marry. We see it ending in us growing old together and sitting around, watching our grandkids, maybe great-grandkids, together. We want children with your daughter. Who contributes to the DNA doesn't matter. They'll be our children. As for those who would disparage us and be hateful, we'll do whatever we must to curb it."

Her parents and brothers all sat and stood there, not saying a word. I tried to decipher what they were thinking by studying their expressions. Vicious tore my attention away from them when he began to talk.