Chapter 3

Kitty

My mother stands by my side at the door. I can smell her expensive fragrance, her favorite Coco Chanel. Personally, I like it but since my mother wears it, I don’t bother. I prefer to stick to Opium or Poison.

“Kitty, a word please,” she says in her no-nonsense voice as she places her hand to my elbow and leads me away to a side room. It turns out this is an office and I am guessing her office since it is decorated with cream walls and antique furniture. There is a light ash desk with a laptop and computer screen on it and some swatches of fabric. Mom is a design interior. One that comes with a hefty price tag. Thanks of course, to my step father and his connections. Not to mention the intrigue of her once having been married to a man associated with the mafia.

To the right are large, glass paneled doors that overlook a garden with rose blooms and other flowers that I couldn’t even begin to tell you what they are called. I’m not much a flower girl. Knives, any kind of blade, guns – yeah I can reel you some off the top of my head. Never was a flowery kind of girl.

My father made sure that I knew how to defend myself from an early age. With his background and devious enterprises, I am not surprised. Even here in California, he has a reputation. Some things simply follow us around the world!

“Sit,” she says as I watch her take a seat at her office desk. Now what? God, I have only been home a few days and it’s already way too much. I feel suffocated like someone has put a plastic bag over my head.

“You need to learn to keep yourself out of trouble, Ekaterina.” Oh, and there is the full name no more Kitty. Ekaterina means one thing. A lecture is coming. I lean back in my chair and huff out as I fold my arms in front of my chest.

“There are more things going on within the California M.C. than you could possibly imagine. It is best if you respect your stepbrother. He can make a lot of trouble for you, Ekaterina.”

“Mother, drop the whole name thing. I am not your little girl anymore. You left me, remember. To come here to sunny California, the land of promise and opportunity. You left me with my father.” True, she left us when I was fourteen, apparently living with my father was too much. She wanted a new life, a new man and that was that. Cold hearted bitch.

She lets out a long sigh knowing she isn’t going to get anywhere with me. Not now, not today, not ever.

“What things?” I ask her as I look disinterested yet am dying to know what the hell she is talking about.

“Things, Kitty. Things. Blake is with The Devils M.C. and there is a lot going down right now for them. It would be best you stay out of his way. People will know you are here and well; you could become a target.”

What the fuck? I act like I don’t care but I can smell danger brewing. Perhaps there is some turf war going down that I am not aware of. I am with a different M.C. The Black Vultures. In fact, I am their only female member. There is something going on between our M.C’s but is there something more also?

I don’t let on to my mother that there is more than one reason why I am back here in California. She is on a need-to-know basis. The one that spells, no need to know.

“Is that all for now, Mother? Only, I have things to do. Like unpack, take a nap. It’s been a long day already with the flight and having to put up with Blake’s rudeness is all too much. He is an asshole. For your information, Mother. I don’t really give a shit about his M.C.”

She drums her fingers on the desk, a sign of not getting her own way and dealing with my arrogance and impertinence. “Always the strong headed mule, Kitty. When will you learn that life is not as it always seems? You do not have your father here to protect you know, Kitty. Be mindful of playing with fire.” Ha, my father would go to the end of the world to protect me. I am his angel, he thinks the sun shines out of my ass. What does my mother even know about loyalty, love and protection?

And what the hell is that supposed to mean? Without responding I get up and leave the office closing the door behind me. My stepfather passes through the foyer and glances in my direction.

“Ekaterina, it is good to have you home with us. Finally, we can be a proper family. Don’t mind Blake. He will calm down; he’s been way too used to having been the only child for a while.”

It’s obvious he is trying to welcome me to his home, but I am only here for one reason and that isn’t something I am about to tell him either. Bonding with my step-brother, right? That is never happening. Once an asshole, always an asshole. It doesn’t take a scientist to tell me that he cares about nothing but pussy and himself.

However, Blake “Maverick” had better watch his back. The Black Vultures and his gang are at war with each other and I am never crossing the line to his M.C. I’d rather die first!

In my room upstairs I go through my duffel bag and find my Russian Black Vultures patch. It’s seen better days, now it is old and blood stained and folded. Time to take it out perhaps.

“I’m not here for a war, but fuck, I am not backing down either!”