Inferno Demon Riders MC: My Five Obsessed Bullies novel Chapter 36

Blythe’s POV.

Cancer. Lung cancer. Only a few years to live.

How many are a few? Can we stretch that out somehow? Is there anything we can do? A lung transplant?

Would that take the cancer away?

All these questions swirling my mind were making me spiral. By the time we walked up the porch steps of a little one–story house near the back of the property, I was a ball of nerves. I was wringing my hands, staring at the door. Karma was right beside me, watching me. I ignored him to my best ability.

Suddenly, Karma reached out to pull me into his arms again, but I took a step back, throwing my arms out to stop him.

“I have to pull myself together,” I rushed out, looking into his eyes. “On my own. For Blaze. I don’t want to make him feel like I pity him.”

Karma gave me a single nod of understanding.

I turned my attention back to the door, trying to gather all of my courage. I’ve been through a lot over the years. I’ve been through so much abuse, so much pain, so much heartbreak. I can handle this too. For Blaze.

Because Blaze doesn’t deserve to see me look at him any differently than I ever have before. I can hold it together. I can do this.

“I didn’t think you’d have this hard of a time,” Karma mumbled, seeming a bit ashamed. As he should be. For several reasons. “I wasn’t thinkin‘ about how we all kinda got eased into it. I’m sorry.”

I shook my head.

“It’s fine,” I replied without looking at him. I do wish Karma would have been more thoughtful, but I’m not surprised. Bikers aren’t usually that thoughtful when it comes to emotional stuff. Blaze was the same way. He and Isla used to get into big, heated arguments. Always ending with Blaze apologizing to his woman, and Isla forgiving her man.

Once, I asked Isla why they fought so much and why she was so quick to forgive him after he apologized. She told me that they loved each other deeply and that made them passionate. She told me that everything is more intense the more passionate you are, and the deeper you love somebody, the more passionate you become. She always said that none of their fights were ever about anything serious, just the two of them getting pent–up about small things and hashing them out.

Isla told me that she always forgave Blaze when he apologized because she knew what it meant for a man like him to apologize. I didn’t really understand what she meant back then, but I sort of do now. I know that Karma isn’t a man to hand out apologies unless he truly means it.

Or maybe he just likes fucking with me.

I’m not sure if I’ll ever know, but I can’t deny the way his apologies make my insides warm. It feels like I’m being seen for the first time, since the night my mom married Tusk. I hated that. It made it harder to remind myself that this was all probably just a joke they were playing on me.

Whatever. This isn’t about me and Karma. This is about Blaze.

Mustering up all of my courage, I hardened my face, determined to look normal when I walked through that door.

“I’m ready,” I said.

Karma didn’t say anything, but reached for the doorknob. He opened the door and walked in first 1 followed him inside, looking around as I did so.

Despite this being a completely different house from what they lived in when I was here last time, it’s decorated just the same. Family pictures and art from when Bonnie and Karma were kids lined the walls. They have family vacation pictures from Scotland, postcards and random art from their family members over there, and even some memorabilia from back in the day when Prez Blaze was in his prime.

The house wasn’t messy, but it was cluttered. Just like it used to be. Well, it’s actually a lot less cluttered now. They must have gotten rid of a lot of stuff, but still. It feels lived in. It feels like home.

Tears threatened to fill my eyes, but I blinked them back as I followed Karma through the house.

“Dad!” Karma shouted.

“Aye!” I heard Blaze grunt back.

We turned a corner and walked into the living room. Blaze was sitting in a recliner that was almost directly in front of the TV. He had an oxygen tank sitting next to him with tubes that led to his nose. He looked different, just like Karma warned me. He’s smaller than he was before. Still covered in tattoos though. Like his son now is. And he looks older. His hair is graying at the sides and gray streaks run through his dark beard.

“Hope you’re back with good news, boy,” Blaze grumbled without looking up at us.

Karma turned his head to give a smile that screamed ‘told you so‘. I stuck my tongue out at him, and he just shook his head before looking at his dad again.

“Brought ya someone,” he said.

Blaze’s eyes snapped up, immediately meeting mine. I froze in my spot, suddenly feeling shy. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Blaze. Again, another man I’ve always seen as an uncle, a father figure.

“Fuckin‘ hell,” Blaze murmured, staring at me with wide eyes.

“H–hi Blaze,” I stuttered, giving him an awkward wave.

Blaze moved to stand up. My first instinct was to rush to him and tell him to sit down. Karma put his arm out to stop me though, letting his dad get to his feet. Blaze marched over to me, and pushed his son’s arm out of the way before wrapping me in his arms. Karma walked into another room that I could see was a kitchen. Probably to give us a few minutes.

Now he wants to be thoughtful? Jackass.

“You’ve been through a lot, haven’t ya?” he whispered in my ear.

My spine stiffened and Blaze pulled away to look me in the eyes as he cupped the side of my face.

“I don’t want to get into that, Blaze,” I said honestly. “I came here to see you. Now that your son has stopped trying to starve me to death.”

Blaze stiffened.

“Sorry, what did ya just say?” He asked dangerously.

Man, Blaze might have lost some muscle and be attached to an oxygen tank, but he’s still hell a scary.

My first thought was ‘oh fuck, I fucked up‘. Just when I was about to try to smooth the situation over, thought… ‘why?”. I’m not the one in the wrong here. I did nothing to deserve what happened. It’s all Karma’s fault. And I will take the utmost joy out of telling on him.

“Oh, you mean your son didn’t tell you?” I asked just as Karma walked back into the room, holding two battles of water and a can of soda. I smirked and turned my eyes back to Blaze. “He told everyone in the club to ignore me. Because of that, nobody brought me blankets, or towels, or anything. And Everly also refused to let me eat. I passed out after cleaning the entire clubhouse, because that’s what one of the club girls told me I had to do. Oh wait, I didn’t pass out until after Alex slapped me. Twice.”

The room went deadly silent. Tension surrounded us, and I was all too smug about it. Karma was giving me a hard look as his jaw ticked. Blaze looked royally pissed off as he turned around to face his son.

“What the fuck is wrong with ya, boy!?” he shouted.

“Dad, you don’t understand-”

“I understand enough!” Blaze shouted, cutting him off. “You should have done better! I warned you I’m taking care of it now!” Karma shouted back.

I scoffed, adding fuel to the fire inside Blaze.

“You dipshit!” Blaze yelled, pointing at his son. “You need to stop fuckin‘ up! And Alex hit her!? What the fuck!?”

Suddenly, before Karma could reply, another voice joined the mix.

“What’s all this yellin‘ about?”

We all went rigid as we turned to face her.

Isla’s home.