Tank: Devil's Rose MC #6

Chapter 26: Hazel Martinez

"This is my sister Raven's diner. She moved here about five years ago after being in a car accident. To heal, she came and lived with me for a summer. She ended up meeting a woman who is now her wife. They married soon after that, and she and her wife have been here since."

"That's so sweet, Tank. It's so awesome that you get spend a lot of time with her."

"It's special. Not all siblings are as close as we are, so we're grateful to have that type of relationship."

I enjoy the way he talks about her. He does genuinely care about his sister. Though he doesn't have a big family, which he's told me before, he seems like the man who would always want one. I mean, I have always had one and want to create one for myself. 

I do want lots of children. If I could have my own football team, that would be great. That's always been my dream. Now that I think about it, Octavius has discovered a large non-biological family. He calls the MC men his brothers all the time. 

However, I get the feeling that he wants to create a large family of his own that is related to him. So, he pretty much just wants lots of sex and chaos. Which I can get down with. It sounds like a good time. But we aren't there yet.

He pushes open the diner door, a wave of warm air hitting me in the face as I step inside. We're greeted by a peppy hostess who guides us both closer to the back of the diner, and I completely understand why. The place is packed from wall to wall. 

Talking about kids, there are many of them ready to practically jump out of their seats and start running around the diner. Parents desperately try to hold them back, but the children all need something to keep them planted in their seats. 

All of a sudden, one of the waiters turns on the tv with the newer animated version of The Grinch, and the whole diner seems to still. That worked.

"Hello, I'm Kelsey, and I'll be serving you tonight. Would you like a few minutes to decide on drinks or are you ready?"

"Hazel, you ready?"

"Yeah, I'll have a black coffee, please."

"I'll have a hot chocolate. Thank you."

That checks out. I love how he's so unapologetically himself, even if he's just ordering a hot chocolate. I have known some men in my life who were too embarrassed to buy anything but coffee. That's over-the-top ridiculous and so unnecessary in preserving their "manliness."

I don't understand people sometimes.

"I'll be right back with those."

Kelsey leaves us be for a moment while she grabs us our drinks.

"So, how's your night been so far, pumpkin?"

"It's been amazing. I don't know how you know exactly what I would love to do."

"I'm a good listener."

He can say that again. He honestly does listen. He's interested in what I say. It's so bare minimum and yet so rare I can't help but be astounded by it. Kelsey comes by with our drinks, and we order breakfast for dinner for our dinner. 

She doesn't even blink at our order, so I'm sure she's used to it by now. We thank her before she heads back through the crowd of people to give our order to Raven.

"Can I ask you a question about your name?"

"Which one?"

"The Devil's Rose one. I mean, you weren't in the army, so it's not that kind of tank. Unless you are a war tank enthusiast which I don't think you are. I don't get it. Like Reaper and Bullet makes sense if I'm thinking about them right, but I don't know how you're connected to yours."

Octavius smiles at me before taking a sip of his hot chocolate with a huge pile of whipped cream on the top.

"It's not based on anything spectacular or anything. Not like Reaper or Bullet like you said. More like Poison who fell off his motorcycle and into poison ivy," he chuckles at himself.

That checks out. I can see that happening even now.

"You can't tell him I told you that," he states firmly to me with a mischievous smirk on his face.

"I would never. It's our secret to keep."

"We'll have to share a lot of secrets."

"I'm on board with that."

He's not going to scare me away. I know that keeping secrets is a part of the MC life. I wouldn't expect anything different. I have secrets of the things my brothers and I have done that I will take to the grave. While it's nothing compared to what Devil's Rose members have to do, it's the intention that counts. 

I'm not about to be spilling any MC secrets to anyone. I think it'll only make us closer as a couple. It pushes us to be open and honest and trusting of one another. From the moment he asked me to be his girlfriend, to be his, I knew that there would be more than just our strings being attached. 

He has lots of people counting on him and that comes with baggage. He isn't going to push me away because of that, and I don't think he's trying to. His honesty is another part of him that I've come to love. 

Yes, love. I did just think that. It's true, so very true, and I'm not going to lie to myself about it. I love him. It's quick, but I just know.

It's kinda hot knowing that I'm keeping secrets for him.

"Well, uh, back to my name. You know I was in a frat when I was in college."

"Yes. Where is this going?"

"You'll see," he replies calmly, "I was known for my aim when it came to the dunk tank."

"Are you kidding me? This is how you got your name?! That's so ridiculous, Tank. I'm never going to be able to take you seriously ever again."

"You took me seriously at some point?"

"When you came to steal a child, yeah," I sass back while rolling my eyes,

"I wasn't stealing a child. I was picking her up from school."

"Without prior permission. Sounds like stealing to me."

He nudges my leg with his knee under the table, smiling down at me.

He's so fucking handsome. It hurts.

"That's how I got my name. I was king of the dunk tank. Vegas, since he knew me then, appointed it for me when I became an official member. No one questioned it and it stuck."

"I guess, I'm not surprised by that. It sounds like a scary ass name. Like you got it for some other reason."

"I think there's a lot of stereotypes around MCs that make them scarier than they are. At least in the Devil's Rose case. We do kill people and steal money and guns but not to use against innocent people but to protect them. Not everyone understands that."

I reach my hand across the table, taking his into mine. I sweep my thumb along the back of his hand to give him some type of comfort. Being in the MC is not the only way he's judged, and it doesn't take much to know that. 

That scar on his face didn't come from anywhere, and it's not a small scar either. It spreads over the right side of his face, crackling and shooting lines like lightning. I find it beautiful. It shows that he's a survivor. 

He went through something, and whether large or small, he now faces the judgment that comes with having a scar like that on a face that's incredibly hard to hide. He's one of the strongest people I know. The scar reminds me of that. He's incredibly gorgeous. The scar doesn't bother me at all. Why would it?

"It's alright, pumpkin. Don't be so sad. I can handle it."

"I don't want you to have to."

Because I love you.