Aviana (MC Riders #1)

H A B R O M A N I A

/hˌabɹə‍ʊmˈe‍ɪni‍ə/

noun

delusions of happiness.

~🎲~

A V I A N A  T U R N E D  to Casanova in shock, her mouth falling open. "Devils?" she reiterated as her heartbeat accelerated.

She knew that Nicholas had promised her safety as long she was near him, but she couldn't help the sliver of fear that entered her system at the mention of the other gang. The men and women she had encountered in this club were, for the most part, pleasant, so if this other gang was their rivals, did that mean they were the opposite? Were they the kind of people who supported places like the ring? Or worse, ran them?

The girl continued to scream and cuss as the men dragged her across the room. "Yeah," Casanova grunted as his narrowed eyes watched followed them. "That's the leader's kid."

Realisation flooded through her as she looked back at the girl. She felt a little bad for the way the men were gripping her arms so tightly, but it didn't seem like something she couldn't handle. They must have caught her causing trouble, as Nick said she did. She was sure it would be dealt with fairly.

"Where are they taking her?" she questioned quietly.

Casanova finally turned away from the scene, focusing his eyes on her. "To Kodiak," he responded, the irritation in his eyes dying down.

The confusion on Aviana's face must have been obvious as Casanova gave a chuckle before explaining. "He's the head of the club," he said with a small, proud smile. "A great man. He's just going to talk to her; he has a soft spot for kids like her."

Aviana tilted her head to the side. "Kids like her?" she prodded gently.

Casanova nodded, rubbing the stubble lining his jaw. "She grew up on the streets 'til the Devils took her in," he said. "No one knows the details but Kodiak grew up the same way. He always goes soft on her when she's brought in, anyhow."

This confused her; how could someone be seen as the enemy when they were the kind of person to take in a homeless child? If that was the sort of thing their leader did, surely the rest of them were decent people as well.

Unless, of course, they had taken her in for a different reason. Perhaps for the same reasons she had been taken? No, that didn't seem right; the girl had been far too spirited and healthy to be going through anything like that in her current situation. She had to stop assuming that everyone was like him.

"I thought they were bad people," Aviana spoke quietly, hoping Casanova could give her an explanation to calm her mind.

His face suddenly broke out into a small smile as he shook his head. "Nah, not really," he chuckled. "I mean, not any worse than us."

Her brow furrowed as the confusion swirling through her mind only intensified. "Then why are you rivals?" she asked.

Casanova's smile didn't drop as he explained. "Honestly?" he laughed a little awkwardly. "No one really knows. It's just always been like this. We hate each other because we're meant to."

Aviana shook her head. "That doesn't seem very smart," she commented, still utterly bewildered.

He shrugged a single shoulder, his eyes closing and opening with the action. "It's just how it is," he answered vaguely.

"Just because it's how it is, does not mean it's how it should be," she chastised with a small sliver of irritation coating her voice.

Casanova's eyes lit up at her tone and a real smile bloomed on his face. "When did you get so snappy?" he teased.