The truth will set you free (Bitter Roots MC Book 1)

by Penny Anglene

  “Did you plan to just leave your daughter there?” I ask with an edge to my voice.

  “No, I finally found a job, a decent one, too. I had contacted the home and told them I was coming to get my little girl. Before I could pick her up, I was arrested for a crime I didn’t commit and I ended back up in the joint. Believe it or not, I really hadn’t done what I was accused of. I spent four years in there before they actually found the perp, and that was accidental that they found him. I was released and didn’t even get an apology. Not a day goes by, I don’t regret the decisions I made, but there is nothing I can do about it now,” he chokes out.

  “I’m sorry, Crane, for bringing up such bad memories. I didn’t mean, too. Sounds like we both got a raw deal,” I tell him, my breath shuddering as I sob. “I think I need to go lie down for a while. All this talk has made me sleepy and I’m getting a slight headache again,” I tell him.

  “I’ll take you and make sure you get into bed. You have my number? Or I can stay in the chair outside the door. It’s up to you. Let me get you some medicine for that headache,” he states.

  “I’ll call you when I wake up. No sense in you sitting outside my door. I may sleep thirty minutes or I may sleep three hours. I never know anymore. I would be thankful for the headache medicine, though,” I tell him with a yawn.

  He gets me settled and gives me the meds. I drift off to sleep thinking about Crane and what all he has been through. He wanted his kid, and shit stood in the way of making that happen.

  Chapter Eleven

  Dog…

  “Where is she?” I ask Crane as I walk into the clubhouse.

  “She went to take a nap about two hours ago. I just checked on her. She’s still sleeping. She told me she would call me when she woke up. I was starting to get worried,” he says.

  “Okay. How did it go today?” I ask.

  “Good. She ate breakfast this morning with you all and lunch with me, Jenny, and Flipper. Jenny had to go shopping and to take the old man to the doctor, so after they left, we went and watched a movie. She cried over that damn movie, and I got all upset. She is so softhearted. She’s kind of sweet too,” Crane states.

  “Animal movie?” I ask with a grin on my face.

  “How did you guess?” He asks with his eyebrow raised.

  “Because we watched one last night, and she bawled like a baby. She has such a tender heart but acts all badass sometimes. When we get shit settled, I want to buy her a puppy. I just don’t know what kind.”

  “I can kind of fish it out of her if you want it to be a surprise,” Crane offers.

  “Yeah, that would be great. Jenny back yet?” I ask.

  “Yeah, she’s in the kitchen. The old man went home; he was tired too. Said he would be back tomorrow if he felt better. Jenny told him if not, we would take him some food. He hasn’t been looking too good lately,” Crane says.

  “I noticed that myself. He’s usually really chipper. Did Jenny say what the doctor said?”

  “I didn’t ask, honestly. I was on my way down to check on Samantha, then went and helped to bring in the groceries from the Blazer. Bossman got here and they’ve been holed up in the kitchen since. He said something about his girls coming down for the weekend,” Crane tells me with a grin.

  “Yeah, they’re trouble with a capital T if you ask me. Good girls, but hell on wheels and trouble. Samantha and Jenny think the world of them,” I tell him.

  “Wait ‘til you have some little girls. You’re going to have to beat them away with a bat,” Crane states with a big-ass grin on his face.

  “That shit ain’t funny, asshole. I would have to keep a shotgun around. I want boys,” I snarl out.

  “That may be what you want, but I would have to say, girls are what you are going to get,” he tells me.

  “Why the hell would you curse me like that? That’s just fucking wrong,” I snarl.

  He’s laughing when his phone rings. Picking it up, he says, “Okay”, and walks down the hallway.

  I stand there for a minute and realize he’s heading toward my room.

  “Oh, hell no you don’t. That’s my ol’ lady you’re going after. I take care of her when I’m here, you asshole!” I yell.

  I watch him open the door. I also hear him talking to her before I can make it to the doorway.

  I get to the door and see Crane helping her into her chair. He’s wheeling her toward the bathroom and I holler out at him.

  “Stop, you asshole. I’ll help her with that, Crane. You can go see if Jenny needs any help now,” I tell him with a pissy voice.

  “Hey, Brett, I didn’t know you were home or I would have called you instead,” Samantha says with a sleepy voice.

  “It’s okay, beautiful. I’m here and can help you to the bathroom,” I tell her as I push Crane out of the way.

  Crane backs out of the way with his hands in the air.

  “Crane, I’m sorry for Dog acting like such an ass. He can’t seem to help himself some days,” Samantha says.

  “I’m not an ass. I just like taking care of you on my own when I’m here,” I tell her.

  “I’m going to see if Jenny and Bossman need any help. I’ll let you help the little lady here,” Crane says with a smile.

  “Thanks for all your company today, Crane. I really enjoyed myself,” Samantha tells him.

  I’m glad to see she gets along with my brothers, but I don’t know what to make of Crane and Samantha. I know that her friendships will help her within the club. She needs her family surrounding her and not just me, I think to myself.

  After helping her to the restroom and making sure she doesn’t fall while she’s cleaning her hands, I get her settled into her wheelchair and take her out to the kitchen table that we sit down to eat at.

  “Hey, Jenny, how was Flipper’s appointment today? He didn’t look like he felt too good earlier. He’s going to be okay, isn’t he?” Samantha asks.

  “He’s got an infection. They just don’t know where. They started him on antibiotics and we’re waiting on his tests to come in. Until then, he’s supposed to rest. He wanted to go home, so I took him there. I’m going to take him a plate later on and make sure he eats and takes his medicine. He’s a stubborn old coot. I really didn’t want to leave him there, but he was getting really agitated with me,” she tells us.

  “I’ll go with you when you go to check on him, Jenny. Maybe I can talk him into coming here to stay while he’s getting better. That way we aren’t spread out so thin,” Bossman tells her.

  “Didn’t you say something about knowing a neighbor of Ria’s that might be able to come help?” Dog asks me.

  “I said I know she had a neighbor, not that she would come help. I can call Ria and find out if she thought she might be interested in helping out here though.”

  “Yeah, let’s do that. We’re getting behind and we’re going to see if Jenny can help at the office. We need someone that we can rely on to help cook and shit around here,” Bossman states.

  “Can you help us out at the offices if we can get a short-term cook—light cleaning, making sure shit is done around here first,” Bossman asks Jenny.

  “I guess. If it’s the same setup as before, I could do part-time there and still be able to help around here some too. I haven’t forgotten what to do there unless you’ve changed a bunch of stuff,” she replies.

  Samantha…

  I take Dog’s cell from him and call Ria.

  “Hello,” she answers.

  “Hey, Ria, it’s Samantha. How are you all doing?” I ask her.

  “Hey, Sam, how are you? I sure have missed you around lately. I thought about coming out later this week to see you. It’s been busier than hell at the shop. Jax has had Erin take over some of the piercings until you come back. She isn’t really happy but said she’ll do them until you come back. She’s refusing to do the dick piercings though,” she says while laughing. I laugh with her.

  “Hey, the reason I’m calling is to find out about y
our old neighbor Mrs. Franks. Do you know if she might be interested in taking care of the clubhouse for a while? Cooking, a little cleaning?” I ask her.

  “I don’t know. She’s up there in age. I wanna say close to eighty, but in all honesty, I don’t think she’s that old. She’s funnier than shit though. She likes to get in everyone’s business,” Ria states laughing.

  “Would you find out and maybe send her out this way if she’s interested?” I ask.

  “Yeah, I can do that. I’ll go out to the old place and talk to her tonight when we get done here. If she is, I’ll call and let you know.”

  “Thanks, Ria. Let everyone know I said hello. I miss you all.”

  “We miss you too. You need anything?” she asks me.

  “Nah, I’m good. Love you all,” I tell her.

  “Bye, talk to you later,” she tells me.

  “Bye,” I reply.

  Chapter Twelve

  Six weeks later

  Samantha…

  Mrs. Franks has been set up in a room at the clubhouse. She insisted that it had to be that way if she was going to take care of us. She’s a hoot. She hasn’t even given Flipper a break. If anything, I have a feeling she has the hots for him. I can hear her now, yelling at him for not eating what she put in front of him.

  “I told you, old lady, I ain’t eating that shit. I want meat and eggs, none of the sloppy mushy hot fucking oatmeal that has no fucking taste at all. I want the good stuff. I want real coffee too,” he snarls at her.

  I look up at Crane, trying to keep a straight face but failing miserably. I bust up, laughing like a hyena.

  “Little girl, why’d you bring Attila the Hun here to work and cook. I would have settled for donuts. Hell, fire her for me and I’ll order out for all our meals and even pay for them too,” Flipper tells me.

  “Can’t do that, Flipper. I need her here to help with all of this stuff. Jenny is working in the office now too. Crane is in and out. He doesn’t know how to cook either,” I say. I really don’t know if he does or not, but this will help plead my case with Flipper.

  “Well, I ain’t eating this shit. You hear me, you old bag of bones. I ain’t doing it,” he spits out.

  “You’ll eat it or you ain’t getting the homemade cinnamon roll I made ya. You got to eat the good stuff before you get the bad,” she cackles out with a laugh.

  “I’ll be back out with your breakfast in just a second. How do you want your eggs, darlin’?” she asks me.

  “Over medium if you don’t mind. Can I get some strawberry jam for my toast too?” I ask her with a smile.

  “Sure thing, sweetheart,” she tells me with a blooming smile on her face.

  “That’s so not fair. You’re just mean and spiteful,” Flipper says to Mrs. Frank’s retreating back.

  “You know, you’ll get farther with her if you’re nice. You know the old adage, you get more with honey then you do vinegar,” Crane tells him.

  “Ha, I already tried that. Didn’t work. She’s a shrew, that one is, busting my balls every chance she gets,” he says with a frown on his face. I listen to both of them talking but also watch Flipper eating his oatmeal, and not slowly either. He keeps glancing toward Mrs. Franks when she isn’t watching too. I think he just likes things his way. It’s his way of flirting with her. I also noticed that he looks much healthier now too.

  As I’m eating, Crane and I talk. “What have you found out about the DNA test?” I ask him. He told me about welfare contacting him about a daughter he supposedly fathered and knew nothing about.

  “Do you remember her mother? This little girl’s mom, I mean?” I ask.

  “I do. She was a sweet little thing. I was just hung up on it not going any further because of my other family. Although my wife died during childbirth, I still felt like I was betraying her. I wouldn’t have left if I would have known about the baby.”

  He pauses, and I see shadows of grief in his expression. His eyes well with tears.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to bring up sad memories for you. I just thought if you could talk about it, you might feel a little better,” I tell Crane.

  “It’s okay, sweetheart. From what I understand, her momma has cancer and isn’t doing well. She doesn’t want her to go to a home. If she is mine, I don’t want that either. I’ve made so many fucking mistakes in my life. I pray I can rectify all of them before it’s too late. The DNA still hasn’t come in yet. I need to make things right with my older kid before I set things up with the other, if she is mine,” he tells me with a faraway look in his eyes.

  “You can do this, Crane. Your kids would be lucky to have you in their lives. Once they hear your side, they will. I bet it was hard doing what you did,” I tell him.

  “It was, but then I hear your story and I wonder what would have been, if things were different in my case. If something similar would have been my circumstances.”

  “I have a lot that I need to know, maybe a lot of forgiving to do too. I don’t know. I can only pray that one day, I’m fortunate enough to find my family,” I tell him with a sob in my voice.

  “Don’t cry, sweetheart.” He hesitates. “Life sure is fucked up, isn’t it?” he says.

  “It is. I have physical therapy today. I want to be able to walk and do what I need to get back up and doing my job.”

  “One day at a time, little lady,” he replies.

  The day progresses and Dog comes back from a run. I have no idea of what has been happening but I know that I have missed him something fierce.

  “Hey, doll. You doing okay?” he asks me as he tilts my head back for a kiss.

  “Um,” I moan as the kiss gets heated. I sure have missed him while he was gone. I don’t know how I stayed away as long as I did when it all went to hell. I love this man.

  He raises his head, nuzzling the side of my face. “I sure have missed you, honey,” he tells me.

  “I’ve missed you, honey. I love you,” I tell him softly.

  He pauses, lifting his head as he stares into my eyes. “I love you, too, honey. Always and forever. I will never get tired of hearing you tell me you love me,” he tells me in a deep, rough voice.

  “I was telling Crane I have physical therapy today. Are you going to be here for a few days this time?” I ask.

  “As a matter of fact, I am. What I found out; I need to report to Bossman. How about I drop you off at therapy and then after dinner, we can cuddle and watch a movie together?”

  “Sounds perfect. Do I get to pick the movie?” I ask him.

  “We pick one together. I ain’t watching no fucking mushy, crying, bullshit movie again,” he states loudly.

  “That’s wrong. I love the emotional, crying movies,” I say with a serious expression on my face. He looks at me like I’ve lost my mind, then I bend over laughing like a loon. “Gotcha,” I say while wiping the tears from my eyes.

  “Yeah, then it takes me thirty minutes to get you to calm down. I hate when you cry, it guts me,” he states. “For that, I’m going to make you watch a documentary with me tonight.”

  “I promise not to do it again. No documentaries. Please, no,” I say with a sad face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh. I do like the animal movies. I’ve always wanted a pit bull. Just never went through with it,” I tell him.

  “When we get settled, we’ll go get you one, okay,” he tells me. He made it more of a statement than a question.

  “I need to go to my room and get ready. I have to leave soon for therapy.”

  “Okay, I still don’t like that it’s a male doing your therapy.”

  “Christopher does a great job. He also swings for the same team.”

  Crane bellows with laughter and Brett’s face gets bright red.

  “You mean…” he stutters.

  “Yes, I mean he bats for the same team. He thinks you’re hot too. I had to tell him no on several occasions,” I say.

  “Crane, I need you to be with her for her appointment. I need to have a meeting
with Bossman.” His face is comical looking as it’s all twisted up.

  “You sure? I mean I don’t mind taking her…” Crane trails off with laughter.

  “I’m sure. I love you, sweets, but that isn’t happening. Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” he snarls jokingly.

  “I thought if he got some nice-looking eye candy, he would be nice during therapy. He makes me hurt some days. He’s a bossy prick but knows how to do his job,” I say laughing.

  I get up with my walker, going a lot faster than I did last week. I’m hoping that I can start using my cane today. They had taken the staples and the hardware out a month ago. It feels like this all just happened. It’s been eight weeks since it all went down. I’ve gotten to know some of the other members so much better. Spider holds a very special place in my heart and has since he made himself at home in my kitchen before we were even introduced; Crane is becoming a real close second. Even Bossman is up there. Although he can be an asshole, he does have a sweet side that he doesn’t show to many.

  Crane takes me to therapy and I do get to start using my cane. I’m to start walking with it all the time now. I shouldn’t overdo it, but I need to get in the habit and work the muscles in my leg. I’m told if I continue to do this well, I will be released from therapy in another week or so.

  “You hear that Crane? I’ll be done with therapy in the next week or so if I continue to do this well. Can you help me with strengthening my leg? I want to get back to myself soon.”

  “I will. I also know that any of the other men will too. Just ask whoever is around at the time,” he tells me with a smile. “I’m so proud of you. You never once whined or cried while recuperating. That’s a lot for anyone to do while getting well.”

  “Thank you, Crane. Your daughters would be lucky to know you. I would love to have someone like you for a dad,” I tell him as I hug him.

  He hugs me back slowly at first, then whispers, “I would love for you to be my daughter.”

  “Let’s get out of here. I want to go home and show Brett my new walking aide. Maybe I’ll get lucky tonight.”