by Erin Osborne
“Yeah. We’re here for the day honey. You do what you have to and we’ll be fine here,” she answers.
“Thank you.”
The three of us leave the house. As soon as I enter the clubhouse, we walk to the common room and I find my mother tied to a chair in the middle of the room. Every member is standing around and I look at each one of them as I make my way closer to the woman who gave me life. There’s a woman I don’t know leaning against the bar with a huge man standing at her side.
“Well, look who finally made an appearance,” my mother says, her voice laced with sarcasm. “I knew you were dumb as fuck. But look at who you’ve attached yourself to now.”
“Shut the fuck up!” I yell out. “You don’t get to say a damn word to me here. Yes, I know exactly who I’ve ‘attached’ myself to. I chose each and every single man in this room as my family. And the women who are with them too. They love my family for who we are and not what we can do for them. These men would never lay a hand on a woman in anger and they make sure their woman has everything they want and need. I’m happy for the first time in my life and I don’t have to look over my shoulder because I’m scared about someone finding me.”
“Yeah, right,” the bitch says. “And it looks like you’re knocked up. Again.”
“I’m having a family with my husband. A man who treats me like a queen and my kids like they’re his own. He’s the reason I won’t have to worry about you coming back here and demanding shit from me because you can’t get out of your own fucking way and get a life. So, I hope you rot in hell with Ray and the man who helped create me. You’ve never been my parent. I was just your slave, and that ends today,” I say, walking up and getting in my mother’s face. “Summer, I hope you do your worst to this bitch. In case you need something to provoke you, I’ll let you know she’s beat me since the day I was born. And she let my ex-husband rape me in her house. This bitch doesn’t deserve to breathe.”
Without a look back, I leave the clubhouse. I don’t look at anyone or kiss Grave before I leave the room. Hadliegh walks with me and keeps her mouth shut as we walk toward the compound. I know I should feel something about the way I just talked to my mother or how I threw her under the bus to Summer, but I don’t. She’s put me through hell and back more times than I can even count.
“Am I a bad person?” I suddenly ask Hadliegh.
“Why would you ask that?” she questions.
“Because of what I just did,” I respond.
“No, Vanessa, I don’t think you’re a bad person at all. You don’t feel anything bad right now? That’s good. That woman has tortured you and threatened you. She put a fucking hit out on you. If you don’t feel anything toward her or what’s about to happen, it’s because you know she deserves it all. You live your life the way you’re meant to and don’t give that bitch another thought,” Hadliegh tells me. “Now, let’s go show these women they have something to look forward to.”
Hadliegh and I walk into the compound and the women are already sitting in the room waiting for us. I stand at the front of the room and wait for Hadliegh to take her seat before I begin talking.
“You’ve already heard my past story and know why I was at the compound with you all. What you don’t know is what’s been going on in the last few months. See, when I got here, I met a man. At first, I kept him at arm’s length because I didn’t trust him. Or any man for that matter. But, he pushed on and showed me every single day that he could be trusted. He doesn’t put his hands on me in anger, makes sure I’m happy and have what we need and want. This man puts my children first as if they are his own. I want you to know that you can have a life with a man who isn’t going to beat on you or treat you like shit,” I tell the women in front of me.
“What finally made you let him in?” one of the women ask.
“Well, he showed up at my house every single day. When he realized the locks on the doors and windows weren’t enough in my mind, he replaced them all and made sure I knew how to work them and that I was happy with what he did. My kids were the first to warm up to him and once they realized he wasn’t going to hurt us, I started trusting him,” I answer.
“Are you pregnant by him?” another woman asks.
“Yes. We’re having twins and just recently got married,” I respond. “In fact, that’s another reason why I love this man with my entire heart. He’s taken care of every situation that’s come up to hurt me. And I know he’ll continue to do the same thing each and every single time,” I say.
“Are you still living at the compound? We haven’t seen you around?” a third woman asks.
“No. He had a house built for us just up from the compound. You know if you ever want to talk to me, all you have to do is let Natasha or Cassidy know and I’ll come over?” I ask them.
“He’s a member of the club?” the same woman asks.
“He is. These men are amazing and if you have the chance to get to know them, I suggest you do,” I tell her.
I continue to answer questions and tell the women more about what I went through with Ray. If they don’t know it all, they won’t trust me and I want them to see there is a light at the end of the tunnel. They don’t have to be alone for the rest of their lives or settle for someone less than they deserve. The right guy is out there for them and he’ll treat them the same way Grave treats me— like a cherished queen who’s loved beyond belief.
“Nessa, we have to head out. I don’t want to rush you, but we’ve been here an hour now and Callie has dinner ready. The kids want to eat with you,” Hadliegh tells me.
“Oh. I’m sorry guys. I’ll be back whenever you need me. And I think I’ll come back to the cooking classes too,” I tell them as everyone stands up. “Have a good day guys. I hope you think about what I said in here even though it wasn’t much.”
Heading back to the house, I block out any thought of my mom and what’s going on with her right now. Grave will still be at the clubhouse, and I’m sure that’s why the kids want me to eat dinner with them tonight. They know Callie and Bear, but it’s not the same for them to have a meal without one of us with them. It’s the same if anyone else is with them at dinner time too.
Walking in the house, I smell baked chicken. The entire house smells so good and my mouth instantly starts watering. Yeah, I’m ready for dinner and didn’t realize I was as hungry as I am now.
“This smells amazing,” I tell Callie as I walk in the kitchen to see baked chicken, mashed potatoes, peas, and homemade biscuits laid out on the table.
“Thank you. I wasn’t sure what to make, so I just made this. Bear is leaving now for a bit,” Callie answers.
“You’ll be back with Grave?” I ask him.
“Yeah. Gonna head over there for a bit. I’ll let him know we have dinner waitin’. Psycho too,” Bear answers.
Bear leaves as the rest of us sit down for dinner. The kids are sitting at the table so we sit at the counter and let them feel as if they’re having their own special dinner or something. We listen on as they talk amongst themselves and ignore us.
“Since I’m sure it’s going to be a little bit before the guys are back, we can let the kids pick out a movie and hang out while we talk or whatever,” I suggest as we eat.
“That’s a good idea. It will keep them occupied while you show us the nursery,” Callie answers.
The rest of the night flies by in a hurry. We let the kids watch their movies in the living room and have some popcorn while I show the girls the nursery the guys did for us. They love the furniture and ooh and ahh over it. I’m ready to fill it with everything we’ll need for the babies and to be able to hold them in our arms. I can’t wait to find out if it’s boys, girls, or one of each again.
It’s not long before Grave, Bear, and Psycho walk in the house. The kids all remain where they are and only glance at the men before returning their attention to the movie they’ve been watching. They’re all half asleep and I can’t wait until they are so I can find out what happene
d to my mother.
We pull their plates up and heat them up for them so they can eat while I start picking the living room up. When Hadliegh and Callie try to help, I shoo them away. I’m more than capable of cleaning up. Callie tries to tell me her kids helped make the mess so she can clean up with me. I tell her she watched them most of the day when she didn’t have to so I’ve got it.
Once the guys are done eating, everyone leaves and Grave helps me get the kids to bed. He fills me in on the details of what happened to my mother as we lay in bed together. Summer definitely took her time with her and unleashed a world of hurt. Grave lets me know she’s still breathing, but she definitely went to the hospital. One of the Prospects dropped her off outside and called it in. Hopefully she’s out of town sooner rather than later and no one ever has to worry about her again.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Grave
WATCHING VANESSA LEAVE the clubhouse after laying into her mother, I’m torn. I know I have to be here to watch what happens, but I want to comfort my wife too. I know it’s bad when she doesn’t even look at anyone as she rushes from the common room with Hadliegh on her heels. Fuck!
Turning my thoughts to the scene before me, I watch as Summer slams back a shot of something and turns away from her ol’ man and the bar. She circles Vanessa’s mom a few times and then gets in her face.
“You put your hands on that woman as a fucking baby? Who the fuck do you think you are that you can do all that shit to such an amazing person?” Summer questions.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. You got her side of the story and think you know it all,” her mom says.
“Then, please, fill us in,” she tells the bitch tied to the chair.
“She was a fussy baby. Always wanting something— to eat, be loved, shit like that. Then she thought she could live in our house for free. When Ray took her off our hands, we were so excited, only to find out she left him because he was going to put those brats of hers in line,” the bitch says.
“Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me?” I roar out as Renegade, Smokey, and Psycho hold me back.
I’ve never hit a woman in my life, but this woman is pushing every fucking one of my buttons right now.
“You punished a baby who wanted love, attention, and her basic needs met by her parents? I’ve never met someone as low as you are. What about her saying she was raped in her bed at your house while you did nothing to help her?” Summer asks.
“That bitch wanted Ray. She just wanted to make him work for it,” she mutters.
Summer loses her shit. She grabs the little amount of hair on the woman’s head and slams her head back into the top of the chair. Then, she proceeds to punch her in the face several times. We all hear the bones crunch in her nose and watch as the blood begins to stream from her nose. Her shrieks fill the room as she tries to lash out in pain and anger at Summer.
The woman doesn’t let it get to her, she keeps on doing her thing as we all stand back and watch her. She hits her until there’s nowhere on her upper body that hasn’t been touched. With how angry I am, I need to put my two cents into the situation here.
“Summer, I overheard Vanessa once say this bitch hit her with anythin’ she could get her hands on,” I tell the woman we’ve just met who is taking care of business.
“Really? Well, I don’t have my own tools with me on this trip because it was spur of the moment. So, we’ll just have to improvise,” Summer says, walking over to the bar.
I watch as she pulls the beer bottle from her man’s hands. After breaking it off on the edge of the bar, she walks back to Vanessa’s mom. We all cringe as she runs the jagged edge along the skin on her face and down her arms. Blood is seeping out and I’m glad someone had the foresight to place a large plastic sheet under the chair so we don’t have to scrub it out of the floors when Summer is done here.
Once she’s done with the beer bottle and cutting up Vanessa’s mom, she tosses it down on the sheet and leans over her.
“I’m not going to do much more to you because I think you need to live and realize Vanessa has people in her corner now that will go to any lengths to protect her. You need to know any time you even think of coming back here and asking for money or anything else you don’t deserve from her, I’ll come right back no matter where I am or what I’m doing and finish the job I started here today,” Summer tells the bitch.
I walk over to her and spit at the ground by her feet. There’s no way in hell I’ll have any of my DNA anywhere on her body for her to point the finger at me.
“That also includes openin’ your fuckin’ mouth about what happened to you. We’ll have someone on you for a while to make sure you don’t squeal like the pig you are. One cop comes near us, I’ll have our new friend back here quicker than you can find your next fuckin’ fix. Got me?” I ask the bitch.
She tries to nod her head and can barely do that. Between the pain she’s in and the blood she’s lost, this bitch will be lucky to make it to the hospital alive. I nod my head at a Prospect and tell him to take the bitch to the hospital. He’s to drop her off just outside the parking lot where there aren’t any cameras and call it in anonymously with a burner phone so it can’t be traced back to him.
Standing at the bar, I watch as he wraps the bitch up in the plastic sheet and hauls her ass to the van waiting out front. After she’s loaded in it, he takes off and I head in for a beer with the guys.
“When did you get here, Bear?” I ask as he joins us at the bar.
“A little while ago. The kids and women are eatin’ dinner. Ours is bein’ kept for us. Callie cooked tonight,” he lets us know.
“After this, I’m headin’ there. I want to see my woman and make sure she’s okay,” I say.
“She looked good, Grave. Wasn’t quiet or upset when Hadliegh and her got back from the compound,” he tells me.
“Thank you for tellin’ me, but I need to see it with my own eyes,” I say.
“I get it. Well, let’s finish these drinks and go eat. Callie made baked chicken, potatoes, peas, and homemade biscuits. Psycho, you got a plate waitin’ too,” Bear says as we all drain our bottles and head out.
The rest can be taken care of by the Prospects and Renegade will oversee everything to make sure nothing can come back on us. Before I leave the clubhouse, I walk over to Dozer and Summer.
“Thank you for helpin’ us out with this,” I tell her, interrupting the couple. “If I can ever do anythin’ to repay the favor, let me know. This is on me, not the club.”
“We’re straight. Summer lives for this shit and sees it as her way of givin’ back when her best friend was taken from her. She couldn’t do anythin’ about it then, but she does now,” Dozer tells me.
“I get it. But, still, if anythin’ happens, you got my number,” I respond.
Dozer stands up and we do the handshake, man hug thing before I head home. Bear and Psycho follow me as we head to my house and our women. Walking in the door, all the kids are laid out on the floor watching a cartoon movie as the women greet us and welcome us home with kisses before getting our plates ready for us.
Looking at Vanessa, I know she’s waiting for everyone to leave and the kids to be in bed asleep before she asks me what happened with the bitch at the clubhouse. I’d personally like her to forget all about it and not ask me anything about it. But, I won’t do that to my wife. She needs to know her bitch of a mom is alive and will be followed to ensure she doesn’t say a word about what happened or who beat her.
Epilogue
Phoebe
I HAVEN’T BEEN near the Satan’s Anarchy clubhouse in so long. My brothers don’t want me around the club or for anyone to know I’m associated with the club in any way. Especially with Renegade being the President of the club. They want me to stay as far away as possible and up until now, I’ve abided by their rules. The only person I ever see when I go to Shadowville is my mom and we keep things casual. It’s not the way to live life or have any time with you
r own family.
Now, things have changed and I have to go home. My entire life is about to change and I don’t know how I feel about it just yet. There’s so much to take into account and so many decisions I need to make. But first, there’s a conversation I have to have with someone and that’s going to determine a lot of things.
See, I’ve been seeing Ink, the Vice President of the Satan’s Anarchy MC, since the last time I went home. Renegade and Psycho have always warned me away from the guys in the club and I don’t want to cause any tension between the men, but now, things are about to change and secrets are about to become public knowledge.
I started seeing Ink because of how sweet, kind, and caring he is. He’s sexy as hell and not like anyone I’ve ever been with in the past. Ink gets me in ways no one ever has before and it feels like he’s my soul mate. But, I’ve been on my own for so long now that I’m not used to leaning on anyone else or keeping them in my life in any real way. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever had a real relationship with a man before in my life. Not until I started falling for Ink.
Ink is taller than me, standing well over six feet tall to my own five-foot-five stature. He’s got dirty blonde hair that hangs past his shoulders when he lets it down. Usually, it’s kept up in a man bun or hidden behind a bandana tied around his head. It’s because he’s usually in his shop and can’t have his hair getting in the way of inking people. His eyes are almost a gray color and see right into my soul. Ink usually has a five o’clock shadow on his face and I love the way it feels against my skin.
His body is covered in both muscles and ink. Most of it he’s done himself, but when he gets a new artist, they get to give him one tattoo. He bases his decision to hire them on whether or not he likes their work. I don’t blame him on that, but I would hate to have to wear a tattoo you don’t like until you can get it covered up with something else. The man honestly has no more room on his body to put anymore ink. The only free spot is his chest and he told me he’d more than likely never get that spot inked. Not until he found someone worth inking there.