by Erin Osborne
“Everythin’ good babe?” he asks me.
“Yep. I think we need to talk later on though.”
“About what?”
“The house.”
“We’re gonna do it then?” he asks, excitement lighting up his face.
“Yeah. I think we are.”
Irish picks me up and spins me around almost to the point that I’m going to be sick. He must sense this and puts me down, making sure that I’m steady on my feet before removing his hand from me. I smile up at him so he knows I’m good. Sami comes over and asks what’s going on. She’s carrying Cassidy in her arms and being followed closely by Goose. When I tell her that we’re more than likely going to build a house here with everyone else, I can see Sami’s excitement. She wants to be close to everyone. So, maybe I’ll put my reservations aside and do this.
“What’s goin’ on over here?” Pops asks, joining our little circle.
“Skylar just introduced me to Rage. We’re thinking of building a house here.”
“I think that would be a good idea,” Pops tells me. I know he wants to say more, but something has him distracted.
Turning around to see what has his attention captured, I see a car driving slowly up to the gate. My breath catches in my throat and I can feel everything like it’s going in slow motion. There’s no way that they’re here. They can’t have found me already. Panic is building within me and I feel like I’m about to pass out. This can’t be happening!
“What’s wrong, Whit?” Irish asks me, his voice sounding farther and farther away.
“My p-p-parents,” I stammer out, feeling the panic get worse.
“What?” Irish yells out. “How the fuck did they find her?”
No one answers because no one knows how they found me. I don’t know what’s going to happen now, but I know that I’m not going anywhere with them. I also know that it’s only a matter of time before Carl shows up here.
“Someone get Whit inside. She needs to calm down and relax before her and the baby get sick as fuck!” Irish yells. “She’s already going into shock or some shit, get the doctor and get her here now.”
Goose and Sami lead me inside. The main room of the clubhouse is cool and is starting to cool down my overheated skin. Panic is still rising in me and I want to know what’s going on, but I need to protect this baby. Panic, fear, and anything that my parents may end up doing are not worth the risk to the baby.
“Mom, are you okay?” Sami asks, concern etched over her features.
“I just need to sit down for a little bit I think,” I respond, trying to calm her and me down.
Goose leads me over to one of the couches and makes me sit before running to get me a bottle of water. I’m trying to calm my breathing down and get my heart rate to slow down a little bit. Really, I want to be outside so I know what’s going on and what bullshit they’re trying to feed all of these amazing people surrounding me now.
“Goose, I need to be out there,” I tell him. “I need to know what’s going on and see them face-to-face.”
“Irish isn’t going to want you out there. If he did, he would’ve kept you out there.”
“This isn’t his battle, it’s mine. I’m going whether he likes it or not,” I say, standing up to show him that I’m fine.
I’ve realized that I need to start facing my demons head on or I’m always going to be scared. I’m always going to be looking over my shoulder if I don’t start confronting things. I’ve hidden, been timid, and been scared for far too long in my life. If I want to be able to build a life with Irish, Sami, Cassidy, and the new baby, I’m going to have to be stronger than what I see myself now.
As I’m walking out the door, I see Goose frantically typing away on his phone. I’m sure he’s sending Irish a message right now about me coming back outside. This is something that I have to do, and Irish can’t fight all my battles for me. If he can’t understand my need to do this, then we might have some bigger issues going on here. Because if I have him fight all my battles, I’m never going to grow stronger and learn that I can handle situations on my own. I’m never going to know that I can stand up to Irish without fear creeping in that I’ve done something wrong and he’s going to use his fists to punish me. He needs to let me do this and stand by my side, not in front me as a shield.
I see my dad pulling the car into the club’s parking lot and that more members have come out front to see what’s going on. This is going to turn into a spectacle and that’s not what I want either. Members of the other two clubs don’t know my story, but it looks like they will today. I’m not holding anything back and cowering away from my parents today. Today, I know I have people at my back that want to protect me and let me know that Sami and I are loved and cared for.
“Mom. Dad,” I say dryly as they get out of the car.
I can see them looking at everyone standing around me and I know that they’re judging them. They judge everyone based on their looks and nothing more than that. It’s sickening really and I’m glad that I’m not surrounded by people like that anymore.
“I hope you had a good time running around acting like a slut with these people,” my dad starts out. “It’s time to come home and act like the lady that Carl expects you to be. The one he demands you be.”
“I’m not going anywhere. We’re creating a life here and Carl has no say in what I do anymore. You’re all lucky I don’t call the cops and have you all arrested for what you did to me.”
“We didn’t do a damn thing to you young lady,” my dad yells, getting in my face. Well, as close as anyone surrounding me will allow him to get.
“Please, some of the people here know the truth about what’s happened to me. You want me to tell the rest of the people here what happened to me. I’m not afraid of you anymore, dad.”
Irish steps up behind me and wraps his arms around me. I can feel his pride and strength seeping into me. I’m glad that he’s here because honestly, my strength is starting to fade. Confronting my parents is a hell of a hard thing to do. It may not seem that bad, but when you’ve never said a word out of place to them, it takes a lot out of you.
“Nothing ever happened to you. I don’t know what kind of crazy things you’ve been telling these people, but that’s why we need to take you back with us,” my dad says.
“That’s enough. For those of you that don’t know, this man that’s supposed to love and protect me, sold me when I was fourteen years old. He sold me to a man over twice my age who raped and beat me for sixteen years. My dad here told me at fourteen that I was old enough to take care of myself. In all reality, I found out that he needed to have a gambling debt cleared out and the debt was owed to Carl, my husband. Yes, at fourteen my parents signed off for me to marry this man. I have scars inside and out. Every day was a battle not to cower in a corner and hide from him. Now apparently, he’s here to take me back to that man.”
There are audible gasps and rage radiating from all of the men surrounding me. Even the men that knew what happened to me are outraged. The circle is getting smaller and smaller around me. I don’t know what these men are going to do to my parents and I’m not really sure that I want to know, but I need to see it with my own eyes.
“G-gerald,” my mom suddenly says, looking directly at Pops. “Is that you?”
“Elizabeth,” he says, so cold and unfeeling.
“What are you doing here?”
“Right now, I’m protectin’ my nieces from you two. You will not be gettin’ your hands on them ever again.”
“Gerald, you don’t understand. Please, listen to me.” my mom pleads with Pops.
“What do you think you could possibly say that would make any difference to me?”
“I’ve been scared for my life since I left home. This man is not a nice man. When I was young I was so blinded by who he made me think he was. As soon as we got married, things changed drastically. I had no choice but to do the things I’ve done since then. Fuck, he’s even pimped me out,�
�� my mom tells my uncle.
“Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me?” Pops yells out. “And you chose to stay with this motherfucker!”
I look over at my dad and I can see that he’s paled, and I know that he’s getting scared now. For once in his life, my dad is scared of someone. It’s kind of funny to see when he’s always been the one to put the fear of God in those around him. He acts like he’s some badass when really, he’s just a bully. Now, Pops is about to beat the shit out of him and I can’t wait to see it honestly. It might sound cruel, but when someone has done nothing but beat you down you want to see them get what’s coming to them.
“Gerald, please help me get away. If I had known you would help me, I would’ve gotten a hold of you sooner. Way before he sold my daughter,” my mom says finally looking at me.
I can see the tears in her eyes and I know that eventually I will forgive her for what’s been done to me. If, and only if, she leaves the man that helped create me I will eventually learn to forgive her. Looking over at Pops, I see that he’s torn. On one hand, he wants to protect Sami and I by not giving into her. But, on the other hand, he wants to save his sister.
“Do you honestly think I’m goin’ to choose you over Whitney and Sami? How do we know this isn’t some sort of game you two are playin’?”
“Gerald, do you remember when we were younger and talked about getting away from everything when things got too hard? I’m about ready to head there.”
I look at Pops and I see him thinking so hard it’s not funny. He truly doesn’t want to help my mom out, but at the same time, it is his sister. Pops is so torn right now. So, I’ll come up with a solution that hopefully everyone can work with. This is the only way she’ll get any help from any of us. And whether or not I choose to have anything to do with her is up to me and no one else.
“Okay, let’s do this. Mom, you say you want away from dad and to never see him again. Right?”
“Yes. I’ve wanted to be away from him for so long,” she says lifting up her sleeves so we all can see the bruises clearly on her wrists and up her arms. Next, she pulls down the turtle neck I didn’t notice she was wearing and shows us the bruises surrounding her neck. Pops yells at this and I know his decision is made.
“Fine. I’m not saying that I’m going to have anything to do with you. But, maybe you can convince one of these clubs to help you. However, you will not be allowed to have access to a phone, you will not know where Sami and I live, you will be guarded at all times, and you will have to do whatever else they tell you to do. You will basically be escaping one prison and going to another one. If, and only if, they decide that you can be trusted, you will be allowed to start getting privileges back. Does that work for everyone here?” I ask, looking at everyone surrounding us.
My dad’s face is turning beat red and I know he’s pissed beyond belief right now. There’s no way that he’s not going to give this shit up without a fight. He sees my mom the same way he used to see me, as a piece of property he owns. Someone to control and use for any reason that’s going to benefit him. He hasn’t had a reason to sell my mom, but who knows what’s going to happen if it comes down to it.
“So, dad, why is it so important that I go back with you?” I ask.
“If you don’t go back with me, he’ll kill me. You were to pay off a debt I owed and now my collateral is gone until you go back.”
“News flash, I’m not going back dad. So, I suggest you leave and don’t ever think of coming back. If I were you, I’d go take all of your cash out of the bank and disappear. Carl is going to continue looking for all of us. The only difference is that I have people that love and care for me and Sami now. Unconditionally. And they’ll protect my daughter and I no matter what.”
“Not really. I still have one more ace up my sleeve,” my dad says, looking like he just won a huge jackpot.
Looking back towards the car, my dad starts swearing up a storm and I know that his ace just disappeared. Whatever it was. I look over everyone’s heads and see the back door of the car open. I’m not sure who was in there, but whoever it was is now gone. They might still be here, but then again, they might already have gotten through the gate.
“Where the fuck is Keegan?” my dad hollers.
I gasp because Keegan is my cousin on his side. She’s about two years younger than me and I haven’t seen her since I got sold to Carl. From conversations I overheard, she was also getting sold. It was to a friend of Carl’s, and I know her fate would’ve been the same as mine. For a while I cried for her because I was so scared. Then I hoped that she got away somehow because when Carl’s friends did come over, Keegan was never there.
“Alright, Elizabeth, come inside with me,” Pops says. “I’ll find a room for you and take first shift guardin’ you. Grim, you good with this?”
“Yeah. She’s family and I want to know what she plans on doin’ to make this shit as right as she can with Whitney and Sami.” Grim responds. “Now, I suggest you get off my lot and away from my club. I could care less if you tell this asswipe where our girls are because we’ll be ready for a fight. If I ever see you around here again, I’ll put you to ground myself. I won’t even give Whitney’s man the chance to do it.”
By now, Grim is up in my dad’s face. I can see the fear running through my dad and I know that he’s going to try to do what he can to protect himself. It’s always been about him and what he needs. My dad is the most selfish person I know. If it’s not about him, then it doesn’t matter.
Right now, I’m not sure if I want to stay here with my mom being in the clubhouse. But, I know that it’s not fair to everyone else here if I leave because of her. In essence, I’ll still be letting her win if I do go home. I can’t do that, so I’m going to stay and try to enjoy the rest of the day. First, I’m going to stand here and make sure that my dad truly leaves the clubhouse and the gates close behind him. That way I know he won’t get back in and try something stupid. At this point, I won’t put anything past him.
Irish
I’m so proud of Whitney right now. Even though I didn’t want her out here talking to these assholes, I get why she had to do it without her saying a word to me. This is something she had to do, and I back her play. Well, only because her parents didn’t try anything. If they had tried to do anything to harm her, a side of me no one wants to see would’ve come out. Whitney and Sami are mine to protect and I’ll do that until the day I die.
Leading her back inside, I want her to relax for a little while before we head back outside. If I know her though, she’s going to do what she wants to do and not listen to me. Unless she knows that it’s going to do something to harm the baby, then she’ll do what she knows she has to.
“Babe, are you okay?” I ask her, wrapping my arms around her.
“Honestly, I feel amazing right now. I’m not sure how I feel about my mom being here, but if someone would’ve helped me then I would’ve taken it. So, I’m going to give her a chance. Like I said, I don’t have to interact with her at all. Not until I want to.”
“This is true. Now, what do you want to do about the rest of the day here?”
“I’m going to go back out there and have a good day. We’re going to eat, hang out, and whatever else you guys do here.”
“Do you want to relax a little bit first?” I ask, letting her see the concern on my face.
“No,” she responds, placing a hand on the side of my face. “I’ll be okay. No one can hurt me here. But, I did make a decision.”
“About what babe?”
“We’re building a house here. I don’t ever want to be put in this position again. I mean, I don’t think I would’ve had the courage to confront them the way I did if you all didn’t have my back. And we know it’s now just a matter of time before Carl shows up.”
Whitney is making me prouder by the second. She’s smart and knows what’s going to happen. This means that she’s still going to be vigilant when she’s out or at home. She’ll make sure Sami an
d her are still watching over their shoulder until they know that Carl is not going to be a problem anymore. And I’ll be by her side the entire time. Making sure that no one can ever get close enough to hurt my girls.
“If that’s what you want babe, then we’ll talk to Rage about it.”
“It’s what I want. I just have to get the picture I took from Sami for a bedroom she was practically salivating over as soon as she saw it. Honestly, I don’t care about anything else in the house as long as she gets this room.”
“We’ll make sure the house is perfect. Exactly what we want,” I tell her knowing there’s one or two things I’m going to make sure are in there for her.
“I do have one question though. Where’s Keegan?” I ask, looking around to see if I can get a glimpse of my cousin.
“I don’t know babe. Do you want me to ask around and see if anyone’s seen her?”
“Could you? I need to know what happened to her all those years ago. I need to see her with my own eyes.”
I take off in search of Whit’s cousin. I’m not sure who she’s talking about because I didn’t see any one other than her parents. That shouldn’t be surprising though considering that I was so filled with rage that they showed up at our clubhouse. So, I start asking my brothers if they saw a woman get out of their car.
Finally, Grim tells me to go talk to Rage. He said Rage sent him a message earlier saying he was in his room, he needed someone to watch Kasey, and that he’d send for Whitney in a little while. So, I head in the direction of his room to see if this Keegan girl is in there with him. It’s the only thing I can think of with the message he sent to Grim.
Knocking on his door, he tells me to hang on a minute. I can hear some scuffling around and I know that he’s trying to hide this girl or put her somewhere so no one else sees her. I’m not sure what she’s scared of, but I intend to find out before Whitney sees her. Whitney will not be put in jeopardy.