by Ryan Michele
Getting up from the bed, I grab my suitcases from the closet and begin packing as pain fills my heart. No matter what happens with Cooper, tomorrow will be the last day I’m in this house.
The pit of my stomach feels hollow as I drive to work with pretty much everything I own packed tightly in my car. Pictures, the memories of my mom and family, those are what came with me. No furniture. I’ll figure it out. Even if I need to find a thrift store to get an old couch for a while to sleep on, it’s better than giving in to my family’s demands.
I have no doubt they think I’ll cave, considering I have no one but them. No extended family, and Leah is my only friend. She still lives with her parents, so there’s no way I have an option there. Her parents don’t like the fact my family is tied to a “gang,” as they call it.
My father probably thinks this is my only option. Little does he know I will give up everything just so I don’t have to concede. That’s not how I see my life—trapped in a relationship where the feelings aren’t mutual.
I watched my parents. My father adored my mother and treated her like gold. I want that, someone who loves me for me. Not someone who wants me on his arm for decoration.
Why this sudden turn? Is the danger really that bad that it would force my father’s hand like this? I don’t know, but I hate that it’s coming down to these options. The thought of never talking to the only family I have cuts like a serrated knife down my heart and spine. I don’t get why he would even put me in this position. Surely, if I move up north, they’ll still talk to me, right? I may not be in the club and be “out” as they call it, but I’m still their sister and daughter. That will never change.
The drive to work is short before I’m pulling into the gates. It will be the last time I enter them. The last time I’m waved in openly with no questions asked. At least, that’s the way it sounded from my father and brother. Out.
Tears sting my eyes, but I push them down. There will be time to cry later, not now. They will not see me upset. My head will be high as I finish everything to the point I can, gather all the numbers needed, and put everything in place for my replacement, whoever that may be. The plan is to go about my day, and at the end, I will go find my family and tell them goodbye. My heart can’t take just leaving without saying goodbye.
I didn’t get to tell my mom that. No, only her coffin. Therefore, if I can say it personally, I will. If they want to have a relationship with me after all of this, of course I’ll welcome it. However, my gut is telling me it will be the end.
Not many are around. When I enter my office, a solace fills me. My mother sat in the chair that I took over after her death. The job was tossed in my lap. Needing something to occupy my time, I snatched it up and ran with it.
Walking over to the wall, a picture of my father, mother, brothers, and myself stares back at me. It was one of my mother’s favorites. My father has his arm slung over her shoulder, and us kids are standing in front of them, no taller than her chin. Pulling my phone out, I snap a picture of it then move to the desk.
It hits me that this phone isn’t mine. It’s actually my father’s. Regardless, I’m not giving it back to him right away. I don’t have time to go and get another one. I’ll worry about that once I get myself settled.
The day goes by in a blur as I get everything in order, even making lists of where to find certain things, like part numbers for the washers or the phone number to the dumpster company. The desk is bare after I remove my three pictures—one of me and my father, one of me and my mother, and one of me and my brothers—and round chap stick. Everything else is Sinister Sons. There’s nothing left for me here.
Cooper texted me earlier, giving me his hotel information and stating he told the receptionist that I’d be coming to get a key. It’s the only happy that I have for today, and it sucks that the thrilled feeling I felt before is diminished because of my family.
Taking one last look at the office, I grab my bag and go look for my brothers.
Hunter is easy enough to find. He has trouble looking me in the eyes, no doubt knowing my options are limited. He’s always had a soft heart, so who knows what this situation is doing to him. But he is the club. He will always side with the club. I need to remember that.
“Give me a hug,” I tell him as I walk up to him, arms extended. He gives it back to me, and I relish in his embrace.
“What’s goin’ on, Bris?” he asks, trying to pull away from me, but I tighten my grasp, trying desperately to keep the tears at bay.
“I love you. Don’t ever think that I don’t.” A dark cloud of sadness surrounds me, soaking me with its rain and clashing me between its thunder.
We’ve always been close, and it tears me up inside that I’m leaving this way and not on better terms. But, that’s life, and I need make one of my own.
This time, he forces be back, gripping my arms and holding me out at arm’s length. “What’s this?”
“I’m leaving.”
“What do you mean you’re leaving? You can’t leave,” he argues, his brows turning down in frustration.
Giving him a soft smile, I say, “I am. I’m not going to become a part of Sinisters. At least, not the way y’all want me to be.”
“I can hold them off for a while,” he tries.
I’ve always loved how big his heart is. It feels good, too, that he’ll go to bat for me and try to push back a bit. The thing is, I know he can only do so much. At this point, there’s not much left.
“I’ve met someone, and I’m going to move closer to him.”
His face changes in a heartbeat, his grip tightening to the point of pain, anger creasing his features. “So, what? You met some dickhead and that’s the real reason you’re leaving? It has nothing to do with Sinisters?”
“The ultimatum gave me a push. Now let go of me. You’re hurting me.” The pain isn’t really horrible, but I don’t like it, either.
He shakes me hard then releases me. I stagger, but keep upright.
“I can’t fuckin’ believe you. You’ll go off and be someone else’s whore, but won’t stay here with your family?”
My family has lost their minds. Seriously, they all need to be committed or given meds or something.
“This isn’t how I wanted to say goodbye.” I feel the tears burn the back of my eyelids, coming to the realization that I won’t be telling my other brothers or father goodbye because they’ll probably have the same reaction. Damn, this guts me, but I have to tell them bye.
“Fuck you!”
“Fuck you back!” I scream, having enough with feeling the pain in my heart. “You think I’m going to become Sterling’s ol’ lady just so I can stay here and be part of your family? Fuck that! That’s not an option. And the fact you all thought this is okay is beyond my comprehension! I can’t believe you think so damn little of me. Yes, I’ve met someone. Yes, I want to be with him. Yes, that does mean that I have to leave, but you pushed me to leave a lot sooner than I planned. You, Racer, Stone, Dad, the Sinisters—all of you!”
“What’s goin’ on?” My father’s voice comes from behind me, and my body stills at his authoritative tone.
Pissed? Try livid. He told me not to make a scene anywhere and definitely with anyone around, but fuck it. I’m leaving, so he has no authority. Angry or not, he’s just going to have to deal. I just have to get outside these gates, and I’m gone.
Straightening my shoulders, I turn around slowly, knowing he’s going to rip me a new asshole and ready to take it.
Then I stop dead.
“Bristyl? What’re you doin’ here?” Cooper asks, coming from behind a few of his brothers to stand next to my father.
“Cooper,” I whisper, not really believing he’s here. With my father. At Sinisters’. Holy shit.
“Oh, man, laundromat girl is a Sinister. This is hilarious!” Ryker yells from behind with a huge laugh.
“I’m not Sinisters,” I state firmly. “Today’s my last day here.”
“Wh
at the fuck you talkin’ about?” My father takes a step forward, and my brother grips my arm, pulling me back to him. The sneer on his face takes me aback.
“Let her the fuck go, or I’ll show you exactly how I’ll make you.” Cooper’s tone is rough, edgy, and downright scary. I don’t fear him because he would never hurt me, but a chill snakes up my spine as I rip my arm away from my brother.
My other two brothers come in and join the party, along with all the men who look like some of the guys from the Ravage MC, and of course, Sterling. Lord. What a way to tell everyone you’re leaving.
I step away from my father as he stands by my brothers, who appear in a flash by his side. Cooper’s on one side of me, shock written on his face, while my father has anger on his.
“Dad, I’m not staying. You told me what I had to do, and I’m not doing either of those.”
“What did he tell you?” Cooper asks, and my face flushes as I turn to him, really not wanting to tell him and all the people around us, but it is what it is. Nothing can change that.
“He said that, in order to stay here with the Sinisters, I have to either become a—”
“You shut your mouth, Bristyl.” My father’s tone makes me jump and swing my head to his. “That’s club business, not for anyone else’s ears.”
Finger to my chest, I seethe, “I’m not a part of Sinister Sons, remember? You stated that perfectly clear, so me telling Cooper isn’t club business; it’s my business.”
“No,” my father demands.
Looking my father in the eye, I say, “He said I needed to become Sterling’s ol’ lady or a whore. I’m not down with either of them.”
“The fuck you are,” Cooper says, stepping forward and pulling me toward him. He wraps his arms around me and kisses the top of my head, turning us so he can see everyone.
My eyes hit Sterling’s, who says nothing, which is a good thing. There is no need to add any fuel to the combustion that appears to be about to happen.
“You’re the motherfucker she’s leavin’ her family for?” my brother clips, finger pointed in our direction.
“Sounds to me like you didn’t give her much of a choice. Lucky for me, because we were already talkin’ about her comin’ to Georgia with me. You just gave her a push. Thanks for that.”
“We need to talk,” I tell him, not wanting him to think I’m moving up there because my family threw me out. I mean, I am, but there’s more to this decision than just this situation. Damn, why does everything have to be so fucking difficult?
“Later, we have a lot to talk about.”
My body sags into him, feeling his heat and reassurance. Yeah, we sure do.
“You mean to tell me that my daughter is the one wrapped up in this fuckin’ mess?” my father accuses, his eyes going scary dangerous and making my breath catch. This is not the calm, rational father I’ve known all my life. He’s always the rock, the calm. This isn’t him. “You’ve gotta be shittin’ me.”
Chapter Sixteen
Anger bubbles like lava in my veins. It seems that Bristyl left out a tiny detail about her family. Not that I ever asked her if she belonged to a club, but she should have told me. She will be answering me the why on that one.
As I hold her in my arms, the world seems to center, calm even, with all the chaos around us.
Wolf asked us for a meeting, knowing we were coming down here to meet the Red Devils club. Pops obliged because we do business with him on occasion. I had no clue my woman would be here in a heated argument with her family.
I look her brother dead in the eye. “Fuckin’ talk about her like that again, I’ll make sure you’re ten feet under.”
“Who the fuck do you think you are?”
I pull Bristyl behind me, feeling the need to pound this little fucker in the face. “Cooper motherfuckin’ Cruz, brother in the Ravage MC, that’s who I am, motherfucker. Want me to show you?”
Pops steps in, putting himself right in the situation, as my father and brothers move up around us.
“Get your boy to calm his shit, Regg,” Pops orders.
“Hunter, stop,” Regg orders.
The asshole takes a calming breath and steps back.
“Your daughter is in the middle of this. Cooper says she’s Ravage. Therefore, she is. Our club doesn’t work like yours, if those are your rules for your women. Kids are always protected, bein’ in the club or not. Not here to tell you how to run your shit, ’cause that’s on you. I’m tellin’ you where we’re comin’ from. Bristyl is our business.”
“And where the fuck were you when that asshole had his hands on her?” I bark at the brothers and father. “Oh, I forgot, you don’t protect your own.”
Bristyl grips the back of my cut tightly. “Please stop,” she whispers.
“Didn’t know it was her!” Regg barks back.
“Find that damn hard to believe,” Rhys cuts in. “Unless you have somethin’ on them and they wanted to keep you out of it.”
“Bingo!” Ryker calls out, and I hear my father chuckle. “We have a winner.”
“Don’t worry about what I’ve got goin’ on.” Her father looks around. “Shit’s gonna get real. Those fuckers know who Bristyl is.”
“Oh, and now you give a shit?” my father says, putting his hand on my shoulder and giving it a knowing squeeze. “Seems to me you gave up that right.”
“Damn straight. I respect your patch and your position, but man to man, she’s mine. My responsibility. Mine to protect.” I let out a huge sigh, remembering stories Bristyl told me about her mother. It baffles me that this man would say such a thing to his daughter. “How would your ol’ lady have felt about this shit?”
Regg’s body jerks at the mention of his woman, like he’s surprised I know about her.
“From what I heard, she adored her daughter,” I continue.
“Fuck you, you little prick.” He steps closer, but Pops is between us.
“Wouldn’t talk to him like that, Regg. He’s got a fuck of a punch. VP of this club or not, he won’t back down,” Ryker warns.
Bristyl peeks her head around me. “Dad, what you said to me … what you want me to do, Mom would have never gone along with that. Where’d you go wrong? What’s happening to you? This isn’t you.”
Regg lets out a huge breath, then rubs his hands over his face before tilting it up toward the ceiling. “Fuck!” he yells then picks up a large cement block from the floor and throws it hard, slamming into the hood of a car.
Bristyl jumps.
“Fuck, Dad. My car!” Stone screams.
Regg turns toward his son. “Does it look like I fuckin’ care right now?”
Stone takes a step back.
“Go get Wolf. Meeting. Now,” Regg orders.
“I can’t believe you fuckin’ did that to my car,” Stone says, walking out of the place.
“Seems we have a lot to talk about,” Pops says. He’s not kidding one damn bit.
“Guess shit’s gonna get interesting. And here I thought laundromat girl was sugar and spice and everything nice,” Ryker quips, stepping closer and smiling down at Bristyl. Never once have I wanted to punch a brother for looking at a woman, but that woman has never been Bristyl.
“Cut the shit,” I growl.
He throws his hands up in mock surrender, smile still on his lips. “Down, tiger. I’m not gonna take your toy.”
My blood boils, but Bristyl giving me a squeeze and me inhaling her flowery scent grounds me. This isn’t the time or the place to get into it with Ryker.
The door bursts open, and Wolf walks in with Stone on his heels. “Can someone tell me what the fuck is goin’ on here?”
“Seems like my daughter is the cause of Red Devils and their shit,” Regg says to Wolf.
Wolf looks at Bristyl, then me, his eyes narrowing into slits. “Care to tell me why the fuck you’re holdin’ her?”
No, I fucking don’t.
Looking over at Pops, he nods. Out of respect for him and Wolf, wh
o is the president of Sinisters, I speak, but I do it so they understand there is no room for discussion on any of this. “Bristyl is mine. I’m takin’ her home to Georgia after all this shit is cleared up.”
He laughs. “Yours? You’re mistaken boy.”
My body vibrates as anger pulses through me. Respect or not, this fucker will not talk to me like that. Absolutely not. Good thing for him, I’ve learned control.
“I’m not a motherfuckin’ boy. I’ll wipe you out and anyone else who gets in my fuckin’ way.”
Pops steps in front of me and holds up his hand as Bristyl squeezes me again. I look down at her.
“It’s okay,” she says softly.
Oh, how wrong she is.
Pops speaks, “Wolf, we’ve got problems with the Red Devils because of shit that went down at Burnout. Bristyl and her friend were the ones we were protectin’. So, that means this is your problem, too.”
Wolf laughs again, then looks at Bristyl. “The fuck it is. You decide if you’re gonna take Sterling or take us all?”
“Shut the fuck up!” I bark as Bristyl jumps.
“It was you. You told them they had to do it.” Her voice starts quiet, but grows in strength. “You told them to give me the ultimatum. You did that to me and my family!”
Wolf continues to chuckle. “All women are good for is fuckin’ and makin’ babies. Got no other use for ’em. Got no other use for you, except ridin’ my cock or someone else’s in the club. You’re born and bred a Sinister, and that’s where you’ll stay.”
Regg has a hard time looking at his daughter, and she calls him out on it. Meanwhile, my mind reels from the declaration of this man. He’s not going to let her go? This is going to be an all-out fight for Bristyl. One that I will win.
“Dad. Because of him?”
“Club rules, Bristyl.”
“Since when?” she asks. “When did he tell you to do this?”
“None of your concern. Now get away from that boy and get your ass over here,” Wolf orders.
I push Bristyl back behind me. Yep, I’m fighting my way out of this shit. Fine by me, too. Let’s fucking do this.