by Dawn Martens
No one says anything.
I look to Rage. “I’m keeping Vicky until the divorce is final, then I’m going to deliver her myself to my brother and have a chat with the pussy club.”
“Revenge mission?” Rage asks.
“No, I’m going to meet my fucking twenty- year-old daughter,” I tell him. I can’t believe that fuckin’ slut Luanne kept the knowledge of me having a kid from me. I would have taken her in, I would have taken care of her. I might be an asshole, but I take care of what’s mine.
When I find Luanne, she’ll be begging me to kill her.
I walk out and get on my bike, leaving behind my brothers’ stunned expressions at what I just shared with them.
Chapter 20
Tori
I haven’t moved from my spot after Carson left. I was scared. About twenty minutes after he left, Megan came in, glaring at me.
“Hangman is at the club. He’s kicked everyone out, only the men could stay. I’m here as your maid, so what can I do?” she demands, sneering at me. “Any chance you can tell me what you did this time to have Hangman go postal at the clubhouse tonight to kick everyone out?”
“He found out about Trevor,” I tell her.
Megan rolls her eyes. “Bullshit, everyone knows about Trevor, how he was your great love, your best friend. The man you were gonna marry. Tell me something new. No bullshit lies.”
“He’s not dead. And I’m pregnant with his baby,” I whisper.
Her head rears back in shock, and she looks pained, almost as if I slapped her. “I don’t ... I don’t believe you.”
I look at her, and see the same grey blue eyes that Trevor has. Megan was young when she had Trevor. Only fourteen years old, and when Trevor died, I wasn’t the only person who fell apart. From what I know, Snake, Carson and Trevor’s father, had a thing for young women, and Megan was one of them. When she was eighteen, she was given to Rage as a gift. I never understood why she stayed, why she seemed okay with this way of life. I thought that once Trevor passed away, she would run, get away from this, but she didn’t. She became bitter, harder.
“My son. He’s…” she sinks to the floor, burying her face in her hands, sobbing. “You’re lying, you have to be lying.” She shakes her head back and forth. The pain on her face is unbearable. I should let her wallow in her confusion and hurt, but no one deserves the pain she is in. Not even a mean bitch like her.
I quietly move out of the bedroom while she’s sobbing on the floor and grab my cell, calling Dillon. “What the fuck you want you, cunt?” he growls as he answers.
“It’s Megan, she’s … upset,” I finish lamely.
“Be there in five.” He hangs up and I go back to the room.
Megan is still sobbing on the floor and I kneel next to her, putting my arms around her shoulders. She grabs me and hugs me tightly in response. “I’m so sorry for the way I’ve been treating you, you didn’t deserve any of it. I’m such a terrible person.” She cries into my shoulder.
“I forgive you, Megan, and I want to apologize for moving onto Trevor’s brother after his death. I never should have done it, but I can’t take it back now. All I can hope for is that Carson finally lets me go for good and I can get my man back.” I pull away from her slightly “Do you want to see a picture of him?”
She nods. “Please.”
I grab my phone and scroll to pictures of the two of us together. And show her. “This is Trevor now.”
She grabs my phone out of my hand, and cries even harder. “That’s my boy, my baby.” Suddenly she gets up and runs to the bathroom, and I hear her getting sick.
**
Fifteen minutes later, I hear the front door open and steps running up the stairs, I go to the doorway and motion for Rage, letting him know Megan is in here with me. I follow him to the bathroom where she’s getting sick, he looks her over, and for a moment, he doesn’t look so damn scary, almost as if he actually has feelings inside him.
“Thanks,” he mutters as he passes me and picks up Megan from the floor by the toilet.
“Oh, Dillon, my son, he’s alive,” she sobs into his neck.
“Yeah, babe, I heard.” His eyes burn into mine as he speaks. “Hangman will be home soon.” The way he carried Megan out of the bathroom makes me wonder if deep down Rage really does have a heart after all.
I nod and look away. I hear the front door close and I sit down on the bed, praying like hell Carson doesn’t hurt me even more when he comes back. Maybe I should have slowly gone into it all, not just give him everything at once.
My stomach feels queasy, so I make a bowl of soup. I’m half way done with it when Carson stalks in. my stomach clenches and my heart races, preparing me for the worst.
“Can we talk?”
I stare at him in shock, he’s never once asked me, he’s always just either told me or started right into a conversation I never wanted. I nod.
“I should have known, I even ID’d the damn body, I swore it was him.”
“We all should have known.”
“Can’t say I’m pissed, can’t say I’m happy. I don’t know how to feel right now. Yeah, I’m fuckin’ pissed he played us like this. If he wanted out, I would have let him out. He didn’t need to go through the trouble of faking his own death.” He scratches at his beard.
“Can I ask how it all happened? He told me he had an errand to run for you and then that night we were going to get married and take off together, but then he never showed at our spot. Next thing I knew he was dead.” When I first asked Carson years ago about what happened, he just said it was an accident, he was just supposed to drop off some money and leave. That was all I ever got.
“I knew Vic was gunnin’ for me, I didn’t think that he would harm Trevor, ever. Boy just turned eighteen the day before, plus Vic knew that Trevor wasn’t part of the club. But I was wrong, Trevor was a message to me that Vic would do anything and hurt anyone to get to me.”
I like that he’s finally being honest with me although this is a bit awkward for me, us talking like this. Usually it’s yes or no, then we have sex. We don’t ever really talk.
He’s quiet for a few minutes. “I’m giving you the divorce,” he finally says.
Hope blooms inside me, I jump up and hug him tight. “Thank you, Carson,” I whisper.
His arms come around me. “I just have a stipulation.”
I still, worried he’s going to tell me I can’t be with Trevor.
“Until it’s finalized, I want you to stay here, I want you to tell me all you know about Trevor now, my daughter I never knew.”
“I can do that,” I tell him. That should be easy, because once he signs those papers, it’s just a matter of when the final divorce certificate comes in the mail. Could be days, a week, or a month.
He studies me. “You never loved me, did you?”
I chew my lip. “I did, in my own way. You know I didn’t love you at first, not the way I loved Trevor. It grew. But the more hurt I got about you screwing around on me, the more the love died.”
He nods.
“Maybe one day, you’ll find your true love? But maybe don’t—oh, I don’t know—cheat on her.” I give him a small smile and a wink.
“Or I just need to find a stronger woman, who doesn’t give a shit,” he mutters.
Those words should hurt, but they don’t. I just chuckle. “Never know.” I have hope that one day he will find a good woman, and he’ll be loyal. “Just remember, though, can’t be one sided. If you screw around, you can’t expect your woman not to as well.”
“You sound like Trevor right now.” He laughs. “Used to tell me to just be in one of them open or plural relationships instead of fucking around behind girls’ backs.”
I giggle, I remembered hearing about that too, but back then I don’t think I ever knew Hangman to have a steady girl before me.
He turns me back to the couch and we sit.
“My daughter, you said her name was Melissa? Tell me about her. Ple
ase.”
I smile at him. “She’s beautiful. The Angels saved her and her older sister from a bad place when they were kids. Has lived with them since. She’s also has a little girl, so yay, you’re a grandpa.” I laugh.
He groans. “Great, not even fuckin’ forty yet, and I’m a grandpa. Fuck.”
I give him the rest. He gets angry for a while when I tell him about the abuse that happened to Corinne, how Melissa had to watch it all. Telling him what I knew of their mother.
“I can’t take anymore, fuck, I’ll get Maker to give me a file on everything another time. Fuckin’ slut Luanne.” I’m fearful, I know what he’s like, and I know if he gets his hands on her, she’s dead. But at the same time, that woman deserves the hell coming her way and more.
“Tell me about Trevor,” he finally asks.
I grab my phone and find a picture we took together a month ago. “This is what he looks like now.”
He takes the phone and frowns. “He was always a preppy shit head, now he’s some hipster emo fuck head?”
I laugh. “Yeah,” I say as I stare back at the picture of my man.
Chapter 21
Trevor
I haven’t shown up for work in a month. I have no idea how my bar is coming along, but right now I couldn’t give a flying fuck. Not since the night Tori left me. I’ve been holed up in my house since then. Today, it looks like my brothers have had enough. My head shoots up as my front door breaks open and Reaper, Zippo, and Angel walk through.
“When is the last time you showered?” Zippo asks after he sniffs the air.
I shrug.
“Well get in it, now. Melissa is getting married next month and you are to be there,” Angel tells me. “Gotta start getting showered because Melissa wants you to babysit for her while she goes to her final dress fitting.
I just stare at them, not caring. My niece is getting married next month, and right now I couldn’t give a shit. That might be shitty of me, but right now, I care about nothing. Tori, my Tori, went back to my sick fuck of a brother. “Why exactly am I getting roped into babysitting?”
“Because, she’s your great niece, and all the girls are going out with Melissa. The rest of us are going to work, and a few others are going to your bar to oversee the construction. Which means you’re the one that got picked for babysitting duty. So, suck it up and get in the damn shower. Or we’ll drag your ass in their ourselves,” Angel says.
“I’ll do it,” Reaper states and moves towards me, grabbing me by my shirt, dragging me into the bathroom. “Get in there now. Givin’ you ten minutes. If you ain’t out, I’m comin’ back in.” He storms out of the bathroom, slamming the door shut.
I peel my clothes off and toss them to the corner of my tub, so I don’t soak the floor and quickly shower, scrubbing myself with the body wash Tori left here. Fuck, I miss her. Why’d she have to leave me?
Shutting off the shower, I quickly dry off and wrap the towel around my waist. Opening the door, the guys are standing in the hall. “I’m clean you fuckers, now move, I need to get dressed.”
After getting dressed I stomp back out and glare at them. “Happy now?”
“Very,” Reaper states giving me a nod.
“Let’s go, Melissa is at the clubhouse, you’ll be staying there until the wedding shits over,” Angel tells me.
“Again, why the fuck am I babysitting?”
“It will keep you sober, and get your mind off shit you can’t control,” he says.
Tori
It’s been a peaceful few days, I haven’t heard from Megan since her breakdown, and Carson has even been more present. He’s showing me the side of him that he used to be when we first got together. It’s been nice. My pregnancy is progressing, and everything seems normal and healthy.
In the middle of making myself a sandwich, my phone rings.
“Hey, Lilly,” I answer once I see who it is.
“Hey, so I’m still pissed at you for leaving, are you coming back?”
“Yeah, Lilly, I will be soon, don’t tell anyone yet though please?” I beg her.
“I don’t understand why not. Trevor has been in a shitty mood since you left. If he knows you’re coming home, he’ll snap out of it.”
Hearing about Trevor causes me to tear up. “I miss him,” I whisper.
“Then let me tell him.”
“Don’t. The second the divorce is finalized I’ll be there, I promise. I want to surprise him.” In more than one way. I don’t want to tell Lilly about the pregnancy, because then I know she will tell. I want Trevor to know about it first.
“Fine, but just wanted to let you know, Melissa is getting married this weekend, think you’ll be able to make it by then?”
“Really? Her and Dray are tying the knot? That’s amazing.”
“Wedding is at two on Saturday, please make it.” She pauses. “I miss having you around, I wish that you had told me or at least Trevor that you were being threatened to go back with that man. We never would have let you go.”
“I know, Lilly, but this closure on my marriage has been good. It wasn’t at first, but things are better now. I promise. I’ll be home soon, and I’ll never leave again.”
“You better, or I’ll send the guys after you.” She laughs. “Gotta go, the girls just spilled chocolate milk on the carpet. Love you, Tori.” She hangs up and I smile.
I’ll be home soon.
As I put my phone on the counter, the front door opens. “Hey,” Carson calls out stepping into the kitchen.
“Hey, um, I was just talking to Lilly, Melissa is getting married on Saturday. I would like to be there.” I chew my lip and wait for his answer.
“Should work. Here.” He passes me an envelope and I open it.
“It’s official?” I ask happily, staring at the finalized divorce decree.
“Yeah,” he replies roughly.
I throw my arms around him and hug him tightly. “Thank you,” I whisper into his beard, as his arms come around me.
I look up at him and smile. Before I know what’s happening his mouth crashes down on mine. I pull away instantly, eyes narrowed. “What was that?”
“I just had to kiss you one last time.” He gives me a sad smile. “I need to go back to the clubhouse, I’ll be back later.”
He walks away and shuts the front door.
Hangman
I shouldn’t have kissed her, but I had to. I had to make sure she really felt nothing for me, that I was doing the right thing by letting her go. It hurt that she pushed me away as soon as my lips touched hers.
I pull into the compound and walk into the clubhouse. “Dirty!” I shout.
“Yeah, Pres, what’s up?” he walks out from behind the bar.
“I need you to get me all the information you can on the guy my daughter is marrying, and I want it now. I want to make sure the fucker is good enough for her,” I say.
“Got it, boss. Shouldn’t take me long, give me an hour.”
“Megan’s gone,” Rage tells me as he comes up next to me.
“Where?”
“She had a breakdown about Trevor being alive and said she needed to leave. I ain’t gonna beg or force her to stay, so I helped the bitch pack and sent her off. Who knows where she is.”
My guess is she probably went to Trevor.
“Heard the divorce was final.”
“Yeah, just showed Vicky the papers.”
“You gonna grab a bitch to celebrate with?” he smirks at me.
“No, got Dirty running a check on the guy that’s marrying my daughter. Soon as he’s done, we’re packing up and heading west,” I tell him gruffly.
“Want me to round people up?”
“Yeah, I want half the club to stay, the rest come with me.” He nods, and pulls his phone out, sending off a mass text.
“What about Scraper? You fixin’ that shit too?”
I shake my head. “The fucker wants to be part of the Fruit Loop club, he can stay there. This trip isn’t
about that. I want to see my brother and meet my kid.”
“Getting soft, brother.”
“Fuck off.”
“Before I forget, Penny’s been dealt with.”
“Good, usual spot?”
“Nah, we jacked her up on a shit load of Meth. When they find her body, it’ll look like she killed herself.”
“Good.” It’s shit we had to end her at all, I’ll miss that ass of hers on my dick, the way her mouth always worked my cock, but she shouldn’t have fucked with Tori.
We down a few beers while waiting for Dirty to come back. He comes back with some papers and his face is grim.
“This guy, Drayton… Fuck, man, you can’t let him marry your kid. Fucker’s already married, has two kids with the wife. The guy fucked off years ago, never contacted his family since.”
“Motherfucker. Let’s get everyone ready. Meet in an hour, and we’ll take off.”
**
“Where am I taking you?” I ask Vicky as we enter Airdrie. She gives me the address and I nod. She wanted to go to the wedding, but I told her what was going on, and there wouldn’t be a wedding. I need to deal with that fucker first, then talk with Trevor.
I pull into Trevor’s driveway and stare at his house. The little shit did well for himself.
“Have you heard from Megan?” Vicky asks as we get out of the truck.
“No, have you?”
She shakes her head no, “It’s weird. I thought for sure she’d come here for Trevor, but Lilly said she hasn’t, and her phone goes straight to voicemail.”
I shrug. I really don’t give a fuck about the bitch.
She pulls out a set of keys and opens the front door as I grab her bags from the bed of the truck.
“Well, this is it.” She gives me a small smile as I set her bags in the foyer of the house.
“Yeah, guess it is.” I grab her for a hug. “Sorry I couldn’t be the man you needed me to be.”
“I’ll always care about you, Carson.”