by Erin Trejo
“This about your dad?” He asks me. If only that were the truth. I wished it was about him.
“No.” Shaking my head, I almost let out a chuckle.
“Then what is it, Dragon. Talk to me.” I drop my head before sighing. I feel like I should get it out but fuck, that’s harder than it sounds.
My chest constricts when I think about what I’m about to say. Opening my mouth, I let it out. I say, “You know about Maggie. What you didn’t know—was about my daughter.”
“A daughter? Shit, man. What happened?” I swallow the lump in my throat.
“Long story. Maggie left that night, pissed at me. We had a fight. I put Emily in the back seat, in her car seat. Maggie took off before I got her buckled.”
Chapter 5
“She was in the car with Maggie,” Ghost says under his breath. He put two and two together. He gets it without me even saying it.
“I tried to call her. She didn’t answer.” Sniffing, I wipe the tears that run down my cheeks.
“I’m so sorry, Dragon.” His hand lands on my shoulder.
“I should have buckled her in—she wouldn’t have died that night.” Swallowing the hatred that I hold inside myself, I can’t look at him.
“That wasn’t your fault. Don’t do that to yourself,” he mumbles to me. I shake him off and shove off the couch, heading toward the bar.
“It was, though... I started that fight, Ghost. I live every goddamn day of my life regrettin’ that day.” Ghost stands, walking toward me as I throw back a few more shots.
“Shit wasn’t your fault, Dragon! You can’t hold onto that, brother. It will end up killin’ you,” he yells. I know it will. I give him a slight nod of my head, but he doesn’t leave.
“What, Ghost? You want me just to forget that shit ever happened? I can’t do it, brother. Do you know how many times I’ve tried?” I roar, slamming the bottle onto the counter, I spin to face him and say, “I can’t get away from the look on her little face when I had to go and ID them, Ghost.” Breaking down completely, I lose it. Everything that has haunted me over the years all comes rushing back to me at once. The look on her bloody face—the way the tube stuck out from her mouth where they tried to save her—it all slams into me. Ghost puts his arms around my shoulders as I lose myself to a past that I wanted to let go of a long time ago, but couldn’t. A past that is eating me alive, and there is nothing I can do about it. A past that has killed a piece of me slowly. I’m slowly dying inside, and there is nothing I can do to stop it.
I can smell the food cooking all throughout the clubhouse. I went back to my room and drank myself to sleep. There wasn’t much else that I could do. My heart hurt too much to even face anyone except for Ghost.
“Somethin’ is smellin’ delicious ladies,” I say as I smile and walk into the kitchen. All the girls turn to smile at me.
“Thanks, Dragon.” They all speak at the same time. It does a part of me good to see them all here coming together.
The other part is dead. I remember Thanksgiving with Maggie and Emily. I remember the times when I was happy.
I’ll never have those again, and that’s the part of me that needs to let go and die.
“You ok, Dragon?” Aria’s hand lands on my forearm pulling me out of my thoughts.
“Yeah, I’m good. Just little lost. I’m goin’ to run perimeter if the guys need me.” Aria nods with a smile on her face.
I find it refreshing that the guys have their girl’s. They need them. They rely on them for a lot.
I head out the front door, looking around at all the bikes. I know more are on the way. We invited Bear, and Hell’s Country out to join us this year. I figured after all they’ve done for us; it’s the least we could do. Walking to the front, I make my way around the side. Something inside of me feels off, and it isn’t the feelings that talking about the past have dragged up. No, it’s something more. I never did like the feelings I’d get when shit was about to go south. There was always this little nagging feeling that lurks up on me. I’ve always had that instinct, but I never really wanted it.
***
My hand wraps around my gun as I make my way around the area. I know this feeling far too well, and I don’t like it, not even a little. The closer I get to the corner of our lot, the more my heart thumps in my chest. Someone’s over there. I walk slowly, careful not to make any noise when I see them.
“What the fuck you doin’ over there?” Aiming my gun, they don’t move. What the hell are they doing? Stepping closer, I see two bodies. The irony of what I’m seeing isn’t lost on me. It’s a little girl with an older woman curled up together. Flashbacks of burying my girl’s slam into me. It’s like I can see it all happening all over again. The cries are the only thing that pulls me back to reality. The next step I take toward them, the little girl pops up, her eyes locking with mine, and then the gun in my hand.
She cries, “Please don’t kill us!” My eyes move from hers to the gun. Sliding it back into the back of my jeans, I hold my hands up in defeat.
“I’m not gonna kill you. Who are you?” I ask, lowering my tone. Her eyes are full of tears, and I find myself lost in them, longing for my own little girl.
“Daddy hit mommy again. She said we’d be safe here for the night, but she won’t get up.” Her voice rips my heart to shreds.
“Is it ok if I come over there?” I ask softly. I don’t want to scare her. I know how kids can be with strangers.
When she nods her head, my world flips.
Moving closer, I look down at a pile of dark hair, that’s matted up with blood. My stomach drops. The little girl watches me with wide eyes when I say, “I need to take your mom inside. I will get a doctor to come and look at you two. Is that ok with you?” She shakes her head, stepping away from me quickly.
“She said never trust a man.” She drops down next to her mom, and I’m lost. I almost want to cry along with her.
“There’s girls inside.” The way she grips her mom’s hand chokes me. She’s scared.
She watches me like a hawk when I say, “I’m gonna get my phone out, ok? I’m gonna call one of the girls to come out here.” It’s admirable the way she protects her mom. I pull my cell out and call Aria.
“Where’d you go?” Her voice is full of light, the girls laughing in the background.
“Tell Angel to call the doctor. I need you to calmly come out the back door, you’ll see me.” I hear her gasp. She thinks it’s me and she thinks it’s bad.
“Remember what I said, Aria. Calmly,” I remind her. Hanging the phone up, I slide it back into my pocket before kneeling down.
“What’s your name?” I gently ask her. Her eyes come to meet mine, bright green and full of life.
“Haylee.” I give her a soft smile when she answers me.
“I’m Dragon. It’s nice to meet you, Haylee.” Giving me a soft smile, I can’t help but smile back.
I heard the door close a minute ago, I know Aria is on her way over here.
“Hi, I’m Aria.” And there she is.
“Aria, this is Haylee. She and her mom were sleepin’ out here. I think her mom needs to see the doctor, but she told her that men couldn’t be trusted. I thought you’d help her mom out.”
Chapter 6
Aria’s eyes meet mine as I shrug. I don’t know what the fuck to do here. I really should call the police.
“Should I call 911?” Aria asks, Haylee jerks when she says that. I look her in the eye and ask the obvious, hoping she’ll answer me. “Is there a reason we can’t call the police?” Haylee looks from me then to Aria before nodding slowly.
“Ok... We won’t call them, I promise. Can I carry your mom inside so Aria can call the doctor?” I ask her trying to keep my own emotions under control. Aria steps forward, kneeling next to me. She takes Haylee’s free hand in hers.
“I know your mom said that men were bad, but not all of them are. You see him?” She says, nodding over her shoulder, so Haylee looks at me. Haylee does
and then she nods.
“He’s a really good guy. He just wants to make sure your mom gets better. I promise you he won’t hurt her.” Haylee looks down at her mom once more before she stands and moves into Aria’s waiting arms.
I take that as my cue to move in.
Scooping the woman into my arms, I lift her easily.
“Get inside and have Angel come help me. You get her cleaned up.” I nod toward the little girl in Aria’s arms. Aria moves quickly, almost as quickly as me.
Getting inside and into one of the rooms, I lay her on the bed. Running my hand through my hair, I’m at a loss here. What the hell do I do? Calling the police is off limits. Keeping her here isn’t the best of ideas. The door opens, and Angel walks in before I hear the gasp. She asks, “Shit, what happened to her?” Moving to the side of the bed she looks at her, lifting her arms to check for blood I would assume.
“Don’t know. We need to get her cleaned up for the doc,” I say, and Angel nods, heading into the bathroom.
Thank fuck I make sure all the rooms stay stocked. She comes out with a few wet rags, tossing me one.
“Watch her head. That looks like the worst spot.”
***
Doc’s in with the woman now after looking the little girl over. He said she looked fine but was a little dehydrated.
Aria has her in the kitchen getting her something to eat. My muscles stay corded tightly as I pace the hallway waiting on that goddamn door to open. It seems like I’ve waited hours when Doc finally comes out.
“She’s been beaten to hell. She’s got a concussion, but she’s awake. I gave her some pain medicine, so she’ll probably fall back asleep.” Blowing out a breath, I look down at my feet.
“She didn’t want us to call the police. The little girl said so.” When I hear Doc chuckle, I look back up.
“She said the same thing. She said she’d leave, but I told her no.” Shit, now I have a woman and kid here that may, or may not be in some kind of trouble. Just what I needed.
“I’ll talk to her. Let her know she’s safe here,” I say, Doc nods, walking down the hall as I face the inevitable. I could make one of the guys do it, but what the hell is it I’m afraid of?
I push the door open, but stop dead in my tracks when I see her sitting in the bed. With all the blood and dirt washed off her, she’s beautiful. Younger than I originally thought she was.
“Hey. You feelin’ ok?” I ask. Her eyes come to meet mine, and they are the same bright green as Haylee’s.
“I’m ok. Sorry for everything. We will get out of here as soon as I can feel my legs,” she says, her slight smile making my heart jump.
That’s something it hasn’t in a long time.
“No need for that. You two are safe here. I don’t know what you’re runnin’ from, but they won’t find you here.” Before I can say anything further, her eyes flutter closed.
She’s out.
Chapter 7
The clubhouse is packed. Haylee’s running wild with all the other kids. She seems at ease here, but then again, she can’t be any older than seven. Watching the kids play and the guys as they talk, it makes me feel a sense of peace. It might not make me whole, but at least I feel.
“How’s the mom?” Aria asks as she drops next to me, passing me another plate of food.
“You tryin’ to make me fat?” Aria giggles before brushing a piece of hair out of her face.
“She’s ok. Sleepin’. Doc gave her pain meds. She’s young Aria. Younger than I thought she was.” My eyes stay trained on Haylee, wondering what the hell happened to those two.
“She isn’t saying much either. She was worried about her mom, though,” Aria says. Understandable.
“I’ll stay on the pull out in there tonight. If she wakes up someone will be there. I’m sure Haylee won’t want to sleep in another room.” Aria’s eyes light up which is nothing new.
“I have manners Aria,” I say. Laughing her ass off, she climbs off the couch and walks away.
I eat in silence as the guys sit around the bar laughing and having a good time.
This is what I wanted for them. I wanted them to unwind and just be free for the day.
“Happy Thanksgivin’, Dragon.” Ghost says as he passes me a shot before sitting next to me.
“Thanks, brother. You, too.” Tossing the shot back, I lay my head back on the couch.
I tilt my head to the side considering things before I say, “You think things happen for a reason, Ghost?”
“In our world? Hell yeah, I do.” He’s right. In our world things always happen for a reason.
Nodding, I look back over at Haylee playing. Is this God’s way of telling me to move on?
***
I put Haylee to bed next to her mom last night. She was leery of me being in the room with them, but Aria reassured her that everything was fine. She even offered to stay, but I told her no.
The moans and groans from her mom didn’t seem to affect her sleep at all.
Me on the other hand, I jumped at every noise that I heard. Call it light sleeping, but I haven’t had a woman in my room in a long time. Tiny fingers tap on my shoulder before I open one eye.
“Mr. Dragon, I’m hungry.” Snapping the other eye open, Haylee stares at me.
“You’re hungry? I think we can fix that. Mom still sleepin’?” I ask her quietly. She nods before taking a step away from me.
“I won’t hurt you. Let’s get you some breakfast, maybe make mom some also for when she wakes up.” Haylee nods as I climb off the couch, grabbing my shirt.
“Why do you have scales?” She asks. Her eyes widen as she looks at my tattoos.
“Cause I’m Dragon.” Winking at her, her mouth drops open.
“Can you breathe fire?” Her squeal is a little louder this time when I motion for her to be quiet. I lead Haylee out of the room as I tug my shirt over my head.
“No, I can’t breathe fire, not all the time anyway.” Haylee giggles as I hold my hand out to her. She looks between my face and my hand before reaching over and latching onto it.
“How old are you Haylee?” We walk down the hallway asking each other questions.
“I’m six. Almost seven. How old are you?” I can’t stop the smile that creeps across my face.
“A hundred. I am a Dragon.” Winking at her again, she laughs the sweetest laugh I’ve heard in a long time.
I lift Haylee and set her on the counter as the questions keep coming. She must be comfortable with me now.
“Do you have chocolate?” Looking over my shoulder at her I give her a confused look.
“For breakfast? I don’t think mom would like that.” Haylee laughs as I pull the eggs from the fridge.
“To put on the eggs, silly! Mom always puts a little bit on hers. It tastes yummy.” Setting the eggs on the counter, I dig through the cabinets until I find Nessa’s hidden stash of chocolate syrup. I hold it up, shaking it at Haylee before she smiles.
“What happened to your mom?” She clams up. I can visibly watch her shut down in front of my eyes.
“You know, it’s ok to tell me. I won’t tell anyone.” Haylee looks around before picking at her finger.
“My daddy hit her again. He hit me too, and mommy got mad. She said that it wouldn’t happen no more. She took me when daddy went to work, and we left. She couldn’t walk very good—so we stopped outside.” My heart breaks with every word that leaves her mouth.
The more I think about it; the more rage fills me.
I pride this club on not hurting women. We may be some ruthless bastards but to put our hands on a woman? Not happening, at least not unless it’s a last resort. Haylee doesn’t move or smile when I say, “Well, you don’t have to worry about that here. He won’t come here.” I crack the eggs into the pan when I hear screaming.
“Haylee!” Hearing that voice, I spin around to see the woman pulling Haylee off the cabinet and into her arms. She whispers to her, but I don’t hear what she says. I continue with my c
ooking and try not to listen in on their conversation.
“I’m sorry she bothered you. If you could just tell me where to find my clothes, we’ll get out of here.” I don’t think that’ll be happening.
Turning around while the eggs cook, I cross my arms leaning my hip against the counter.
“Your clothes were shit. I threw them out. I’ll get you some clothes—but you’re not fuckin’ goin’ anywhere.”
Chapter 8
“Mommy, he said fuck and shit at the same time. Mr. Dragon, those are bad words.” The chuckle that escapes me doesn’t go unnoticed.
“Sorry. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. You need to rest, and she needs to eat.” Pointing between the two of them, Haylee wiggles to get free. When the woman sets her down, Haylee races toward me.
“She was supposed to stay in there to eat.” I know she’s trying to whisper, but she isn’t doing such a good job at that.
“You need to go back to your room. You’re ruinin’ her surprise.” Raising my eyebrows, she looks torn.
“Look, Miss. I don’t know what kind of shit, I mean stuff, happened before, but you’re safe here. Both of you,” I tell her in all honesty. I don’t want her to feel like she isn’t. She looks down only for a second before her eyes come back to meet mine.
“Everleigh. My name’s Everleigh.” She looks like an Everleigh.
“And you’re burning those,” she says with a smile before she turns and leaves the kitchen. I spin around quickly to move the eggs before I burn the hell out of them.
“You’re not a very good cook are you, Mr. Dragon?” Glancing down at Haylee, she smiles.
“Guess not. Don’t look too bad, though.” Haylee busies herself while I finish up with breakfast, then we grab a plate to take to her mom.
“I have the chocolate!” She skips down the hallway in front of me. I find myself wondering what their story is. What kind of life did they live? Why would he even want to put his hands on her? So many things race around in my head that I don’t know what to do with it all. The one thing that is clear—I will kill the motherfucker that hurt her if he shows up here. Hitting a woman is far from ok in my world.
