Release

by Jade Chandler

  “See, see.” He waved his fork at me. “She admits it. Did you hear that, Chet? Your sister’s a goddamn whore.”

  I flinched and tried to imagine armor surrounding me, deflecting each slice of his poisonous tongue. Whore was one of his favorite epithets.

  “Do not use the Lord’s name in this.” Mama had few rules, but that was the number one.

  “Well I can tell you God don’t approve of any biker trash. Do you, Gretchen?”

  Now I had Mama in this fight. I hated it, but the ugliness had to be purged.

  Mama shrunk in on herself and wouldn’t look up from her potatoes. “No, don’t reckon I do, not me, not God.”

  Her words were a blow that left me breathless. Mama never took sides, never agreed with him. I wanted to apologize, to do anything to gain her approval, but not give up Rock. Not even Mama pushing me away made me want to choose her over Rock. I did love him. Really loved him.

  “Chet you have words to say?” her father prompted.

  “No sir, I don’t. Avery’s an adult and knows what she wants.” He shot me a desperate look, like he hoped I understood what I’d done.

  That took guts. Chet never disagreed with Daddy like I never disagreed with Mama. They were the rules we lived by. Maybe we couldn’t always please both parents, but Chet and I had created a way to survive, and I’d just thrown it away.

  Sorry, Chet. Things had to change.

  “Well, I want Rock. He’s a good man.”

  “Bah,” Daddy threw down his napkin in the gravy, staining one of Mama’s few linen napkins. “You either want him or you want us.”

  “No sir. I want you both.” I shot up to meet him eye to eye. “You’re the one who has to choose. A daughter or a stupid grudge.” I had no idea why he hated the club so much, but he was one of the worst in town. No one spoke of what made the club bad, that was just a given. I wished I understood if this was personal for him or just some way to make himself bigger at others expense. Not that the answer mattered, I’d made my stand, and deep down I knew he wasn’t picking me.

  Daddy sputtered and turned red as an apple. “Disgraceful bitch, you get out and stay out. Dead. You hear me, you’re dead to this family.”

  I sucked in a breath but suddenly the room lost focus. Dead to this family. After all my years of listening to his abuse heaped on me just to keep this family united, he wanted to kick me out of it, well fine, that was more than fine with me. He had barely tolerated me for years, and I refused to give up on a chance of happiness for more of his brand of love. Rage colored my vision. I was done letting him walk all over me to keep the peace. I wasn’t going quietly.

  Chet closed his eyes and Mama shook in her chair. The damn bully had us all cowed because he talked tough. Bullshit. “You are pathetic, a joke. Tell us, what did a biker ever do to you?” I goaded him. “Did one of ’em get to Mama?” I put a hand to my mouth. “Is Chet a by-blow? No, maybe it’s me.” Angry words flew from my mouth and I didn’t care about the consequences for once. Years of suppressed anger shot through me and outrage was lighting me up.

  Mama ran from the room and Chet stood. “Stop this, Avery, Daddy, don’t do something you’ll regret.”

  Daddy’s hands fisted and he hefted the table over right toward me. I jumped back but it didn’t stop the crash and brittle clatter of dishes breaking. Mama’s good dishes broken on the floor. The shards of the rose patterns drew my eye. I hated to see those dishes broken, but they were just a symbol of the family he’d just broken apart.

  “Avery, run,” Chet hollered.

  But it was too late, Daddy grabbed a hunk of my hair and kept walking, pulling it and me behind him. “Ow, stop it. Get your hands off me.” How dare he touch me? A bully, that I’d always known, but to lay hands on me, no, that wasn’t my father.

  “Ain’t having no trash in my damn house. No Jezebel whore disrespectin’ her family.”

  “Let go,” I shouted. “Chet, help me.” Fear raced down my spine, I scrambled to try and pry his fingers loose but I couldn’t keep up and free myself.

  He yanked harder and I fell, screaming at the pain in my head. “Let me go you mad idiot,” I hollered. Now I was genuinely scared. His eyes bugged out and he looked nothing like my father. How had I never known he was so evil?

  His face glowed with rage. “I’ll show you respect Mary Jane.”

  He was crazy and I had no idea who he talked about. I tried to find Chet but I couldn’t see him. Pain threatened to overwhelm me.

  “Who’s Mary Jane?” I yelled as he drug me out the front door to the porch and when we got to the edge, he shoved.

  I flew off the porch toward the steps, time slowed like in an action movie, I reached out and then tucked. My shoulder crashed into the bottom step and I rolled over the cement sidewalk.

  My dinner tried to come up as my head banged the sidewalk.

  “No, Daddy, I won’t let you hurt her more.” Chet’s voice sounded far away.

  My ears rang, but I braced and forced myself to stand. The man in front of me was a bug-eyed lunatic, he inched forward despite Chet holding him. But then he was twice as heavy as my brother. He wasn’t only a loudmouth but a real physical abuser. Rage flooded me and I lost my sense. I had one thought—who had he hurt. Until today, it hadn’t been me. Mama?

  “You bastard. How dare you lay hands on me? You lay hands on Mama?” Suddenly rage had me moving forward.

  “Get out of here, Avery, I can’t hold him.” Chet was sweating and pushing with all his weight.

  I had one thought. Mama. I moved to the side and hopped up onto the porch, but Daddy broke free from Chet and charged at me. I jumped out of the way, sprinting into the house. I had to get to Mama.

  The sound of motorcycles sounded in the distance. I prayed it was Rock, not that he would even know to come.

  I opened the door to the bedroom only to find Mama with the shotgun aimed at me. I skidded to a stop.

  “Avery June, you go and don’t come back.” Her voice shook.

  Confusion warred with my anger. She defended him, maybe I was wrong, but I didn’t think so.

  “Mama.” I cried. “He’s hurting you. He hurt me. You gotta come with me,” I pleaded.

  “A husband and wife work out their troubles. You’re no longer one of my troubles. You picked that trash over your family. So get on out of here. I respect God, my husband, and the American flag.” She waved the barrel of the shotgun at me. “You lost your way, and your Daddy was right, I should’ve let him teach you your place.”

  In one breath she broke me, admitting my worst fear and then picking that abusing asshole over her freedom, her child. A sob escaped as I ran from the room. I saw Rock holding my father down and Chet sitting on Daddy, but I kept running even as relief washed through me. I didn’t know how he’d known to come, but he was saving me, again. But I couldn’t stop running, if I did I’d never be able to move again. My mama had disowned me, told me I deserved the beating Daddy wanted to mete out. Too much. I started the truck and drove down the drive, hearing my name on the wind.

  I didn’t even make it a mile before the sobs made me shudder and tears obscured my vision. I put the truck in park and dug for my Kleenex, but I couldn’t stop crying, my family was gone. Wrong. All wrong. Rock had saved me, but I’d run from him, too much hurt, too much fear. Too much.

  The low growl of motorcycles sounded behind me, I looked back and saw two bikes and Chet’s new truck on the road, Daddy wasn’t following. Thank God.

  Rock got to me first, I opened my door and stumbled to him. He caught me in his arms. “Daddy...” I couldn’t stop crying to talk. “Mama said to leave.” I bent with the pain as I sobbed. “Disown.”

  “Mi alma, te he hecho daño. Voy a hacer de ti.” He spoke low in my ear. “Sea tranquilo. Estoy aquí y te amo.” Stroking my short hair,
he repeated the last bit over and over. It soothed me. Wiping my eyes with the back of my hand, I stared up into his concerned eyes and sniffed. Chet stood back beside Mark. Best friends. Or at least they used to be.

  “Did you,” I sniffed, “know?”

  Chet shrugged. “Not like someone said, ‘Your old man is beating your mom,’ but I suspected.”

  I buried my head in Rock’s chest. He held me tight but didn’t speak.

  “He’ll press charges, Rock,” Chet said.

  “Better not,” Mark countered. “Look at her, all scraped and bruised, no way he’ll make it stick.”

  “What did you do?” I bit my lip, worried he’d get in trouble for saving me.

  “Knocked him out, one right hook and down.” He cupped my cheek. “Lucky I didn’t kill him, hurting my woman.”

  His woman. I should feel something, but I was numb. Daddy hit my mama and I’d never even suspected. How could I be so stupid? Maybe I didn’t know a damn thing about anything.

  “Yeah, you’re right.” Chet’s gaze bobbed from one to the other of us. “But he always gets revenge. He hates bikers and you knocked him on his ass.”

  “Let him bring it.” Rock’s words were dark. It was so easy to forget he was a badass biker. “I’ll protect what’s mine.”

  The numb cleared my mind now that the emotions were this distant thing. It’d all come crashing back down on me, but for now, I was thankful for the reprieve. I hugged him then stepped back, wiping my nose on my hand. “You’re my hero, but how did you know?”

  “Chet called me,” Mark volunteered.

  “And I raced here as fast as I could.” Rock still held on to my other hand. “Hoping you were okay, only to find the old fucker trying to kill you.” He pulled me to him. “Took years off my life. Don’t do that again, yeah?”

  “Yeah.” I kissed him, just a light peck to his cheek but he hauled me up into his arms and kissed me with so much emotion I almost drowned in it.

  “Baby, I scared him but he’ll get brave and might come down the road. Let me get you safe.”

  I hadn’t even considered that. My mind had shut down. “Not sure I can drive yet.” My hands still shook and my insides were twisted up tight.

  “Load my bike.” Rock nodded to Mark.

  “I have some 2x4s in back of my truck, ramp?” The two guys set up a ramp then walked the bike up, tying it down from the front passenger corner.

  Rock picked me up again and carried me to the passenger side of the truck and settled me on the seat, buckling my belt for me. He was so sweet taking care of me.

  He didn’t immediately come round to the driver’s side, but stopped to talk with Chet and Mark. All of the drama, the tension, had worn me down to raw bits.

  Rock opened the driver’s door. “Let’s get you home.”

  I huffed out a dry laugh. “I don’t have a home, a family.”

  Dark chocolate eyes pinned me in place. “I will always be here. I’m your home, your family. That’s me.”

  * * *

  Each day was easier for me, but I still mourned the loss of my parents and worried about my mama. The soreness was worst the day after, but the physical pain was gone. But to mark the emotional wound I wasn’t sure would ever heal, I made an appointment and dyed my hair red. It fit my mood. Even days later, my insides were almost as raw as that night my world fell apart. Not that I’d ever crawl back to that crazy man, but Mama’s words haunted me, hurt me in a way that made me question who I was. Maybe I was spoiled, given everything. But what haunted me was what my mama had endured to keep Daddy away from me, from hurting me.

  Wednesday was a crappy day. I stared at Mark who stared at me. We’d run out of things to talk about three days ago. Rock had assigned Mark to be my shadow when he wasn’t with me. I’d had enough.”I’m closing, let’s go.” I hit the button on my register and pulled the till.

  “What? You have three hours left.” Mark followed me to my office in back.

  “You are on my last damn nerve. My dad’s not coming here. He disowned me, there is nothing to protect me from.”

  “I’m just following orders.” He held hands up to ward off more of my angry words.

  “I know,” I snapped. “So I’m taking this to the boss, we’re coming to terms.”

  I locked the till in my safe and stood hands on hips. “Let’s go.”

  I stalked through my store, waiting on Mark to exit before I set the alarm and hurried out behind him. Outside, I locked the door and faced Marked Man. Crossing the street, I threw open the door and found Rock standing behind the register, phone to his ear. I stood inside the door, arms crossed, foot tapping.

  He assessed me and turned his attention back to his appointment book. I stood fuming, beyond pissed off to have a keeper. Mark gave me a sideways glance and high-tailed it to the back rooms. That was a great idea.

  He hung up and gave me the once over.

  “We need to freaking talk!” I drummed my fingers on my crossed arm.

  He grinned at me. “Are we going to be fighting?”

  “Mark isn’t welcome in my shop anymore.” I figured that would answer his question.

  He narrowed eyes at me. “I don’t want to do this here. Give me five and we’ll go to my place.”

  I snapped my mouth shut on the snarky thing I wanted to say. Honestly I didn’t want to air our business in front of clients, bikers or his new artist.

  “I’ll meet you there.” I left the shop for my truck before he could manage to stop me or send his guard dog after me. Ten minutes of alone time was not going to end in my frigging death.

  I started my truck and spun out of my back lot. He was a piece of work, assigning Mark, knowing there was nothing I could do to get rid of him. He was sneaky and stubborn. I’d let that easy-going act of his fool me, but nothing would be easy today.

  I parked my truck in his drive and his motorcycle pulled up beside me within seconds. I hadn’t even made it out of my truck. I got out and put a frown on my face to match the one he wore. We didn’t speak as he unlocked his house and we walked inside. I set my purse on the chair and turned ready to let him have it.

  But he claimed me in a hot, demanding kiss, one that stole my breath and lit me up at the same time. Wrapping arms around his neck I fell into the kiss, loving the way he tasted. Our tongues danced and his body pressed to mine. He pushed under my shirt and his hand snaked up my torso. I gathered all my determination and stepped away from his addicting touch, snapping down my shirt.

  “You aren’t avoiding this with awesome sex.” I settled hands on hips. “Mark isn’t going to shadow me anymore. It’s ridiculous.”

  “I’m not taking chances with you.” He stalked away from me. “Mark stays.”

  “No.” I sucked in a breath, marshalled my arguments. “First, he scares off customers. Second, his job is at Marked Man, and third, my dad is a freaking coward.”

  “You are mine. I will keep you safe.”

  “For how long? Don’t you think everyone’s talking about the biker in my shop?” I paced past him unable to stay still. “And it hurts him, all my customers pretend he isn’t there. It’s stupid, ridiculous, I won’t have it.”

  “You don’t get to decide.” He did not just say that to me.

  “Hell to the no. Either you trust me, talk with me, or you and I aren’t anything,” I yelled, with hurt and anger warring inside me. “I am a person, not something to boss around.”

  He hung his head for a long moment. “You are precious, irreplaceable, and I’m scared for you.” He glanced up with such a serious face. “Please, let Mark stay.”

  I fought against my emotions and the urge to give in. Tricky, honest jerk. “When exactly will it be long enough?”

  “When it is.” His tone turned frustrated.

&nb
sp; “Never! I will never be safe enough,” I shot back.

  “I saw your father lay hands on you.” He ground his teeth. “When I close my eyes I still see it.”

  “Me too! And I wonder if my mom is bruised now.” I paced to the front door and stared out. I hated fighting. I turned to him. “You have to give me a date. If not today...when will I get my freedom back?”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Rock

  My head pounded as I tried to keep my temper in check. I wanted her safe and I was fine with forever, if that’s how long it took. Chet’s words had scared me. He always gets his revenge. Well I wasn’t willing to risk Avery, but what could I do. How could I convince her?

  “Two weeks.” I tried to be reasonable.

  “No freaking way.” She threw her hands in the air. “I’m an adult, and you need to respect me. And my need for independence.” She stalked to me. “You are in as much danger as me. Where’s your guard?” She poked my chest.

  “Look at me and look at you! It’s not the same.”

  Almost as if the whiskey in her eyes caught fire she lit up from the inside out. “Rock Miguel Juarez take those words back or we’re done. I can’t live like this.”

  “I can have Mark follow you no matter what.” I spoke teeth clenched and anger building inside me.

  “Do you hear yourself? Really hear what you’re saying?” She pushed through the front door.

  I was on her heels. “Where are you going?”

  “Away from you.” She didn’t look back.

  Dammit. I needed her here with me.

  “Don’t you go.” I stormed after her and turned her at her truck, getting up in her face. “Don’t run away when we fight.” My breathing heavy I was inches from her.

  She stepped forward and we stared at each other chests heaving. “Why am I turned on even now?” Her low words shocked me.

  “You’re magnificent angry.” I devoured her with my kiss. “Mine.” I spoke into her lips before I swept her up over my shoulder and carried her to bed. I had no fucking clue how to compromise about this, but right now, I just needed her naked under me.