by Erin Osborne
“Absolutely! Are the parents here?” I ask, trying to get a read on the situation before walking in the room.
“The mom is, but the dad is conveniently missing. I suspect foul play and I’ve already called the authorities. It’s not gonna go over good,” she tells me with a sad look on her face.
These are the cases I hate. When there’s abuse involved, doesn’t matter if it’s a child or someone older, I want to take them away and make sure that no one ever hurts them again. Doctor Anderson goes on to tell me that the mother is scared to death of what’s going to happen because of this visit. I’ll see if I can determine if she’s ready to leave yet and make a call of my own. Yeah, Shadow’s told me all about the houses for domestic violence victims. If I think that she’s ready to get out and protect her child and self, then I’ll call Gage and see if he can arrange something to help her out tonight. That way she will hopefully have one less fear of losing her child.
We walk back in the room and I see a young woman sitting on the bed with her young son cradled in her arms. She’s got tears running down her face and I can see the fear in her eyes as she looks up at us. I can see that she hasn’t showered in a few days at least and that she can stand to put some weight on. This is a woman that has been beaten down to nothing more than a shell of the person she used to be. I’m sure that she’s to the point that she feels the need to stay with the man that’s making her feel this way and hurting the two of them. Especially with the evidence of bruises on both mom and son. My blood boils with the thought of a ‘man’ laying his hands on these two and I know that I’ll do whatever I have to in order to protect them both.
Two more nurses follow us into the room so that we can keep the child as still as possible while the doctor does her job. I turn my attention to the little boy. As I try to calm him down while making sure that he can’t see what’s going on past me. I’m practically laying over his little body as the nurses and doctor take care of business. Just before we finish up, there’s a knock on the door and I turn my head to see two police officers and a woman that must be from child protection services. Looking back at the young mother, I can see her fight or flight instinct kick in. She’s ready to run away instead of losing her son.
“Are you ready to leave him?” I quietly ask so that only she can hear me.
“What?” she asks, finally noticing that I’m talking to her.
“Are you ready to leave him? I can help you leave and make sure that your son and you are protected. It could go a long way in helping make sure that you don’t lose your son,” I whisper, making sure I stay looking at her, so she knows I’m serious.
“You’d do that? Won’t you get in trouble? I don’t know that I could put you in the middle of this,” she says, letting me know just how scared she is.
“I’m not worried about me. Now, are you ready to leave him for good? You can’t go back to him if I help you do this,” I tell her, letting her know that she can’t be willing to forgive him this time. She needs to walk away for good and disappear.
She nods her head as I see a faint spark of hope light in her dull eyes. I stand up and make my way toward the cops and the woman from CPS. I need to talk to them before they walk in there and scare this poor woman more than she already is. So, I walk up to them and introduce myself before asking if we can talk privately. The woman, Mrs. Copeland, looks at the cops before nodding. We walk to a waiting room at the end of the hall and I make sure that we’re all ready before I begin talking.
“I know that you don’t know me, but I’m willing to help her out. She says that she’s ready to leave the situation and I know some people that can make that happen,” I tell them, making sure that they’re actually listening to me and not just ‘entertaining’ my idea.
“Why would you help her?” Mrs. Copeland asks, sitting up straight and opening the folder sitting in front of her. “This is not the first time that we’ve been brought in for Miss Samantha Hart or her son. Why do you think this time is different?”
“Because if she accepts the help from the Wild Kings, whoever is doing this won’t be able to get close to her. They will have around the clock security on her until she can start to get stronger. I will personally be around to make sure that they’re adjusting to living away from the person that’s causing them harm,” I tell them, knowing that I have to help this girl. She reminds me a lot of myself when I was younger and one or two situations that I found myself in before I had Dylan.
“I’ve heard of them building the homes for domestic violence victims. Are you sure that one of them is available?” Mrs. Copeland asks, writing down a few notes in her folder. “And would be willing to help Miss Hart out?”
“I wanted to talk to you before I made the call. She’s already so scared and the hurt her son is going through right now isn’t helping matters. I can see the fear in her eyes when I talk to her,” I say, letting them know that I was paying attention to the situation.
“We’ll give this a trial run. You make your call and we’ll go from there,” Mrs. Copeland says, standing up so that she can talk to Miss Hart and make sure this is really what she wants to do.
We all leave the room and I watch as the trio make their way to the room Miss Hart and her son are in. I make my way to the locker room so that I can grab my phone. Shadow put a bunch of numbers in my phone and I’m glad for it today. Gage is the one I want to take this problem to. He’s the one that’s going to be able to give me all the information that I need to help someone that is in such dire need of it.
“’Lo?” he asks, not sure of who is calling him right now.
“Gage, it’s Renee. I need some help for a patient that’s in the emergency room right now,” I tell him, trying to rush this conversation because of the cops and CPS being here. “Anyway, she came in with her young son. He’s got a broken arm from someone hurting the both of them. CPS and the cops are here, and apparently this isn’t the first time. They are willing to let her leave, with her son, if she can get into one of the houses that you guys have. Is there one available right now?”
“Fuck! We don’t have one. The two that we have right now need to be completely redone. Shadow and a crew are workin’ on them, but they’re not goin’ to be ready for a while. Let me call Slim and see if they have a house yet. They’re just gettin’ into the program with us,” he tells us as I hear some commotion in the background. “I’ll call you back in a few minutes.”
“Okay. Thank you, Gage,” I say, hanging up the phone and sitting down on the bench to wait for his call.
While I’m waiting, I sit down and hope that Slim has a house available. I know I said that I would be there to keep an eye on Miss Hart, and that’s still true. Even if it’s going to be harder to accomplish that feat. But I have Kim there and I know that she’ll help this young woman and her son in any way that she can.
Before I can get too lost in my thoughts, the phone in my hand rings. It honestly startles me because I wasn’t expecting it to ring this soon. Hopefully it’s good news. “Hello,” I answer, standing up so that I can pace.
“Renee, you’re in luck. Slim has one house available right now. He’s goin’ to send a few guys over to make sure that everythin’ is workin’ and it’s fully stocked. I told him that we’ll get her there so that you can stay with them as long as possible. Does that work?” he asks, as I hear talking in the background.
“Yes. Thank you so much!” I respond, not bothering to keep the excitement out of my voice.
“Are you goin’ to be able to leave work so that we can get this goin’?” he asks, as I sit back down.
“Well, my orthopedic doctor is the one that brought me in on the case. I’m sure that she can help me get out of here as soon as they’re ready to go,” I answer, already walking out of the locker room so I can find Dr. Anderson.
“Call me when you’re ready and we’ll head to get you. I want an escort surroundin’ you because of the situation,” Gage says before hanging up.
I walk through the hallways in search of my colleague. It doesn’t take me very long to find her. Once I explain the situation, she tells me that she’ll do whatever she can to help ensure that I can leave to help. As soon as she leaves me to talk to my boss, I make my way back to Miss Hart’s room. Sure enough, the cops and Mrs. Copeland are still there. Miss Hart is in tears and I know that she’s so torn in this moment.
“Can I have a minute with Miss Hart?” I ask, walking in the room after knocking on the door.
“Yes. We’ll need to talk as soon as you’re done here. Where would you like us to wait?” Mrs. Copeland asks as she stands up to walk out of the room.
“What about the waiting room that we first met in?” I ask, wanting this to be as easy as possible so that I can help this girl.
Mrs. Copeland agrees to the room before she walks out. One of the cops goes with her while the other one stands guard outside of the room. I take this as a good sign that Miss Hart is ready to move on in her life now.
“First of all, how are you feeling?” I ask, taking a seat next to the bed.
“I don’t know. It’s the first time that he’s hurt Caleb so bad before. You must think I’m such a shitty mom,” she says, putting her head down as she talks to me.
“I think that you got into a situation you couldn’t find your way out of. Now, what’s your first name, hun?” I ask so I don’t have to keep calling her Miss Hart.
“It’s Samantha,” she responds quietly.
“Hi Samantha. My name’s Renee and I have some information to help you out. Unfortunately, the club that my man is involved with doesn’t have any houses available right now. But, a club that is friends with his does have a house that’s available now. It’s a few hours from here and I have a good friend that lives there. Are you willing to relocate?” I ask, needing her to know that this decision is hers alone to make. I can’t make it for her and no one else can either.
“If that’s what it takes to get away from him for good, then I’ll go. But I thought you said you’d be there to check on us?” she asks without any hesitation as she sits up taller in the bed.
“I’ll still be able to check on you from time to time. But, Kim, will be there every single day for whatever you need,” I tell her, pulling my phone out so that I can call her right now.
“Hey Chica, what’s up?” Kim asks, answering her phone.
“I have a new friend here with me. Her name is Samantha and she needs some help. Unfortunately, she can’t be here with us but Slim has a house there for her and her son Caleb. I was wondering if you would be there to help her when she needs it?” I ask, not giving away too much information. This story is Samantha’s to tell and she’ll get there with time.
“Absolutely!” she says, her voice getting excited. “When is she coming?”
“Today. I have to talk to her about a few things and talk to a few other people before we leave here. I’ll message you when we get closer, so you can meet us. Love ya Kim,” I say, hanging up so that I can talk to Samantha a little bit more.
“Thank you,” she says so softly that I almost miss it.
“You don’t have to thank me. Now, when you get to the house, I’ll be there with you. Kim will meet us there so that you can meet her. As far as after that goes. You’ll have around the clock security. One of the prospects will be there to make sure that no one invades the house or your life. Caleb and you will be able to come and go as you please. You’ll be able to get a job and anything else that you want to do,” I tell her what I know of the domestic violence program the club’s started.
“Do you have anything with you or are we going to need to stop at a store to get you two some things?” I ask, needing to make a plan of attack for this situation.
“I don’t have anything. Even at the house we don’t have much. Caleb is growing like a weed and is outgrowing all of his clothes,” she replies sadly.
“It’s okay. We’ll make sure that you have clothes, food, and any other necessities you two need. I’m sure we can find a store on the way there,” I tell her, placing my hand on hers so that she knows I’m here to help her. “I’m going to go talk with Mrs. Copeland and let her know what’s going on. You two sit here and I’ll be back soon.”
Walking down to the waiting room, I brace myself for the decision that Mrs. Copeland is going to make. So, I walk in and prepare to fight for Samantha and Caleb. The caseworker looks at me and I try to read her expression to no avail. This is so much harder than I thought it would be. Samantha and Caleb came in a few hours ago and I already feel attached to them. Failing is not an option in this scenario.
“Did you secure a house for Miss Hart?” she asks as I sit down next to her.
“I did. Unfortunately, it’s not here. The house that I found for Samantha is in Benton Falls. She’ll have around the clock security, freedom, and help every step of the way,” I tell her, folding my hands in my lap so she can’t see them shaking.
Mrs. Copeland takes a few minutes to think over what I’ve told her. “I think getting them out of the area is a good solution. Does she know about this?”
“Yes. I’ve talked to her and she’s on board with the move. I think she’s been ready for a long time and she didn’t know how to get there on her own. Are you going to approve the move?” I ask, not being able to wait any longer for her final decision.
“I am. I’m going to have to assign a caseworker for her there. She’ll do a couple check-ins and make sure that Caleb is safe. As long as those go good, Miss Hart will be free of our department. I can’t thank you enough for helping them out. With my position, I have guidelines to follow and only certain things are allowed. You stepping in to show her that there’s good in the world means a lot. It’s going to change her world,” Mrs. Copeland says, standing up and holding her hand out to me.
“The pleasure is all mine,” I tell her, shaking her hand before walking out of the room.
Samantha and Caleb are ready to go so I call Gage to let him know. He tells me to wait in the main entrance with the cops. I relay his message as soon as we hang up. The cops are more than happy to wait with us. I’m not sure what’s going on with these two, but I’m happy that they’re getting out of here.
Shadow
Gage called me earlier in the day to tell me that Renee was helping out a female with a young son. As he told her, the houses we have empty aren’t ready for anyone to live in them. One house is completely gutted while the other one is completely destroyed. So, instead of getting out of work and heading to meet her at the clubhouse, Riley, Gage, Darcy, Crash, and Trojan are taking Renee and this woman to Benton Falls. Thankfully Slim had a house available.
So, today I’m going to finish up the house we’re working on and then take a crew over to the houses. We need to get our asses in gear with them so that if this happens again, we’ll be ready. I can’t even begin to imagine what would have happened if Slim didn’t have a house. It’s going to be a long day, but Riley just sent me a message that they’re taking Dylan with them, so I can work later today.
“You good?” Steel asks, walking up to me.
“Yeah. Just tryin’ to plan what’s goin’ on when we’re done here,” I reply, setting the notepad down on the countertop.
“What are you thinkin’,” he asks, leaning against the countertop and crossing his ankles appearing relaxed.
“I think I’m gonna be workin’ over there when I get done here,” I tell him, knowing that they need to get done as soon as possible.
“You need help, let me know. I think that if you’re gonna be doin’ that then you need to have a crew go with you,” he responds, standing up straight so that he can get back to work. “I’ll meet you at the house when we’re done here.”
Steel walks away from me so that he can get back to work. I’m sure that by the end of the day he’ll be meeting me by our bikes. He’s not the kind of guy that will let a brother do something on his own if he can help it. Knowing that I can’t do much until the
day is done here, I get back to work, finishing up the countertop in the kitchen so that I can move onto the bathroom.
We’re almost done with this house before we have to move to the next one. Honestly, we have projects lined up for the next year at least. I’m grateful that Rage trusts me to lead the company from here, but some days I’m so overwhelmed with the business that I don’t know if I’m coming or going. But, that’s part of being a business owner, I guess.
The entire crew bust ass the rest of the day and I figure that we’ll only be here another day or two to finish up the odds and ends. In the meantime, I need to start turning my focus on the houses the club owns. That will be my focus until I know that Renee is back home. Especially with me having to go to the gym to train at the same time as all this business. I really need to find a gym closer to home if I’m going to be doing all this.
Finally, our work day is over, and everyone is getting ready to head out for a few drinks to unwind or make their way home. As I suspected, Steel is waiting out at the bikes for me to get to him. I want nothing more than to head to the clubhouse and have a cold beer before taking a hot shower to wash the day away. But we’ve neglected the houses for too long and it’s time to put the work needing to be done on them to the forefront.
“I need to go to the house real quick,” I tell him, throwing my leg over my bike so that we can head out.
“Okay,” he answers, putting his helmet on so that we can head out.
It doesn’t take long to get to Renee’s house so that I can grab a few things that we’re gonna need to get things going with the house that’s completely gutted. As soon as we pull up, I see a package on the porch. I know that I didn’t order anything, and I don’t think that Renee has ordered anything because she’s been worried about money. So, I approach the porch with caution since there’s a threat out there with Kim’s dad.
