by Dana Arden
We pull down a gravel drive to a small yellow house on stilts. It’s a decent house and you can tell it recently had some cosmetic work done, like the bright yellow paint and navy blue shutters. The toys in the front yard signify that a child lives here and I can only hope that Lyla is being taken care of since her mother seems to have dropped her off with a man that Sadie supposedly hadn’t seen since the day she arrived in Cumming.
Before we can make it up the walk way to the porch, the door is yanked open and a blonde fury of a girl comes running towards us. I kneel to accept Lyla’s embrace.
“Lyla, I missed you so much.” I say into her hair.
“I’ve missed you too.” She sniffles. “Where’s my momma?”
“Baby,” I draw her away from me. “I don’t know exactly, but I know she’s in Cumming somewhere.”
A booming voice yells for Lyla from inside the house. When he appears at the door, he studies us and our interaction with Lyla. Lyla waves at him.
“Grandpappy, this is Dani and Ryker. Momma and I lived with them in Georgia.”
His eyes take in Ryker and me more suspiciously. “Lyla, why don’t you go into the house so I can speak to your friends.” She nods and skips into the house closing the door behind her. He takes the stairs and walks closer to us. “I’m Albin Breaux, but something tells me you already know that.” He holds out his hand to Ryker who nods. “What has she done now?” He says tiredly.
“Well sir,” I start, “we know your daughter as Sadie, but unbeknownst to us that her real name was Serafina.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.” He says gruffly.
“We’re realizing that. She came to Cumming, Georgia about nine years ago and applied for a job at the bar I own. She told me she needed a job to support her unborn child and she needed to do it under the table so that her abusive ex wouldn’t be able to find her.” Mr. Breaux shakes his head in disgust. “Being as I was a single mother, I have employed her as well as given her and Lyla a place to stay until she left a few months ago to come back here.”
Ryker clears his throat to get Mr. Breaux’s attention. “I’m a part of the Southern Chaotic’s MC in Cumming. Your daughter has weaved herself quite the tangled web of deceit and apparently even with us knowing about her lies she’s still causing trouble in Cumming for one of my brothers.”
“Doux Jésus.” Sweet Jesus he mutters in French. “Come and sit. I need to explain Serafina to you both. I can no longer let her go unaccountable when it comes to her wrongdoings.” Ryker and I follow him up his porch and to the awaiting chairs as he leans against the railing. “Serafina’s mother, Delfina was a beautiful woman just like her daughter. They were replicas of each other. I met Delfina in high school, but she always had eyes for every other boy in school but me. My infatuation for her went on for years until a week after we graduated from high school. I was getting training for my CDLs so I could get a job driving a rig and bring in money for my family. Back then college wasn’t in my life plan, but I needed to help my parents support my brothers and sisters.”
Mr. Breaux starts pacing as he continues. “Anyway, Delfina was at the local drugstore that served breakfast and lunch. She was sitting all alone drinking a milkshake. I thought I’d finally had the chance to talk to her without the distractions of everyone else. There was no competition and no one else vying for her attention. So I sat beside her, ordered my drink and food, and started asking her about herself.” A happy smile tips his lips. “She lite up and that was the beginning of me courting her. Three months into our relationship, she told me she was pregnant with Serafina. I did what I knew I had to do for the woman I loved and my baby she was carrying, so I married her. We moved into this house.” He waves his hand towards the house. “I started working a lot to make sure I was able to provide for them. What I didn’t know was when I was gone so was Delfina. I thought everything was going good between us, but the wool was pulled over my eyes and then when Sadie was ten, Delfina had a breakdown. Her physician at the time recommended her going to Mansfield Mental Health Clinic. We made her an appointment for the next week, but the day before she was meant to have her appointment she skipped town.”
I interrupt him. “What did they diagnose her with?”
“They weren’t able to because I wasn’t around to witness any alleged symptoms. They wanted to claim a personality disorder, but without being about to pinpoint it, they couldn’t give me an answer.”
“Whatever it was, it’s apparently hereditary. Your daughter has done things that I’d never have suspected if I didn’t have the proof laid out in front of me. She’s sick and we don’t know how to help her before she ends up in jail or living permanently in a Psych facility.”
“Getting her admitted is the only way I know how to help her. She came here and as soon as I pushed for her to get a job, she left. I’d have never known where she was if you two hadn’t shown up on my doorstep.” He shakes his head. “She left Lyla here with a man she doesn’t even know. I have to remind Lyla every night before she goes to bed that her momma loves her and will come back for her, but in the back of my mind it reminds me of Delfina. She didn’t care about anyone, not even Serafina. So tell me how I explain to Lyla that she’ll probably never see her mother for more than a few minutes at a time.”
“Mr. Breaux, I can’t tell you because I’d never do that. I have four kids at home and just the thought of leaving them to make this trip hurt my heart.”
He nods in understanding. “Whatever you need. I can’t fathom what I can do, but I know that I don’t want to see my daughter behind bars or have to take my grandbaby there for visits.”
“Would you be willing to come to Cumming, Georgia if need be?” Ryker asks.
“Anything.”
“It might be the only thing that can get through to her.” Ryker adds.
I sigh. “Alright, enough of the heavy crap. I want to spend some time with Lyla before we have to leave to head to the airport.
The men chuckle and just a tiny bit of the stress releases from my body. I’m thankful that Lyla is taken care of and I’m hopeful that having the option of Mr. Breaux coming to Georgia might halt Sadie’s pursuit.
Chapter 13
Trigger
It’s been two days since Beanie’s trip to Tennessee and Dani and Ryker’s trip to Louisiana. The three of them have been closed lipped about their findings. All I can do is drum my fingers on the table and bounce my knee like a druggie looking for their next fix.
Once again, we are all congregated in Church waiting for our foreboding leader to open up the floor for discussion on what else Sadie has managed to fuck up with her presence. I can’t get a read on Dani, which is normally easy. Her emotions are easily told through her eyes, but here lately they’ve been desolate. Realizing you trusted the wrong person for so many years can do that to you.
The bang of the gavel interrupts my focus on Dani and I turn to face my dad.
“Alright, let’s get this over with.” He growls. “Beanie, we’ll start with you and then Dani and Ryker can tell us what they got.”
Beanie stands and goes to stand beside where my dad is sitting like a teacher instructing the class. “Sadie stayed with Mrs. Johnson for a couple of months. Sadie went by Sophia in Tennessee. She lived with Mrs. Johnson and helped with her money, paying the bills, grocery shopping etc. This week alone Mrs. Johnson has had her power threatened to be shut off for not paying it, as well as her gas. From what I can tell from our little chat, Sadie was taking as much as possible from Mrs. Johnson without it creating red flags until she was gone.”
“Did Mrs. Johnson get her situation resolved?” Buzzard asks.
“No, but I made a phone call and as of yesterday afternoon,” Beanie huffs, “Mrs. Johnson is taken care of. She now has a friend of a friend coming in four days a week to help her with her shopping and paying her bills.”
Buzzard grunts. “It’s despicable to take advantage of the elderly.”
My dad nods and pro
bes Beanie. “Can we trust this friend of a friend to do as they are asked and not take advantage of Mrs. Johnson?” Beanie nods. “Good, but I’d like to know who this friend is you have that has connections in Tennessee.”
One word has my full attention. “Razz.”
“Beanie,” my dad grits, “she’s supposed to be neutral in all this. She’s not supposed to be involved. Shit, she told us not to involve her.”
Beanie holds up his hands in surrender. “I know, but I couldn’t think of anyone else that had that kind of reach and I was right. Razz took control of that situation. She got Mrs. Johnson’s bills under control and she hired a woman that she took in and relocated her to be closer to Mrs. Johnson. Don’t worry. Razz made sure to rip me a new one, but what other choice did we have at short notice.”
“Fine.” My dad puffs out. “What about the car?”
“Sadie told her that her car wasn’t working right, so Mrs. Johnson let her borrow hers since she doesn’t use it much anymore. Mrs. Johnson said that Sadie was going to Kentucky to visit the father of her baby and that she’d be back before her bills and grocery shopping needed to be done.”
“So if anything we could ask Mrs. Johnson to have her local police put an APB out on her stolen car if need be.” My dad says.
“I’m sure that can be arranged.” Beanie adds.
“There’s another mark against her.” Dad turns to Dani. “What do you have, Angel?”
“Basically the same shit. She used her father for years and then when she got pregnant with Lyla. He demanded she get a job. She didn’t want to so she ended up here. There was no abusive ex. She probably doesn’t know who Lyla’s dad is anymore than she knows who the father of the baby she’s carrying now is. Her dad did let us in on Sadie’s mother, Delfina. Delfina was exactly like Sadie. She was manipulative and when she wasn’t happy or getting the attention she thought she deserved, she went elsewhere. When Sadie was ten, her mother had a mental breakdown and Mr. Breaux tried to get her to see a shrink. Delfina went as far as to make the appointment with the Mental Health Clinic, but the day before the appointment she bolted. He hasn’t seen her since.”
“So we’re thinking Sadie’s got something wrong with her head.” My dad looks around the table at the nods. “She’s unpredictable and unstable. Not a good combination. Anyone have any thoughts.”
Spook speaks up. “Prez, we need to isolate her, but not just to Cumming. She needs to only have one person she can fall back on and it can’t be the Chaotic’s. She’s in good with Goober.”
“Goober.” My dad bellows.
Spook nods his head. “Goober is in more of those pictures than the rest of the men. All of the men that are in those pictures have something to lose whether it’s respect from the town or spouses. Goober has nothing other than his badge. If we get those other men to back down and then have Mrs. Johnson report her car stolen then it will back Sadie in a corner. I bet my life that as soon as the APB comes from Tennessee about the car Goober will tell her and he’ll try to protect her.”
Dad taps the table. “I like how you’re thinking, Spook.” He bobs his head. “Okay, this is how it’s going to go down. Razz leaves in a week and a half with the kids to go down to Florida. We wait until the day before and then have Mrs. Johnson do her part. By the time Sadie finds out, Razz will be eight hours away and out of Sadie’s grasp. In the meantime, we all pitch in to get the men in the photos to see things our way.”
Finally some sort of plan has come into play.
Chapter 14
Razz
The day has arrived for our trip to Florida for Christmas. The kids are excited to see Isabella, Danny, Rafe, Mitchell, Trent and Gavin. I’m excited to be away from Cumming for a bit, so I can focus on the kids and me. Being close to something you can almost touch, but can’t have is like being thirteen all over again. The loss has yet to send me into a depression and if I didn’t have the kids, I’d probably still be in bed with my head buried in the pillows.
The night after Sadie’s visit and destruction of my Tahoe’s tires, we got two surprise visitors. Poison and Banshee. They’ve become our watchdogs. At first, I was leery of them. It wasn’t because they were big and burly bikers, but because I wasn’t well acquainted with them. The most I’d heard about them was that they were two of the first people that Greer connected with and trusting Greer’s judgment of people, I let the cards fall where they may.
I didn’t want to admit that we possibly needed protection from Sadie and the possible threats she could lead our way, but I relented. Sadie can be ruthless when you get in her way. If it was just me, I’d probably have sent them packing. I expected them to go back to Blairsville when we left to go to Florida, but I was dead wrong. Poison and Banshee were joining us on our family vacation.
Eight hours and so many minutes later, we’re in Florida. Poison and Banshee take our bags upstairs and I go to the kitchen. The kids are outside playing with the other kids as us adults get everything situated. Before I can open the refrigerator, a beautiful bouquet of pink and white lilies with daisies is on the island. They smell magnificent. I take the little card attached and open it. My heart begins to pump faster than it has in the past couple of weeks.
Razzle Dazzle,
I cannot tell you how much I’ve missed you and the kids over the last two weeks. My morning’s gray without you and my days slowly fade into black. This is temporary and I hope that you believe that. You gave me a taste of the life I’ve always wanted and I’m not willing to give that away easily. This will be over soon and we will be getting married and I will be adopting Emerson and Xander along with you. I need you to understand that our US is still an us even though we are apart. We are an US regardless of the time and distance that separates us.
I love you and only you.
US always,
Tanner
The clearing of a throat has me spinning around to find the honey-colored behemoth standing in the doorway. The expression on my face sends Poison on full alert.
“What’s wrong?” He moves towards the flowers.
“Nothing. Nothing at all. They’re from Trigger.” He nods as though he understands.
“Okay. So why the tears?”
I wipe my face and feel the wetness. “Sorry.”
“No need to be sorry. I know what it feels like to want something so badly that it hurts, but you never really seem to get it.” I nod. “My foster parents used to talk about how they fell in love and the one thing I remember them saying was telling me that sometimes the greatest loves of our lives come about during a time when we’re unable to accept them.”
“I’ve lived that for years. I’ve loved Trigger since I was a little girl. He was my best friend and then he wasn’t. So I believe what you mean about not being able to be accepted. I’ve lived it and now I’m living it again with the hope that it’ll change for the better.”
“One day I hope that I’m as close to that goal as you are, but right now, it isn’t the right time.”
“I hope you conquer your great love too.”
He chuckles. “I will even if I have to take it.”
The kids barrel in the front door, feet pounding and Emerson screaming about a sleepover. She’s missed Trigger the most. He was her rock to lean on and then he was gone. She’s asked plenty of questions about when he’s coming back and I don’t want to get her hopes up, so I just tell her soon. No date. No timeline. Just soon.
I agree to a sleepover since I have Poison and Banshee as backup. There’s nothing better than eight kids under one roof. I may have lost my mind but I’d do anything to keep the smiles on their faces and their laughter ringing in my ears. At least if their happy, I know I’m doing something right or at least I hope.
***
Banging. Why is there always banging in the morning? Banging. Are they calling my name? Banging. More banging.
“Razz, get up. We’ve got company.” Banshee’s muffled voice comes through my bedroom door.
What the fuck? I just wanted to sleep in. “Be there in a minute.” I grumble.
Pulling myself together, I grab my robe and look at the clock. It’s barely nine in the morning. I go to the bathroom and handle my business, peeing and brushing my teeth. I don’t even worry about my hair. Whoever it is can kiss my ass. Their lucky I brushed my teeth. Slowly making my way down the steps, I see a nervous Ruth at the front door.
“Ruth. I wasn’t expecting you today.”
“I wasn’t expecting to come here today, but we need to sit down and have a talk.”
“Okay, come into the kitchen.” She follows me and takes a seat at the table. I pour myself a cup of coffee. “Would you like some coffee?” I glance over my shoulder at her while she pulls papers out of her bag.
“No, I’m good. Thank you though.”
I sit across from Ruth. “So what do I owe the pleasure?”
She passes me a sheet of paper. Glancing over it, I see it’s a complaint of negligence against me regarding the kids. I search the document for the complainant and wouldn’t you know, it’s anonymous.
“I’m sorry to have to do this, but I need to see the kids, as well as do a house check again.” I nod unable to speak. “If you could allow a place where I can speak with them privately.”
“Sure.”
I take Ruth to the basement where all eight kids are still sleeping. I nudge Xander. As his eyes flutter open, he stares at me and then the sweetest grin smooths over his lips. He looks behind me and the grin falls.
