by Quinn, Vera
“If you want my cooperation with anything at all, you will walk away from that door and take your anger out on me because I swear if you touch one hair on Cage’s head, I will kill you myself and that will end the hell that we live in.” Rico laughs and releases the doorknob. Rico is on me before I can prepare, and my face is left open for him to pummel with his fist and he does.
“Rico, stop! No one will want that little bitch if her face looks like raw hamburger meat. Hit her body not her face,” Jen yells. Rico stops and steps back. I hurt all over and I don’t dare open my eyes or uncurl from the ball I’m in.
“Look what you made me do? It’ll be two weeks before Cassius will look at you. You did this on purpose didn’t you?” Rico is yelling.
“Think, Rico, damn, you say I’m using too much blow and look at you. Beth doesn’t even know what you have planned, you didn’t get to that part,” Jen says.
“Fuck, you’re right. The whole damn reason we’re here. The bitch just drives me crazy with how protective of that kid she is instead of doing what she should be doing by helping us. This is for our family and she has to do her part.” Rico and Jen are both too high to know what they’re saying. I just want them gone. I take my shirt off and try to get my nose to quit bleeding. I walk to the laundry room and slowly open the door. I grab a towel and replace my shirt. I throw the shirt in the trash can and grab a t-shirt off a hanger and put it on. My nose is not going to stop anytime soon. I always bleed a lot from my nose. “Get back in here. We have things to discuss and you are going to need to get on board with our plan. It’s time you help this family. Family is all we have, and this can’t be discussed at the clubhouse or anywhere else. No one knows our plans but us. When this plan goes the way I have it planned out, then the three of us will be set and I’m not cutting the club in on our gains. That means when you’re around Blade, you do not breathe a word of any of this. He’s going to be the one that takes the fall if this falls through and no one will be the wiser. For some reason Blade has decided that you will be the perfect ol’ lady for him. He’s always been on the picky side when it came to his women and not wanting to share them. When Jen threw you under the bus by telling Blade that you were a virgin, he had his mind set. He’s determined to have your innocence.” Rico looks deep in thought. “The thing is that Cassius will only help me take the Troubled Fathoms’ club down if he gets you. Jen was supposed to take that position, but she’s not mother material and Cassius is looking for a woman to give him some children. I need to be doing the same thing when this is over.” Rico’s thoughts are scattered. “The thing is, there is only one you and both these men are important to my plan in different ways. Blade is expendable if I have Cassius’s help and that’s where you come in. Cassius wants a ring on your finger before he puts his first child inside you, and he wants you to come to him of your own free will. He doesn’t want to have to worry about you running off with his offspring. If things work out right, you’ll only have to play the doting wife until the Troubled Fathoms are run out of their territory or Cassius is taken out. I will take his territory either way it works out for me. I will get the power to take out whoever is left standing between the street thugs or the bastards that think they are better than we are.” This is the first I’ve heard any of this. Why would anyone want me? I knew my brother and sister thought I was a virgin but it’s not true. I had sex with one boy that I went to school. He was my boyfriend but after our first date he disappeared. I don’t mean from just my life I mean from everyone. Rico swears he had nothing to do with it, but I don’t believe him for a second. After that, no boy would even look at me in school. I have kept this secret since I was in high school. School was the only place I was ever allowed to go but for some reason Jen talked Rico into letting me go to a high school football game and then the homecoming prom afterward. Rico even let Jen take me to get a nice outfit to wear. It was one of the best nights of my life, not because of the sex, but it was a taste of freedom from my brother and sister. Peter was the only boy that ever paid me any attention, and he made me feel beautiful and like my life could get better one day when I was old enough to get away from my family. I thought that night might be a new beginning, but it wasn’t. The sex was over before it ever felt good. I mean I read about how sex can be good in my romance books, but it was never that way and afterward it was just awkward between us. Now I just hope it doesn’t cause me more problems.
“I don’t know these men so how can you expect me to be with one of them? I can’t pretend I want something or someone if I don’t. I would be better off just staying here and watching after Cage.” Rico turns to me and steps closer.
“If you don’t do what I say, that boy in the bedroom will feel my fists on him. You should know that if you go to Cassius and he isn’t happy with you that he will sell you to an associate of his. Then you will have it worse and probably end up dead. Pretty little girls aren’t his only targets to sell. I’m sure Cage would bring a decent price on the black market so think about that. You will do as your told and if you make me hit you again by being mouthy, that boy in there, the one you love so much, will pay for your mouth. Do you understand what I am saying?” Rico is seething. “Answer me.”
“I won’t give you any problems.” I know what I need to do now, and I can’t wait anymore.
“We’re supposed to meet Grater at the clubhouse. You know if Blade sees him first that he’s going to rub it in his face that he’s getting Beth. If you want me to calm him down, then I need to be there.” Rico gives me an evil smile. Grater was another man in the club that approached Rico about claiming me.
“You see, Jen knows her place. She minds me when we need to take care of business. You’ll get on board. Get some ice on that face.” Rico walks over to the door and Jen meets him there from the other direction. “Jen will be back tomorrow to take you shopping for some new clothes. Listen to her so you will look nice or there will be consequences for the two of you.” Rico opens the door and they leave. The door is no more shut, and Cage is back in the living room with me.
“I’m going to grow up and kill Rico and my mom. I hate them both.” No, Rico and Jen can’t poison this sweet boy. I won’t allow it. I reach for Cage and bring him close to me and hug him. I throw the towel to the floor and hug Cage tighter. I get as close to Cage’s ear as I can, and I whisper,
“It’s time, Cage. Go take a shower and dress to leave. After we have dinner, I’ll go over to Ms. Snead’s and we are putting our plan into action. Don’t say a word or do anything out of the ordinary. Can you do this for me?” I don’t know if we are being watched or if Rico has this placed bug. I don’t think he does, but I won’t take any chances on getting caught because if we do, there will be no second chances. I just hope my gut is right and Krill is still the good boy I remember. I’ll come back and face whatever consequences await me. “We’re going to your dad and he will keep you safe.” I release Cage and he looks at me. I know he’s anxious about what he’s going into. He doesn’t know the other side of his family. “Go get your shower while I fix us a sandwich.”
“Let me help you. You’re hurt. I’m old enough to make us sandwiches. You were protecting me. I heard Rico. I know you let him hurt you, so he wouldn’t hurt me. Please, Bethany, let me help you now.” I know my little man needs this.
“Alrighty, let’s make us a sandwich but then you are in the shower.” I let him know with my eyes that we need to get out of here as soon as possible. He nods his head and lets me know he understands. Cage helps me make my way into the kitchen and we make ourselves the last meal we will ever eat in this kitchen together.
Chapter Four
Jen
It didn’t take long for Grater and Rico to move their conversation into Rico’s office. I know only one of them will be walking out of that room again. That’s what Rico does; he uses someone until they are used up and then he ties up loose ends by getting rid of the problem, or I should say the person in his way. I know the story to the clu
b will be that Grater was stealing from the club or something along those lines. Rico preaches about his legacy of the club and how great he is going to make it, but the only person he has loyalty to is himself. One day, I’ll be the loose end that he needs to clean up and that’s why I have decided to take steps to make that impossible.
I’m not the stupid little twit that Rico thinks that I am. I have known since right after Dad’s death that it was Rico that killed him. Rico wanted the club as his. He said Dad was weak and let the club get run out of our territory. It was Rico that told me to get close to Krill when I was still in high school. It was the first time that Rico used my body to help his cause. Krill was an enjoyable time for me. I had been on lockdown since I hit puberty by my dad and Rico. Krill was my first taste of sex and I loved it. The only thing I regret is being stupid enough to let Rico talk me into getting knocked up. I never wanted children and still don’t. I don’t want to see Cage hurt by Rico, but I have no feelings for that little boy at all. That’s why I haven’t let Rico know about the money that Beth has set back to run and the reason I’ve been dragging my feet with the attorneys on the vitiation hearings. I would bet my last dollar that by tomorrow morning, Beth and Cage will be making their way to Krill. I never had anything against Krill the way Rico did. Krill can make a woman have orgasm after orgasm all night long, and I’ve learned in the years since I have been with the man that every man does not have that talent or the patience to do it. No, Krill is by far the best lover I have ever had, but something else that Krill has is he knows who he is as a man. I couldn’t wrap Krill around my finger by enticing him with sex. He was too far up the ass of the Troubled Fathoms MC and his dad. I knew his dad would make him go into the military as soon as we were out of high school. All the Troubled Fathoms have done their time in the military and Hawser’s boys were no different. The entire time I was with Krill, I fed my brother all the little tidbits of information I heard. It wasn’t a lot, but Rico compensated me well for anything I could get and that kept me in money.
With Beth gone then Cassius will turn his attention back to me. I have always been one of his favorites, but he knows I’m not mother material. My plans are for Cassius to set up a woman to give him the children he wants and to raise them. I don’t know why men think they need children to carry their names on. Just look at my dad and see how that can play out.
Rico can either be neutralized by Cassius and take his orders from me, or like I was thinking before, I will get the pleasure of ending him. Beth will find a way to stay in Cage’s life and Krill will keep them both close and safe from Rico. I should feel some jealousy toward Beth, but I don’t. I mean everyone wants her because she is so damn innocent and beautiful. If there is one person in this world that I have good feelings toward, it is Beth. I think it’s because I spent so much time with her when Ma ran off. Beth and I were close. She was the first person that gave me unconditional love and never tried to use me. I know I use her to get the heat off me when Rico is around, but I hope she makes a clean break and gets away from us. I have decided to give her a twenty-four-hour head start and then I’ll let Rico know she is gone. If Beth can’t get away with that big of a head start, then she deserves to be caught. Maybe Krill will fall in love with our little Beth and they can raise Cage together. Beth has everything she needs to make that happen. Every time I let myself think about the time that Krill and I spent together, they are only good thoughts. I hold no grudges against Krill. He was a good boyfriend to me, and he almost made me wish that I was that sweet girl he thought I was—almost. I knew if I let myself be that girl that I would turn into a woman like my ma. A woman full of hate and regret. No, I will never be that way. I like my life and I will like it more when I get everything just the way I want it, and that means Beth and Cage need to get away. Run, Beth, because if you come back here, I will have to get rid of you and I would feel bad if I had to do that myself.
Chapter Five
Krill
The doctor has been here and took blood and hair samples from Dra. Dra went to sleep, and he is settled for now. Doc says Dra is coming down and he will be in later to check on him. Doc said Dra is crashing and he should be out a while. Doc started an IV on Dra to flush his body out. Dra will be in a lockdown rehab when he leaves here. Doc made the arrangements with a friend of his and Doc assured me that after the detox period that we would be able to see and talk to Dra. Dra is going to need to man up and fight this addiction or he’ll lose the club along with the rest of his family. I know Maddie won’t be forgiving Dra this time. I think I would be a little disappointed in her if she did. Maddie, B, and Lucas deserve better. I love my brother, but he has fucked up one too many times. I fucked up too. I let my personal life blind me from what was happening right in front of me, so I feel responsible in part for what happened. I won’t give up my fight to be in my son’s life, but I will be more aware of the things that I am responsible for.
Banger has been closemouthed and he didn’t like having to give a blood and hair sample for the Doc. I tried to get a blood sample out of Kim, but she wasn’t being cooperative. Instead of having Maudi throw her out, I had Kim put in another room. I want to keep her on lockdown for a week or so. I am going to make sure she isn’t pregnant before she leaves this place. I know the club girls are all kept on birth control, but experience has taught me to be careful. Jen was supposed to be on the pill, and we know that wasn’t a hundred percent because Cage is here now. This is one thing I can do for Dra. If I were in his shoes, I would want to make sure.
When Dra wakes up, the doc said he was going to want more drugs. That’s not the best time to have a serious conversation with a person but it will have to do. I knew ever since the explosion that Dra has been different. I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I didn’t know how to help him. Dra couldn’t talk to me, and I didn’t know he carried such bitterness within him about me being president of the club. I felt guilt for having the position but didn’t realize that was the reason for Dra being off. I knew he wasn’t ready for the responsibility for being the president. Hell, I wasn’t ready, but I’m not as hot-tempered as Dra. Dra needed to deal with losing Dad, Gram, and then Callie. He no more had dealt with that and he was tracking Maddie with B, but I thought he had settled into being a husband and dad. I thought that he and I would run this club together as brothers. Now here we are, and Dra has lost his family and facing the fight of his life to get off drugs. I don’t know how deep into addiction that Dra is. I could be making mountains out of molehills, as Gram would say, but until Dra wakes up all I can do is worry. I hear a knock on my office door and I get out of my chair, walk to the door open it. Rictor, a prospect, is standing there.
“Brass called up from the front gate and there is some chick to see you and she has a kid with her.” Rictor steps back, and I walk out the door and close it behind me. I walk into the bar area and take my phone out and it rings as I do. I look at the number and it’s Brass.
“Yeah,” I give my usual phone greeting.
“Bethany is here with Cage in tow and they are headed your way.” I disconnect the call from Brass without saying anything. The only thing going through my head is how. I make my feet move with my heart beating fast. I am finally going to see my son. The son I have missed so much with. I push the door open with more force than is needed, and it goes back and hits the wall. I see a new-looking Toyota pull up right beside me. I see the side of Bethany’s face and you can tell someone has hit her more than once. I hear the door on the passenger side close, but I can’t take my eyes off Bethany as she sits there looking at me with tears running down her face. I feel someone standing beside me, and I look and see my eyes staring back at me from a boy that owns my heart even though he hasn’t said a word to me. A boy that I know belongs to me and I belong to him. He’s my son and I take a step closer to the boy, but I don’t want to scare him. I want to hug him to me and never let him go, but I stand still and let him decide the next move.
“Are you rea
lly my dad?” Cage asks me.
“The blood test confirmed that I am your dad. Are you alright with that?” Cage looks at his feet. I can’t tear my eyes away from him.
“Are you going to keep me and Bethany safe from Rico and Mom? I don’t want Bethany hurt for protecting me anymore. Rico hurts her bad. Bethany told me that you don’t hurt people like that, and you will protect me, but if you’re going to protect me, then you have to protect Bethany too. We’re a package deal.” My son wants to bargain for his aunt’s protection. The boy just doesn’t know I would do anything for him, and if Bethany has protected my boy then I owe her all the protection that she needs from Rico. The thing is, I don’t understand why he included Jen in with Rico. I don’t like the sound of this.
“I will protect you and Bethany with my life.” It’s only a second before my boy is hugging me to him and it is the best hug I have ever had. I reach down and lift Cage under his arms and bring him up and hug him to me. It’s the best feeling in the world. I feel like my heart just grew with love and I will kill anyone that ever tries taking my son from me again. Cage will be in my life and I will be a very important part of his life. Bethany gets out of the car and I see that she has wiped the tears from her eyes.
“Can we go inside so we won’t be seen? I can’t stay very long. I need to get back before I’m missed. They more than likely know we’re gone already.” We move toward the front door, but Bethany turns back and reaches in the car for two backpacks. I hold the door open for Cage to walk in, but he won’t enter until Bethany is beside him and they walk in together. I follow closely behind them. I am full of questions and all eyes are on us as we walk through the club. I see Whistler and Scout at the bar, and I motion for them to follow us into my office. I walk around Bethany and Cage and open the door and they follow me in with Whistler and Scout close behind. I point to the sofa close to the windows.
