by Emily Minton
Walker’s right—so right, I can feel the bile rising up in my throat. Five grand is pennies compared to what Miles owes. If he’d take out a man for that, he’d do any fucking thing to get his million back, even take on Riot MC.
“Not if I get to him first,” I growl, my voice hard with determination.
Brass nods, his eyes cold. “My thoughts exactly.”
“The only problem is getting our hands on him,” Walker says with a shrug. “It’s not gonna be easy, brother.”
He lights up, pulling in a long drag, and passes the joint off to Brass. We all take a few hits, trying to work this shit out in our minds. I run a million different ideas through my head, quickly dismissing each and every one.
Taking another long pull from the joint, I look at my brothers. “I keep trying to think of a way we can get Ronni out of this, trying to figure out a simple solution, but this shit has complicated written all over it.”
“I’ve always liked complicated,” Brass says, leaning against the side of the desk. “Simple is just too fucking easy for me.”
My mind goes to Ronni, replaying her sweet I love you over and over in my head, and I realize he is right. Complicated is a hell of a lot more fun than simple.
Chapter Twenty-One
Van
Pulling up at my house, my eyes land on a familiar black car sitting in my driveway, and the urge to scream nearly overwhelms me. I can’t believe this shit is happening right now. I’m gone for two fucking hours, and Mom just happens to show up. That’s too damn convenient to be a coincidence.
Anger fills my body as I cut the engine and climb off my bike. A second later, I’m stomping up the porch, wondering what the fuck my mother is doing here. As soon as I hit the front door, I can hear Ronni’s dog barking in a way that I have only heard once before. It sounds like Denver is ready to tear someone to fucking pieces, and I’m betting my bitch of a mom is that person. Just as the door swings open, the sound of the bitch’s voice reaches my ear, and I grind my teeth together in aggravation.
“This little bitch is keeping me away from my granddaughter,” Mom shouts, the sound causing my anger to rise to its boiling point.
“I suggest you get your ass out of here before Van gets back. If he walks in here and finds you here causing trouble, you’re gonna be in a world of hurt,” Taz warns her, an edge to his voice.
“Too late,” I say, as I walk into the kitchen and look at Taz. “What the fuck is the cunt doing in my house? Why would you even let her around my woman and kid?”
Before he can answer, I look around the room and spy Ronni standing by the fridge with Cline hiding behind her. My little girl has tears in her eyes, and her body is shaking with fear. Ronni, on the other hand, is scowling at my mother. Her body is tense as if she is ready to jump on the bitch at any second.
“You can’t talk to me like that, Van.” Mom shouts, her hands on her hips. “I’m your mom and your Pres’s old lady. I deserve your respect.”
“You don’t deserve any fucking thing from me, woman.” I look into her cold eyes and smirk. “You may have pushed me out, but you’ve never been my mom. You’re nothing but my fucking incubator.”
Until I saw Ronni around Cline, I never really knew what a true mother was. She may not have carried my little girl for nine months, didn’t give birth to her, but she’s a mom in every way that matters. Ronni loves Cline in a way that I don’t think even Regina loves her. Hopefully, she stays around to give my girl that love for the rest of her life.
“I can’t wait to hear what Tito has to say about the way you are talking to me,” Mom says, a smirk covering her face. “I’m betting you won’t be wearing that VP patch much longer, not after he finds out how you spoke to his old lady.”
I laugh, full on belly laugh, as soon as she finishes talking. It’s fucking hilarious that she still thinks she has any power to a man who refuses to even crawl in her bed. She’s either bluffing her ass off, or she is blind as fuck. I’m guessing it’s a little bit of both.
“Oh, the patch will still be on my chest,” I say, smiling at her before delivering a hit that will have her pissing her pants. “I just wonder if yours will. It’s a hell of a lot easier to replace an old lady than it is to get a new VP.”
Her hand instantly goes to her old lady’s cut, covering Tito’s property patch. By the look on her face, it appears she never considered he’d take her cut. The bitch wears the shit like armor. Where most of the old ladies only wear theirs during runs or at parties, my mother never takes hers off.
She takes a deep breath then pastes on one of her fake ass smiles “I didn’t mean to cause any problems.”
She does this shit, thinks one smile can fix everything. When I was little, I was hungry for her affection. I’d forgive her anything if she’d just say a few kind words and smile my way. That was before I learned how evil she was behind that smile. Now, just seeing her lips tip up causes my stomach to roll in disgust.
“Really?” I ask, my voice filled with anger. “Then, why the hell were you screaming your head off when I walked in the door.”
She looks over to Ronni, not even bothering to hide the hate in her eyes, then looks back at me. “I just wanted to see my granddaughter, but she wouldn’t let me. She refused to even let me give Cline a hug.”
“I can’t say I blame her, considering she knows all too well how you treat kids.” Taking a deep breath, I shake my head. “Why did you decide to come visit Cline now, since you never do. Fuck, I can’t even remember the last time you even asked about her.”
“That’s not true,” she states with a shake of her head. “I love Cline. You know how much I love her.”
Ignoring her response, I ask the question that I have been waiting to ask since I walked in the door. “How did you know Ronni was here?”
She can bullshit all she wants, but I know that is why she is here. If she didn’t know about Ronni, she’d never be here. That means someone must’ve fucking talked, and I want to know who. When I find out, they’re gonna pay.
She stares at me a second before answering. “It was the prospect, Jerimiah. I saw him today, and he told me that the Pres’ daughter had been to the clubhouse.”
I think about the prospect and get more pissed. I knew he was going to bring trouble, just knew it, and I tried to tell Tito, but he wouldn’t listen. No matter how much it pisses off Rio, his nephew will definitely have to go now. He should’ve known, new or not, to not go running his mouth about shit that happens at the clubhouse.
I walk past her, not trusting myself to say anything at the moment, and head straight to my girls. Lifting my chin to Ronni, I bend down and pull Cline into my arms. She immediately buries her face in my chest and starts to sob. Realizing how upset she is, it takes all my willpower not to pull out my piece and put a bullet deep in my mother’s head.
“It’s gonna be okay,” I whisper, holding her until her sobs start to quiet down. “Daddy’s here now.”
Finally, Cline pulls back just enough to look at me. “She called Ronni a bad name and said she was gonna make sure she went away and never came back. I don’t want to lose Ronni. I love her. Please, don’t make her go away.”
Ronni is bent down before the last word leaves Cline’s mouth. She pulls my daughter from me and starts whispering in her ear. I’m not sure what she is saying, but I know it’s the right thing when Cline starts smiling. That smile is enough to bring my anger down a notch.
Cline slowly turns to me with a smile on her face, and says, “Ronni’s staying. We’re gonna be friends forever.”
I nod, giving my daughter a smile in return. “That’s good, darlin’.”
I look over to Ronni and cock my brow. She doesn’t say anything, just continues to scowl at my mother. Her anger is so fucking thick; I can nearly taste it. There is no doubt in my mind, if Cline wasn’t here, Ronni’s fist would be flying. My mom’s a scrapper, been in more than a few fights at the club, but I doub
t even she could take Ronni at this moment.
Knowing I need to get my mother out of here, I straighten up to my full height and look back to Mom. “I’ve told you more than once; I don’t want you here. If you so much as set foot in my house again, I’m gonna go have a talk with Dad.”
For some reason, just the mention of my father has always put Mom on edge. It’s like she is scared to death of him. That fear hasn’t lessened any in all the years he’s been behind bars. I have no fucking idea why. As far as I know, he has never so much as laid a hand on her. Still, she is freaked out by nothing more than the mention of his name.
She stares at me for a minute before turning on her heels and stomping out of the house. I watch her go, waiting until the door shuts behind her, then pull both Ronni and Cline into my arms. The entire time I hold them, I imagine burying the bitch six feet under.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Van
Leading Taz into the living room, I can feel my anger about to boil over. I can’t believe the shit that was coming out of my mother’s mouth. Fuck, I always thought she was just mean as hell. Now, I’m starting to wonder if she isn’t fucking crazy, too. I wait until I hear the sound of Cline’s door shutting, knowing that she and Ronni won’t be able to hear anything that is said. They’ve heard enough screaming for one day.
Putting my finger in Taz’s face, I shout, “Why the fuck didn’t you put that bitch out as soon as she stepped into the house?”
If he can’t even protect Ronni from my mother, how the fuck am I supposed to trust him to have her back when real danger comes calling. I truly think the shit with her stepbrother is behind her, but we won’t know that until she turns twenty-five and gives the money away. Until then, I need to know she is protected at all times.
“How the hell was I supposed to do that?” he asks, not backing down a bit. “Did you want me to toss her over my shoulder and throw her out the fucking door?”
“That would have been a hell of a lot better than you letting her pull her bitch act in front of Cline and Ronni,” I reply, my body still vibrating with anger.
“That woman is my President’s old lady. She’s also my VP’s mother. No matter how much I wanted to, I couldn’t lay her ass out,” he says, letting me hear his anger. “The only thing I could do is make sure she didn’t get her hands on Cline and Ronni. Even then, I was walking a fine line. One wrong move and I’d not only lose my cut but my life, too.”
As much as I hate to admit it, he’s right. Well, at least, he thinks he is. As an old lady and a mother of a member, Mom has the club’s protection. Being connected to Tito and me, that protection goes to a whole new level.
“Tito is done with her. He is gonna eighty-six her as soon as he gets out,” I explain, even though it’s not my place to share the shit. “I cut the woman out of my life a long fucking time ago, so she’s not protected anymore.”
Taz just shrugs and says, “She’s still protected until he cuts her loose. She’s still wearing his patch, so his intentions don’t mean shit. Unless she does something to actually hurt Veronica or Cline, I can’t lay a fucking finger on her.”
Fuck, he’s right. Tito may be ready to turn his back on her, but as long as she is wearing his patch, she is still considered the President’s old lady. Walking over to the couch, I plop down and try to think of a way to fix this shit, and only one thing comes to mind.
Leaning back against the couch, I let out a frustrated groan and say, “I’m gonna have to go talk to Tito tomorrow about bringing Ronni’s friend down to show Ram how to do her little phone trick. While I’m there, I’ll get his okay to eighty-six her myself.”
He shakes his head, running a hand through his hair. “Are you actually gonna kick your own mom to the curb?”
“I already did a long fucking time ago,” I tell him, not feeling a bit guilty. “She brought this shit on herself, so I’m not gonna feel an ounce of pain taking her old lady cut.”
Even as the words leave my mouth, I realize how true they are. I feel nothing, not a fucking thing, for what my mother is going to lose. It won’t just be her old man; it’ll be her entire way of life, but I don’t give a shit. To me, she’s just another bitch that I would happy to never see again. Hell, I’d be happy if I could forget that she even exists.
Taz shoots me a sarcastic smile before changing the subject.” Are you gonna tell him you’re keeping his daughter in your bed?”
“Fuck no,” I mumble with a shake of my head.
Sooner or later, Tito is gonna find out. I just don’t want him finding out while he is doing time. I don’t want him with nothing but time on his hands to think about ways to make me pay. The brother is creative enough on the fly; he doesn’t need time to dwell on it.
“You may be getting pussy here, but I’m not, so I’m heading to the clubhouse to get me some,” he says and walks away.
Before he steps out of the room, I issue an order. “Before you find you a piece of ass, rip off Jerimiah’s cut and teach him a lesson. Make sure he knows to never step foot on Riot property ever again.”
“I can handle that. Kick ass then get a piece of ass.” He nods. “I’ll be beating some pussy, either way you look at it.”
Ronni walks into the room as soon as Taz walks out. She smirks at him, letting him know she heard what he said. My brother smiles, shooting her a wink. She waits until he hits the front door to turn my way. I can tell by the look on her face that something is wrong. I’m guessing she is still pissed about Mom. I can’t say I blame her, but there is no way I’m going to apologize. It’s not my fault my mother is such a fucking cunt.
“Where’s Cline?” I ask, breaking the silence.
“Up in her room, cuddling with Denver and watching cartoons.” She looks uncomfortable. “We need to talk, and I didn’t want her to hear what I have to say.”
Lifting my chin to her, I reply, “Say what you’ve gotta say.”
“I think something is going on with Cline, and whatever that something is, it’s not good.” She comes over to sit down beside me. “I know she’s your daughter, so it’s not really my business, but I’m worried about her.”
I don’t know what I was expecting her to say, but it sure in the hell wasn’t that. Just the thought that something is happening with Cline, and I didn’t know about it, has my heart thumping against my ribcage. I want to shout, ask her what the fuck she is talking about. Instead, I pull in a deep breath and try to keep my shit together.
“What are you talking about?” I ask, sounding much calmer than I actually am.
“You saw how upset she got when she broke the jar of olives before,” she explains, looking me in the eye. “Her reaction was over the top, way too extreme for just an accident, especially when you consider that neither one of us was upset with her.”
“Yeah, she got really upset,” I reply, not quite knowing what she wants me to say. “What’s your point?”
She shakes her head, frustration filling her eyes. “The other day, she cried when Denver knocked over one of the kitchen chairs. When I went to push Denver out of the way so I could pick up the chair, she started begging me not to hit him.”
I let out a relieved breath, realizing she doesn’t know my daughter as well as she thinks. “She does that, gets upset like that. She’s always afraid she is going to get in trouble, even though she hardly ever does. She’s been like that, freaking out over little shit, ever since she started talking in complete sentences. I think it’s just part of her personality.”
Ronni shakes her head before reaching over and grabbing my hand. “Haven’t you ever wondered why it’s part of her personality?”
I think back over the years, remembering endless nights of worry. Every time she freaked out, I would go into protective mode, trying to make everything better. Even when she calmed down, I’d stay on edge for days, wondering why the fuck she reacted in such a way.
I stare at her for a second before nodding my head. �
�It used to drive me fucking nuts. I tried telling her not to get so upset all the time, told her that nothing she could do would make me not love her, but that just seemed to make it worse.”
She looks at me for a few seconds before letting go of my hand and standing up. Walking over to the window, she stares out, not saying a word. The room is completely silent a few long moments before she turns around and stares in my direction.
“I used to be like that, apologizing anytime I so much as coughed. I was always afraid of getting screamed at or even hit,” she says, her voice filled with pain. “I was like that after spending too much time with my mom and stepdad. I was even worse when I spent time with your mom.”
I get where she is going with this, and I’m not liking it one bit. “Cline has never been around my mom. The bitch doesn’t even ask about her, much less see her, so you don’t need to worry about that. I would never let that bitch put a finger on Cline.”
Walking over to me, she sits down and cuddles into my side. “Van, your mother isn’t the only bitch in the world.”
I feel a wave of trepidation make its way through me. “What are you trying to say?”
She grabs my hand, weaving her fingers through mine. “She may not be around your mom, but she spends a lot of time with her own mother.”
Understanding what she is saying, my whole body goes taut with tension. So many emotions are running through me that my head is spinning. Anger unlike anything I have ever felt fills me. Shame is also there, shame that I didn’t even realize what was happening to my little girl. There is also a hint of fear in there, fear that I won’t be able to fix this.
“Fuck,” I growl, jumping up from the couch and running a hand through my hair. “Are you saying that you think Regina is hurting her?”
“I don’t know, but I think that is something you need to find out,” she says, her brown eyes swimming with tears.
