Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 59120 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59120 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
“So...you said yes?” I urge.
“Yes!” she cries. “Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!”
“Then I am so happy for you.”
She claps with delight and Chief grins.
I hug them both, and then sit back in the chair, yawning. I am exhausted; that movement was enough to warrant a nap.
“Go get some rest, honey,” Mom says. “You look exhausted.”
“I’m heading home today. Nurse said I’m free.”
Chief looks relieved. “Is Travis picking you up?”
I hesitate. “He said...he would.”
Chief studies me, concern etching his brow. “What’s wrong, baby?”
I swallow, my chest tightening again. “Oh. It’s nothing. I’m just tired.”
“I’ll take you back to your room, you can have a rest before you leave,” Mom says, climbing out of the bed and putting her arm around me.
“I’m glad you’re awake, old man,” I smile, before turning and walking out.
When I’m back in my bed, I can’t help but wonder what is happening downstairs.
I know Travis is a good and kind person, and he will help anyone if given the chance, but something is very wrong with this situation.
I just don’t know how to get him to see that.
15
Tears pour down my cheeks as I watch the coffins being carried in. Travis sings softly, and a light rain drizzles over the cemetery. Three coffins, three of our family, three of Chief’s brothers gone. I feel a hand tighten around mine—it’s my mom. We wear simple black dresses; I’ve pulled on dark sunglasses. Around us, thirty or more bikers are lined up, heads bowed, their shining bikes a testament to the bond they share.
“To our men, our brothers, our family—may you rest in peace. Drink all the beer you can and enjoy all those beautiful women in heaven,” Chief calls, as they line the coffins up to be lowered into the ground.
The funerals were so sad, and hard to watch, but coming here and seeing them being lowered into the ground is a whole new level of shock and pain.
All the men raise their hands and cheer. My eyes find Chief—he’s red-eyed, staring at the coffins. I know he blames himself. Never mind whose fault it was; he’s the President, and those were his men. My mom steps away, choking on a sob. I bow my head in a silent prayer. Chief eventually walks over and pulls me into his arms.
“You take your momma home, ok?”
I pull back. “I will. Are you okay?”
“I’ll be alright. We’ll be home later.”
I force a weak smile. Jasmine comes over and stands beside me, taking my hand. I squeeze hers. Chief strokes my cheek, then Jasmine’s. “My girls take care, won’t ya? I’ll be home later.”
We both nod. I slip away to see Travis before we leave.
“You staying?” I ask him.
He nods, his face impassive. “Yeah, I will go ride with them.”
I lean in, kissing him.
We haven’t spoken about the Janice situation again, other than him telling me she was okay. I didn’t ask any more questions, I just can’t focus on that right now, not with the funerals and Chief getting out of the hospital. It has been enough to take in, without adding anything else. I have received another letter from whoever the fuck is obsessed with Travis since I have been home, and the more I think about it, the more I start to wonder if it’s Janice.
Right now, I can’t think about it.
We make our way home, and just as I am about to prepare a coffee for Mom and Reagan, my phone rings. An unfamiliar number. I swipe to answer.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Violet? It’s Amber’s grandma Dolores, we met a while back. I hope you don’t mind, I got your number from Bill, he said you weren’t home when I stopped in. I just wanted to see how Travis has been doing? I see he is clean, and passing all his checks, and Amber has been asking about him...”
“Hi,” I respond, still shocked she is calling. “I don’t mind at all. He has been doing really well. I know he misses her a lot.”
“Look, we got off on the wrong foot, I was quite rude. I know I am over the top, but Amber is all I have. I just...”
“It’s okay,” I say, my voice gentle. “You are protecting what you love, I respect that.”
“I don’t think badly about your club, for what it’s worth. It just triggered me. After losing my daughter, I wanted to blame everyone else for her choices, but in the end they were just that...hers.”
“Nobody is judging you for protecting what you love,” I tell her. “I admire it, to be honest.”
She goes silent for a minute. “Amber loves Travis, and the last thing I want to do is take that from her, or him. So, I was thinking it might be time to arrange a visit. I have been advised they are to be supervised for now, but it can be anyone I choose. I think it’s important she sees him.”