“Did she say what she wants?” I haven’t spoken to my mother in a while. Our relationship hasn’t been the same in years, and I haven’t put effort into it in ages. She’s made it clear she didn’t like the way I was living my life, and I made it apparent to her how I didn’t want to live the same life she was living, how the spotlight isn’t something I ever wanted, nor something I was signing up for.
“Look, I didn’t ask, but the lady has lost her damn mind with the fit she’s throwing. I tuned most of it out, but she said somethin’ about your stepdad.” My eyes go wide at what Stiletto’s said, and now I want to know. I crave it more than anything.
Instantly, I need to know if he’s hurt, if he’s in the hospital, if he’s on his deathbed. I pray he is. A man like him deserves nothing less than a gruesome, slow death.
“Thanks for letting me know,” I tell Stiletto, walking past her and out of the room. I head through the club and exit the clubhouse. Pulling my keys out to the new custom ATV I just bought, I throw a leg around her, start her up and drive up to the gate. A rumbling sound comes from behind me, so I glance in my mirror and see Stiletto is on her way back to her post too.
Sure enough, as I get closer to the gate, it’s obvious to me this woman is indeed my mother. I pull my ATV up under the small carport area where the bikers usually park if they’re posted here. Ripper’s bike is here, and Stiletto pulls in beside me. I dismount my ATV and head over to the gate, looking through the chain-link fence. “What’re you doing here?”
“Shiloh, goodness, I’ve been trying to get in contact with you for weeks. Do you know the lengths I’ve gone to find you? Ugh, well, of course, you do. I’m here now, aren’t I?” Just like always, she doesn’t give me a second to reply.
“Can you answer the question, please?” I ask of her.
Stiletto comes up beside me and Ripper crosses his arms over his chest, looking between my mother and me.
“We need you to come back home. The state needs to see we’re all a big, happy, blended family. Your—”
“No. I told you I wouldn’t ever do this again.” My stepfather is in politics, and he always spoke about running for Governor, so I guess he’s finally pulling the trigger. Now that she’s here, right in front of me, I remember a while back she did manage to call me. I was drunk when I answered the phone and she briefly mentioned this to me, but I must not have thought anything of it. Hell, I probably thought it wasn’t going to happen. Fuck, and here we are.
She blinks rapidly at me like I’ve just struck her across the face. “Don’t be selfish, Shiloh. I’m asking you nicely to please come home and help us on the trail. This has been his dream and even if we have you for a few appearances, it’ll help us on our road to the polls.”
I take a step toward the fence and glare at her. “I’m not the one being selfish here. If it’s anyone, it’s you.”
“Oh, that’s rich. You’ve only ever—”
“Look, lady, I don’t know who you think you’re talking to, but Shiloh is the most selfless person I’ve ever met. She goes out of her way to accommodate people,” Stiletto sticks her nose in our business, but I don’t mind. Honestly, I needed some backup because my mother’s like a rabid dog. Once she has a bite, she just won’t let go. Makes sense why she’s in politics, huh?
“I don’t know who you are, but you don’t have any right speaking to me in this manner. My daughter and I handle things our own way, so I’d appreciate it if you can mind your own business.” My mother plasters on the fakest smile and looks right at me, opening her mouth and throwing me more bullshit about how I need to go home and it’s not right I’m not supporting the family.
I don’t even notice Stiletto go through the door in the gate and come up behind my mother until it’s too late. She’s grabbed her by the back of the hair and tosses her down on the ground. “You really wanna talk to me like that lady? Well, fine, but you’re sure as fuck going to get an ass beating with it too.” Stiletto hisses through clenched teeth as she grabs the back of my mother’s hair again and slams her face into the dirt.
My mother screams, but I don’t even move. If I freak out, it’s only going to make the situation worse. She begins to kick Stiletto and gets a good hit in her mid-section, managing to crawl away a few feet. “I’m going to sue and I’ll own this entire place! I’ll get you put in prison and I’ll take everything precious from whoever owns this property. I’ve just been assaulted!” she screams, as loud as can be.
Stiletto immediately halts, realizing what she’s done has put the club in major jeopardy.
My mother looks right at me. “Unless you give me something I want.”
We stare at each other for a few moments before I clear my throat. “One appearance, and that’s it. I go to one appearance and you forget you ever came here.” I hated my life as a kid in that house, but my life now is with the Reapers Rejects MC and I’m not going to have my bitch of a mother and her money-hungry lawyer be a threat to them. When you’re family, you do whatever you can to protect everyone else in it, even if it’s likely going to bring up every trauma of your childhood you buried deep down inside.
Chapter Five
Reset, refocus, readjust, restart—as many times as you need to, but never give up
~ Unknown
Hammer
Dracus, Tex, and I went out on a run early this morning into a neighboring town. We even brought Razor, who Zane is trying to determine if he’s a good match for Amara as the VP down in Mexico. He’s fluent in Spanish, which I’m sure is a plus, and he’s got history in the club life. He was a Nomad for many years but decided it was time to settle down. I don’t know too much about the guy, considerin’ he’s the silent type, but that’s cool. I’m not one of the brothers in the club who needs to know everythin’ about everyone. I respect the fact people want to keep some things private.
We’ve already been back at the club and it’s just Razor and me out now. Ashley had her baby girl, Rory, yesterday and Blackjack is hoping they’ll be able to come home tomorrow or the following day. Fuck, it’s crazy we have another baby around. Natalie, Grim’s ol’ lady, has been in the hospital for a while now. They’re trying to keep her baby in the oven and she’s on constant bedrest. I can’t remember the technical term for what Natalie has, but I do know she has to be on it, or the baby could die. Grim stopped by the other day for a few hours to check in on his kids. Well, they’re Natalie’s kids from her previous marriage, but they’re as much his now. He loves the damn kids like they’re his blood. Grim’s a good, stand-up guy. Grim ended up telling us when he stopped by that they could schedule a c-section since their baby is viable, but Natalie didn’t want to do that. She wants their baby to keep growing as much as possible, and I can’t blame her there. The woman probably feels like the only safe place for the little one is in her belly. Shit, they’ve been through so much already.