“Be honest,” I told her. “From what King just told us, we were better off she left.”
“Danica never wanted to be a mother,” Rosa told me, the anger clear. “She wanted what came along with the title of being with an officer in the MC. Danica was smart and could see King was going places. She wanted to rise with him.”
I frowned. It was more or less what King told us. “How well did you know her? You always welcome the other wives in like family. Was it like that with her?”
“No,” she shook her head sadly. “It’s a different dynamic when a hang around ends up becoming an old lady. Not least because you always gotta wonder if your man has fucked her, you know. But Danica never made the effort.
“Even when she was a club girl, she looked down her nose at everyone. She didn’t have any friends. I tried, but most of the other girls didn’t care to. She was different. It was hard to relate to her.”
I thought about what she said for a while. “Do you know where she came from?”
“I do.” She glanced at the house. “Randy may be the strong silent type,” she gave a half smile, referring to her husband. “And he mostly follows the laws of the club, but occasionally,” she winks. “If you follow my meaning, he talks a little freely.”
I nodded to let her know I understood, even if it was a little disturbing thinking about their ‘pillow talk’ given Rosa and Ballistic were like an aunt and uncle to me. Also to reassure her I wouldn’t say anything to get either of them in trouble.
“Randy didn’t agree with bringing her in. She was from a rival club, but Dutch was a soft touch. He was a sucker for a pretty face and your mama, well, she was a walking, talking doll.”
Rosa reached over and pushed some of my hair back.
“Not a patch on you and that handsome brother of yours. You got the best parts of her and your dad.” She blew out a deep breath. Her eyes looked sad, like this really hurt her.
“Danica was ugly. Sorry to say it honey, but she was a raging bitch. We could all see it. But King was happy when he found out your mama was pregnant,” she smiled gently then, almost wistfully. “The day you two were born, I could see it in his face, you meant the world to him. I know it might not feel like it now, but your dad, he’d do anything for you. He would be devastated if anything happened to you.”
Somehow, I couldn’t picture that. Although, in his own way, King had made itseemas if he cared.
“When a man holds his child in his arms for the first time, you can tell instantly what it means to him. King lit up, held both of you together like two little bags of sugar,” she smiled at the memory.
“So, he’s talking about Danica?” she changed the subject. “That can’t be good, considering there is trouble with the Kingsmen.”
I explained to her what King told us and she nodded, confirming that was about as much as she knew. Ballistic had not been as forthcoming with the full story.
“Maybe you need to brush up on your skills,” I laugh.
“Pft, I will have you know Ballistic has never had to look elsewhere from the moment he met me. I know how to keep my man smiling.”
We both laughed at that, and Rosa clinked her bottle against mine.
As much as she had done to help me get away all those years ago, it was obvious Rosa thought I belonged here.
Rosa was the only person besides me and those involved who knew what happened that night. She’d been the one to help me leave before I was supposed to. It was something I had been planning for years, albeit believing my brother and my friends would be with me.
I had to go that night to spare everyone from hurting the way I was. Warren would have known as soon as he saw me that something was seriously wrong. I didn’t want him to know, or anyone else for that matter. It was my story and mine alone.
I’d come to this house, hoping none of the old ladies would be around because they usually went home when there wasn’t a special occasion at the clubhouse. I’d dragged myself up the stairs in the dark, trying to see through my tears.
Rosa had been there and found me. I’d begged her to not tell anyone, and she promised she would keep it to herself if I told her the whole truth.
Once I had, she’d taken me off the compound, cleaned me up. She gave me a packet of cash from her safe saying she would explain it to Ballistic when he realized it was gone. And the keys to a car her son was working on. He fixed up old cars to sell on.
Rosa hadn’t tried to talk me out of it, except to ask me to get some sleep before I went and leave early in the morning rather than go straight away. She thought if I did that, I’d change my mind, but I didn’t. I’d gone up to the spare room as she’d asked, knowing Ballistic wouldn’t be backhome that night, but I hadn’t slept, and I hadn’t stayed like I told her I would.
Once she was asleep, I grabbed everything, and I left. I called her along the way, so she knew I was okay. I hadn’t disappeared without a trace, and I was genuinely grateful to her for what she had done.
Not caring how it would affect her, she let King know I was safe. We kept in touch, and she told me Warren was ready to come get me when King stopped him.
Rosa didn’t know what was said to them that day, but Warren hadn’t tried to follow me again. He had tried to contact me constantly though, and it had been hard ignoring him at first.
I eventually sent him an email telling him I was fine, I was going to college like I planned, and I was living my life out from under the MC. It hadn’t been polite and had left little room open for further communication.
