“I’m going to share something with you that Zoey hasn’t told anyone. It’s something she and Indiana wanna deal with on their own,” Van says, lifting her upper body away from me so she can peer into my eyes.
“I’m all ears, baby. Is something wrong with our girl? Should I be worried?” I shoot my questions off in rapid succession.
“Calm down,” Van coos, rubbing her hand up and down my sternum in an attempt to cool my jets.
“I’ll calm down when I know there’s nothing to get worked up about,” I snap.
“I’m not going to tell you if you don’t settle down. Not everything can be taken care of with brutal force, you neanderthal.”
“Never came across anything I can’t handle with my fists if the need arises,” I reply. “But if you don’t tell me, I’m going to imagine the worst and go into a rage.”
“I shouldn’t have brought this up,” she says, a frown marring her face.
“But you did so there’s no backing out now, baby. Tell me what’s going on with her girl that can explain her spunky attitude. If I don’t know what’s going on, I won’t know how to adjust my own temperament and deal with it.”
“You know how the town is divided between supporting the Kings and the ones who’ve bought into the city council’s bullshit?” I nod my head because this isn’t news to me. That damn pussy of a sheriff has been running his mouth and nothing more than shit is leaking out of it, but there are some who’ve known him for the entirety of his life who think he shits out pots of gold. How they can’t see around his façade is a mystery to me. The pissant motherfucker has two faces, one of which I want to rearrange. Immensely. “Some of those individual’s kids are harassing Elodie in school.”
“Harassing her, how?” I ask, my body stiffening and my back going ramrod straight.
“It’s bad, Rush. She’s become an outcast. Nobody wants to sit beside her at lunch, nobody picks her as a partner for projects, and she plays by herself during recess.”
“And what do the kids whose parents support us do?” I probe.
“They’re indifferent,” she remarks.
“Care to expand on that, Van?”
“They don’t want to become targets themselves so they completely ignore her as if she doesn’t exist. It’s caused her to create a protective barrier around herself and act out at home where it’s safe for her to do so. She lashes out because she truststhat no matter how ‘bratty’ she is, we will never stop loving her and spending time with her. She can be as rude as she wants to be around us and we’ll still be there.”
“Damn straight we will be,” I grumble. “Should I call a meeting with our supporters and let them know that it’s unacceptable and the club takes it as a slight against us? I’ve never been in this situation so I’m not sure how to handle it? This is different because it involves children, and we all know when I’m addressing an issue that pisses me off, I don’t wear kid gloves.”
“Zoey wants to homeschool her, but she also wants to make sure Elodie has some socialization. There aren’t any charter schools nearby and any extra-curricular activities she signs her up for will have those same kids involved. I’m not sure what the answer or solution is, but something’s gonna have to give soon or Elodie is going to become a shell of herself.”
“I’ll talk to Indiana and see what he wants to do. Whatever that is, the club and I will back him. I think our best bet would be a town hall meeting or starting up our own school,” I state. “Not to mention the fact that if Icer gets wind of this, fucking headswillroll. She’s his princess and he isn’t going to letanyonefuck with her.”
“Want my advice?” she asks. When I nod my head indicating I would like to hear her opinion, she continues. “A community meeting involving the entire town would be counterproductive at this time. It’ll let those who are against us know they’ve gotten under our skin and will keep encouraging their kids to continue being shitheads. Find your supporters and start putting bugs in their ears. Let them know if this keeps happening, then we’ll react in kind and start pulling our protection as well as the funds we donate to the town and local businesses from their coffers.”
“I knew you would be the perfect old lady the first time I laid eyes on you,” I praise, leaning over and pecking her on the temple. “I’ll get the brothers on it.”
CHAPTER
FOURTEEN
Van
Even though Rushis technically on vacation, he’s still meeting with his core officers to talk over the problem involving Elodie. He’s had a hard time finding sleep knowing what she’s going through at school. What time he does catch any shuteye, it’s fitful and he’s not getting any true rest.
Bullies will never change. Like leopards, they can’t change their spots and are a product of their environment. If an asshole raises you, nine-tenths of the time, you’ll turn into one yourself. Unfortunately, it happens around the globe on a daily basis and affects people in all walks of life—no matter how rich or poor you are. Connections don’t matter when someone, or a group of someone’s, sets their sights on you.
“Earth to Van,” Chaney says, waving her hand in front of my face to catch my attention.
“Sorry,” I say in apology, “I was lost in la-la land.”
She accepts with a nod of her head before issuing her own apology. “It’s okay. Sorry about walking in without waiting on you to answer the door. I knocked and rang the bell but you didn’t come out of your trance to notice. I got concerned so I came in to make sure you weren’t hurt. Is everything alright?”
“Yeah… or it will be,” I say, changing my response mid answer. “What has you stopping by? I thought with you being gone on that last assignment as long as you were you’d be spending all of your free time at home.”
“Gunter’s teething and I needed a respite from the crying so I opted to come and get those clothes you told Nova you’d bagged up for him,” she states.
