I shook Carbon’s hands off me and started pacing the hall. How could she not tell me someone was threatening my son? If not me, she should have told Carbon, hell, even Copper. Anyone. She should have fucking told someone.
Carbon started to speak. I whirled around and stomped toward him. “I know she’s your sister and she’s been through some shit, but nothing gave her the right to keep my son from me and she damn sure had no business allowing his life to be threatened without doing anything to stop it! She has two chapters of Blackwings at her back for fuck’s sake!”
“I don’t disagree, brother, but you need to hear the story behind her story before you go passing judgment. I know you have feelings for my sister. Whatever those may be, you also have a child with her. When you get to a certain point with Reese, you can’t come back from it. Once she has closed the door on you, it’s bolted shut, never to be opened again. If you don’t want that to happen, listen to me before you act.”
I fisted both hands in my hair and roared, “Fuuuuccckkk!”
Footsteps clomping up the stairs had me turning to see a pissed off Phoenix appear. “The fuck is going on up here?”
“We were just having story time, Prez,” I spat, my words dripping with venom. Suddenly, I was on my ass.
Phoenix shook his hand out. “Don’t give a shit what you got going on right now, boy. Don’t you ever take that tone with me.”
Fuck me. I was losing my shit. I was showing my ass in front of everyone, screaming and yelling like a damn two-year-old. If that wasn’t enough, I disrespected Phoenix, and he had done nothing but be there for me every damn time I’d needed him. I hung my head in shame, “Sorry, Phoenix.”
“I know. You just needed someone to knock some sense into you. It’s what I’m here for. Now get your ass off the floor and tell me what this is all about,” he said, like he hadn’t just slammed his sledgehammer fist into my jaw.
He helped me to my feet and we followed him downstairs to some sort of office. “Have a seat and start talking.”
Carbon did most of the talking, telling him everything Reese told us. Then, he filled us in on more. “You both know we don’t have beef with the Manglers, but we don’t have an alliance with them either. What you don’t know is that I have a history with them, or rather my family does, did. Shit, this ain’t coming out right.”
“Here, this will help.” Phoenix slid a shot glass full of amber liquid toward Carbon. Carbon brought it to his lips and tipped it back. Phoenix filled it two more times. Carbon settled back into his chair and started talking. “My mother was Boar’s girl when she met my dad. As it was told to me, she wasn’t happy with Boar and hadn’t been for a long time. She and my dad became friends and he promised he would protect her if she decided to leave Boar. That assurance was what she needed. She broke things off with Boar and my dad made sure nothing happened to her. Boar was pissed, but he was too proud to beg her back, so he let her go. My parents didn’t get together as a couple until months later, well after she had broken up with Boar, but when Boar found out they were together, he was livid. At the time, his old man was the president and, according to my dad, he told Boar to grow a pair and get over it.” Carbon paused and squeezed his eyes shut.
“Keep going, son. I know it’s hard, but you’re doing good so far,” Phoenix encouraged.
Carbon took in a deep breath and gripped the arms of the chair. “Over 20 years later, Boar’s old man died and Boar became the new president. Two weeks later, Mom, Dad, Mason, and Sage were killed. Reese would have been, too, but she was at a slumber party that night. They never caught who did it. Said it was a random home invasion, but I knew, deep down, that it was Boar. I had to identify their bodies and they were - they were just - mangled.” He paused and help up one finger, clearly needing a minute to pull himself together before he continued.
“Needless to say, Reese and I had a hard time, a really hard time. I did the only thing I could think of. I was so damn young and didn’t know any better. I took her away from Devil Springs, out of school and away from everyone. For six months, her and I traveled around the country on my dad’s bike. We went to amusement parks, beaches, lakes, mountains. Hell, we even went on a cruise. Anything I could think of that would be fun and keep our minds off of our dead family. We came back when the next school year was starting. She was going to be behind a grade, but she was okay with that because she was going to be at a new school. After I left her in Reedy Fork with our grandmother, I high-tailed it to Croftridge and refused to talk about any of it.”
“That’s one hell of a story and full of many things that warrant further discussion, but what does that have to do with her not telling anyone she was in danger?” I asked.
“Don’t you get it? I taught her to run away when things were bad and then I reinforced it by allowing her to come visit me without ever questioning the reason behind her unannounced visits. Our family was murdered, we ran off on an epic road trip. Then, I ran off to Croftridge. Omen beat her up, she ran to me. Grandma died, she ran to me. Things happened with you two, she ran to Devil Springs. We didn’t give her a chance to tell us her plans, but if we asked her, I guaran-damn-tee she would tell us she was picking up Grandma’s gun, picking up her son, and running somewhere else. So, before you judge her too harshly, you need to realize the blame for her actions lies with me.” He dropped his head and stared at the floor.
I was at a loss for words. I had no idea Carbon and Reese had been through so much. What he said made perfect sense, but she couldn’t run anymore. I wouldn’t let her. Not with my child.
Phoenix spoke calmly, but firmly, “You ain’t to blame, Carbon. It’s a wonder you and Reese turned out as well as you both have given what you’ve been through. You did the best you could for her at such a young age yourself. Many boys that age wouldn’t have done a fourth of what you did for her. You two share a bond that most siblings will never come close to. It wasn’t your intention for her to adopt this pattern of running away. It just happened and you need to let go of that guilt right now so you can help her break this pattern, yeah?”
Carbon’s eyes remained on the floor, but he answered, “Yeah, Prez, I hear ya.”
“I think that’s enough for now. You boys let that girl and her baby rest tonight. Carbon, I’m going to talk about this in Church. Just telling you now so you can get yourself in the right headspace for it.”
“Got it.”
“All right, both of you get the hell out of my office so I can lock up and go home. I need to sleep for about 15 hours before any more shit gets slung my way,” Phoenix said flatly.
With that, I went back to my room. I wanted to check on Reese and James, but I knew I couldn’t see her and not say something. Regardless of what Carbon said, I was still irate with her, for so many different reasons. If I was being honest, I was mad at myself, too. I had my own secrets I’d kept from Reese, but the difference was, my secrets weren’t hurting anyone. At least I didn’t think they were.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Reese
I wanted to scream. I was two seconds from pissing all over myself, James was wailing like he had a bee in his britches, and not a damn soul was anywhere to be found. I thought I was staying on this stupid farm because there would always be someone around to help me. What utter bullshit.
I braced my good hand on the bed and used it to help support my weight as I hopped my way around to James. He needed his diaper changed. I knew that cry, just like I knew his hungry cry. Crap. I tried to reach down to rub his head and soothe him, but I couldn’t do it without toppling over. I felt like the worst mother in the world. I couldn’t do anything for my child except hold him and even then someone had to hand him to me.
Knock! Knock!
“Please! Come in!” I yelled.
