Page 38 of Crusher

“Please don’t go, Alex, at least wait until Hayes has finished work,” Trick pleads, but I ignore him as Kayden stomps out of the bathroom, and I say, “Let's go,” and he scowls at me, but I ignore the look.

It isn’t my past with Hayes or even my job that is making me leave. I also don’t want my mother finding out about Kayden. I’m not sure if Dad is still around, but if he is, my son isn’t safe. Even if he is upset with me, this is the right thing to do, going home.

We live in Rose Hill, and I need to start living for me instead of living in the past.

Shaking my head at my scowling son, I walk to the door and open it, but pause at the figure on the other side, and I lock my jaw as my protective instincts take over.

“Kayden, get to the car, now,” I demand coldly, not taking my eyes off the figure before me, not trusting her.

“So, it’s true then, you had a biker scum’s baby, whoring yourself out and leaving me to fend for myself!” my mother sneers, and I clench my jaw as Trick comes up behind me, causing her dark green eyes to narrow.

“Kayden!” I snap when my son doesn’t move, and he grabs his bag and storms over to the car, thankfully not arguing, seeing the tension, and I tilt my head at my mother.

Her once full red hair has thinned and greyed over the years, her cheeks are sunken in, her skin pale...

Life hasn’t been kind to this woman, but then again, she did take Dad's dirty money for a café that no one likes to go to, so I’d say karma is a bitch.

“How’d you find me?” I ask coldly, and she curls her lip, her yellow teeth coming into view.

I wonder if Dad got her on heroin again?

“It doesn’t matter how I found you, Alexiana, you are my daughter, yet you didn’t even have the decency to tell me you were back in town with a kid in tow,” she snaps, and I nod.

“Tell me something, Mom, is Dad still around?” I ask, and her nostrils flare. “Thought so,” I mutter, “and that is the reason why I haven’t told you I was in town, that is the reason why I never called to tell you about my son, the reason why I stopped calling you to begin with. While you are keeping a murderer under your roof, I want nothing to do with you.”

Mom scoffs, “You’re being a hypocrite!” she sneers at me, “You’ve had a baby with a biker, who is exactly like your father!”

“No,” I deny, “the only thing my husband didn’t do differently than Dad is cheat, a murderer? He doesn’t kill innocent people!”

And he really doesn’t, which is why I always turned a blind eye. I know the club isn’t innocent, but they don’t do what the Chargers do. It’s something I learned while with Hayes.

“Hus-husband?” she chokes in shock, a little hurt etching her features, but I shake my head and walk past her.

I love my mom, I do, but sometimes she’s just so goddamn selfish and inviting that man into our home growing up was always her downfall.

“Alexiana, do not walk away from me after confessing to getting married and not telling me!” she snaps and grabs my hand before yanking me back and Trick snaps, “Get the fuck off her!”

Mom doesn’t listen, and she snaps, “You left me alone just like your father does every time he gets bored, you’re selfish just like him!” before my head snaps to the side, my cheek stinging, and Mom gasps as she lets go of my hand, and I look to see Trick shoving her against the wall.

“I-I, oh my, Alexiana, I’m…”

Trick cuts her off and growls, “Stay the fuck away from her!” before he stalks my way, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and slowly guides me away from my sobbing mother, who slides down the wall apologizing.

Everything inside me is telling me to comfort her, and I stop Trick from moving me before I walk over to my pleading mother, and I kneel and cup her cheek.

“I love you, Mama,” I whisper, making her sob harder, “If I didn’t I wouldn’t have kept a roof over our heads, but this has to stop, what you are allowing him to do,” my eyes race between hers, “You bought your café on blood money, you’re not even showing love to it, get rid of him, and maybe, we can talk, but until then, this is the only way to keep myself and my son safe.”

“I-I’m sorry,” she sobs, and I nod as I lean forward and kiss her head, probably for the last time because I know she won’t ever change, that she relies on my father, that she has the taste of the dark side of life, selling her body.

The woman screwed the person I gave my virginity to, for Christ's sake, but at least I can tell myself that I tried.

Standing, I walk away from her without looking back, Trick watching me with concern, and I squeeze his arm when I stop near the driver's door of my car.

“Don’t make me put your name in the database,” he pleads softly, and I shake my head.

“You won’t find anything anyway, just leave it be, please,” I whisper, but he shakes his head and admits, “I’m going to be speaking to Crusher because things are starting to make sense, the real reason why you won’t come home, not the reason you are giving us.”

He looks frustrated, and I get it, I do, but my father isn’t just the reason, and he knows it.