Page 30 of Rage’s Rose

“That doesn’t explain why he would call you. I mean, don’t get me wrong I am glad you’re here. I’ve missed you, but I don’t understand why they called you.”

“I want to tell you a story and I want you to know that you are stronger than you think and even stronger than I am.”

“Um, okay, come sit down with me.”

She sits down on the porch swing with me and Bandit, the loyal loving dog that he squeezes in next to us and puts himself close to me.

“Do you remember those years when daddy had to send me away because someone tried to kill me after they got mama?”

“Yeah, I mean I don’t know them well because we never lived close, but I know whenever we visited or your family visited I was so sad you weren’t with them. Being surrounded by your brothers and mine was gross. Teenage boys are nasty.”

She laughs at that, “Yeah, they are. Well I was sent to Richmond, Virginia to live with my mom’s sister. Dad thought it was the safest option. He had ties with Devil’s Chaos and knew there was a chapter down in Virginia that if something happened he could call on. But he never did that, instead he let me pretend to be someone I wasn’t someone that wasn’t being targeted by other mafia families. It was really nice, I missed all my family, but I made a life for myself down there.”

I watch her and she is fidgeting with her hands and finally she takes a deep breath before she continues.

“I met a boy. That boy became my entire world. He was someone that I saw coming, someone I knew my daddy probably wouldn’t like, but I couldn’t help but fall. I still love him, I wish I didn’t, but even after all these years, I still do. He was a member of Devil’s Chaos MC. Such a small world we live in that you would find yourself someone from the very same place I ran from. Tanner and I were together throughout high school and even after. We had gotten a place and I know that he was working on building a home on the property that the club owns. There was so much about our relationship and I never doubted him until one girl that he had been friends with for so long started providing me with proof that they were together. I wanted to confront him, but I was so scared and I never fucking did. I regret it so much. I wanted to see his face when I said that I knew him and this bitch were messing around. She still to this day sends me videos and pictures. It really is horrible, I’ve been gone for years. She threatened me at one point, threatened to tell people who I am and where to find me. I don’t know how she knew the truth because even the boy that I loved more than anything never knew who I really was.

I had found out I was pregnant and she kept coming with all the threats. She got worse because somehow she found out I was pregnant. It was like this bitch was living in my head. I did what I had to do to save my baby. So I left when he was on a run. I pretended everything was fine until that day he left to go to some club business. I packed up everything I could in my car and grabbed my aunt and got out of there. Finn did his thing and hid me. Made sure there was no trace of me anywhere. I went home, I became the mafia princess that I was supposed to be. Helping with the family business, just without the marriage alliance that would have been required of me. I told dad that I would not marry anyone for any type of gain and he followed my wishes. But with all that being said, I never told the father of my baby he had a daughter. I was afraid of what would happen to her and myself if he found out. He hurt me and I ran, you may have come home, but you plan on going back and living your life the way you always wanted.

You are so strong, Rose. You are going to be a wonderful mama. You are already giving this man hell, if anything I heard on that phone call is part of it. Don’t let that man take any more of your peace. I know you came here to clear your head, but don’t let him keep you here longer than that. Go to the doctor, find out when your baby is going to be here. Pack up your dogs and your horses and go home. Don’t be like me. Don’t be afraid of everything, go back there and fight. Fight for what is yours and make that man understand who the hell he lost. You are a bad ass. You are perfect and you are enough. NO man should ever make you feel like you're less than enough. Maybe one day this boy will wake up and realize what he lost. Maybe he won’t, but you fight and don’t let him take away all the happiness you were building there.”

There was so much information in that, I mean I want to know the whole fucking story, but I don’t think I am going to get it. I also don’t know which one of those men is Tanner.

“Do you want to meet my daughter?”

“You brought her here?”

“Of course I did. I want her to meet her cousin. Plus some of the family wanted to see you, it’s not often that we are able to visit you. We try to stay out of Moretti territory if we don’t have to be there. My father and Salvatore have a decent enough relationship, but I think the lot of us showing up in his territory would stress him out.”

“You’re probably right, the whole slew of Callahans in Virginia sounds like a lot for anyone. So which one of the brothers is Tanner? I must know?”

She laughs as she stands up.

“Come on, they are in the barn. My girl really wanted to see your collection of horses.”

“Aw, come on, you’re not going to tell me what brother fathered your baby?”

“How many of the brothers are you familiar with?”

“Well I spent a lot of time there, plus I’m friends with Peyton and Parker Jacobson.”

Something flashes across her face and she smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.

“Well then, you’ll see.”

I huff and stand up, “Fine, keep your secrets.”

“Let’s go, Rose. I want to see all your beautiful horses.”

“What, you don’t have any horses up there in your big mansion in Maine?”

“I mean we do, but not like you guys have.”

“Yeah, well we live on a ranch in Texas. Horses are a must.”

“Dogs too apparently, you’ve got like fifty million of them.”

“Don’t be jealous because my home is cooler than yours. Maybe one day you’ll get yourself a nice big house where you can fill it up with all fifty million of the dogs you want.”