Filthy Bastard (Grim Bastards MC) (2 page)

For two days, I stalked every move the bastard made. Instead of putting him on edge, he seemed to find it humorous. That fact only caused my anger to grow more. He didn’t find it so funny the next night, the night I found him sneaking into my sister’s room at two a.m. When my knife slid through his back, straight into his lung, he didn’t find a damn thing funny about that. Where my parents hid the monster’s crime, they shouted mine from the roof tops. They stood firmly by James Sampson’s side, while I was sentenced to ten-years for assault with a deadly weapon.

The warden releases my hand and says, “Isaac, I want you to take that money and get as far away from your family as you can. Start a new life and leave the past in the past.”

Plopping back into the seat, I drop the envelope into my lap and run my hands through my hair. “Where the hell am I supposed to go?”

“I’ve thought about this long and hard,” Warden Michaels says with a shrug of his shoulders. “The whole world is open to you, but it’s going to be a hard road no matter where you choose to go.”

Silence fills the room, and I know he has something more he wants to say. Finally, I bark out, “Just tell me what you’re thinking.”

“Do you remember Carter Roundtree?” he finally asks, looking uncomfortable.

“Of course I do.” He was my cellmate for the first two years I was here. Without him, there is no telling what would have happened to me. I sit and watch the conflicting emotions cross the warden’s face as I wonder where he’s going with this.

“I normally wouldn’t condone anyone to jeopardize their parole by socializing with fellow ex-cons, but Carter and his crew are different. I think they could possibly turn out to be the best family you’ve ever had. I know some things their club gets involved in may be a bit unethical. I also know you are smart enough to be able to tell when something isn’t right, and to use your best judgement.” He tells me this as he goes and sits behind his desk and starts writing something on a notepad.

“Yes, sir. I have learned to trust my gut, and I’m a good judge of character. Although things I have done may not seem right to everyone, I think they were the right thing to do,” I say as I try to look over the desk to see what he’s writing. “I wouldn’t change trying to take out that bastard, even if it meant another twenty years in here.”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” He stands back up and, after he rounds the corner of the desk, hands me a piece of paper and says, “Here is the address where you’ll find Carter. You may not even like it there, but this club could change your life.”

I take the piece of paper and, after looking it over, I can’t help but ask, “If you know they do unethical shit, why would you send me there?”

“The club President recently took over after his father was killed. I’ve heard some good things that he’s been doing for the town, not legal stuff but good just the same. I think Tate and the rest of his boys could really benefit from having a man like you there,” he explains with a shrug then adds, “I’ve seen many men walk out of here then show up again in a few years. I don’t want that for you. If this club can give you the family you need, it’s worth a try.”

I nod my head at him and say, “Okay, I don’t have much of a choice. I’ll give it a try. Do you think I should talk to this Tate guy or go directly to Roundtree?”

He chuckles and says, “I wouldn’t go there asking for Tate. Everyone calls him Boz. I’d look for Carter. Talk to someone you know. I expect that just may work better for you.”

I stand up and put the piece of paper in my pocket, along with the envelope of money. Finally, I reach out to shake the warden’s hand. “Thank you for all your help.”

“You’re welcome, Isaac. I wish you the best of luck,” he replies while giving my hand a shake back.

When he’s done shaking my hand, I turn away. After picking up my bag, I walk out of his office. Walking past the guard station, I lift my chin to the man behind the glass. He does the same back and walks out to open the door for me. He calls out, “Good luck,” but I don’t even bother looking.

Stepping outside, I finally take my first breath of free air in seven years, pulling it deep into my lungs. I take a second to enjoy it before climbing on the bus and heading in the direction of the address the warden gave me. I hope like hell that I’m not making the biggest mistake of my life.

Addy
Twenty-one Years Old

MOM KISSES
the air beside my older sister’s cheek before stepping back and smiling at her. “You make a beautiful bride, darling.”

Alex attempts to smile back, but it comes out more of a grimace. “Thank you, Mom.”

“Alexandria, I don’t understand what is wrong with you today. This should be the happiest day of your life, and you’ve done nothing but mope since you got up this morning,” Mom says with a disapproving shake of her head.

I start to say something in my sister’s defense, anything that will get Mom to leave her alone for a few minutes, but Alex cuts me off with a quick shake of her head. I bite my bottom lip to keep from speaking, doing so until the coppery taste of blood fills my mouth. When I finally release it, I have a grasp back on my patience.

“You should go check and see if the florist put everything in the correct place,” I say to Mom, hoping to get her out of the room. “I thought I saw them place the white roses by the rectory door. Aren’t you wanting them near the front?”

She nods at me and replies, “Try to talk some sense into your sister while I’m gone. This is all your fault to begin with.”

Mother is forcing my sister to marry the new partner at my father’s medical office. It didn’t start out that way. At first, Alex adored Blake. She fell in love with him the first time he sent her roses. After their first kiss, she went on and on about how great he was. The first time they had sex, you would have sworn the man’s dick was made of gold.

He was Alex’s first serious boyfriend. Considering she spent much of her life in a hospital bed or home recuperating, she hasn’t had much of a social life, so finding Blake was the answer to all her prayers. That all changed yesterday, though, when he came on to me very strongly.

That’s putting it lightly. The man damn near raped me before Alex came walking into the room and pulled him off of me. They had a fight to end all fights, while my Dad cleaned up my scrapes and wiped blood from my face. Right in the middle of it all, Mom came home from the beauty salon. That is when all hell broke loose.

There was no way Mom was going to let a catch like Blake get away. Not to mention the gossip it would cause to call the wedding off the day before the ceremony. She couldn’t be embarrassed like that, no matter what the man had done. Of course, by the time she was done, it was all my fault anyway. I must have done something to make Blake think I wanted his hands on me.

Waiting until the door is shut, I rush to Alex and say, “Get the fuck out of here. Run now, and no one will know until it’s too late.”

“I can’t, Addy,” she says with a sad shake of her head.

Grabbing her arms, I give her a little shake. “There is nothing that can stop you. You’re a grown woman, so do what you have to do to protect yourself.”

Blake may not have hurt her yet, but it will come soon enough. If he would attempt to rape her own sister, at our family home, I wouldn’t put anything past the douche bag. Before she knows it, he’s gonna turn on her, too. She’ll be alone then; I won’t be by her side to protect her. With her health, she may not live through it.

“You don’t understand,” she whispers, tears pooling in her eyes.

“Make me understand then,” I say in a near shout, losing all control. “Tell me why you are willing to marry a man that tried to rape your sister. I’m not sure you can come up with a reason that will fly with me, Alex.”

She jerks away from me and walks to the window. “If I don’t marry him, Mom refuses to pay for my surgery.”

My sister was born with a slight heart murmur. The doctors told my parents it was nothing to be concerned about, and for a while, they were right. Two days after her eleventh birthday, Alex had a minor heart attack. Since then, she has had three heart surgeries. As soon as her body can handle it, she is facing another one. Hopefully, it will be her last surgery.

“What?” I ask, not quite believing my ears. “You can’t be serious.”

Our mom has always been a bitch. To her, Alex and I are nothing more than ornaments to be brought out to show off then tuck safely away until we are needed again. Everyone has always thought we had the perfect life; even my best friend, Trix, seems to think my family is golden. We aren’t, though. Once the doors are shut, Mom’s true colors come out.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me?” I say in a heated whisper. “I can’t believe she’d pull this shit.”

“It’s true, so I have no choice but to become Mrs. Blake Franklin today,” Alex says, letting out a broken sob.

My mind runs in circles, but it keeps coming back to the same thing. “You have health insurance, so I don’t see how Mom paying really matters.”

“I’m on their plan, so they could probably drop me if they want. Still, I’ll be twenty-six at the end of the month; I’ll lose the coverage then, anyway,” she says, tears still in her eyes. “By marrying Blake, I will automatically be put on his insurance.”

Tears start to prickle in my own eyes as I attempt to come up with a way around this. “I’ll quit school and get a job. I’ll pay for it myself.”

She twirls around and marches over to me. “No, you finish your degree and get the hell out of this town. Stay as far away from Mom as you can.”

“I’m not letting you do this,” I tell her, shaking my head. “No damn way are you going to marry that monster. I’ll find a way to help you.”

She grabs my arms and gives me a brutal shake. “Listen to me, Addy. I need you to do this.”

“What do you need me to do?” I ask her, a chill of forewarning working up my spine. “What the hell is going on?”

“I need you to live the life I’ll never get to. If not, I have no reason to live at all,” Alex says in a near shout.

I look into my sister’s eyes and ask, “What are you talking about? You’ll have your surgery and you’ll be fine.”

“That’s not the point.” She lets go of me and takes a step back. “I want you to get away from Mom. She will ruin your life if you don’t get out of this town. She’ll control every aspect of it, just like she does mine.”

Instead of going away to college, Alex stayed home with me. She said she didn’t want to leave me behind. Even when I moved away to Knoxville, she stayed with our parents. Any time she even mentioned leaving, my mother would throw one of her legendary tantrums until Alex backed down. At the time, I thought my sister was weak. Now, I have to wonder if Mom has used this same threat many times over the years.

“I’m not you, sweetheart. She can’t control me,” I tell her honestly, doing my best to take the bite out of my words. “I’m not even planning on coming home this summer. I’m gonna stay at Trix’s dad’s club until school starts back.”

Alex lets out a manic laugh and says, “She’s not gonna let you do that. She’ll have the cops over at Satan’s Revenge’s door steps the first night you stay there.”

“I’m a grown woman; there’s nothing she can do.” My voice isn’t as strong this time as doubt creeps into my mind.

She gives her head a shake and asks, “I know Trix’s dad loves you, but do you think he’s gonna put up with the cops showing up at his club’s door every day?”

My best friend’s dad is the President of the local motorcycle club. He’s a good man, gentle as a teddy bear with Trix and me, but I know he and his club are into some illegal shit. He’s not gonna be happy at all with the police showing up at the club. He may not throw me out, but he will move my ass somewhere else real quickly.

I shrug my shoulders and try to act like everything is fine. “I’ll go somewhere else. Maybe Trix and I can get an apartment or something.”

“No, I have a plan,” she says, taking my hand in hers. “As soon as you graduate, I’ll file for divorce. We’ll run away and get us a place together, where no one can find us. By that time, I’ll have had my surgery and we won’t have to worry about it anymore.”

Before I can reply, tell her how stupid her idea is, my father opens the door. “It’s time, girls.”

I look over at him, disgust filling me. I curl my lip and ask, “Do you know what Mom is doing to Alex? Do you know she’s threatening to not pay for her heart surgery? Are you going to stand back and watch your daughter die, Dad?”

My dad isn’t a bad man, just a greedy one. He married Mom while he was still in medical school. Her family’s money supported them until he got his practice up and running. It still supplements their income quite a bit. It keeps them living in a fancy house, driving luxury cars, and covers their country club fees. Because of that, he’s too afraid to rock the boat and go against Mom on anything. He would rather have the money than do what is right for his daughters.

“Please don’t, Addy,” my sister says, giving my hand a tight squeeze. “I can’t handle anymore fighting today.”

“But, this is…” I start, but she cuts me off with a shake of her head.

“You’ll only make this worse on me in the long run,” she says, letting go of my hand and motioning for me to go out of the room.

I want to say more, but I know there’s no use. Once Alex’s mind is made up, that’s it. Nothing is gonna change it, especially not my bitching. Stepping closer and placing a quick kiss on her cheek, I walk out the door.

As I pass Dad, I mutter out, “I hope you’re proud of yourself, you bastard.”

Making my way down the hall, I see Blake getting ready to walk into the chapel. Rushing forward, I grab his arm and pull him away from the door. I look in his eyes and barely suppress a shudder of revulsion.

“What do you want, Little Bit?” he asks, looking up and down my body.

I step away from him and glare, hating to hear his pet name for me. “You better not hurt my sister. If you do, I’ll find a way to make you pay.”

He steps forward, leans down, and whispers in my ear, “I’m not going to hurt her as long as you give me what I want.”