Page 31

Flash

W e got the point across in that assembly today, and I very much doubt we are going to have any more issues with the children targeting any MC child, not just Cam. Actually, I very much doubt any child will be targeted again after the scare they all got today. Wrath and Flame’s speech put the fear of God, or more importantly, Devil’s Inferno, into all those parents. I can’t imagine any of them ignoring the warning about what would happen to them should their children continue to act the way they have been.

I didn’t miss the teacher attempting her escape, only to be thwarted by my man. I have no idea how she ever thought she was making it out of that room with the show of force we had going on, but clearly she thought she had some sort of chance. Watching her being escorted out of the building surrounded by every officer was a thing of beauty. She didn’t look so confident anymore. She knew she was in deep trouble for what she’d done and would be paying for it now. I don’t know what exactly Wrath and Flame have planned for her, but I can’t imagine it’s anything pretty.

With all the issues at the school now handled, I’m about to check up that Trish has actually left town like instructed, and then I’m going to head on over to June’s place to see if my Mom is free so we can have our talk. I’m more than ready to know what she’s been keeping close to her chest all these years. My curiosity is at its peak.

As soon as I pull up on my bike outside of Micah’s old home, I know Trish is gone. Even with just a quick glance, it looks deserted. If anything, it looks like she tore out of here as fast as possible, not caring about what she was leaving behind. Hell, the front door is standing wide open, giving anyone the chance to come in and ransack whatever she left behind. Even with what I’m seeing in front of me, I still get off my ride and head inside to check things out. I want to know with one hundred percent certainty that she’s gone for good and that I don’t have to worry about her rearing her ugly head in our lives again.

As I walk through the front door, I can hear movement inside, more than a little curious as to who could be inside right now. I head in the direction the sounds are coming from. I shouldn’t really be that surprised by who I find inside this house. I should have expected it really. Searching around the house is none other than the man who used to be my father.

“Raymond.” I say loudly to grab his attention from where he’s searching through some drawers.

He turns quickly to face me, dropping all the paperwork he’s holding in the process. I have to hide my shock at the state of him. He looks nothing like he did the last time I saw him. Clearly when I left my childhood home, someone, probably Blaze and Shock, decided he needed to be taught more of a lesson for what he’d done. His face is a mass of bruising, and if I know those two like I think I do, I have a feeling the rest of his body looks similar. I feel no sympathy for him at all. The only thing I feel is regret that I didn’t inflict more damage on him myself.

“What are you doing here?” He asks.

“Making sure Trish left like she was told. From the looks of things, she heeded the warning and got the hell out of dodge.” I say as I look around the disheveled room.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” He angrily asks.

“I wouldn’t even try that with me, Raymond. You’re already in a state, and I have no issue with adding to the pain you’re currently in.” I say as I take a meaningful step towards him.

Raymond takes a step back from me, clearly knowing I’m more than a small threat to his well-being right now. I could end him where he stands without even working up a sweat. He’s nothing in the grand scheme of things.

“I’m your father.” He starts, but I’m not going to stand here and listen to whatever shit he’s about to sprout. I’ve got better things to be doing with my time.

“You were. You lost that right when I learned the truth about what you had been doing behind my mother’s back and just how badly you have treated Micah all these years. You’re a fucking poor excuse for a man. You had everything and threw it all away for what?”

“I can’t help loving two women.”

“Oh, cut the shit. This isn’t about you loving two women. It’s about you wanting to have your cake and eat it too. You knew what you were doing was wrong. You wouldn’t have spent so long lying about it otherwise. Now make sure you stay away from my family, and that not only includes my Mom and Wyatt but Micah too. If I find out you’ve been anywhere near any of them, it isn’t just Blaze you need to worry about. I’ll find you and make you wish you were dead long before I actually kill you.”

“Wouldn’t Wyatt actually have to be talking to you for you to find out I’d be anywhere near him?”

Raymond realizes his mistake as soon as the words leave his mouth, as I don’t even think as I advance and punch him so hard in the face that his head spins to the side from the impact.

“Stay away from my family. There won’t be a second warning.” I say, my voice filled with anger, before turning on my heel and leaving him sprawled out inside the former home of his second family.

* * *

Thankfully, by the time I pull up outside of June’s two-bedroom house to see my Mom, the anger I was feeling after the confrontation with Raymond has subsided. I’m glad I’m not about to see my Mom while still pissed off about the crap that came out of that asshole’s mouth. She doesn’t need to be dealing with my anger and issues while she’s dealing with her own emotions after her world blew up through no fault of her own.

Knocking on June’s front door, I wait on the porch as I hear footsteps heading towards me. The door slowly opens, and I see my Mom on the other side, looking happier than I could have ever dreamed her being after everything that has happened. I’m also surprised at the air of freedom that seems to surround her too. I’ve never seen her look this light in my life. Clearly, there are things I don’t know about my parents’ relationship if my Mom has already changed this much after being away from Raymond for such a short amount of time.

“Deacon. I’m so happy to see you. Come in. Come in.” She says, ushering me through the door and towards the kitchen.

“Hey, Mom. I thought I’d come check how you were doing and talk.” I say as I follow her into the kitchen, where she is already pouring out two cups of coffee from the pot on the side.

“Yes, I’ve been waiting for you to come for that talk you wanted. I can only imagine how curious and confused you were that day at the house.”

“You could say that. I had no idea you knew anyone connected to Devil’s Inferno. You never mentioned a thing when I told you I was prospecting with them.”

“No, I know I didn’t, and that was out of respect for your father’s wishes. How I wish I’d never listened to that man.” She says with a voice laced with regret.

“Mom, talk to me. I don’t understand what you mean. There’s clearly a lot of things about your past I don’t know.”

“Please don’t judge me.” She whispers out.

“Mom, I’d never judge you.” I reassure her.

“Before I met your father, I was in a relationship with not only Blaze but also Shock, Gunner, and June. What we had was something special, and I loved each of them dearly, and they all loved each other and me just as much. Our relationship, however, wasn’t accepted at all back then, and the pressure from the world around us became too much to handle, and we went our separate ways. At first we remained close; we were friends before we ever became anything more, and none of us wanted to lose that friendship. Then I met your father. My past relationship with them all wasn’t something I was ashamed of, so I never hid it from your father, but he wasn’t comfortable with me being close to the people I’d previously been in a relationship with. At first I wasn’t having any of it; I didn’t want to lose them.” She stops speaking, shaking her head for a moment.

I stare at the most amazing woman I’ve ever known, and I can see the worry she’s feeling about how I’m going to react to the fact she used to be in a polyamorous relationship. Other than the shock that I never knew such a major thing about her life, I have no issue with the fact she was with more than one person. I can see the look in her eyes when she talks about them, just how much they still mean to her all these years later. I also saw firsthand the way Blaze and Shock acted the other day, and it’s more than clear to me they still care just as much about her, and I have a feeling it’s the same with Gunner and June too. All I want for my Mom is to be happy, and I have a feeling she’ll only ever be happy with those four, and she deserves to have that happiness after all these years with my fuckhead of a father.

“Mom, listen to me. You don’t need to explain anything else, okay? I can see how hard this is for you; I wish you never had to give them up. It’s clear to me how much they meant to you and still do. All I want is for you to be happy, and if that means you figure out a way for you all to be together again, then I’m all for it. All I want is for you to be treated right and for you to be happy with your life.”

“You don’t understand just how much that means to me, Deacon. I’d never want to do something that would make you uncomfortable. I think now everything is out in the open and that we’re all much older; maybe this is our time to finally be together and happy. Only time will tell; for now, I’m focusing on myself and getting to know them all again.”

“Just follow your heart, Mom. It’s what I did, and I’ve never been happier.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I’m looking forward to getting to know the young man who managed to snag my eldest son. I’m sure he must be a special person to have gained your interest.”

“He’s the best sort of man there is, Mom. You’ll love him. There is one other thing we need to talk about, though. Micah.”

“Nope. We don’t. That young boy hasn’t done anything wrong; he had no choice in being born. I hold no ill will against him, and I couldn’t be prouder of you for taking him in and getting him out of that awful situation.”

“You’re amazing, Mom. We’ll sort out a night for you to come over and spend time getting to know both Jake and Micah.”

“That sounds like a plan, son. You tell me when, and I’ll be there.”

“I’ll speak to Jake and let you know later. I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too; now go on, get out of here. I have some things I need to get done.”

“See you later, Mom.” I say as I stand and place a kiss on her cheek before heading out and leaving her to continue her day.

I have no idea what the future might hold for my Mom, but I can only hope that once she’s healed, she manages to find the real happiness that has eluded her for so long. She deserves nothing short of the best out of life, and I can admit that as much as I used to think she had all that with Raymond, I was wrong. So very fucking wrong. She’s already like a different woman after being away from him for a few days. I can’t imagine what changes I’ll see in the future as more time passes, but I can’t wait to find out who my Mom really is without her censoring herself to keep Raymond happy.

This is a fresh start for us all.