Page 17 of Georgie (Sons of Hell MC #10)

Josie

“I don’t want to go home.”

“What?” I asked, quickly looking at Fiona.

She was a sweet girl. I’d seen her around town often and of course, George talked about her all the time.

Fiona Mitchell-Steiner was the little sister George never wanted but dearly loved.

George doted on the girl and considering her past history, if there was ever someone who needed a little extra love, it was Fiona.

“Your brothers told me to take you straight to Granny.”

“I know.” The girl sighed, looking out the window as we drove down the mountain. “But Granny is gonna want to know everything, and I’m not ready to tell her.”

“Speaking of which,” I said. “Why were you at the clubhouse tonight and not at the high school? Isn’t tonight the Winter Dance?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you go?”

Fiona shrugged her shoulders. “Kind of. I sat in the parking lot for a few minutes watching everyone go in and then I left.”

“Why?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me. Talk to me, Fiona. What’s wrong?”

The young teen sighed. “You ever feel like you don’t belong anywhere, Josie?”

“Sometimes.”

“Well, I feel like that all the time. I feel like everyone is just going through the motions. Like I’m some obligation they are required to care for.”

“You feel left out.”

“Yeah.” She nodded. “I don’t have any friends here. I mean, no one wants to hang out with a former runaway homeless teen mother. And those who do only want one thing from me. It sucks sometimes being a statistic.”

“Have you tried talking to Granny or George about this?”

“No,” she grumbled, sinking further into the seat. “What’s the point? I’ll be eighteen soon, anyway.”

The car fell into silence as I thought about what Fiona said.

I knew well enough that kids could be cruel.

It didn’t matter if you were poor or had all the money in the world.

There was always going to be someone out there who despised you, for one thing or another.

The reason behind it was usually stupid, but for a teenager, just trying to survive until adulthood, it made things way harder than they needed to be.

Hell, I went to one of the best boarding schools in the world.

Every student came from privilege, yet that didn’t stop the bullying.

Like Fiona, I just wanted a friend, someone I could trust who would understand me, but all they saw was a cheap Southern girl with a dead mother and a father who didn’t want her anymore.

Even if it wasn’t true, words hurt.

“You’re back early,” Rome said, turning away from the New Orleans Saints football game he was watching. “Kiddos are asleep, and Jack took LeeAnn to dinner at the Country Club. He said not to expect him anytime soon.”

Taking off my coat, I placed it over a chair as Fiona stepped next to me.

I watched as Romeo’s eyes widened and he slowly stood, his eyes clearly fixed on Fiona as she looked around the family suite.

I knew what Rome was seeing. Fiona was a beautiful young girl and as she got older, she would definitely become a stunning young woman.

Clearing my throat, I glared at my cousin. “Rome, this is Ms. Fiona Mitchell-Steiner. George and Frank’s little sister. Fiona is going to be our guest tonight.”

Rome, with all his Southern Louisiana charm, smiled as he walked over and took the young girl’s hand and bowed as he introduced himself. “Jasper Francis Alexander DuBois at your service, milady.”

Fiona gulped, not quite knowing how to react as my cousin brought her hand to his lips and kissed the top, smiling at her.

Rolling my eyes, I said, “Forgive him, Fiona. The men in this family are full of shit. They know no better.”

Fiona giggled.

“Come on,” I groaned, removing Fiona’s hand from Rome’s. “Let me show you to your room before Rome really turns on the Southern charm.”

Later that night, something woke me from a dead sleep. Rolling over in bed, I could clearly hear voices coming from the living room. Getting up, I walked out of my room to find my cousin Rome talking with Fiona, who sat curled up on the couch.

Rome, sitting not far from her, gave her his undivided attention when I heard Fiona say, “And then I saw him escort Amy into the dance. I couldn’t believe it. I thought he liked me.”

“Want me to beat him up?”

Fiona smirked. “No. What’s the use? It won’t make a difference. It just hurts, ya know. I thought we were friends. I wasn’t asking for anything special. Just to go to a dance with someone I thought liked me.”

“You deserve special, Fiona. Even from where I’m sitting, I can see that. Don’t let one boy’s mistake stop you from dreaming of your happily ever after.”

Fiona sniffed. “Do girls like me ever get a happily ever after, Rome?”

Taking her hand, Rome turned his body to face her and said, “Oh yes, sweet girl. Somewhere out there is your happily ever after and when you are ready, he will be waiting for you. I know it.”

I said nothing as I watched Fiona nod before she leaned forward and chastely kissed Rome on his cheek. “Thank you for that. I needed to hear it.”

“Anytime.”

Getting up from the couch, I watched as Fiona dried her eyes and left the living room, disappearing behind a bedroom door.

Turning back to my cousin, I saw he was now standing in front of the windows, his back stiff with his arms crossed over his chest as he looked out into the darkness of the Shenandoah Mountains.

“Never in my life have I ever been so disgusted with my sex. Tonight, I am ashamed of the male species. Josie, that young lady has been through hell and back. Suffered and survived as no child should ever have to. She is screaming for someone to love her, and some asshole broke her heart tonight. I want to find the little bastard and wring his neck.”

Walking over to my cousin, I wrapped an arm around his waist as I leaned my head against his shoulder.

“You can’t protect her all the time, Rome.

You’ll be going home to Diamond Creek after the wedding.

Then what? I don’t think your club president will allow you to stay here and follow a teenage girl around.

’Cause let’s face it, that will get your butt thrown into jail fast. Then where will she be? ”

“It just ain’t right, Josie.”

“She’s young and resilient. She’s stronger than she looks and with two big brothers, a full clubhouse and people that care about her, trust me, she will be just fine. Adolescence is hard. We’ve all been through it.”

“She’s mine, Josie,” Rome whispered.

“What?”

Rome turned and looked at me. “I know it sounds crazy, but I just know. I knew it the second I saw her. Something hit me hard. You’ve heard the stories about the La Croix family curse.”

I slowly nodded. The stories were well-known in and around New Orleans.

We’d all heard them growing up. The La Croix family curse.

Blessed with unwavering beauty, descendants of the La Croix family were destined to meet the love of their life at a young age.

But with love came heartbreak. The trials and tribulations they suffered tested the bounds of love and only the strongest La Croix heart would win.

I remembered listening to my mom tell me the story of the La Croix curse and dreamed of one day meeting my destined love.

Only that never happened and when my mom died, I stopped believing in fairytales.

I just never thought Rome believed.

“My own momma. She was barely fifteen when my dad laid eyes on her, and when she turned eighteen, he married her. Aunt Marabella, Wade’s momma, was seventeen when she wed Sean Crawley.

Hell, Auntie Gail ran away with Uncle John to get married.

They were barely seventeen themselves. For as long as I can remember, I’ve heard stories about the La Croix family.

I just never thought it would happen to me. ”

“Rome, she’s barely seventeen.”

He nodded. “I know, and it’s a good thing I’m going home after the wedding, because I don’t trust myself not to take her away from all of this heartache.

She deserves better than what I can give her.

My life ain’t easy. Jack and Blade have been keeping me abreast of what’s happening in the underworld.

It ain’t pretty. Promise me something, Josie? ”

“Anything.”

“Keep an eye on her. Be there for her when I can’t.

If she needs anything, make sure she gets it because I know there will come a day when I take her from everything she knows.

I’ve seen my future in her eyes and it’s beautiful.

Don’t know what I did in this life to deserve her, but she is mine, and no one is taking her from me. ”