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“I’ll pay you one hundred grand. Tell them I’m dead,” Sunny tried to snarl but failed. Shit. He might die after all this, anyway.

“Get him to theatre,” a voice ordered as everything went black.

The last thing Sunny saw was Zeus’s laughing face as he shot him.

◆◆◆

“You’re officially dead,” the doctor announced, and Sunny noted his name. Doctor Gibbons.

“Feels like I am,” Sunny grunted as pain swept through his body.

“What I’ve done today could get me struck off. Hellfire has been given a false certificate, but naturally, I haven’t actually registered it. That is a step too far,” Gibbons stated.

“Doc, I’ll pay you,” Sunny murmured.

“I didn’t do it for that. Your mom and daughter are here. That’s why I faked your death. Leave this gang warfare you’re involved in and be a real man. Put your damn child first!” Doc Gibbons hissed.

Sunny froze in place. He’d promised Julie to put Olivia first and hadn’t. Sunny had carried on fighting a war he had no business being in. Sunny was a fuckin’ father and had failed Olivia. Sure, Cherry would have taken care of Liv, if he had died, but his baby girl didn’t deserve to be an orphan.

He needed to focus on Liv.

Sunny nodded as Doc Gibbons left, and his mom rushed in. Cherry looked weary and frightened.

“Sunny!” she exclaimed.

“Mom, I’m fine,” Sunny murmured.

“So was Bullet!” Cherry retorted, and Sunny flinched. “Then I lost him.”

“Not losing me.”

“Zeus came to the house; he was out of his head. I barely escaped with Olivia. Zeus was screaming he was going to kill us both,” Cherry whispered.

“Listen carefully, Doc Gibbons told Hellfire I’m dead, on my orders.

We are getting out of Rapid City. This war has gone on too long, and I won’t risk Liv.

Leave tonight and head for the safehouse.

Nobody knows I have it. Once we’re settled, we’ll get someone to pack up the house and put everything in storage,” Sunny said.

“We can’t. Chance expects us to be there for the burial.

He’s putting brothers on us for protection, Bear and Tiny.

I’m going to start packing and tell him there’s nothing left for me here.

Chance won’t argue that. Olivia is a princess, not a legacy.

Chance won’t be bothered by me taking her.

I can get everything packed and move in a couple of weeks.

But if I don’t attend my own son’s funeral, people will question why,” Cherry said.

“Mom, I don’t like this…”

“Sunny, I’ve not liked crap since Bullet was murdered. There was more to Bullet’s death than that prick Cutter losing the plot. I think Zeus and cronies ordered the founder’s hits, and I believe he was behind Enigma’s murder. Can’t prove shit, but those are my feelings,” Cherry stated.

“I know,” Sunny agreed as his eyes closed.

“Sunny, I can’t lose you, too,” Cherry whispered.

“Make your plans. Mom, we’re leaving,” Sunny mumbled as he faded away.

Callie – 2000

“That child is freaky, she’s too quiet,” Mrs Lumnek muttered to her husband.

I hid a sigh. What was I meant to do? I didn’t understand the rules. A lot of my foster parents told me to shush and be a good girl. Now, this lady was complaining I was quiet. I was confused.

“Callie is probably feeling shy,” Mrs Jefferson said with a half grin. I didn’t like her smile. It looked like a crocodile. And I’d been informed that crocodiles eat little girls.

“Does she do anything but sit there?” Mr Lumnek asked.

“Of course! Callie loves drawing and playing games, she likes to read too,” Mrs Jefferson spoke quickly.

I frowned. Actually, I didn’t like either of them. Games where were people were cruel and made fun of you. Games were not nice. Reading was fun, not games.

“Honestly, I don’t think we’d be a good match. Mrs Jefferson, we want a child with some spark of life, not a wooden doll,” Mrs Lumnek stated.

I lost interest. I hadn’t liked them either. They smelled funny and hugged too much. Hugs were bad, and I hated them. But they weren’t as awful as slaps. Those hurt. Cuddles didn’t feel nice, but at least they didn’t cause any pain.

“Don’t forget, Callie has been in care since she was a baby. Naturally, she’s trying to be quiet to prove she won’t be a bother,” Mrs Jefferson explained.

“Yeah, not our cup of tea. There was another child we wanted to view,” Mrs Lumnek replied.

Mrs Jefferson’s veins in her neck bulged. “View? These aren’t puppies, Mrs Lumnek! They are children with thoughts and feelings. Callie just fully understood everything you said!”

Mrs Lumnek glanced at me, and I held her gaze. I wasn’t frightened of her.

She looked away with red in her cheeks. Mrs Lumnek didn’t like Mrs Jefferson telling her off, and for that moment, I liked Mrs Jefferson. I don’t know why she wouldn’t leave me where I was. Why did I need a home?

Callie 2005

Mr Timmons howled as he clutched his hand to his chest while his other cupped his man parts.

I scowled fiercely as he rolled on the floor.

Mrs Timmons came in and shrieked at me.

“I won’t let him touch me! It’s wrong!” angrily, I screamed in return.

I knew what Mr Timmons wanted, and it had a name.

Child molestation. Holding my ripped clothes together, I proceeded to lecture them as sirens wailed.

The police rushed in, and the Timmons looked terrified.

So they should. I’d already called them and explained what was going on.

Mr Timmons had cried in the background as I made the call.

An officer grabbed me and wrapped me in a huge coat.

In temper, I pulled away. I didn’t want a man touching me. I’d been touched enough. Six months in this house was plenty. The policeman was speaking, but I wasn’t paying attention. Instead, I watched as Mr Timmons was hauled off and Mrs Timmons made all sorts of wild accusations.

“You better check Sadie, he raped her,” I said dully. The man looked horrified and called to a colleague. The other officer rushed upstairs, and Sadie screamed.

Yeah, somehow, I couldn’t blame her.

2007

“Callie, I don’t understand it. You’re a beautiful, educated, polite girl. Yet nobody wants to adopt you or foster you. It doesn’t make sense,” Mrs Jefferson said, nibbling her bottom lip. Mrs Jefferson sat at my hospital bed as I winced in pain.

“That bitch was beating me, I wasn’t going to let her continue,” I whispered. I was laid on my side because my back was so badly hurt.

“Of course not!” Mrs Jefferson exclaimed.

My latest foster mother had issues, and they included beating her foster kids with a metal chain. I had attacked her in return and gained the upper hand. But she’d torn my back open. I’d had stitches and was being pumped full of drugs. But I still felt that chain lashing into my fragile skin.

“You’re not at fault, Callie,” Mrs Jefferson said.

“I know that. What about that lady that keeps adopting all those children?” I asked.

“Phoenix Michaelson? You’d be very lucky, and I don’t think she’s taking anymore in,” Mrs Jefferson replied.

“Then it seems you are stuck with me. Just like the last twelve years.”

“Callie, I’d never say it like that!” Mrs Jefferson exclaimed.

“Why not? I’m your failure. You’ve adopted or long-term fostered all your kids. And apart from this bitch and the Timmons, they seem to be with good families,” I said.

Mrs Jefferson’s face changed. Her expression grew dark, and intense dislike crossed it.

The Timmons had been charged, and both were jailed.

An in-depth investigation had revealed other children they’d abused.

Sadie had been re-homed and finally adopted six months ago.

Me? I was left on the shelf again. I didn’t know what I was doing wrong, but I’d done it my entire life.

The longest I had ever stayed in a home was a year.

The Abbotts had been planning to adopt me when Mrs Abbott fell pregnant, and it was bye-bye Callie.

At twelve, I considered myself an adult.

Life was simply miserable. According to the older kids, it wouldn’t improve either.

Nobody wished to parent children over seven or eight.

We were known as the unwanted. That was the story of my life… unwanted.

I doubted it would ever change now. Twelve years old, and I was fully aware of how cruel this world was. Lessons had been learned.