Page 122 of Mimic

“Like what?” Jack asked. “And how much of this does my wife know?”

“She knows most of it but not all. She has a way of making you talk even when you don’t want to.” I smiled. “She’s a lot like my mom that way.”

Jack smiled. I needed to talk to both of them later and let them both know that my relationship with their family wasn’t changing. Those girls were still my sisters, and Sam was still my momma. I’d explain it to my mom as well, but I knew her well enough, despite all the things Dakota tried to say, that she would open her heart to Sam and the two of them would be friends.

“He talked about my mother. Said things that weren’t true, trying to break me. He brought women in and raped them in front of me. All of this shit went on for years until I turned sixteen and almost beat the fucker to death.”

“Why didn’t you?” King asked.

“George stopped me.”

“How?”

I stared at my president. This was the moment I found out if I still had a place in this club. I’d never leave Diamond Creek, not if my sister was living here. But I might not be welcome at the clubhouse.

“He knew about Rose. He said he knew where she was and he would tell me how to find her.”

King turned and looked at Cash. The two of them had a silent conversation between themselves. They did it often during church and outside of it. Cash nodded, and King turned back to me. He leaned back and waved his hand. “Continue.”

“He didn’t let me go until after Dakota had healed up. That was when he branded me. Dakota held me down, and George burned the Soulless Sinner brand into my back. He told me he owned me now, just like he owned my father.”

I looked at Bane out of the corner of my eye. He sat silently next to my mother, his head down, while she rubbed his back.

“He sent you here, didn’t he?” King asked.

I hung my head. I couldn’t look at him when I answered, “Yes.”

“Why?”

Nav asked that question. The whole time I had been telling them everything, his hands were on the table. It was the only time I had ever seen him without a computer.

“He knew Amber was here. He sent me to watch her.”

“Son of a bitch,” Jingles cursed.

“Why?” King asked.

I lifted my eyes. His face was blank, completely unreadable. I’d gotten to know this man over the years. I respected him. Admired him. I wanted to yell at him to scream at me. Hit me. Something. Anything to show me what he was feeling.

“He didn’t want her leaving here. He knew she was a club girl and wanted to make sure she stayed that way.”

“Did you give him information about the club?”

“No, he never asked about the club. Only Amber.”

“Would you have?”

This was it. The moment of truth. The answer that would determine my place. Only I didn’t have an answer. I answered as honestly as I could.

“I don’t know. I’d like to think I wouldn’t, but I had been searching for my sister for so long. He told me that coming here would lead me to my sister.”

“He fucking lied,” Bane growled.

“What?”

“He didn’t know about Rose.”

“How do you know?” my mother asked him.