“Let me guess. You feed him helpful bits of information and in exchange he tells you about your Sarah.”

  She bites her bottom lip so hard it nearly bleeds but nods her head.

  “You’re pathetic. You don’t deserve Grim.”

  “Maybe not but do you think you do?” She laughs, shaking her head. “Do you think he’d ever love you? I see the way you look at him, but I see the way he looks at you. He feels sorry for you. You’re the one he thinks is pathetic. You are nothing but a joke to him. He told me all about you. How you chased after him. Begged him to take you away like he was a Goddamned hero. But he didn’t want you. He only felt sorry for you.”

  “Shut up!” I grab the first thing within reach; a box cutter laying on the counter.

  “What, you gonna cut me? Go ahead. You think you can scare me? I feel sorry for you too. I can’t wait to have Grim’s baby. When I do, he’ll never look at you again. He won’t have time for you and your boys then. That’s right. I see how you use those boys to get to him. Making him stand in for their daddy, like you are playing house or some shit. I bet you pretend it’s Grim every time your husband fucks you. I bet you even sneak and listen to us when we make love. Wishing it were you, but it never will be.”

  “Fuck you!” I screech, and I don’t think, I lunge forward. The blade goes into her stomach. Her eyes go wide as I try to pull it out but she moves and the blade cuts sideways.

  Her mouth hangs open to scream and nothing comes out but a squeak.

  “I’m sorry!” I freeze as she falls back on the couch. The pictures of her daughter fly up in the air and come floating back down. I rush to her side and pull the blade out not believing the hole left in her body. How will I explain this? Panic floods me. Grim will kill me or Slim will kill him protecting me. I didn’t mean it.

  Squirrel, my little brother comes in. “What the fuck are you doing?”

  I know how it looks. I am crouched by her side holding a blade and she is bleeding like a stuck pig.

  “Help me!” I cry. “I didn’t mean to do it. I swear.”

  He looks between us. Gypsy is crying and so am I.

  “Get out of here, Sis. I’ll think of something.”

  “No, she’ll tell Grim it was me.” I grab his hands, begging him to fix this somehow.

  He pulls away and slaps me hard across the cheek. “Pull it together. Go home. I said I will take care of it.”

  “Okay,” I say with a sniff. He’s my brother he will protect me. So, I do what he said. I go home and clean myself up. Then I smoke a joint while I wait.

  Grim

  Present day

  “What the fuck you just say?” I grab Foxie up by her throat, squeezing her airway. She doesn’t even fight me. The bitch just sat here and told me how she stabbed the mother of my child and left her to die. She let me believe all this time that the Devils Rejects were responsible. She let me go on a manhunt. I fucking gave my daughter to her for protection when she was the one who was responsible for her not having a mother. I feel sick. Baby loves Foxie as though she were her mother. Looked up to her. Fuck, wanted to be like her. “Goddamn, Foxie.” I knew the bitch was crazy over me but fuck.

  Anger rushes through me and I am so goddamned mad I can’t see. I let go of her, hearing her gasping for air in the background; a ringing in my ears blocks out all other sound. I can only register one emotion right now—raw hatred. It consumes me. I take a deep breath and when I hear her whisper my name, I fucking snap.

  “Grim...I never meant to do it. Gypsy—”

  “Don’t. Don’t fucking speak her name, you heartless scheming bitch.” I look down at her as she lays in my Goddamned bed staring up at me as though she loves me. This isn’t love, never has been. I grab my pillow and straddle her small frame. She doesn’t attempt to fight. Not that she has the energy.

  A single tear rolls down her cheek as I glare down at her. “Go ahead and do it. I want you to. You’ve been killing me for years.”

  Gypsy Red’s image flashes before my eyes wearing a sad smile.

  I do as she wishes, taking my pillow, pressing it down on her face, smothering the life out of her, what little that was left. Her body jerks and then nothing.

  When it’s over, I roll over next to her and take her lifeless hand in mine. Bringing her palm to my mouth I kiss it tenderly. “Rot in hell with your bastard husband,” I tell her. Then I slide out of bed and light up a joint. After I take a couple of hard hits I grab my cell phone off the nightstand and put in a call to Rebel.

  It’s late. I know he is probably sleeping but he knows this call was bound to come.

  “Lo,” he says groggily on the other end of the line.

  “It’s your mother. She’s gone. Went peacefully in her sleep. Woke up to take a piss and she wasn’t breathing.”

  “I’m on my way,” he croaks.

  “Gonna call your brother or ye want me to do it?”

  “I’ll do it,” he says ending the call.

  I look back at her, lying still. There’s the most content expression on her face. I guess that was what she wanted all along. She knew telling me would end her suffering and mine. I have the truth. Finally, after all these years, I feel as though I have been set free.

  Chapter 4

  Nash

  California

  MY CELL PHONE RINGS as I get out of the shower and am headed to bed. It was a long day at the shop today and I am dead on my feet. Glancing at the screen as I hook a towel around my waist I see it is a private number. Fuck. I don’t know what it is about unknown numbers that make me fucking anxious. I don’t hesitate to answer though. There is always the possibility the caller could be my son, Cole. He’s in Drag Creek following in my footsteps, but he’s a better man than I have ever been.

  “Hello.”

  A throat clears then I hear my brother’s voice. “Hey, brother. Got some bad news.”’

  My heart jumps to my throat. If they got my boy killed there will be hell to pay.

  Gripping the phone tightly, I demand, “Well, spit it out, fucker.”

  “Goddamn, always an asshole. No hello, brother. Nice to hear from you, how’s the family. Bastard. Fuck,” he rambles on, cursing me.

  “Well excuse the fucking hell outta me, man. You called me and opened with got bad news. Cocksucker.”

  “Listen, I don’t know how to say this, so I am just gonna come on out and tell ye. It’s mom, brother. She’s gone.”

  My stomach drops, and I nearly lose my hold on my phone. “What do you mean? She left Grim or some shit?”

  “I wish it were that. I truly do, but no.” He pauses and lets out a heavy sigh. “She went in her sleep. She asked me not to tell you but a few months back she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. It was bad, spread to her major organs. Grim said she went in her sleep though.”

  I bite my knuckle as the tears start to fall freely at their own will. “Why didn’t you fucking call me? Fuck. Goddamn it, Rebel. You should have told me.”

  “You know how she was, man. Anyway, I am headed over now to help Grim make calls and arrangements with the funeral home. You coming home?”

  “Yeah, first flight I can get out, I’ll be there.”

  “Good.”

  “Yeah. Talk soon.” Ending the call, I go through the motions of brushing my teeth and making sure the house is locked up for the night. Not that I will be able to sleep.

  There are no certainties in life. Tomorrow is never promised. You always think there is always the next day. I’ll see them around. I’ll call them later. These are little lies we tell ourselves never to follow through. A few hours ago, I received a phone call. One I knew would someday come but it was a day I wasn’t prepared for and it’s here. My mother is dead and gone. The woman who gave me life. The woman who made damn sure I was always taken care of no matter what. My mother gave her all to raise my brother, myself, and my wife.

  Stroking Karly’s hair as she sleeps peacefully next to me, she is unaware that her world is about to change. My mother and her have had a complicated relationship. The night my wife was born her mother was murdered. With no one to turn to, her father, Grim, gave her to my mother’s care. She raised Baby until she was in her teens when her old man decided it was time to marry and be a real father. My mother was the only one she ever really knew. Sure, she had her step-mom, Sunshine, for a few years but they never really got along.

  I don’t know how to tell her that Foxie Roxie is gone. Uncertainty plagues me. How will she handle the news? Will she want to attend the funeral? I know that nothing could keep me away. How could I not be there? This is my mother.

  We’ve not been to Drag Creek in a few years, not since our son, Cole, married Morgan. Their ceremony was short, and we were only in town for the one day. Karly doesn’t like to go back. She says there are too many hurtful memories there. Mainly her sister Sarah’s death. She still has the occasional nightmare about discovering her body hanging from a tree. Her end was a gruesome sight and such a horrible way to die.

  After that was when we faked our deaths and entered the witness protection program. Most of our old friends and family now know we are alive thanks to my son, but as far as the rest of the world is concerned we are dead.

  Karly senses my restlessness and wakes up.

  Once her eyes focus on me and she sees the grave look on my face, she places a hand to my cheek. “What is it? You look so sad.”

  “Had a call from Rebel.”

  She tenses and sits up. “Is Cole okay?”

  “He’s fine,” I assure her.

  “Is it, is it my dad?” Her eyes are dull, fearing the worst and what I have to say is almost as bad for her. Hell, I still can’t believe it myself.

  I shake my head as another tear slides down my cheek.

  “You’re worrying me, Nash, tell me, honey, what’s wrong?”

  “It’s my mother. She’s...she’s dead.”

  “What?” Her tone is accusing.

  “Apparently, she had cancer.” I shrug as she straddles my lap, cupping my face.

  “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say.” Her own tears begin to fall, and I hug her to my chest, kissing her forehead.

  “I know, baby. I know.”

  Sara

  Some say history repeats itself. That life is already mapped out for us and we keep being reborn, repeating the same cycle until we get it right. I wonder if that’s true.

  When I was twelve years old my brother gifted me with a diary. It belonged to my grandmother. Her name was Gypsy Red. It’s strange to have never met someone and yet I know all of her deepest and darkest thoughts. I feel so close to her and yet so far away. My parents don’t know I possess it, even though the truth finally came out. My family was in the witness protection program. They were already in it when I was born. It did one hell of a number on Cole. He’s okay now. It’s been four years. He lives in Kentucky, carrying on our family’s legacy. He’s part of a motorcycle club. The Black Rebel Riders’ MC. My parents say that they left that life behind and we returned to California after Morgan, my brother’s wife was found safe. I don’t get to see Cole as often as I would like to, but we are traveling back there today. There’s a funeral.

  Thinking about death and returning to Drag Creek is what made me remember I even kept the diary. I keep having this strange feeling, like someone stepped on my grave. Like a bad omen has been served onto my soul, and I don’t even know why.

  I am excited to see my brother of course, but I can’t wait to set my sights on my cousin, Harley. We’ve kept in touch since we met through social media and text messaging.

  My mom is nervous about our trip to Kentucky, says there is too much bad crap from the past that she thinks about that is tied to her former life.

  I was named after her sister, Sarah, who was brutally murdered.

  For my sake, I sure as hell hope I don’t carry on her legacy.

  Mom says I favor her too, except I have more freckles and my hair has more of a golden tint to it from the California sun. Harley said the last time she showed my picture to her dad he had to do a double take. I guess he was married to Sarah when she died and seeing my resemblance to his dead wife had him shook for a minute.

  I started texting Harley the moment my mom told me we were going to Drag Creek. Her mom, Chelle, is even setting it up so I can go to school with her for the next week as a visitor, so I am not stuck hanging around with all the adults. I can’t wait to meet the guys at her school. I sure hope they aren’t like the boys out here. I dumped my jerk of a boyfriend last week after finding out he has been texting his ex-girlfriend behind my back. I don’t need that crap.

  Chapter 5

  Sara

  Drag Creek, Kentucky

  “GIVE ME A HUG, BRAT,” my brother, Cole, demands as he walks into our grandpa’s newish doublewide home. He had just bought it when we were here for Cole’s wedding.

  “Holy crap balls. When did you get so buff?” I tease, squeezing his bicep.

  “Shut it, twerp.”

  I grin up at him as he gives me a bear hug. I truly have missed him. We converse on the phone here and there, but we have grown apart. He has his life here and I have mine back home in Cali. Morgan, my sister-in-law, comes over and embraces me as best she can with her protruding belly. I can’t believe I am going to be an Aunt. They haven’t revealed the sex of the baby yet. I hope it is a girl. Mom keeps insisting she isn’t old enough to be a grandmother but deep down I know she is excited. Dad says Cole is giving him gray hair. He only has a few silver hairs. He isn’t that old, yet.

  Everyone goes around the room saying hello and offering condolences. I never got to know my grandma, Foxie, that well. I’m sad that she passed away, but it isn’t affecting me like it is Harley and her brothers; Abel and Axel. They were close to her. I don’t have any memories of her. Even Cole seems to be sad about her passing. I feel out of place as everyone shares their fondest memories of her. I don’t have anything to contribute and I read about her relationship with my mom’s real mom, Gypsy. She didn’t sound like a nice woman like everyone is describing. The whole scene before me is overwhelming.

  I meander outside, eager to escape the crowd. Parking my butt on the comfy cushioned porch swing I snap a few pictures of all the motorcycles parked in the yard to post to my friends back home, hoping my ex-boyfriend sees them. He doesn’t know I am out of town. The goal here is to make him jealous. Would serve the ass right after what he did to me.

  Warren had been my boyfriend since I was thirteen. I can’t believe I was considering giving him my virginity. So stupid. Sure, Warren is cute, and he makes me laugh. We were best friends before we became a couple. I was shocked that he would go behind my back like he did. I thought he of all people would have simply been honest with me. Maybe I can get a few pics with some of the younger club members to rub in his face too. That would show him.

  The front door opens and closes distracting me from my thoughts of revenge and out steps a man I remember from the last time we were here. I only noticed him before because he kept staring at my mom, longingly. The patch on the front of his vest reveals his name is Romeo. I have to fight back a giggle. He is handsome for an older man, if you are into that whole silver fox hot grandpa look. The spiderweb tattoo on his neck gives him a rough edge despite his clean-cut appearance.

  Plucking a joint from his pocket he starts to light it until he notices me sitting here.

  “Uh, sorry,” he grunts, tucking the left-handed cigarette behind his ear. “You Str-Nash’s kid?” He questions.

  Nodding, I offer him a weak smile. The more I study him the more he reminds me of my dad. Then it clicks in my head, this guy is my other grandpa. I overheard my parents talking about him once. He isn’t someone my dad cares for much. I don’t know the story there and I won’t dare ask about it either.

  An awkward silence hangs between us and I don’t know what to say to him. Will my dad get mad at me if I talk to him?

  “How old are you?” He asks suddenly.

  “Sixteen, almost seventeen.”

  His dark eyes narrow on me. “You got your mom’s eyes, but you remind me a lot of your Aunt, Sarah, and your grandma, Gypsy.”

  “You remind me of my dad but older,” I blurt out. My cheeks instantly redden, but he chuckles.

  “Suppose I do, kid.”

  “You’re like my grandpa or something, right?”

  “Technically, but don’t let your old man hear you call me that.”

  I nod. “Yeah, I gathered that much.”

  Romeo snorts. “It was nice to see you, Sara. Take care of yourself.” He starts down the stairs then pauses to gaze back at me. His lips curve into a smile as he seems to shake his head once more to himself as though he is enjoying a private joke.

  “It was nice to meet you, grandpa,” I call out after him.

  “Christ,” he mutters and lights up that joint.

  MY FOLKS ARE STAYING at my grandpa, Grim’s place, but I came home with Harley. My mom wanted me to stay with her, but my dad convinced her to let me come here. Said he didn’t want me anywhere near the Roadhouse. I guess it is the club’s bar or something.

  Harley’s room is similar to mine, cheer trophies, photographs of friends, the odd teddy bear here and there, not to mention the clothes that don’t seem to have a home. We are huddled on her bed together staring at her laptop screen while she shows me her friends from school on her Facebook account. The guys in Kentucky don’t seem that different looking than the ones back home. I don’t know why this disappoints me, but it does. I mean, school boys sure never look like they do on TV. I guess that is because the actors portraying them are in their twenties though. I’m boy crazy after having the same boyfriend for forever who happened to be a jerk so sue me.

  Harley and I take some selfies with funny filters on them and she tags me in them. Within seconds some guys are commenting saying things like—your cousin is hot...introduce me...hook me up.