CHAPTER NINE
Dixie Rose
Leaving the cabin was a sad thing, but no one can run from reality forever. Still, it was a nice break and we reconnected on another level. I feel lighter having come clean. For so long, my past was a secret kept between my father and I. It was my bout with depression and cutting that made him support my decision to leave right after graduation. He’d been there step by step, as I applied for grants, scholarships, and the colleges of my choice.
I pull up into Blue’s driveway and park. There was some sort of mini crisis, so I pretty much got off Echo’s bike and into my car. I walk up the driveway.
The door opens. Blue looks frazzled. Her hair is on top of her head in a messy bun. Her eyes are wide, and her lower lip is trembling.
“What’s going on?”
“Calla,” Blue answers, all but spitting.
“What the hell is she up to now?” I ask, shaking my head. “I swear she’s the spawn of Satan.”
“The way I hear it, bastard was pretty close,” Blue says. “We got a paper. She wants to challenge us for custody.”
“What the hell? She’s not going to get it,” I snap.
Blue shakes her head. “I know, I keep telling myself that, but part of me is terrified she’ll pull something out of her ass.”
“Who does she want to be in charge of Bolton instead?”
“Twenty guesses, and the first one doesn’t count.”
“God, your mother?” I ask.
“Ding, ding, ding,” Blue says.
“And she’s going along with is?” I exclaim, horrified.
“Are you kidding me? Of course she is. I pretty much stopped existing. She’s at the jail every chance she gets, babying Calla like she always did.”
“After the shit she pulled?” I’m mystified.
“I know, I know. Don’t ask me, because I can’t understand it. Maybe denial is the only way she can really deal with things. I know she’s my mother, but right now…there’s a thin line between love and hate. If she thinks she can come in and take away my Bolty, she’s got another think coming.” Blue’s lips are drawn into a taut line, and her eyes blaze with anger. She’s in full Mama Mode.
I rather love it. It suits her. “Tell me what can I do?”
“Help me plan a wedding in a week,” she replies.
I can’t help but blink rapidly a few times. “Say what?”
“Lawyer says if we go ahead and tie the knot, the judge will laugh Pixie out of court. They like complete families. He’s been here happily with his father and me for over a year. Stone has Shadow on the books as an engine specialist who travels, and I work with kids all day long. Calla barely has a leg to stand on, as is. But the marriage will push that leg right out from under her vindictive ass. Bolty is not a piece of property to be fought over.”
“And that’s why you’re his mom. Let’s fire up the computer and plan this wedding.”
“Yeah?” Blue asks.
“Of course.”
Blue attack hugs me.
I rock back on my heels before settling. “You know I always have your back.”
“I know, but you’ve been dealing with your own things,” Blue says with a shrug.
“Hey, I always have time for you. Hell, at one point, you were the only person I would’ve come back up here for with the exception of Dad and the Grans.” I cup her face. “Now, take a deep breath and know that we’ll never let that bitch get her hands on Bolty. He’s old enough to know where he wants to be. One conversation with him, and the judge will have him denying Calla’s wishes so fast, her head will spin.” I snap my fingers.
“I hope you’re right.”
“You know I’m right. Now, let’s move on to happier things.” I clap my hands. “We got a wedding to plan.”
“Yes, we do.”
“Venue?” I ask.
“I don’t know. Shadow is actually handling that, along with getting the word out to the nearest chapters. The man has made a lot of friends, or at the least, people who want to come and show their respect.”
“Yeah, I can see that with him,” I say. “So he’s sending out the word. You still need invitations.”
“There’s no time—”
“There is for those who are local. It’ll be a formality. Just because you have to do this fast, doesn’t mean you can’t have what you want. Kings have a way of getting the things they want done in a timely manner. It’s time you take advantage of that,” I state.
“You think?”
“I know. You deserve your dream wedding, babe. Let’s start with themes and colors.”
“Well, I was thinking black and white like the club colors, and pops of blue to represent…well, at the risk of sounding cliché…me,” she says almost bashfully.
“I love it. So black, white, and hints of blue. What else?” I grab the notepad and pen lying on the end table in front of us and begin to jot things down.
“I was thinking Rock and Roll chic meets biker. So it’s edgy, but a little refined.”
The more she shares, the more her vision comes together.
“Okay, so let’s find you a motif. There’s a little place called Etsy where people make things to order, and all you have to do is print them out and go,” I say.
“Oh, I love Etsy!” Blue cries.
I laugh. “Besties for a reason.”
“Without out a doubt.” She fires the laptop up, and we pour over biker invitations.
“This is the one!” Blue exclaims, tapping at the screen. The classic Harley symbol has been turned into a crest with a place for the bride and groom’s names and a wedding date in the center. The black and silver background is perfect against the orange emblem. “The words, too. ‘Our love is a journey to forever, ending…never.’ Yeah, that’s us.”
The tender expression that comes over her face makes me grin. She’s found her happily ever after and she knows it. I envy her certainty. She had to go through hell to get it though. Maybe that’s the point I should be taking. “We’ll put the place TBA. Do you know the date?” I ask.
“Saturday, the 31st, let’s say at five o’clock.”
I enter the information and request a rush before hitting send. “Done.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean for you to pay for it.”
“Oh, I’m not. Echo is, consider it a wedding present,” I say with a grin.
She laughs. “You’re awful, I love the way your mind works.”
“Invitations are complete. Let’s knock out the cake and the favors.”
“Favors should be something that will match the theme,” Blue says.
“What will people actually use?”
“Something edible, or practical.” She throws her head back. “Kushies. My dad loved collecting them. It’ll be the perfect way to bring him into the wedding.” Her eyes water.
I snicker. “Wait—Psycho Strong collected Kushies?” I ask.
She laughs. “Oh yeah, man, everywhere he went. He’d pick up some lame Kushie. God, we have a box full of them.”
“So, Harley Kushie it is.” I type it into the search window. “Same classic colors?”
“Yeah, with Mr. and Mrs. Shadow. I’d put Barrett, but you know how they can be about actual names.”
I laugh. “Yeah, I do. How many do you think we need?”
“Jesus, no telling. Let’s say 350. I mean, if we have too many, no one’s going to get butt hurt.”
“Truth,” I reply, and type up the order.
She waves a Visa in front of me. “It’s on Shadow now.”
I wink. “You learn fast.”
“Ha, he threatened to spank me if I didn’t let him and the club foot the bill.”
“I’m shocked you didn’t ignore him, just to get punished.”
“Not this time at least.” A sly grin spreads across Blue’s lips.
I laugh. “He’s so corrupting you.”
“Don’t sound so happy about it,” Blue grumbles.
“You’re freaking adorable, remember you’re marrying a scary motherfucker.”
“He’s not scary.”
“Spoken like a truly smitten woman,” I say.
“Because Echo is a teddy bear?” Blue counters.
“Bah, I wouldn’t want him if he was.”
“Exactly! We were destined to be resistant to the nine to fivers,” Blue jokes.
“We’re jamming, woman. Invites on their way, favors not too far behind. Now, we need to talk table settings and flower colors.”
“I’m not sure about the tables because I have no clue where they’ll be holding it, but I can make tentative plans. I want to do white with a touch of blue. That’ll keep it simple, fast, and very easy to DIY. We’ll do some of those vintage blue mason jars for centerpieces and then find something more masculine to pair with it. I’ll have a blue themed bouquet, and maybe I can have like…a KOC charm somehow incorporated.”
“What about your dress?” I ask.
“I want it to be blue. A white dress doesn’t seem right, not for me. At least not now.”
I frown. “Why?”
“Because I’m anything but innocent after all I’ve seen and been through. I want it to reflect who I am at this point in my life. The old Bluebell, she wanted all the bells and whistles with a princess gown and other frivolous shit, I couldn’t cares less about.”
“You know you’re more than what’s happened to you, right?” I ask gently.
“For the first time ever, I think I do. Before I felt I was trapped in a role, not realizing all along, I had the power to change things whenever I was ready to.” She sighs. “Live and learn, right?”
“Definitely. I think we both know a lot about that.”
“No, you were always braver. You got out and created the life you wanted away from all this madness,” Blue says suddenly pensive.
“I didn’t have a little boy depending on me. Apples and oranges, and trust me I had oceans of issues to wade through. We all have our scars. But that’s good, because it means we survived.”
“I like the way you look at things.” Blue nods.
“It’s that or lose my mind, which would be a real travesty, given my profession.”
Blue laughs and I grin. We get silly together for a little bit, but suddenly the doorknob turns and we glance over.
The door opens and Bolton walks in looking pale.
Shit.
“Is it true?” he asks.
“Bolty, why don’t you come in and sit down here with us?”
“No, Ma. Don’t sugarcoat it. Is that bitch trying to take over custody?”
I cringe.
“Yes, she is, but there’s no judge in his right mind that would listen to her and transfer custody. Shadow’s your father and you were fine under my care before he got out.”
“But he’s a convict with a record and in association with a gang, if that’s the angle they want to take. God, why is grandma doing this?” he asks, pacing the length of the couch.
“Because she’s lost. They’re not going to win, okay? Me and your dad, we’re getting married Saturday. Our family unit is solid.”
“I don’t want you to do this for me.”
“Hey.” Blue steps up and places her arms on his shoulders. “We were already getting hitched, this is just bumping up the time table. Your father is happier than a pig in slop. He only waited because he thought I wanted the big wedding with all the trimmings.”
“And you don’t?” Bolton asks.
“The only thing I care about is that at the end of the day, the three of us share the same last name.”
Bolton crushes her to him, and I can’t help but see his father in him.
Blue hugs him tight. “Everything is going to be fine, Bolty. You let us worry about it.”
I meet Blue’s gaze, and the sadness there hurts my heart. I want to claw Calla’s eyes out and leave her in the middle of the desert where the animals will pick her clean. The bitch leaves a wake of destruction everywhere she goes.
Bolton clears his throat and stands up straight. “So, this weekend?”
Blue smiles, and we allow him to regain his dignity.
“Yep, Aunt Dixie Rose was just helping me get all those girly details together.”
“Well, I’ll leave you to it then,” Bolton says, retreating to his room.
“I swear, I wish I could wring my sister’s fucking neck.”
“Someone needs to,” I say.
Blue sighs. “He’s been through so much. I just want to provide him stability.”
“You have and you are.”
“I’m not. Did you see how terrified he looked?”
“There’s nothing you could’ve done to prevent that. It falls on Calla’s head. Don’t let her fake you out from behind bars. That desperate bitch is grasping at straws. She has no moves left on the board, so she’s trying to create waves to ensure she’s not forgotten. Once you marry and win this case, she’ll be nothing but an unpleasant memory you won’t revisit for another two years,” I say.
“You’re right. Let’s focus on what needs to be done. He needs time to process and be alone. I learned that the hard way over the past few months.”
“Dude, you are someone’s mother,” I whisper in awe.
“Yeah,” she grins, “I am.”
A knock sounds on the door.
“You expecting someone else?”
“Yeah, Ruthie,” Blue answers, and walks over to the door.
The redhead steps inside, obviously fresh out of the shower. Her short hair is slicked back, her grey T-shirt is damp and paired with black yoga pants. “I came as soon as I got your message. God, I’m so sorry, Blue.”
They hug and I shift my weight.
“I can’t believe my mother is helping her,” Blue says. Her voice wavers.
“I love you, Blue, but she’s being a straight up bitch. It’s all I can do not to go beat some sense into her. She’s young enough not to be my elder, and I’m not a part of KOC and bound by their rules.”
Blue sniffs. “I don’t think Skull would see it that way.”
“Fuck him,” Ruthie spits.
Blue does a double take. “I thought you guys were good?”
“Yeah, me too,” she mutters. Shaking her head, she looks at me. “Hey, Dixie Rose.”
“Hey, Ruthie, sorry you and Skull are hitting a rough spot.”
“Yeah, he’s a complicated guy.”
I frown. Skull?
Ruthie laughs. “I know, he hides his layers well.”
“No, it makes sense, I think they all do that,” I remark.
“Enough of me. What can we do to help you?” Ruthie asks.
“Just having you here backing me is plenty. I have to hold it together for Shadow.”
I can’t help but admire her in that moment. The women in this life give so much for love. I’m reminded of John 15:13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. There are more ways to give up your life than to take your final breath.
***
Echo
“You want me to be one of your groomsmen?” I ask, shocked. Shadow is good people, but we’ve never been especially close. Up until recently, Charm and I were two peas in a pod. I trusted him with my life. Now, I’m reestablishing everything.
“Yeah, man. I mean, Dixie Rose is Blue’s best friend, and she needs me to have the same amount of people standing up there. Dixie Rose is sharing Maid of Honor duties with Ruth, and then she’ll have Nevada, too. Bolton is my best friend, but Skull will be doing the actual leg work. He’s off scouting sites for me right now.”
“You’re wanting me to walk down with Nevada?” I ask.
“Yeah.”
“You sure Wizard isn’t going to murder me?” I say with a laugh that’s half fake. Leaning forward on the couch, I rest my arms on my knees.
“Yeah, man, he didn’t want to stand up in front of the crowd,” Shadow replies. “Dude’s paranoid. Can’t really blame him, considering. No reason to make himself an easy target. It’s always a little risky when we get this many of us together.”
“We plan on beefing up security, yeah?”
“Yeah, Wiz is over seeing to it himself,” Shadow responds.
“Sounds like him,” I say, shaking my head. “So, what do I have to do?”
“Sit back with me and Skull, and watch as all the bitches around here go crazy?”
I laugh. “Is Blue that bad?”
“No, she’s pretty chill actually. She doesn’t even want the big shindig. Given everything that’s gone down with her family lately, I can’t say I’m surprised.” His eyes grow cold.
By his glare, I know it’s all he can do not to wring Pixie’s neck. “How are you dealing with things?” I ask, taking a sip of my beer.
Shadow shakes his head. “With Pixie?” He sighs. “Man, if it was up to me, her ass would be banned. The shit she hid, and the way she tore those two apart is fucking criminal. Stone’s not unreasonable or cruel. He would’ve made shit right, and smoothed it over. She let it turn into something that came back and wrecked this club. The loss of Psycho is going to be felt for years. And yet, the little bitch that caused it all is still alive and free to move on with her life after she does her time. How’s that shit fair? Now, they want to come after my son?” Shadow sneers. “Fuck that.”
I shake my head. “I know all too well about having bat shit crazy family, man. I feel for you.”
“What’s up with that situation?” he asks.
I shake my head. “I don’t give a fuck about my old man, I stopped caring a long time ago when he cost me Dixie Rose the first time. It’s my brother I’m desperately trying to save.”
“You think shit’s going to go bad with Mouth, huh?”
I nod. “Stone must sense it, too. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have us watching him.”
“What do you think about ole Scotty and Brett? They slipped right in, didn’t they?”
“They stink like white power,” I say.
Shadow’s eyes narrow. “You sure of that?”
“Not yet, but I’m keeping my eyes open. Dad’s been talking about change, and being on the right side. I know for him that means white people. Since Stone has never rolled that way, I’m wondering why he thinks he’ll suddenly have a change of heart.”
“Nothing good is going to come of this bullshit he’s been holding onto for too long. KOC is changing. We embrace that, or die out,” Shadow says.
“I’m with you, brother,” I reply, thinking of the promise I made to Dixie Rose. “I don’t want my kids having the same experiences D’Rose did. We dropped the ball when it came to her. She should’ve been protected, not alienated.”
Shadow nods. “Shit was fucked up. Shit moves slow here. Change takes time. Our time is coming, brother. We just have to wait for the right moment.”
His words have the ring of truth. He’s privy to parts of Stone I know nothing about. It’s enough for me to know they’re in motion.
“Enough of the girly one-on-one, I did have something I needed to get done today.”
I laugh. “Yeah?”
“Today for sure, I need to figure out the venue and pick out what we’re going to wear. She says she doesn’t care, but she deserves more than some backyard get together. Women like her and Dixie Rose are freaking diamonds in the rough around here, you know? Harder than the usual girls who hang around, but worth it.” He stands up.
Suddenly, I see him as another man trying to make his way through our world and come out whole. It’s not an easy life, but it’s even harder when you decide to have an old lady and children. Then you have more than yourself to worry about. It complicates things. You have to walk with one foot in this world and another out.
“This is Skull now,” Shadow says, taking his ringing phone from his cut. “You got some places in mind, Skull? … Yeah? Me and Echo will come by to check them up. Then we’ll hit up the tux place. I got some thoughts on what we should wear.”
He heads toward the door, and I follow him out.
***
We pull in to the parking lot right after D’Rose. After trying on pants, and bowties, I’m happy as hell to see her.
She steps out of the sedan and flashes me a smile. I crook my fingers, smirking as she puts an extra sway in her hips.
Wrapping my arm around her waist I pull her to me.
“Miss me today?” she asks.
“I always miss you. Of course, I’d miss you less if we had our own place.”
She purses her lips, but doesn’t deny it. It’s progress. “How about you take me back to your place and try to convince me,” D’Rose says, toying with my hair.
I quirk my eyebrow. “Yeah?”
“Mmm-hmm.” She nods. “Blue and I did a little shopping at a certain secret establishment, and I can’t wait to show you my purchases—”
I grip a handful of her ass and tongue her down before she can say more. When she moans into my mouth I bite her lip, before turning to the driveway where Shadow and Blue are standing.
“She’ll see you later, Blue.” I smack D’Rose’s ass.
She laughs. “Let me grab my bag first, Echo.” She jogs over to Blue’s car giggling, as her hair flows around her body.
Suddenly, I’m reminded of the girl she once was. The one I fell for even though I knew I shouldn’t.
***
Past
I scan the area of the parking lot. I’ve taken to randomly stopping by to pick Dixie Rose up after school. We’ve gotten close since the incident, and I can’t help but wonder about the tenderhearted girl. I squashed the rumors, letting them know I was strong arming mouth fucks in high school for her. It was something we’d all dealt with.
Shadow had taken on Blue as his responsibility for a similar reason.
The bell rang about a minute ago, and people are flowing out of the building like water. Another minute ticks by and my shoulders tense. She doesn’t do extracurricular activities, so she should be out by now. She doesn’t linger in this hell hole. I lean forward over my bars. I need to chill out. After the shit at the party, no one would be stupid enough to fuck with her again. When another minute slips by, I remember how dumb high school boys can be. I leave my bike to stalk up the stairs and into the building, ignoring the whispers and stares.
I follow the corner around to her locker. The sight of her hemmed in by a group of three boys has me seeing red. Clearing the distance in a matter of seconds, I slam the blond’s head into a locker and kick the other boy in the chest. His head hits the floor with a sickening thud. Ralph dangles above the ground and I tighten my grip on his throat.
“Echo, no, don’t do this. He’s a minor.”
“I don’t give a fuck. I will kill anyone who ever puts their hands on you.” Ralph’s face is beet red, and I wonder if I squeeze hard enough, if he’ll pop like a packet of ketchup.
“Echo, he’s not worth it. What’ll happen to me if you’re behind bars? What happens to your patch? Let’s go before someone important sees you.”
I peer down into her eyes and hits me—this is more than a friendly thing. I don’t want to be her brother, I want to be her lover. If anyone so much as breathes on her too hard, I’ll rip them limb from limb. I release Ralph and step back.
He hits the floor grasping his throat and panting.
“Say something about this and this’ll be the least I’ll do to you,” I snarl.
He nods his head, scuttling back into the lockers.
Ammonia assaults my nose. I glance down and watch the dark puddle form in his pants. “Pitiful ass.”
Dixie Rose tugs on my arm, and I allow her to pull me away to appease her. My tongue feels thick in my mouth. How the fuck am I going to tell her what I want? We get to my bike and I pause, turning to face her. “I meant that shit back there, you know. You’re mine, D’Rose.”
Her eyebrows form a point. “Yours like—”
“My woman. We’re going to make this shit work, ’cause I’m not letting you go, ever. If you’re not on board with that you better fucking tell me now.”
She shakes her head, wide-eyed.
“Good.” I start up my bike and pull off, putting as much distance between us and the school as fast as possible.