Severed Ties That Bind

Troubled Fathoms MC Bk. 1 Author Vera Quinn

I knew three years ago when I met Dra he would change my life forever. My life had already changed so much but I knew he would be an impact. Did I know we would have a one night stand that Dra would regret in the light of day? No. Did I know his bad boy looks with all his glorious tattoos and his dark brooding ways would make me go weak in the knees and forget everything my mom and aunt Deb ever taught me about men? No. Did I know the night I lost my virginity would also be the night that my beautiful baby girl would be conceived? No. Did I know my heart would be forever lost to a man that was still in love with my sister? No. Would I change any of it? No. If I did then I wouldn’t have my precious daughter, Betsy, my little princess B. Would I have told Dra as soon as I found out I was pregnant? I don’t know. I don’t know if it would change a damn thing. I don’t know if Dra wouldn’t blame me for getting pregnant. What I do know is I am on the run now with my daughter from a man that hates me. I snuck away in the middle of the night like a thief stealing something without a word to any of the people who care about me. How do I justify it? I can’t. I just know I will not let anyone take my daughter from me even if I must leave everyone and everything in my life that I love. I couldn’t stay and face the wrath that Dra has saved just for me. He was speechless when he laid eye on Betsy. Somehow, he just knew that she was his Could be because she looks just like her daddy, not that she knows that. She’s too young to know anything or I hope she is. I don’t know who was more shocked last night when I opened Callie’s front door and there Dra stood. No phone call beforehand. Just a knock on the door and there he is with his new ol’ lady. Yes, he brought Sunshine to meet his ex-wife, my sister Callie. Who does that? Brings a new ol’ lady to meet old ol’ lady? Damn, that’s a mouthful. Does it even make sense? I feel like my whole family is one more relationship away from being in a starring role on one of those daytime shows with the title ‘Who is the daddy uncle or in this case aunt mama?’ Good gosh almighty. This is the point my mom and aunt Deb would say it is time to put on my big girl boots and wade in the shit storm I have made and start shoveling. How did my life get here again? Oh yes, I’m a coward that can’t stand for people to be mad at me and I hate confrontation. In other words, I have no backbone but I will not take the chance that Dra will try and take B.

One thing I did learn from my two sisters and mom, when things get he avy it’s time for a change of scenery. Yes, Dra told me I better not leave or I would not like the consequences. I saw the look Sunshine shot him when he said it and she is none too happy. I also saw the looks she was shooting at Betsy and if she had cut her eyes at my baby girl one more time I would have cut her pretty little neck and not lost a second of sleep over it. I’m not a violent woman, in fact, my aunt Deb is always saying I let people walk on me but no one slights my daughter. It’s better I leave before I had to kill the woman and Dra too, if he took up for her. Just saying, it would not have ended well. After Dra’s yelling and Callie’s disapproving looks I just had to get out of there. Callie was under the impression I had told Dra about the baby and he wanted nothing to do with Betsy. I didn’t, but I also did not lie to Callie. I let her assume I did without confirming. I know it is mixing words that I lied but I did not come straight out and lie. Callie said she understood but I still felt her judging me. I felt all the judging looks and I was condemned without explanation. No one should judge me unless they can walk in my shoes and each of them has done just as bad. If I had taken Betsy to Dra and he had rejected her the way he had me then I would not have been responsible for my actions. After Dra finally left I went to lay down with Betsy. We napped and when I woke up everyone was asleep. I gathered everything I could of ours in one bag and I snuck out. I was caught before I made it out of the yard. How I thought I could sneak away without getting caught after everything that went on just shows how my judgement has been clouded from the sudden turn of events. Fortunately, it was Kat that caught me. She was out taking a smoke break. Late night, walking around by herself in the night. A little creepy and she scared the bejesus out of me. Kat gave me a good talking to and told me how Dra deserved to know about Betsy but she understood me not wanting to raise my daughter in a motorcycle club atmosphere. I didn’t say that. I don’t have anything against Dra’s lifestyle. I just don’t like him because he is an asshole and the way he treated me but I went along with what Kat was saying so she would help me get off club property and to an airport so I could get to aunt Deb and get my money out of the bank and I can get as far away as I can before Dra can catch me. Aunt Deb and Micah will help me. We are Bass women, we stick together. I thought Kat would just get me off club property but she drove two towns over and helped me get a plane ticket. Her parting advice, ‘Run and don’t look back.’ And then she gave me a name of a man to get me a false ID and gave me pointers on how to stay undetected. I remember every word and I am taking her advice. I’m running and no one is ever going to hear from me again. Now all I need to do is get off this plane and put my plan into action.

“Where the hell is my daughter Callie? Do not try to keep her from me! Do you fucking hate me this much?” I am in Callie’s face and I know this is going to end badly but I can’t stop myself. I have had a daughter I did not know about for over two years. I don’t even know how old my daughter is. I just know she is the spitting image of me. The minute I laid eyes on that beautiful child I knew she was mine and I saw red. I wanted to kill that bitch of a mother of hers. How could Maddie keep my daughter from me just because I wouldn’t let myself have the woman who has been haunting my dreams for two years? Callie is not one to back down even to the anger I am showing her. She puts her palm in the middle of my chest and pushes me back so I am not so close to her. We are standing in her doorway and I thought Devil would be down here by now since I am yelling at the top of my lungs. I want Maddie to know how mad I am.

“I told you that Maddie and B were gone when I got up this morning. I have texted her and tried to call her but she has not responded. Now could you please keep your voice down before you wake up my children?” Callie is trying to reason with me but there is no reasoning with me right now.

“I know you are hiding Maddie and Betsy from me the same way you have for the last year. What have I ever done to you to make you hate me Callie? I loved you. Why would you keep my daughter from me? Is this revenge for letting you think I was dead? I thought that was water under the bridge. You got your happily ever after.” The words are out of my mouth before I know what I am saying but before I can say anything else the door is pulled open and Devil is there in my face and he pushes me further out of the house.

“What the hell are you doing at my house at six in the mo rning yelling this shit out where my children can hear it? Get on your damn bike and get off Feral Steel property before I put you in the ground and do not come back. Are you feeling me asshole?” Devil looks around at Callie. “Go in the house babe. I got this.” Callie turns and leaves. “Get this asshole and get it straight, Callie thought you knew about B and you didn’t want anything to do with her.”

“Why would Callie believe something like that of me? Callie knows me and she knows how I feel about family,” I tell Devil. I jerk away from Devil.

“Does she? She didn’t think you would sleep with her virgin sister and make her feel like shit either but you did. Callie also thought you loved her but we see how that worked out to my advantage. Now I’ll let you in on a little more, my woman was in my bed under me so if Maddie left it wasn’t with help from Callie.” Devil has a smirk on his face like he thinks that his sharing Callie was in his bed will rub salt in my wounds. I have news for him, that ship sailed long ago. The night I spent a night in bed with Maddie. She is the woman that haunts me now. “Now get the hell gone and don’t come back and Dra if I ever hear you speak to my ol’ lady with any hate in your voice again I will put you to ground without warning.” Devil turns and goes back in the house and shuts and locks the door. Damn, now what? Now what, I’ll tell you what. I am going to go and find my daughter and her mom. Then I am going to blister Maddie’s ass red.

Until Next Time…

Other Work by Vera Quinn:

BlackPath MC series:
Never Forever
Catching Forever
Holding Out For Forever
Making My Forever
Demented Revengers MC: Quitman Chapter series: Surviving For Tomorrow
Surviving, One Day at a Time
Feral Steel MC series:
Beginning of the Inevitable
Beginning to Breathe Again