Libby
Another chair is pushed into the middle of the bar and heads turn to look at me.
“Come and take a seat,” Cas orders.
Dex nudges me when I freeze, and I numbly walk into Cas’s courtroom. Out the corner of my eye, I see Dex edging around the brothers and takes a seat as close to me as he can.
Baze tuts, and my head spins around to glare at him.
“Cosying up to the mother chapter, you’re such a fucking whore.”
“Shaking because of the mother chapter, you’re such a pussy,” I retort, and his cheeks flame with anger.
“Cut it out,” Gabe snipes, coming to sit closer to Baze.
Knowing these men my whole life didn’t count for anything when they found me next to my dad’s dead body, and it means nothing to them now.
“Cas, you should take my word, Baze is a brother and he didn’t kill anyone,” Gabe tries again.
Cas sighs and his eyes darkens. This man doesn’t have much patience. He moves around at his own leisure and lights another cigarette.
Pulling a chair out from under a table, he drags it across the bar and sits it between me and Baze.
“I’m going to ask the questions, you’re going to answer me and everyone else is going to keep quiet. Once we’ve heard everything, everyone will vote. Got it?” He looks at Baze first and then at me, we both nod and he begins.
“If I think you’re lying, I’ll shoot you before you can draw your next breath,” he warns us, and I believe him, Baze doesn’t look as fazed.
“Why were you going to Cameron’s house?”
“He’d been drinking, I said I’d pick him up.”
Bullshit. Everyone here knows my dad drank and still rode his bike. He would’ve had to have been passed out not to ride home. No one is saying that though.
“Did he call you, or did you call him?”
Cas confuses him, the lines in his brow deepen as he tries to remember, or more like, think of his lie.
“He called me,” he says.
Cas jerks his head to someone behind us, and Slade appears seconds later and holds out his hand.
“Give him your phone,” Cas orders.
He must take too long, Slade pats his pockets down and retrieves the phone from his cut pocket and walks off. Over my shoulder, I watch him sit at a laptop set up by the bar.
I wonder if that’s how he’s trying to find my mom?
“Talk me through what happened when you arrived at the house,” Cas carries on.
“When I got there, I noticed Rebecca’s car wasn’t in its usual spot and I parked on the drive. I knocked on the door and waited. When no one answered, I was about to leave when I heard Libs cry out. The door wasn’t locked, so I let myself in and that’s when I saw Cam lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood, and Libs sitting beside him.”
“Then what happened?”
“I checked for a pulse, he didn’t have one, and I called Gabe.”
“How long after you arrived?”
“Less than two minutes.”
“Did you ask Libby what had happened?”
“Of course, I did. She kept repeating she was glad he’s dead, and that he deserved it.”
Fucking liar.
Glancing at Dex, he slightly shakes his head, in which I’m hoping is him telling me not to worry.
“Okay, tell me what happened the day you fought with Dex.”
The bruises are still visible, and I hope they hurt.
“Libby was getting worked up because Dex was telling Gabe he thought Rebecca was responsible, I got her out and took her upstairs, so she could calm down.”
“Have you ever been in a relationship with Libby?”
“No.”
“Have you fucked her?”
“No.”
“Are you telling me you’ve never wanted to?”
“We have rules, brother’s sisters and daughters are off limits, so no, I’ve never wanted to.”
I snort, his lies are just rolling off his tongue as light as the air I breathe.
“Is he lying?” Cas asks me.
“For sure.”
I’m all cocky until he pulls out a gun from the back of his jeans. He releases the safety catch and points it at Baze.
“Are you lying? I mean, look at her, she’s young but she’s a looker, are you seriously telling me you’re a stickler for the rules, and haven’t even thought about fucking her?”
His jaw ticks and I don’t think it will be too much longer before Cas pushes him too far.
“You’ve fucked her, haven’t you? I’m sure most of our brothers would if they stood a chance with her. I’m pretty sure Dex would tap it if he could, who knows, maybe he already has, they have been cooped up in their motel room for the last couple of days.”
Looking over to Dex, he’s pissed and staring so hard at Cas, I think he could bore a hole into the guy’s head.
“This isn’t about whether he’s fucked Libby, this is about Cam,” Gabe cuts in.
“I think it does based on her version of events, which remind me, what are they Libby?”
Showtime.
Every set of eyes fall on me and I clear my throat.
“My dad hadn’t been home in a couple of days after beating my mom so bad she couldn’t get out of bed. Baze came around to see if we needed anything and we went up to my room. It wasn’t the first time either. He always came around when my dad wasn’t home.”
“How long for?”
“Since last summer.”
“Okay, carry on.”
“Like I said, we were up in my room and my dad came home. We didn’t hear him of course until he came in my room and dragged Baze out into the hall. They were arguing and when my mom came out to see what was going on, my dad knocked her over. Baze threw my dad down the stairs and stood at the top of the stairs. It wasn’t until dad said he was calling Gabe that Baze ran down the stairs and they fought. I quickly got dressed and made sure my mom was okay. By the time I got downstairs, my dad was on the kitchen floor and Baze was covered in his blood.”
“What happened next?”
“Baze went and showered, he got dressed and made my mom pack a case. He called her a cab and sat with her in the living room until it showed up. He promised her he’d look after me and we’d be in touch soon.”
“And what did you do?”
“I just stood there, I couldn’t believe how much blood there was. After my mom left, I sat next to my dad and that’s where Gabe found me after Baze called him.”
Cas thinks it over and itches the side of his head with the butt of his gun.
“Her story is a vast contrast to yours, wouldn’t you agree?”
“We’re brothers, you should be taking my word, but you’re taking his word,” Baze spits out jerking his chin towards Dex.
“Ricky, would you go out and bring our guest in.”
The place goes extra quiet while we wait to see who Cas has brought with him, and when the door opens, nothing makes sense anymore.
“Don’t move,” Cas warns me, and it’s difficult.
Ricky stops my mom by Dex and she looks well. She looks better than she has in a long while. She doesn’t seem afraid of these men.
Dex looks between us and again, he seems angry. His shock at my mom’s arrival is genuine.
“We picked up Rebecca on our way in to town, for hours she answered my questions after we took her to get checked out. Turns out, she has sustained injuries for years. Anyway, her version of events matches up with Libby’s more than yours. In fact, they don’t match up with yours at all.”
He pauses while Slade hands him the laptop and points to the screen.
“It’s funny, Slade can’t find any call made from Cameron to you, but he’s found every call and text you made to Libby for the last eight months.”
Baze falls a deathly shade of ghost white but it’s Gabe I’m looking at. I reckon he knew the truth deep down.
He sits back in his chair and rubs his hand over face and then through his hair.
“Fuck,” he sighs, and I know this is over.
“Libby’s telling the truth, isn’t she?” Cas urges.
“Nah…”
Cas waves his hand and shuts him down.
“I’ve heard enough, it’s time to vote.”
If it gets any quieter, you’ll be able to hear everyone’s heart beating in their chests.
“You’ve all heard what happened, who believes Libby is guilty of taking out her father, our brother, Cameron?”
Zander is the only one who puts his hand in the air. He quickly puts it down when he sees he’s alone, and I almost feel sorry for Gabe. Almost.
“Who believes Baze is guilty of killing Cameron?”
One by one, hands rise into the air and last but not least, Gabe raises his hand, not making eye contact with Baze.
“You have been found guilty by a jury of your club brothers, you lying, brother killing, fucking piece of scum.”
“This is fucking bullshit,” he yells, jumping up to his feet. He doesn’t get a chance to go for Cas, every brother immediately pulls out their guns and point them at him.
This is the first time I’ve seen him vulnerable. He turns slowly, taking in everyone against him and his shoulders sag in defeat.
“I didn’t do this,” he carries on, pointlessly.
Cas shakes his head and turns his back on him.
“Pope, Rick, take him out the back,” Cas orders his men and then turns his attention to me.
I want to go to my mom, but the look in his eye has me on my best behaviour.
He walks towards me and shoves the gun in the back of his jeans.
“Just so you know, we always believed you from the moment Dex said he did, but I had to give the club what they needed.”
I don’t understand, and I don’t care to either.
“Can I take my mom and go now?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll take you back to the motel, the prospect can take your mom.”
Dex appears behind me and as much as I want to be with my mom, I don’t want to miss time with him.
“No, you’re needed here. Ricky will take them and make sure they get wherever they want to go.”
Is Cas dismissing me, and silently telling me my time with Dex has come to an end?
“Dex, go out and get Rick and help Pope if he needs it.”
He walks off and I turn to Dex. I’m finally free to leave with my mom and have a dad free future, and the thought of not falling asleep with this guy tonight fills me with a coldness that sends a constant shiver down my spine.
The silence between us stretches out for too long, and awkwardness hits us both.
“I didn’t know they found your mom, I would’ve told you if I knew,” he blurts out.
“I guessed as much, and hey, that’s probably why they didn’t say anything,” I smile, stepping closer to him.
Leaning up on my tiptoes, I press my lips against his cheek, leaving them there longer than I usually would.
“Thank you, for everything.”
I pull away from him and step back when he tries to hold my hand.
“What would you say if I asked you to stay with me?”
“I’d say, until I’m the one you dream about, we have no business trying to make anything work.”
“It’s not like that,” he defends himself.
“I know,” I tell him, “I just want to be the centre of someone’s life, someone who doesn’t feel like she’s always replacing people. Get right with yourself and come find me, I’m sure Slade will track me down if you really want to find me.”
Brushing against his shoulder as I pass by him, I know I’ve made the right decision, even though it feels like I’ve just made the biggest fuck up of all time.
I don’t look back and run over to my mom. She collects me in her arms, and a few seconds, I forget all about Dex.
“I’ve been trying to call you, where have you been?” I ask, now feeling angry with her.
“I’ll tell you in the car, can we please get out of here.”
Her eyes jitter around the place and her hands shake in mine. I forget how she sees these men differently to me because of my dad.
Wrapping her arm around my waist, she begins to pull me towards the door. I can’t help myself, I look over my shoulder and Dex is just standing there watching me. He doesn’t move, and he doesn’t call out for me to stay.
My legs numbly carry me to my mother’s car that she’s acquired from god knows where, and she opens the passenger door for me.
Ricky has followed us out and climbs on his bike. He revs the throttle and my mom cringes before bringing our car to life.
“I’m not going to miss that noise,” she tells me and starts backing out onto the main road.
“Are you okay, mom?”
I know she knows everything that happened that day and for the first time in a long time that I can remember, she looks relaxed.
“I have no idea, sweetheart, but we’re free now and our biggest decision is where to start a new life.”
A new life.
I wish Dex was a part of this new life, but as my mom drives down the mountain and away from home, and the club, I don’t know if I’ll ever see him again.
Last night was perfect, but perhaps it was only meant to be one of those nights that exist in the movies.
He’s a biker after all and what they say is not necessarily what they do.
“Where’s your things?”
I snap out of my pity party haze and say, “At the motel, just outside of town.”
It’s quiet during the rest of the drive and I watch Ricky follow us in the side mirror, wishing it was Dex.
Time begins to drag. My mom can’t wait to leave town, while I know Dex won’t hang around here for long, it’s still hard to leave him here.
Dex gave me the key before we left for the club and I dig it out of my coat pocket. Ricky stays sitting on his bike and makes a call. While he’s busy, my mom stays in the car and I let myself in to the little bubble I spent the last few days in with a guy I can’t stop thinking about.
I refuse to look at the bed, knowing what happened between us there last night and I grab my bag.
I lock up on my way out and walk over to Ricky. He’s making all sorts of promises to who I imagine is his old lady, and I blush listening to them.
I clear my throat and he ends his call.
“My wife is pregnant, I was just checking in,” he says, sounding proud to boast about it.
“Congratulations on the baby,” I say, passing him the key.
“Thanks,” he grins, “Did you get everything you needed?”
“Yeah, will you tell Dex that I…”
I, what?
I have his bloody number, I can tell him myself later.
“It doesn’t matter.”
Adjusting the bag strap on my shoulder, I step back and head for the car. I dump my bag on the back seat and fall in the front.
“I saw you talking with a young guy back at the clubhouse, did something happen between you?”
I look at my mom and I wish she had kept her mouth closed.
“Where did you go this week?” I ask instead of answering her question.
“I got a train down to my sisters, it’s been years since I saw her and after Baze…did what he did, I was free to see my family again. I told Baze where I was going, didn’t he tell you?”
Frowning, I don’t believe this. She has no idea what has happened, and I had no idea she had a sister.
“How did you end up with Cas?”
“They showed up and asked if I would come back with them, they needed to know what happened with your father. They promised me all I’d have to do is walk into the clubhouse and I would walk out with you.”
She jumps hard when Ricky starts his bike and her breathing becomes laboured.
“Breathe with me, mom,” I coax, taking a deep breath.
She copies for a full minute and reaches to hold my face.
“He’s not here anymore and I’m still scared,” she admits and breaks my heart.
“It will take time, but I’ll be right here with you.”
I have two people in my life and they both have demons to deal with.
“Where to?”
“Let’s just drive.”