“Zane…” She trails, but I just turn, leaving where we’re standing and walking back towards her house.
I see Ro standing off to the side; stare off into the distance. Mom was the closest thing to a sister that he ever had. They ended up in the same foster home after my grandfather died. Mom was 13. Whatever happened in that foster home was bad, though. They never provided specifics, but I’m certain it was a terrible experience..
Not only was he the closest thing to family that Mom had, but he and my dad have been best friends for as long as I can remember. Even if they hated each other at first, for some reason I don’t know about, they grew close over the years. Dad was even Ro’s best man when he and Sadie got married.
He’s looking out over the cliff at the water moving below. I guess he can hear my footsteps, or maybe it’s Liv sobbing from where she stands behind me, but he turns as I get closer and I can see the water in his eyes.
I look around the compound that the club owns, and I sigh. It’s dwindled over the last few years, but now it feels utterly abandoned, or maybe it’s just me who feels completely fucking alone.
“Ash and Care…” He starts, but I just nod my head. “Your mom saved my life.”
“What?”
“I can’t explain right now.” He whispers, reaching up and wiping a tear away.
I’m not sure I can hear it right now, either. Hell, I’m not struggling to look at him as he fights away the tears. “Where’d it happen?” I whisper.
“At the club. They were leaving…”
“I want to see it.”
“You don’t.”
“Ro…” I trail glaring at him and he nods his head, nodding back towards where my truck sits.
When I turn, I pause as I look at the house I grew up in. I see it all unfold, the cook outs, my cousins, siblings, and myself all running around playing throughout the years. Mom and Dad, staring back at one another like they always did, a look that let everyone around know that even after all the time they were together, it was ever only the other.
I undoubtedly had what many would consider an unorthodox childhood. I mean, Dad was a 1%er, and even if he never told me specifically what, he did a lot of things that most would deem… heinous. My mother, while she had a profession that many would find normal, she was anything but. I know she had killed more than one person, although she never would have told me that. I overheard it at some point, and she raced. It was only a few times after we were born, but she still did it from time to time. While all that’s true, love always filled my family, and my siblings and I never doubted what our parents would do to protect us. And I’m sure on more than one occasion they did.
Ro, Liv, and I all pull up to the club, Sirens. It’s owned by the MC. Dad still ran it. It was still a strip club. People wondered how mom could deal with that, but she never doubted his loyalty, and from a few whispers I had heard, I don’t think she really minded all that much, anyway.
“Where’s the rest of the club?” I ask before we all stumble out from the truck, looking over to where the forensic team is packing up.
Ro sighs, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking down. “Everyone who’s left, as soon as they heard, is trying to leave.”
“What? And you’re going to let them?”
“What am I supposed to do, kid? Make them stay? I don’t think I have much of a choice. Everyone is understanding their concerns. When it goes up for a vote, I know they’ll get it.”
“So just let the charter die? Everything that they fucking built, it’s just done.” He just looks over at me, not answering, and it pisses me off. I’m out of the truck and walking over to the front, where it’s taped off and duck underneath it.
“You can’t be—” someone grabs me from behind.
“He’s their son,” It’s rasped out as I look up to see Jeff standing next to the officer who tried to pull me back. “Zane, I’m so sorry.” He retired from the police force years ago, but I’m sure he heard about what happened and came out. He was always close with the club, something about one of my uncles. I never paid attention or cared enough to remember.
The sound of an engine comes closer, causing us to turn around and look at the headlights. I don’t need to ask who it is, because I know, somehow, I know.
I’m not ready for this… not yet, at least.
“Zane?” my sister’s voice calls out to me as she opens the door and walks toward us. I look up at her and it’s all she needs. Between my face and the surrounding scene. “No…” she whispers, covering her mouth with her hand, somehow already knowing what has happened.
“Drew.” I move over to her, wrapping her up in my arms and pulling her into me.
She shoves me off of her and looks up, in the look in her eye doesn’t read sorrow, but rage. “How?”
She looks at each of us standing in front of her. “They—”
Cutting Ro off, I hold up my hand. “We’re not sure all the details, but someone shot them.”
