Page 1 of Rage’s Rose

Prologue

Devil

19 Years Ago

It has been three weeks since Trevor was born and it has been a whirlwind. I never thought I would be thirty three years old and raising a newborn without an ol’ lady. I am glad I never went there with Hannah. She was definitely not ol’ lady material and she sure as hell wasn’t mother material. What kind of mother leaves their baby after they have just been born? I mean fuck, she didn’t even have the decency to tell anyone she was leaving. She just took off from the hospital. I guess I am better off without that bitch anyway. She better hope she never shows up here again. I’ve got the club lawyer working on filing to terminate her parental rights, but they have told me that I can’t do that until she has abandoned him for ninety days. Which I think is so fucking stupid. How is it that a mother can leave her unborn baby at the hospital and just stick her ratty little finger in the air telling all of us to fuck off.

Thankfully I was there and on the birth certificate when he was born, so the nurses at the hospital knew to call me when Hannah bolted. I dated Hannah on and off for a few years, yeah she was a good fuck, but there was really nothing else to her. I couldn’t stand the sound of her voice most of the time and she tried her hardest to try and get my patch. I always refused even after she told me she was knocked up. I think she thought that was her way to the golden gates or some shit. It wouldn’t have surprised me if she planned that shit on purpose.

I have never been more thankful for Missy, Bulldog’s ol’ lady and all the other ol’ ladies than I am now. They have really helped me get through these past few weeks. They have also been providing food and I never thought I would be happier than I am living in my new house with a bunch of delicious fucking food that I didn’t have to fucking make. What has been really amazing and surprisingly not weird at all, Bulldog’s mama has been staying with me some nights. I’m sure Tank misses his ol’ lady, but she is my angel.

“Hey Devil, your little man is awake. I’m going to let you get him up and ready to go so I can head home and see my old man. I’m thinking next week you will be fine on your own. You are already up more than I am throughout the night. I’ve also made you a whole lot of food and froze a bunch of it for you. Annie and Anna have been pumping extra breast milk for you, so I stocked that in the freezer in the garage for you. So you can warm that up.” Mary says as she walks over to me and pats me on the cheek. “You’re a good boy Tyler. You’re going to do very well. You’re a good daddy already and I am proud of you.”

She turns around and heads out of my house. So I walk over to Trevor’s room and begin to get him ready for the day as my phone rings. I look down at it and it is the prospect at the gate.

“Yeah?”

“Hey, um Devil, there is a woman here saying she needs to speak with you. She says she’s with social services. Should I send her to the club house?”

“Nah, send her to my house. I’m sure she’s just here to talk about Trevor’s bitch of a mother.”

“Alright, sounds good.”

I hang up the phone and go back to my business until I hear tires come up the drive. So I walk toward the door with Trevor on my chest and open the door just as the woman is heading up the steps. She is an older lady, probably around Tank and Mary’s age.

“Hello there.”

She looks up and smiles, “Hello are you Mr. Matthews?”

She gets up the stairs and meets me at the door.

“Yes, I am and who might you be? I was told you are from social services. Why don’t you come inside? We can talk in the living room.”

“I am Mrs. Johnson and that sounds wonderful.”

After we get situated in the living room, her on the couch and myself on the love seat with Trevor on my chest, I clear my throat.

“I assume you are here because of Trevor’s mom skipping out on him. The hospital said that I might hear from social services, but they weren’t sure.”

“Oh no, this is not about that cute little guy you have here. I did look into you before I can and it would appear that you won’t be bothered by social services for his mother leaving. I hope that you have spoken to a lawyer about getting her rights taken care of.”

“Yes, I have. I have to wait ninety days. If this isn’t about Hannah and Trevor then what exactly is this about?”

She takes a deep breath before she digs through the bag that she brought with her.

“Do you know Rachel Dawson?”

“I don’t think so. Do you have a photo?”

She pulls out a photo from her folder and hands it to me. I look at the picture and try to place the woman in the photo and I can’t seem to.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I do.” I say as I hand her back the picture.

“Well, I was wondering if you maybe had an interaction with her nine years ago because you are listed as the father on her eight year old boy’s birth certificate.”

My heart suddenly drops into my stomach. I get up from where I am sitting and place Trevor down in the bassinet that I have sitting next to the couch. Then turn and look back at the woman sitting there watching me carefully.

“I’m sorry, what did you just say?”