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“Enough.” Ronnie said, causing all eyes to turn to him. He stood with his arms crossed, mirroring Luke’s stance from the opposite end of the alley. “This ain’t something you should be rooting for or against. This is two sisters who may not share a bond, but will soon, and who have differences that are apparently so fucking bad that it has to come to blows to solve it. I ain’t never in all my life seen two ladies act like the two of you. Sisterhood is a special thing and y’all are willing to fuck that up ‘cause you’re too damned much alike and can’t get along. But, y’all wanna duke it out, fine. But you heard Luke and I stand behind my brother. When this shit is over, it’s over. Finished.” I felt a sharp pain in my gut as a result of Ronnie’s speech. I had disappointed him, as had Chi Chi, and it showed in her face just as it did in mine. Luke was disappointed too, but somehow it hurt worse coming from Ronnie. Would my pride allow me to let it go? Would Chi Chi’s? Or would we have to do this because neither one of us would ever respect the other if we didn’t. I sized her up as she stood in front of me. She was a couple inches taller than me, but not much. We were about the same weight and built almost identically. Chi Chi took care of herself, just as I did, and she seemed to have a reputation for fighting, which let me know that I wasn’t dealing with an amateur. I wasn’t scared of her, but should I walk away and save face with the men who allowed us to be a part of this club? I would not back down. I couldn’t. No matter the cost.
“You are not my sister,” she said, closing the short distance between us. I kept my stance casual, but my guard up. “But only because I don’t know you and you haven’t earned that title yet. I’m willing to give you a chance, but you are going to have to prove to me that you are more than that arrogant bitch I was when I first entered into this lifestyle. I won’t disrespect you, but I will not tolerate you being disrespectful to me. I am going to walk away because I love my husband, and I respect this club. Nothing more and nothing less. There ain’t a man out here who can make it without a good woman behind him. LLC is a good fucking president, so is Ronnie. Brooklyn is a hell of an ol’ lady. She has stepped up and taken responsibility for her sisters, just like her husband did for his brothers when he became president. If you want to set a good example to your sisters and play that role as president’s ol’ lady then you better step the fuck up, ‘cause you got some big shoes to fill if you ever want to be half the woman she is.” Chi Chi stepped around me, leaving Luke as the only thing in my line of sight. No one had heard what she had said, but the silence was deafening, and the tension was thick, as everyone anticipated our next move. I turned to see Brooklyn wrap her arm around Chi Chi as she whispered something in her ear then released her to a very proud Shark. Ronnie stood stone faced, as Shark led Chi Chi inside. His eyes then turned to me as he spoke.
“Y’all get dressed, and let’s go get some breakfast.” I had never felt so low in all of my life. The disapproval in Ronnie’s face cut straight to my heart, leaving me feeling like I had let him down. Being in a head-on collision with a Mack truck couldn’t have felt worse. Thank God for Red, and her ability to turn any awkward moment into a fun one.
“Yes! Breakfast! Oh thank God, Ronnie. I could see my ribs.” Ronnie broke eye contact with me to lean back with a laugh, as his eyes landed adoringly on Red.
“Don’t worry, sugar. I ain’t gonna let you starve.” I watched as he slipped his arm around her shoulder, and led them all through the door and back into the clubhouse. I stood, staring at the closed door as if I were a kid who had just been put in the corner. I was embarrassed, heartbroken, and alone. It was the most awful feeling I had ever experienced.
“Ya feeling like you lost your best friend?” Luke asked from behind me. I nodded, my eyes still focused on the closed door. “Wishing you’d done something different?” I nodded again, feeling my eyes burn, as tears formed at the back of them. “Is the shame so heavy in your chest that you feel like an elephant is sitting on it?” This time, the tears spilled over my eyes as my bottom lip involuntarily poked out, trying to stop the sob that was soon to come. Luke wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my neck, resting his chin on my shoulder, and following my gaze to the closed door. “That’s good, babe.” I turned into his chest, letting my tears fall freely, as I searched his eyes for reason.
