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My cell phone vibrated in my pocket as I sat on the club’s patio, waiting for them to make a decision.
I knew who it would be.
Pressing the answer button, I reluctantly held the cell to my ear. “Uncle.”
“You told me two days. Imagine my surprise when I send Rico to pick you up from the airport and you aren’t there.” I could tell by the tone of his voice that this was not a phone call that was out of concern for my safety. I was not where I said I would be and for my Uncle Anthony, that was a problem.
“I just needed some more time to get things sorted,” I tried to explain.
“Rosalie—”
“I don’t want to be called that anymore.” My voice was firm but inside my head I was screamingare you fucking mental?
Silence filled the line and I pulled my phone back from my ear just so I could check to see if he was still on the line. He was. I knew this wasn’t good.
“We are making funeral arrangements for your father.”
My heart stopped. Of all the things that he could have said to me, that was the least expected.
“He’s—”
“Yes. And while he was a disgrace to our family, out of respect for you, I have arranged to have a small ceremony.” His voice was flat and uncaring. This is what my so-called family was. They were loyalty and respect, but you turn your back on them and that was it. You made your bed, you lay in it.
I gripped the arm of the chair that I was sitting in, scared I was about to fall off. “I’m… I don’t want… I can’t do it. I don’t want a ceremony.”
“I don’t blame you, but you should still have the chance to say goodbye.”
I stood quickly, causing my head to spin. “Goodbye? I said my goodbyes when the SWAT team dragged him off yelling about how I should’ve been aborted! He doesn’t deserve a goodbye, and I refuse to pretend like I care that he’s dead just for show.”
The DePalmas had done a great job sweeping what happened under the rug. The last thing they wanted was to be seen as having a crack in their family and in their ranks. Showing weakness meant being a target and my uncle—he was never a target. This ceremony thing was just to save face, I had no doubt about that. And frankly, I wasn’t about to be a part of it.
“Rosalie…” Uncle Anthony warned, but I was already done with this conversation.
“Throw him off the side of a cliff for all I care, I won’t be coming back to say my goodbyes.” I knew my words were harsh, and the possibility of causing a shit storm of epic proportions was quite likely, but I was done. I was done pretending like this man whose DNA I shared, was anything but a sperm donor. He hadn’t cared for me. I was his revenge ticket, a way to get back at the people who he felt wronged him. He never saw me as his child.
I could feel my uncle’s anger even through the phone line. “Where are you?”
“I’m in Athens attempting to right my wrongs. And I hope that by doing it, I feel some kind of peace within myself.” I pressed my palm to my forehead, I couldn’t believe what I was saying. Where this strength had come from I had no idea, but I was going to ride the wave while I still had my feet firmly on the board.
“You owe that club nothing…” his voice was beginning to rise, “…they killed my son.”
“Your son hurt them! They are a family too, and just like you, they’ll do what it takes to protect the people they care about.” I heard movement behind me and a click of a door. I spun to find Blizzard, the patio doors now shut and him leaning against them with his arms folded across his chest.
“You have forty-eight hours Rosalie. Then I will expect you on the next plane back here. You were not raised within these walls so, for now, I’ll ignore your disrespect. You are either a part of this family, or you’re not. Make your choice.”
The line went dead and I fought to keep myself standing.
This is what it had come down to. In my uncle’s eyes, I was either with them or I was against them. There was no middle ground or wriggle room.
I had to choose.
I felt ill.
I’d been fighting for so long to belong to something, and now I was about to let it all go just so I could feel better about myself. Just so I could prove that I wasn’t the person that my father had forced me to be.
Was it worth it?
“How much did you hear?” I asked, turning away from Blizzard and staring out into the backyard of the compound.
