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Up until now, we were the only set of twins in my father’s bloodline, and as far as I was aware, the only set within The Valley.
While my mother was initially praised for bringing two babies into the world to offer at Heaven’s gates at once, things quickly changed as I grew older. People would tell stories about how twins weren’t a blessing, but instead, they were a curse. Rather than one baby being born with beauty and sin, the attributes were separated in the two.
Grace was the beauty.
I was the sin.
When my constant challenging of the teachings in The Valley finally came to a head, and Bishop stepped in to protect me, Grace chose to stay inside. She believed that was her purpose, though our bond was too strong to keep us apart for long.
She came to the city every other week on a Monday to supervise the young girls and boys taking classes that needed certification like first-aid certificates or anything that warranted a license.
Every other week, she came to the park to have her lunch.
And I just so happened to be there.
If it were a coincidence, The Valley couldn’t complain or punish her for mixing with an apostate.
So that was what we went with.
A bi-weekly coincidence.
“Be careful,” I warned her gently, the hairs on the back of my neck standing at attention.
Her hand continued to stroke the large baby bump, a smile forming as she looked down at it lovingly. “I know what you are saying. You are scared one of them will be like you.”
My lip curled. “You know what they’ll do if it is.”
“And if it does come to that,” she murmured, seemingly unfazed by the idea her child may end up with the same fate as me. “I know exactly who to call to protect them.”
And I would.
In a fucking second.
No question.
Before I could tell her just that, her head whipped around, her attention being pulled to the kids’ playground nearby. The sound of children laughing and screaming always seemed to disappear into the distance, but this sound wasn’t that. It was a deeper tone, a threatening rumble.
“Why the hell can’t you ever just sit down and shut the fuck up?” the guy roared, throwing his arms into the air.
“Men shouldnotspeak to women that way,” Grace scowled, her nose crinkling like she’d smelled something bad. “It is so…” The rest of the words coming from my sister’s mouth melted away when I caught sight of the person this asshole was fucking screaming at.
“Taylor,” Grace called after me, but I was already on my feet, my growing anger sending shockwaves through the ground as I stomped across the grass.
“It was none of your goddamned business, Missy!”
She stood her ground, her chin held high even as this asshole stood over her, practically spitting in her face. “My daughter, my business,” she threw back, completely fucking stoic.
A picture of strength if you didn’t notice the way her eyes glittered with building tears.
The asshole had the nerve to take a step closer, lowering his head and voice. But I heard him loud and clear. “You pull some shit like that again, and I’ll fucking take her—”
I grabbed the back of his shirt, dragging his dumb ass backward with so much force that he lost his footing and fell straight on his ass. “I’d like to see you fucking try,” I seethed, taking two large steps toward the bastard as he scrambled, slipping on the grass while he tried to get to his feet.
“Hawk, please. Leave it,” Missy pleaded from behind me. I caught a look at her over my shoulder, the tears loose now, trickling down her cheeks. “Kadey is here.”
And the last thing she needs to see is another guy beating up her deadbeat father.
“This is none of your fucking business,” her ex spat at me, looking at Missy like she was going to back him up. “You just making a point of hanging around bikers now? These the kind of people you want Kadey growing up around?”
