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He clasps both of our cheeks, then turns, and walks toward Mae. Timber finally releases her and she rushes into Pop’s arms, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.
“I didn’t want to tear apart your family. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’ll—” she cries before he cuts her off and I know exactly what she was going to say next. I walk up to them and pull her into my arms, hugging her tight.
“Lil’ Bit, look at me,” I say as I pull back a little, and wait for her to do so. She does, and the heartbreak I see in her eyes damn near brings me to my knees. “I knew Erik would struggle with this news and I was waiting to tell him when I saw him face to face. It’s just, I thought I had a little more time to figure out how to tell him we have another sister.”
“But I don’t want to be the reason why your family becomes divided. That seems to be all I’m doing lately. Dividing families and clubs,” she says, practically whispering that last part.
A roar sounds behind me and Mae’s instantly pulled out of mine and into Timber’s arms. “You aren’t the cause of division anywhere, Sunshine. Smoke’s the cause of that clusterfuck, and he’s trying to make amends. I know where your mind’s going, and you need to get that shit out of your head. You hear me, Sunshine?”
She stares up at him, but eventually nods, burying her face in his shirt.
The niggling feeling that I’m missing something intensifies, and I turn toward Erik. “How did you find out about Mae? I’d already asked the guys not to tell you, so I could tell you face to face.”
He scowls at me, but it doesn’t have the heat behind it like earlier. “I got a text message with some pictures. I thought it was from one of you guys, since it was in your dealership and from the clubhouse.”
“Let me see your phone,” Reaper says as he steps up to us, Python at his side.
Even though Erik isn’t officially part of the club, and that he doesn’t actually have to listen to Reaper, he does. He’s always looked up to Reaper.
Erik even had plans to join the club, but then the accident happened. He can still ride his motorcycle despite what happened, but he’s yet to take the chance. I’m not sure what’s holding him back, but someday, I’ll find out.
Erik clears his throat and it brings me out of my thoughts. He unlocks his phone, brings up the text thread and hands the phone to Reaper.
I look over his shoulder as he reads it, my blood boiling at the message and the pictures.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your precious sister’s memory has been crushed to ashes and thrown out the window like trash. She’s been replaced with a gold-digging, backstabbing whore. Even your parents love her as their own, taking her in and replacing their dead daughter.
If you’re not careful, you’ll soon be pushed out as well. With your track record for the last year, I’m sure it won’t be that difficult. They certainly do love Timber. Soon he’ll be accepted into the family and you’ll be a distant memory. Forgotten and squashed. Just. Like. Frida.
With their combined poison, it shouldn’t take too long for that to happen. Everything she touches burns as relationships get thrown to the curb with her now in the mix. She’s better off being discarded into the hands of her true family. If you don’t want her toxicity to ruin everything you hold dear, you’ll take care of the poisonous rat and push her to the curb.
Next, he flicks through the pictures. Mae and me in Levi’s living room, right after those assholes tried to run over my brothers a few days ago. Mae with me and my parents in the Junction Creek clubhouse. Of Mae and Ma in the kitchen. Mae with Timber and me at the dealership. Mae with my parents at the dealership and the grocery story.
The last one has my blood running cold.
It’s of Frida’s gravestone.
In pieces.
I know Mae didn’t have anything to do with it. In fact, I’m not even sure she knew I had siblings. Even if she had known, I know she’d never do this to anyone.
I need to get there to see if it’s truly in pieces.
A hand lands on my shoulder, followed by more, which brings me out of my thoughts. Looking up, my brothers surround me. Small arms encircle my waist as the owner buries her face in my back. I know without looking it’s Lil’ Bit. She doesn’t know what’s going on, but she’s still comforting me.
“Stay here, we’ll go check it out,” Reaper says, and I narrow my eyes at him.
“I’m going. I need to see it. I need to—”
“Kai...”
I look over at my brother, surprised. He never calls me Kai anymore, except for moments when he’s really hurting.
He swallows thickly, his face grave and my stomach drops.
“It’s gone, Kai. I went there before I came here. Frida’s tombstone... It’s... It’s in pieces... just like in the picture... I took a few pictures myself for proof.”
A strangled sound reaches my ears, and when Lil’ Bits arms tighten around me, I realize it came from me.
