Once Blaze arrived, I left them to it. I headed back to the clubhouse. I wanted to make sure Sasha was okay.
“Mommy”. She ran straight for me as soon as I walked through the door. Swinging her up and into my arms I grinned at her.
“Have you been eating chocolate?”. Her face was covered. My mom and dad just couldn’t seem to say no to her.
“No mommy”. Looking up at me with those big brown eyes I chuckled. She was so much like her daddy. “I go play iPad mommy”. Pushing herself out of my arms I watched her run off.
“She’s got some amount of energy”. Kissing my cheek my mom stepped behind the bar. “How’s Jared?”.
“He’s okay. Is Sasha here?”. I wanted to make sure she was okay. Jared was tough on her.
“She was baby, but she left about half an hour ago. Why, what’s going on?”.
That girl couldn’t seem to stay in one place. I was trying to help her but if she kept running there wasn’t much I could do.
“Ava, what’s going on?”.
“The club think she’s responsible for what happened to Jared”.
“Then you back off and leave it. You don’t get involved with club business Ava”. I wasn’t getting involved I just wanted to make sure she was okay.
“Mom I’m-…”
“I mean it Ava”. Her voice stern. As she walked out front behind the bar, she stood in front of me. “That shit can get you killed. We don’t get involved; you don’t get involved. Promise me you’ll let them take care of it”.
This wasn’t like my mom. I haven’t seen her like this in a long time.
“I’m not getting involved I just want to make sure Sasha will be okay”.
“That girl made her bed, now she can lay in it. Now how about you run to the grocery store and get me some food for tonight”.
“What’s happening tonight?”. I couldn’t bare another family dinner. I loved spending time with my family, but she was throwing dinners left, right and centre these days.
“Just go to the store and pick something’s up for me. No more questions okay”. Kissing my cheek, she placed her credit card in my hand.
Oh yeah, she was up to something.
I needed to freshen up first.
..
Strapping Everleigh into her car seat I closed the door behind me. I had decided I wasn’t going to look for Sasha. My mom was right and there was nothing I could do about it. If I got involved it would only cause problems between Blaze and me.
“Mommy I hungry”. Clipping in my seat belt I looked at her through my rear-view mirror.
“We’ll get some food once we get to the store baby”. Reversing out the lot I took off down the street. I wasn’t even on the road 10 minutes and Blaze was already calling.
“Where you headed babe?”.
“My mom needs me to pick some shopping up for her. Do you need anything while I’m out?”.
“Nah darling I pulled up to the clubhouse as you left. She with you?”. He didn’t seem himself. Club business on his mind as usual and Sasha wasn’t helping the situation.
“She’s not”. Glancing at Everleigh I could see she was trying her best not to fall asleep. “Blaze please-…”
“Best you don’t get involved sweetheart”. As I signalled into the grocery store, I cut the engine. I wasn’t getting involved but I didn’t want him doing anything stupid either. Sasha was still family. I hated how he kept me in the dark at times. Every time something was going on with the club he would shut down and shut me out.
“I have to go”. I knew if I didn’t hang up soon, we’d be at each other’s throats. Blaze wasn’t Blaze when his head was filled with club business.
“Babe don’t-“…
“I’ll see you when I get back”. Ending the call, I gripped the steering wheel tight.
“Mommy”. She groaned. Staring at her through my rear-view mirror I grinned. If she wasn’t hungry, she was tired, just like her mama.
“Let’s go then baby”. Unclipping my seatbelt, I jumped out walking to her side. Lifting her into my arms I locked my car, and we headed inside. “Okay baby you sit in here”. Placing her in the shopping cart I pushed her through the big double doors.
My mom had texted me a list of foods she wanted me to get. I wasn’t in the mood for a family dinner right now. It wasn’t the time for one. Sasha was MIA and Jared was lying in a hospital bed.
List in hand I started to push my way around the store. Lifting a fruit cup, I peeled back the lid and handed it to Everleigh. “Just a little snack before dinner”. Brushing the hair off her forehead I still couldn’t believe this little girl was mine.
She made it all worth it. She was what it was all about. Life was too short for petty arguments and disagreements. Nothing else mattered only her and her dad. Taking out my phone I typed up a new message.
‘I love you’
After hitting send I slipped my phone away and continued my way around the store. It wasn’t until I was nearing the end of my shop that I noticed I was being watched.
There was two of them, both male. I can’t say I wasn’t afraid but this time I was prepared. I rarely left the house without a gun these days. I had to protect myself but more importantly I had to protect Everleigh. No one would ever hurt my child.
Turning up the frozen food aisle I knew they had begun to follow me. My heartrate spiked and I could feel my knees grow weak. Whoever these men were surely they wouldn’t try anything in a supermarket with people around?
I had to think fast and get out of here. Picking up my pace my grip on the shopping cart tightened. I wasn’t thinking straight. I had to make sure Everleigh was safe. As a hand gripped my shoulder a scream fell from my lips.
“Babe, hey”. His arms tightened around me as he pulled me to him. I was shaking, tears already rolling down my cheeks.
“Daddy” Her sweet little voice reached my ears, a sob fell from my lips. What if they had got her? Slipping from his embrace I lifted her from the cart and hugged her to my chest.
“D-did you see them?” I stuttered suddenly very aware of my surroundings. They were right there and now they were gone.
“See who Ava?”. His expression darkened; his teeth clenched.
“I-I don’t know but they were following me”. I couldn’t seem to stop crying. My emotions were all over the place.
“Mommy cry”. Feeling her hands against my cheeks only made me worse. Squeezing my eyes shut I sunk my teeth into my bottom lip. I was scared, caught off guard. Peeling my eyes open they locked with his.
He was angry and when he was angry, he was dangerous. The murderous look on his face frightened me, so much so the hairs on the back of my neck stood. Teeth clenched he pulled out his burner phone and put it to his ear.
“Clubhouse 10 minutes”. Never once did his eyes leave mine. Ending the call, he slipped his phone back inside his cut pocket. With his arms outstretched Everleigh climbed right into them. He was angry but I could see the fear he was trying to hide.
As I was putting the shopping in the trunk Blaze was strapping Everleigh into her chair. As he closed the door, I felt his presence behind me. Turning round so I could face him he cupped my cheek my eyes closed.
“If you hadn’t of texted, I would never have shown up and if I didn’t-…”. Turning my head, I blinked away my tears.
I didn’t want to hear him say it.
“Whoever the fuck it was has went a step to far. No one fucks with my family”. Gripping my chin, he forced me to look at him. “They’re dead”.
The drive back to the clubhouse was quiet. Everleigh was sleeping in the back; Blaze had a face like thunder stuck in his own thoughts and I was sick with worry. The tension was driving me crazy. I didn’t like not knowing what he was thinking, I didn’t like when I couldn’t read him.
“If this has anything to do with Sasha I swear to fuck”. His grip on the steering wheel tightened, his eyes never leaving the road. “Such a coincidence that Jared gets shot and then people start following you. I’ll fucking murder her with my bare hands”.
“Blaze”. I hissed looking back to make sure she was still sleeping.
“Don’t”. He snapped.
Biting my lip, I turned my head focusing on the road ahead. I didn’t want to argue with him, so I decided it was best I kept my mouth shut. He was pissed off and he had a right to be. It wasn’t just me that was involved, Everleigh was too.
They had involved his daughter. Whoever they were.
Big mistake.
Reaching over I placed my hand on top of his and squeezed.
Right now, wasn’t the time for arguing.
Lifting my hand to his lips he placed a kiss on my knuckles before lacing our fingers together. No words needed to be exchanged. We both had an understanding and right now arguing was the least of our worries. As he pulled up to the clubhouse and cut the engine none of us moved.
“It’s never going to stop”. I whispered.
His grip on my hand tightened. He knew I was right. We couldn’t seem to catch a break, but I knew being here, being with him and around the club it never was going to stop. I signed up for this. We were always going to be a target.
Only then did it finally hit me why my mom moved us away. She didn’t want this life for me and now I knew why.
“Take Everleigh inside”.
“Blaze”.
“Just take her inside Ava”. Pulling my hand from his I unclipped my seatbelt and got out. Lifting her into my arms I held her close nursing her back to sleep as she started to grumble. Only when I was in the comfort of his room did my tears start to fall.
Dammit.
I was angry because I was crying. I didn’t cry anymore. I was stronger than this. Once I had her settled, I exited the room baby monitor in hand.
An emergency church meeting had been called but it was yet to start. My dad and Blaze were locked away in the office.
My mom and a few other old ladies were the only ones hanging around. They didn’t know and for once I was glad.
“A, did you get the shopping?”. As my mom approached, I tried my best to not show any emotion. She could read me better than anyone and she always knew when something was wrong.
“It’s in the boot of my car”. Sighing I took a seat at the bar. A beer bottle was placed in front of me. Giving Luke a half smile I took a long drink. Surely it was time he was patched in already. The boy was never away from here. “Thanks Luke”. Leaning my head against my hand I could hear the shouting and cursing most of it coming from my dad.
Beer bottle in hand I slipped off the stool and went outside. I needed the quiet and a place to think and just to be on my own for 5 minutes. Lighting a cigarette, I took a seat on the steps. The dark nights were fast approaching. The sound of a truck pulling into the lot caught my attention.
Wait who was that?