“When I was twelve, my mama said I wouldn’t amount to anything, she said the club would destroy me and growing up being ingrained the club is everything. I couldn’t cope with Mama’s words so I ran off and started trying to set a light to some dry leaves in the park when this big man with white-blonde hair and icy blue eyes in a firefighter shirt gave me a lecture about the dangers of fire before he took a good look at me. He asked if I was Glock's son, and I said I was. He told me whatever was said to hurt me, that burning shit wouldn’t help matters. He encouraged me to speak to my dad after giving me his number, so I could always call him when I felt like burning shit again. Chase Wilson, Raya, was one of the best men I knew.”
It doesn’t surprise me daddy tried to help Venom, he always spoke highly of the MC, especially when they donated to the firehouse and over the years organized club runs to raise money for said firehouse. A few times he had mentioned a troubled kid trying to burn crap in the park, I just had no idea it was the guy I was crushing on.
I sniffle, my emotions coming out with the thought of my father.
I miss him so much, the longer I try to get my revenge, the revenge I know the girls are scared of, the more guilty I feel for not fulfilling my silent promise. Having Venom remind me of him, it’s becoming too much to handle.
Instead of allowing me time to process that he had not only found out daddy is dead, that he looked up to him, he’s shown up every night, sitting outside my door, bringing up memories of our past.
Sometimes he’ll speak about our childhoods, reminding me what a jackass he was, and other times, he’ll sit there. According to the neighbors, even on the eight nights I worked, he’s been sitting outside my door, waiting for me to come home for two hours before leaving, looking mad.
I look away from the photo of Daddy and quickly twist my hair into a low bun before tying it up.
I don’t understand why he keeps coming. Why he’s bringing up, to be honest, bad memories. If he feels guilty about the crap he said about my father, he doesn’t have to be. Even as a five-year-old girl meeting him at the gate with his little sister, I felt the hate coming from him, and I’m fine with it.
I had a crush that turned into love, then into hate, and then back to love, but it is fine. He has a baby on the way, and focusing on his guilt over my father is not the right route to take.
“How did he even find out?” I mumble to myself before my phone rings, and I shake my head and stand.
Someone around town might have told him, though it is weird that it took ten years.
Heading over to my nightstand, I silently beg it to be the firehouse even though I know I won’t get called in after all the shifts I’ve done. I pick up my phone only to gasp to see who the caller is.
“Lake?!” I answer with my heart in my throat.
“Hey, Raya,” she whispers, and tears blur my vision as I gently take a seat on my bed, my left hand automatically touching Venom’s shirt that I may or may not have stolen out of his truck when I was like thirteen. He had picked Ivy and me up from cheer practice and I took it for myself.
That day was the first time I saw him with another girl, and it broke me.
I try to swallow the lump forming in my throat as I grip Venom’s shirt, and I choke, “How are you?” not knowing what else to say.
She’s been in a therapy facility for three weeks, and only the officer brothers know where. Without any contact, and she is due to be released any day. I have spent every day she’s been gone trying to figure out a way to get her to forgive me for not being there for her.
“Not good,” she admits, making my heart stop, but my mouth drops open as she whispers, “I told Venom about your dad.”
Okay, I didn’t expect that.
“Why?” I ask with shock.
The girls knew I didn’t want him knowing, or the club. I’d rather have them think I’m some spoiled rich bitch wanting to piss off my daddy than have their sympathy. Or worse, try to turn the narrative that I’m only friends with Ivy because I was cut off with his death, which is so far from the truth it isn’t even funny.
The money untouched sitting in my trust is proof of that, money I have no idea what I’m going to do with.
Maybe I could donate it.
“Because I’m scared I’m going to lose my friend,” Lake admits, and my tears fall.
“Lake,” I begin, but she cuts me off and snaps, “No! You’re on the warpath, revenge is the only thing you can think about, and one of these days that revenge will kill you.” I wipe my cheeks as she sighs, “Telling Venom was my last resort, so I didn’t lose my friend.”
I want to say she’s hypocritical, but I don’t, I can’t.
“I know I’m hypocritical,” she says like she can read my mind, “I allowed Cherri, the club, and everything with Jaylen to get to me. I became depressed for reasons I don’t even understand even after spending three weeks here but where I became a cutter through my depression, you-you’re killing men trying to wipe out the Hyenas in revenge… slowly losing yourself bit by bit,” she sniffles making me flinch, “I did what I had to, I told Venom a part of your past but not all of it hoping he’ll get to you.”
I swallow hard as a few tears fall, and I look at Venom’s shirt that no longer smells like him.
“He’s been showing up every night,” I admit.
“Because he’s in love with you, Ray,” she replies adamantly. I shake my head in denial even though she can’t see me as she continues, “I know you don’t want to believe it but it’s the truth and I swear Ray, if you just start to open up, you’ll see it as well. Heck, you don’t even have to answer the door, speak to him through it, please Raya.”
