“You don’t want to hear what’s goin’ on with your son and wife?She’s set to graduate soon and that’s a big fuckin’ deal.Cali’s busted her ass takin’ care of Bryce and goin’ to school at the same time with hardly any help.Your parents sure as fuck aren’t helpin’ out with their grandson.Neither are hers.Show her some fuckin’ respect even if she can’t see it and open her care package, Darren.Don’t be a fuckin’ douche canoe,” I state, anger filling me because I treasure anything Cali sends me and she’s not mine.
“Cali graduatin’ isn’t a big deal.It’s taken her forever to accomplish instead of the two years it should have.She’s so fuckin’ lazy and stupid,” Darren says, his voice barely audible over the roaring of blood in my ears as Kreed drags me from my bunk and away from our best friend.
“Kreed, I’m gonna fuckin’ gut him.Cali deserves so much better than that shit.Yeah, it took her a little longer to graduate because she was pregnant and then gave birth.She’s raisin’ a fuckin’ newborn on her own while goin’ to school with hardly any help from anyone around her.The second she’s out of classes and not workin’, Bryce is with her.She doesn’t ever let anyone else watch him so she can do her homework in peace or anythin’.Cali is so fuckin’ strong and doin’ all this on her own.She deserves all the credit, support, and praise she can get.What she deserves the most is respect for doin’ it all on her own.”
“I know, Caleb.We’ll give her everythin’ she needs.Maybe Darren’s just havin’ an off day or somethin’.We’ve been over here forever and I’ve noticed he rarely calls her.He’s on the phone durin’ his times, but it’s not Cali.I called her once and she asked about him because she hadn’t heard from him in weeks,” Kreed informs me, only adding to the anger I’m already feeling toward the asshole.
Darren’s been changing over the last few months.He’s becoming colder and more like his father.That’s the one thing he said he never wanted to be when we were growing up.He couldn’t stand the way his mom was treated and he spent every day protecting her and making sure she was okay.Now, he’s treating his wife the same way.The only difference is she isn’t around to witness his actions.This is not gonna happen on my watch.Cali doesn’t deserve this shit by anyone.Especially her fucking husband.
Remembering the treatment of Cali by Darren when we were overseas has me seeing red as I finish destroying church.The mural Rose painted is destroyed and I don’t know if she’ll do a new one once I repair the wall because I’m the one who trashed her hard work.The chairs are broken and laying in pieces all over the room.The one filing cabinet we have in here that’s new is laying on its side with two of the four drawers out and bent beyond repair with the paperwork scattered all over the place.
Pulling out my wallet when there’s nothing left standing in the room except for the table, I grab one of the three pictures I carry with me daily.There’s one of Cali sitting on my bike in front of my parents' house with the largest smile on her face as I stand behind her.I’m looking down at her while she laughs at something Kreed said.The second one is of Bryce holding Rory the day she was born.He’s looking down at his little sister with nothing but love in his eyes and the look of pure protection coming from the way he’s holding her.The one I’m holding is one of Kreed, Darren, and I when we were deployed.We’re all smiling big for the camera so we could send the picture home to our family.Our arms are around one another and we look so damn close.I never would have expected Darren to completely betray all of us this way.
While I’m angry and hurt beyond belief, I can’t imagine the devastation Cali has to be feeling right now.To know that her husband chose to be away from her and his children over the last year.That he’s never seen his daughter and held her in his arms.He chose to never be a part of her life and is missing out on one of the best little girls in his life.Rory is an angel and Bryce is becoming such an upstanding little boy who wants to do nothing but protect his mommy and sister every single day.None of that is because of Darren.It’s all because of Cali and a little bit from the rest of us she chooses to allow into their lives.
With the photo in hand and my eyes locked on the three of us before everything changed, I collapse to the floor on my ass.Tears are now falling once again from my eyes in pure anger and the feeling of betrayal filling me and warring for dominance.I have no clue how Darren could do this to all of us.We showed him nothing but respect, loyalty, and love over the years since we became friends.He took everything we gave him and completely shit on it.Darren destroyed everything we had between us without hesitation or any thought.He was a selfish fucking prick and I want to know why he did this shit to us all.Mainly to his own flesh blood in Bryce and Rory and his wife.The three of them are completely innocent and don’t deserve this for any reason.
“Leave me alone,” I say in a broken voice when I hear the door of church open but don’t look in that direction.
“Not leavin’ ya alone, Caleb.You’re not alone in this shit.We’re all feelin’ what you are right now.Darren has betrayed us and broken somethin’ deep inside so many of the men in this clubhouse.No one will feel it as bad as you, Cali, and me though.We’re the three who thought he’d never do this to us and yet, here we are.Darren has made some fucked-up choices in his life, but this is the worst of them all.Talk to me, Caleb,” Kreed says, sitting on the floor with me as I look over at my best friend and see I’m not the only one in tears right now.Kreed’s silent tears are rolling down his face as he sits right next to me with our arms touching as his eyes lock on the picture in my hand.
“Why?That’s what I wanna know, Kreed.Why would Darren do this to us all?Fuck!We heard him take his last breath over in that fuckin’ sand pit.You and I carried his limp body and made sure he made it home to his wife and children.We buried our best fuckin’ friend and have been mournin’ him for the last year.I’ve been loyal to a damn ghost and left the woman I love alone.How the fuck am I supposed to wrap my head around everythin’ he’s done.Now, he’s got Cali in his clutches somewhere and we have no clue where the hell they are.Yeah, we have an idea, but that’s all it is.What the fuck is he doin’ to her?He’s hurt her so many times over the years and we didn’t pay attention to the clues, Kreed.How do I make this right for her and the kids?”I question my best friend and brother from another mother.
“I don’t know.I’ve been thinkin’ about it since you told me Cali was taken.We both rationally know she’s been taught every possible way to escape a kidnapper.Cali had all the trainin’ the rest of the girls had.Darren has to know that.It could go one of two ways, Caleb, and we have to prepare ourselves for that.Cali will either come out of this with little damage done to her physically, or she’ll come out beaten to hell.There won’t be an in-between with Darren.He’s been plannin’ this for a long time.More than the last year since he faked his death.There’s a reason Darren is doin’ this and we’ll get our answers, Caleb.One way or another we’ll get them.Trust in Cali to get herself out of the situation she finds herself in,” Kreed says as our tears continue to fall.
“The betrayal is what’s guttin’ me, Kreed.Darren knows how we feel about bein’ betrayed and he still chose that option instead of talkin’ to us about whatever is goin’ on.Ineedto know that reason, Kreed.I can’t have this go on without it makin’ sense to me.Darren needs to pay for what he’s done.We have to get revenge for Cali and Bryce,” I state, letting the anger win out over the betrayal and feeling his loss all over again.That’s what truly hurts.
I’ve been grieving Darren for a year, carrying the guilt on my shoulders.Since learning of the possibility of him being alive, it’s like I started mourning him all over again.I’m slowly working through the stages of realizing I’m now going to have to grieve for a person I loved like my brother who is still alive.What the hell do I do with this information?How do I get through the loss of someone who is actually alive?Questions I’ll get answered as soon as possible if I have my way.
Kreed and I remain sitting with one another in complete silence as we look at the picture in my hand.While I’d love to be remembering all the good times we shared over the years, all I can see are the horrible memories now rising to the surface of my mind.Darren has absolutely tarnished every memory we ever made with him.That’s a crime I’ll never forgive.It’s not worse than the lack of loyalty and the betrayal, but it’s close.
Chapter Thirty-One
Caliana
STIRRING AWAKE ONCEagain, I find myself on the cold floor surrounded by small puddles of water I don’t remember being there when I attacked Darren despite being in so much pain.If I thought I was cold before, it’s nothing compared to what I’m feeling right now.The chill is deep in my bones as I try to force myself off the floor through barely opened eyes.I can feel the blood caked on my face that’s helping hold my eyes closed and feel how swollen my eyelids are that I know will be black and blue.My left arm is in the most pain followed closely by the pain in my ribs as I try to remember to take short breaths instead of full ones.I won’t be able to take deep breaths for a while.This isn’t the first time my ribs have been bruised.I didn’t feel any of them break, but that doesn’t mean anything.Turning my head to the side, I see Darren still laying motionless next to me.Is he really knocked the hell out still?Or is he playing me?
