Page 53 of Rage's Solace
When her eyes lift to mine, I can see she regretted not telling me about Mia and her worries. After both my girls almost getting harmed on my watch, all my angst about being left in the dark melts away. I lean forward and pull them in for a hug.
“I’m always going to protect my old lady and my daughter. The two of you have become my whole fucking world.”
Mia lets out a laugh. “You owe the swear jar a buck.”
“C’mon kid, you won’t let your old dad off with that, given the circumstances?”
She giggles and my heart sings. Whatever they’ve been through today, my little girl seems to be okay. I don’t know about her mother though.
Priscilla glances towards the door, where they’re still trying to get Ashton under control. “I don’t think Ashton is going to give up easily.”
I tell her in no uncertain terms. “I guarantee you that he’ll give up whatever crazy thoughts he has about forcing you to marry him. The Savage Legion has ways of coercing cooperation, you won’t see him again.”
Her expression morphs into one of not quite believing.
I add, “Trust me, we’re fucking crazy whisperers.”
I wait until my club brothers haul Ashton downstairs and then coax Priscilla and Mia out as well. They’ve already taken Ashton and Malcolm away, but Priscilla’s parents are still in the living room.
The minute her mother sets eyes on us, she gets up and starts moving towards us. “Priscilla, I thought I told you to stay away from these bikers. They’re nothing but trash.”
She doesn’t make it more than three steps before Tex grabs her by the back of the neck and forces her face down over an armchair. I watch with satisfaction as he slaps cuffs onto both her wrists and begins reciting her Miranda rights to her. Although he’s no longer a Texas Ranger, he’s believable enough for the awful woman to start paying attention. That couple are unbelievable, they pretty much sold their daughter to the Whitmores ten years ago, and they were willing to come out of hiding to do it again. What was Malcolm offering this time? Some sort of fucking retirement plan?
I glance at Priscilla, “What do you want to do here, Prissy girl?”
The woman I’ve already decided is mine lets go of Mia and walks confidently into the living room to face her parents.
Her mother struggles uncomfortably in the cuffs while glancing back and forth between Priscilla and Tex. “Priscilla, can you tell the officer to let me go. I haven’t done anything to merit being treated this way.” Her husband is suspiciously quiet, just watching and listening.
I come up behind Priscilla and share the shenanigans that went on behind her back. “Your parents colluded with Malcolm Whitmore to commit insurance fraud by faking their own deaths. Malcolm was listed as the primary beneficiary, and they split the money. If you want, we can turn the evidence over to the cops.”
“That’s not true,” her mother protests indignantly.
“It is. The payout was 4.3 million dollars. Your parents have been living like the millionaires they are in the Caribbean, not on the East Coast like they claimed.”
Priscilla mulls it over for a few seconds.
Before she can come to a conclusion, I turn her around and I look deeply into her eyes. “These people ruined your life, I know about Ashton, about what he did to you. Any normal parents would have gone to the cops but yours took a payoff and married you off to your abuser’s brother.” I stopped and glanced at Mia and back to Priscilla, “I know about Mia and what you thought—I don’t know the whole story but we can talk later—and I understand why you didn’t tell me when we reconnected, because you honestly didn’t know. But these two people almost ruined both our lives. If they hadn’t told you I was dead, then I know you’d have asked for my help.”
Her eyes drift from me to Mia and she turns back to her mother so fast, she almost loses her balance. Her expression is hard. “I think you should turn the information over to the police so they can do their job.”
Her mother gasps, “You wouldn’t dare!”
Priscilla folds her arms across her chest. “You took advantage of me when I was young and vulnerable, made me cover up a crime, lied to me, and manipulated me into marrying a man who almost killed me. We don’t speak for seven years, and what’s the reason for you getting in touch? To marry me off to my abuser. How much did they promise you this time?”
Her mother’s expression turns panicked as she realizes her attempts at emotional manipulation are falling flat. “We did it for you, Priscilla, because we loved you and wanted what was best for you.”
“No. You did it for money. I’m not a naive little eighteen-year-old anymore and I’m not going forgive and forget all those years of misery.”
“We’re your parents. Are you going to turn against us because you fell in with outlaws?”
“The Savage Legion isn’t an outlaw biker club, mom. I’ve told you that before.”
The older woman keeps trying to slip her wrists out of the handcuffs as she talks. “Your judgment is impaired because of everything you’ve been through. Let us help you, sweetie. Ashton is a changed man.”
I speak up. “Seriously? I’ll not say what he is and what I think of him because my daughter is listening. But do you seriously want your daughter with a man like that, even if he’s a changed man. Which, for your information, he is not. Aside from what he left on my doorstep, we found some pretty nasty stuff on his flash drive. He likes to hurt animals and stalk women. I don’t think he’s anyone you would want around your daughter or your granddaughter.”
Mia speaks up from behind us. “My dad is right. Uncle Ashton is creepy and weird. Conrad wouldn’t let him in the house. I don’t want him anywhere near us.”