Page 54 of Rage's Solace
Her mother turns to look at Mia as she takes a step closer. “Children should be seen and not heard. Close your mouth, child. This doesn’t concern you.”
Before anyone can respond, Priscilla makes her decision. “I think it’s high time my parents answer for their crimes. Maybe then they won’t ride around judging people by appearances and calling them criminals when they’re in a cell.”
I jerk my chin to Tex. “Get with Siege about taking them to the Las Salinas PD. You’ll need whatever evidence they uncovered to make any charges stick.”
“You got it, brother.”
As we walk away, I see him cuffing her father who has blessedly remained silent the whole time. Venom follows us outside.
“Want me to transport Mia on my motorcycle?” he asks solemnly.
I glance at Mia. She’s got her sparkle back pretty damn fast. She brings up her hands in a prayer pose and says, “Please, I want to go home right now, and I like bikes.”
Priscilla shakes her head. “You’re a bit young and inexperienced to be on the highway on the back of a motorcycle.” Glancing at me, she says, “Hold on, I’ll be right back.”
I glance over my shoulder to see her race back into the house. She comes out moments later and tosses a set of keys in the air.“We’ll take my parents’ car. They’re not going to be needing it where they’re going.”
I offer, “If you want to warm the engine up, I’ll go upstairs and grab your personal effects.”
“There’s just my purse and Mia’s toy cat. Oh and my dad has my cell phone.” She wraps her arm around Mia and leads her to the car, giving me a grateful smile as she passes. Priscilla’s smile warms me from the inside out.
Once I’ve grabbed their stuff, Venom and I escort them, with me in front and him behind her vehicle. I glance down at my hands on the handlebars and realized my knuckles are still bloody from beating the shit out of Priscilla’s abuser. I spent the whole ride back home thinking up ingenious ways to force Ashton to leave Priscilla alone. Guy might not know it, but his days are numbered.
Chapter 20
Priscilla
Meli meets us at home. I realize I’m beginning to think of it as that, and not Rage’s home. I only hope that after we’ve had our talk then it will still be my home. From what he said in front of my mother I think he has an idea what happened and realizes that I wasn’t lying to him. Meli not only brought food but offered to take Mia for the night. I guess Venom had filled her in on what happened, and she knew that we needed to have a talk in private.
I almost dread being alone with Rage because that means we’ll have to have the conversation I’ve been avoiding, the one where I explain why I ran off the first time and what happened with Ashton. How I thought Ashton was Mia’s father but now I’m pretty sure that Rage is.
Rage locks up the house, dims the lights and brings us out some wine. It was a sweet gesture, considering he prefers whiskey or beer. We sit on the sofa together and an awkward silence spins out between us.
Finally, Rage asks, “How are you holding up? I know today must have been difficult. First, we got off on the wrong foot—I was an asshole and I’m so sorry. Then you ended up having to deal with your parents and Ashton. I will never forgive that bastard for scaring Mia. It must have felt like the shittiest day of your life.”
I take a sip of my wine and choose my words carefully. “I have a lot of awful days to compare today to and to be honest, this wasn’t my worst day by far.”
“If you want to talk, I’d like to be the one you confide all your secrets to, Prissy girl.”
“You would think that my worst day ever was getting shot by my husband but that pales in comparison to the day my parents told me you died. They said you died in a violent head-on collision with a big rig. The thought of you suffering and dying was the most pain I’ve ever felt in my life. I remember screaming at them that it wasn’t true. There was no mention of it in the papers or on the news, so to my mind it didn’t happen.”
“How long before they popped up with that headstone?” he asks curiously.
“It was when I came home for winter break. I’d just found out I was pregnant,” I pause. I’m jumping ahead with the story. “My second worst day was a week before I left for college. I’d been at a friend’s house—Jennifer if you remember her? Anyway, I was coming home and suddenly I got dragged into a dark alleyway. I tried to fight but I couldn’t and when I saw his face I realized it was Ashton. I kind of knew his younger brother Conrad, as we shared a couple of classes, but Ashton always scared me. I didn’t know what to do, I told my parents what happened, saying I needed to go to the police. They told me that no one would believe me and that they’d sort it all out. I was so ashamed, I didn’t know how to tell you and I’m so sorry, Rage, but that’s why I left for college without saying goodbye. I knew you’d be distraught, but I’d seen what Ashton was capable of and I didn’t want you to get into any more trouble.”
Rage is looking at me intently. He reaches out and takes my hand, the feeling of his warm fingers stroking mine grounds me, and I continue, “I blocked your number. I hate that I did it, it was cowardly, but I couldn’t bear hearing your voice and having to explain. I tried to put everything behind me but then I started getting sick and I realized I was pregnant. I phoned my parents and told them, I said it was Ashton’s because we’d always used condoms. I told them about you, about how I was in love with you and that I wanted to come home and talk, to see if you’d forgive me. They said I shouldn’t waste my life on someone like you. I came home and—” my voice catches and I can feel the hot tears run down my face.
“You don’t have to continue,” Rage says softly. “I have an idea what happened next.”
I wipe my eyes, “Even though my parents thought Ashton was Mia’s father they told me to tell everyone it was you. That was the official story. Conrad took in this poor pregnant woman and raised her kid. He wasn’t abusive to me, though I think he resented the fact that he’d been forced into the marriage just as much as I had. When Ashton was in hospital things weren’t too bad, we weren’t exactly a happy family and he never acted as a father to Mia, but when Ashton was released last year, he changed. I think he realized that he had to keep his brother away from us. I thought that Conrad didn’t know the whole truth, at least about Mia, but I don’t know. I honestly don’t know what he thought. I only know that Ashton thought we were his.”
“So when did you start thinking she might be mine?” Rage asks. I realize that he’s trying to move away from Ashton as a way to make this easier for me.
“When Meli first saw Mia, she asked me—remember when she rushed to the bathroom on that first visit? She confronted me, I denied it, but it got me thinking. I’d always wished that Mia was yours so I’d have something to remember you by. I need you to know, I always loved my daughter, even if her father was that monster.”
Rage’s hand comes up and strokes my cheek, “She’s an awesome kid. I don’t see how anyone couldn’t love her and want to be her father.”
“I wish you were,” I say, my voice thick with tears.