Page 116 of Roses and Skulls

My mother takes a few steps away and leans her back against a tree.

“So, Bill isn’t your dad?” I ask Draven.

He spits blood on the ground before answering me. “Fuck no, I told you my dad was Crow, and that bitch…” He jerks his head towards my mother. “That bitch killed him. Like I told you, Billie Rose, an eye for an eye. Which, by the way, was all her idea.” He nods towards his mother.

But that means Draven is my second cousin. A wave of nausea assaults me, and I take several large gulping breaths. Elijah runs his hand over the side of my neck, whispering in my ear. “I’ve got your back, baby. Breathe, just breathe.”

My mom directs a question to her aunt. “I thought you were with Jimmy. How did you end up with Crow’s bastard?”

Renae looks back at my mom, shaking her head. “Did you think I really wanted Jimmy? He was just a way to get to Crow. I wanted the president of the Devils. I wanted to be his old lady. But then you killed him and ruined everything. And then I found out I was pregnant. I knew I should have gotten rid of the baby, but I waited too long. So, I came up with a plan. I was going to take everything away from you, just like you had done to me.”

Draven looks at me sadly. “Fucked up, isn’t it, cousin?” he says with a bloody frown. “You and I are both victims of their fucked-up past.”

“But I told him, Jesse. I told him it ain’t right to go fucking one of your own family. That was never part of my plan. I wasn’t going to hurt her, just turn her into the very thing you loathe. Evidently, the idiot doesn’t know what incest is.”

My mom pushes away from the tree.

“Shut the fuck up,” Draven yells at her, squirming in the chair once again. His eyes dart over the men of the club. I think he was hoping we could keep what happened between him and I at the trailer a secret.

“Why are you looking at them?” I ask, stepping between his legs. “They’re not who you should be worried about. Look at me.”

“Little dove, you know we’re meant to be together. From the moment we met. Don’t let them taint what we have. We made love…”

I grab him by his shirt, spitting in his face as I yell, “Don’t call it love! When someone is unconscious that makes it rape, Draven.”

Both our heads snap towards my mother when she releases a roar. She grabs the back of Renee’s head and reaches around, drawing a blade across her throat. His mother’s blood projectiles from her body, splattering over us.

Renee’s surprised eyes glass over and when my mother releases her, she falls to the side with a thud.

My little crow shrieks in excitement. Her wings flapping wildly.

Draven starts sputtering. “Fuck, fuck, oh my god. Please don’t let her near me,” he wails.

Slowly, my eyes go back to him. I let go of his shirt, patting it back down in place. I straighten to my full height and point to my mother. “You see that, Draven. That’s what having balls looks like.” I tip my head, the smell of piss assaulting my senses. A large wet spot darkens the front his jeans.

“Listen,” he says quietly for only me to hear. He nods for me to lean closer. “You need to think of our child.”

Leaning in so close his hair tickles my nose, I whisper, “I’m on the pill. There will be no child.”

When I lean back, his eyes narrow on mine. “Youthoughtyou were,” he says, a slow smile spreading across his face.

My mind scrambles to make sense of what he just said. And then I remember asking Lanie to pick up my pills. “She wouldn’t have.”

“She didn’t… but I did,” he leans back and stares up at the sky.

His face contorts in confusion as he stares Heavenward. He blinks a few times as if he can’t believe what he’s seeing. I follow his gaze. There amongst the treetops are hundreds of black crows.

When his head drops and our eyes meet, he starts rambling again about the family we could have, the bar, his club.

“Elijah, Jackson, hold his head for me, yeah? I’m tired of hearing this asshole.”

Both men jump towards Draven. He starts thrashing in his binds. “I love you, Billie Rose. Don’t do this.”

When they have him secure, I reach down and pull grandpas knife out of my boot. I dive into his disgusting mouth and pull out his tongue. The sharp blade rips right through it in a matter of seconds. My mind doesn’t even pause to think about what I’m doing. I need him to shut up. He’s been feeding me shit for the past three years. I’m done. I’m just done.

I toss the foul object to the ground.

“You stole my voice for three years. Fitting don’t you think?” I crouch down in front of him. The guys let go of his head and his chin falls to his chest. I watch as blood runs out of his mouth, mixing with the tears and snot running down his face. I wipe my blade off on his jeans, staring into his black soulless eyes.

---