Page 22 of Fractured Souls

"You are worthless."

"You disappoint Lilian."

"You will never be good enough."

"What the hell is wrong with you? You're so stupid."

"Being a slut again?"

"Acting like a whore?"

"No one will ever love you. How could they?"

"You make us do this to you."

"You leave us no choice. We don't want to do this to you."

I shake off the thoughts that bombard my mind. I can't let it get to me. I can't. I need to just remember what my mom would say, if only I could remember everything… Sometimes I think things are fading, and I hate that. I constantly have dreams I can't remember, and I almost feel like they are my mom talking to me. So why can't I remember them?

Mom, I need you to tell me what to do.

Mother comes storming into the bathroom I was working on cleaning. “What the hell is taking so long? Hurry the hell up, you lazy bitch.”

I stand to tell her I am done but before I can, she yanks me towards her by my neck, making my eyes water involuntarily from her squeezing and it being so sensitive from the chain and the belt. She pulls me close, choking me as hard as she can, cutting off my air. I try to fight her off, but I don't have much strength, so it's futile to even try.

Mother licks her lips tauntingly. “If I could kill you, I would, but I can't. Yet.”

She cackles, and for the first time in a long time, true fear runs through my veins. Not just hopelessness and giving in to whatever she says. What she is saying, she means it. I have to get out of here. It's my last thought before my vision starts going blurry, then Mother releases me, and I crumble to the floor.

“Pathetic. Hurry up and finish! I am tired of seeing your nasty face up here.”

I get up, fighting off the tears that threaten to come, not wanting Mother to see me cry any more than she already has.Mom, I need you. Help me.

* * *

Blade (Noah)

Thanksgiving was tense. No one knows what happened, but according to Nerds, who isn't even saying much, Grayson stormed into Rage's office Tuesday night and shortly after, the door slammed shut, and there was some muffled yelling for about ten minutes before Gray came storming out. Gray isn’t even telling Ry and Cade what happened, which is causing some issues because the boys don't keep things from each other. Whatever happened has Gray on edge like I've never seen him before, and I can tell he isn't sleeping, but there isn't much I can do to help until someone spills.

I tried hounding Rage, but he said he's not spilling yet. He needs to figure out something first and wants to see how today goes with our drop in at Wilson home. Which is what we are up to now.

Rage, Sugar, and I are heading out to go over there. I'm leaving my cut behind so I can play the part of a high school kid who's friends with Harley. The boys are all tense and still not happy they can't go. It's not helping that Gray usually keeps Ry in check, but since Ry is annoyed at Gray and Gray is being standoffish, he is kind off his hinges right now.

Actually, everyone in the club is kind of off their hinges right now, especially with the news spreading that right here in our own town, for the last who knows how many years, women have been stolen and sold to be used by horrible people. That's not easy to hear, especially when we have worked hard to turn the club around, but apparently this is all connected to our club from when Rage's dad was alive and running things. This news has the potential to take the club down even though it has nothing to do with us, who we are, and what we stand for now.

We try to protect our town as much as we can. We keep drugs off the streets and have turned around a lot of the bad businesses. There is no more money laundering, no gun selling, no drug dealing, but this? This is huge and just fucking awful.

I really hope that when we take them down, I get to play with some of these bastards.

We soon reach the Wilson family’s house, which is a nice two-story home with a small front porch on the other side of town and away from prying eyes of neighbors. After knocking on the door, we can hear whispered yells but can't quite make out what they say. Then a door slams shut. A few seconds later, the front door opens to whom I believe is Tammy Wilson.

“Rage? What are you doing here? And with… others.” She looks Sugar and I up and down like we are dirt on the bottom of her shoe.

“Tammy, we are here for a little chat. Mind letting us in?”

Tammy looks behind her, then steps back and opens the door wide, holding a hand out to welcome us in. We head in and see Richard, her husband, and who I am assuming is their daughter—Tabby I think her name is? I wink at her when she stares at me, and her cheeks turn pink.

Tammy clears her throat. “So, what can I do for you?”

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