Page 74 of Petty's Crime

Although I grimace after the effort, I shrug. “Because I was the mug who’d support her while she got her life straight.”

“Nah, Brother.”How fucking good does that word sound coming from his mouth?“She was far more devious than that. She wanted revenge.” He grimaces, sighs deeply, and his mouth twists in disgust, but this time it appears to be at himself. “And if it wasn’t for RoseLyn defending your ass, she probably would have gotten it.”

“Revenge?” I move my head to the side so I can see him better.

Red sighs. “She’s out to destroy your life, Petty. She knew you’d have no choice but to take her back, because that’s the kind of man you are.”

I don’t want to get into what kind of man he thinks I am, so I just repeat, “Revenge for what?”

He stares straight into my eyes. “Because you didn’t appear to give a character witness at her trial.”

What?“I couldn’t perjure myself.” I’d been asked to testify that Britney’s behaviour was out of character for her, that she hadn’t a violent bone in her body. Whether a husband’s word would have stood for much, I have no idea. But it seems she apparently blamed her incarceration on my lack of support. There had been no way I could have stood in front of a judge and sworn that Britney was innocent. The jury hadn’t been the only ones believing the store owner’s side of the story.

Red’s eyes soften as he looks at me. “When she came back, she didn’t know you were in an MC. She just wanted to destroy your life anyway she could. When she saw how much the club meant to you, she set out to take it from you. It wasn’t even her suspicions about you and RoseLyn, she just used that as an excuse. She went on the attack, hoping you’d eventually retaliate. And when you didn’t, she fell purposefully.”

That’s not right. “Fell? I pushed her.”

“Nah. That’s what she wanted you to think.” Red pushes his hair back from his face. “She’s crazy, Brother. When she knew you wouldn’t hit her, she was insane enough to hurt herself.”

“She needs help.” Red’s right, she’s got more than one screw loose.

He sighs. “Which comes to the question, what do you want us to do with her? Twister’s holding her downstairs waiting on your decision.”

I swallow a couple of times. “I can’t hurt her. And… what if she is pregnant?”

“There’s a chance?” His eyes focus in on me. “I thought you were sleeping on the couch.”

I can’t look at him. “There’s a chance,” I confirm, leaving it at that. I’m not going to compound everything by telling him how Britney took advantage of me.

He winces, but doesn’t look critical. He eyes me carefully for a moment. “We got it so fuckin’ wrong, jumped to the conclusion that you were the abuser, but instead it had been her taking advantage of you. Fuck knows, none of us like hurting women, but in her case, she could have done with a punch or two.”

“Just couldn’t do it, Prez.”

He sighs. “There’s probably a story behind why you couldn’t. But hell, Brother, it surprises me. Seem to recall there was an incident in the Tucson clubhouse that you took a beatdown for.”

He’s right. There was. And it all goes back to how unsettled I was about Joker. In my screwed-up head I had to prove I still had my man card. “I wouldn’t have hurt Becca,” I tell him, my mouth twisting in shame. “I didn’t hurt her, just tore her t-shirt. Thought she was a whore trying to get out of doing her work.” Biting my lip, I give him the truth. “I was putting on a show for Roller, or maybe it was trying to prove something to myself.”

Another bout of exhaled air leaves his lungs, then, standing, he rests his hand on my shoulder. “I think there’s a fuckload of baggage you’re carrying around, and maybe someday you’ll share it. But getting back to the present, we’ve got a bitch downstairs and it’s up to you to decide what to do with her, Brother. Won’t hurt none to keep her on ice a little bit longer, at least until we find out whether she’s baking something or not.” He starts to turn away, then looks back. “Got a lot to talk about when you’re feeling better. Like why the fuck you didn’t warn me how unpredictable she can be when we mentioned setting her up with a job with Erika?”

I flinch. Yeah, I should have said something. “I’m sorry—”

“Not now,” Red says fast. “But I’ve certainly got questions I want answered.”

I just bet he has.

“Now, you’ve got a queue of visitors wanting to talk to you. You feel up to seeing them?”

“Who?”

“Well, there’s RoseLyn, though she’s not quite sure of her welcome.” He pauses and looks like he’s examining the expression on my face. “Then there’s Roller, and,” he snorts, “Zeke.”

Zeke. I almost smile at the last name. Although I wouldn’t admit this to Red, I’ve come to admire his kid. Zeke has no problem presenting the world with their real face, while I? I’m a fucking coward who’s had to hide.

“I should be angry at RoseLyn,” I admit. “She broke my confidence.” I swallow and realise it’s the complete opposite. While I’m still uncertain how this will play out, and whether or not I’ll end up the better for it, she’s forced me to face up to something that’s ruled my life. If she hadn’t come to the clubhouse, if she hadn’t had stepped up and taken my side, I’d have lost my patch, my club, and if not my life, all that I live for.

“Want me to send her in?” Red stares at me for a moment, then snorts again. “At least I know she won’t be in any danger.”

I, too, attempt a chuckle, though it hurts my ribs to laugh. Yeah, that’s one thing Red can be certain of. I’m not physically nor mentally capable of hurting her.

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