Page 34 of Jaded Red

“That’s when I really shut off all emotions and feelings. I was sentenced to five years in prison since I had no priors and had no idea I was working for the Russian Mafia. I spent five long years in maximum security, fighting off the worst of the worst in there every day, including the guards, until one day a man took me under his wing. I was so tired of fighting for my life, I was at the end of my rope when he offered me protection and told me about the Royal Bastards. His name was Crawl, whose brother is Rage from our Georgia Chapter.”

“Did you find answers to her death?” I ask, worried this is going to make him spiral again.

Matt shakes his head. “Not yet, but I believe the reason you were taken was because of me.”

“How can that be, Matt? I didn’t know who you were when we met.”

“Because of my ties to the Russians. I received an email from Valdimer, the head boss of the Russian mafia, while I was scouring the web looking for you. He told me to back off or he was going to kill you. I was not going to let that happen so, I made a truce with Nolan and together we found you.” Matt holds out his hand and I slip mine in his. I don’t care if he’s been to prison or that his hands are bloody. All I care about is that, after all the tragedy he went through, he loves me. Even after he promised Tanya all those years ago and shutting off his heart, he opened it up for me.

I pull Matt’s hand to my lips and kiss his fingers. “Matt?”

He turns to me and his pale blue eyes are shining with love and worry. “Yeah?”

“I want to tell you something.” He raises an eyebrow waiting. I cup the side of his face in my hand not holding his and kiss his cheek. His face turns red and I smile, loving his blush. “Thank you for opening up about your past. I know it was hard to do, but I’m glad you did. I understand where you are coming from and how difficult this has been for you.”

Sooner or later, I need to tell him about my father and growing up. It’s not something I want to do, but like Matt said, I need to do it so we can grow from here. And I need to talk to my brother Nolan. “One more thing. Can we get Nolan? It’s time I tell you about my past.”

Matt pulls out his phone and sends off a text. A few seconds later his phone vibrates in his pocket. He pulls it out and reads the message. “Nolan and Krimson left but he said he’d meet us wherever we want at any time.” Matt shoots off another text and seconds later his phone pings again. “We’re going to meet him at a diner in Marina Del Ray in an hour.”

“Ok, I guess we need to get going then.”

An hour later we’re sitting at a quaint little mom-and-pop diner in Marina Del Ray right on the harbor. The outside looks like a log cabin decorated with white string lights. We sit in a corner booth that looks like a turquoise sofa. There is a dark oak table in front of us with two wire chairs on the other side. Wall-to-wall windows surround the back side of the restaurant to overlook the Marina.

Matt has been on high alert since we left the Clubhouse. He refused to let me ride on his Harley so we took one of the SUV’s. This is the first time I’ve left the safety of the Clubhouse, besides doctor appointments since the attack and I’m on edge. Matt keeps checking everything around us and now I’m jumpy and paranoid. Every time someone walks into the restaurant,my defenses go up. Matt does the same but he is on edge for a different reason, which I don’t know why. I’m on edge because he is on edge.

My belly growls and Matt orders us one of their famous pizzas to split. Nolan and Krimson showed up right after we did and ordered a couple of burgers and fries. Nolan is on edge too and doing what Matt has been doing since we left the Clubhouse.

“Will you two relax, please? You’re making me nervous.” I ask, resting my hand on Matt’s arm. He relaxes slightly to my touch but not much. The waitress brings over our food and sets it down while blatantly staring at both Nolan and Matt. Anger starts bubbling to the surface at the audacity of this woman until Krimson opens her mouth.

Krimson turns her honey gaze onto the waitress and grabs her wrist before she can walk away. Keeping her voice low, she speaks. “Keep staring at our men and you’ll have more than you can handle to worry about. I know where you live, when you sleep and how you like to fuck. I will do unthinkable things to you if you keep it up.” The waitress gasps and tries pulling her wrist away, but Krimson doesn’t let go. “Let me teach you a lesson, Sabrina. Next time you want to check out a guy, do it to one without an Ol’ Lady or they’ll do worse than I will.” Sabrina yanks her hand and Krimson lets it go. She scurries off and doesn’t come back.

“That was eventful,” I say between bites of delicious pizza. Krimson laughs and bites into her burger giving me a wink.

“I’m glad you decided to talk to me, Nadia,” Nolan says between bites of his food. His whiskey eyes, which match mine watch me. “I’m really sorry things happened the way they did.”

I brush him off, “Our father is a piece of shit. Honestly, I am a little terrified. After what that asshole did to me, I was scared you were the same way.” Nolan opens his mouth to rebuttal but Ihold my hand up. “I know now you’re not. Which is why I asked you here.”

Not hungry anymore, I sit back and take a drink of the Sprite I ordered. “No one knows the hell I went through growing up. For a while, my family was good. We were happy or so I thought. I remember one time when I was sixteen, our father left for a couple of months saying it was a business trip. When he came back, my whole word shattered and his true colors came out.”

Nadia – 16 years old

“Nadia, your dad will be home in a couple of hours, please make sure your room is cleaned and you’re wearing that pretty dress he likes.” My mom shouts from the kitchen. I’m in the living room finishing up my homework. Dad hasn’t been home in almost two months and I’m leery to see him. Even though he’s never raised a hand to me, his words cut deeper. He’s always telling me I’m not good enough. Even when I got straight A’s in school and never got into any trouble, it was never good enough for him. Every time he left on business, I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Ok, mama. As soon as I finish this assignment, I’ll get changed.” Dread burns through me and I roll my eyes. I don’t understand why I have to dress up when my dad comes home but to keep the peace, I do what she asks.

My mom was born into a deeply religious family in Mexico but she’s lived here in Venice Beach almost her whole life. She met my dad when they were young. She tells me it was love at first sight but neither of them acted on it right away and then lost contact with each other. After a few years, they ran into each other again and he swept her off her feet. Nine monthslater, I was born. My mom and dad never married, but that didn’t mean we weren’t a family.

My dad was always going away on business trips and the older I got, the more I questioned it. He didn’t like it at all and it caused many arguments between them which I can hear through the thin walls of this house. I don’t even know what he does for a job and my mama always tells me to drop it and stop instigating. Out of respect for her, I usually do, but sometimes my curiosity wins out.

The front door opens and I fly up the stairs of our little two-story house to change. I put on the white, knee length dress that clings to my curves, brush my long blond hair and apply a little mascara. I toss on a pair of black flats and head down the stairs. Before I can reach the bottom of the stairs, I can hear my parents arguing in the kitchen. I can’t hear what they’re saying but my mama is crying. I quietly tiptoe into the dining room that separates the kitchen from the rest of the house and listen.

“Andrew, why are you doing this?” My mama pleads. Her voice chokes with a sob.

“It’s time you learn your place, woman. Who I do anything with and why isn’t your concern.” My dad’s angry voice overpowers her sobs. It’s the voice he uses when he belittles me and I clench my fists at my sides wanting to punch him for speaking to my mama that way.

“Fucking another woman is my concern, Andrew.” The venom in my mama’s voice surprises me. “Is that why you won’t marry me and make us an official family? Because you’ve got another one on the side? I’m forced to live in shame and disgrace because you lied to me?”

Another family? What is my mama talking about? Has my dad been cheating on my mom? Have our whole lives been a big lie? Who is this other family? Do I have brothers or sisters I didn’t know about? Do they know about me and despise meor are they in the dark too? All these questions flit through my brain and the comfortable life I thought we had shatters around me.

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