Page 22 of Roxy's Independence
“Not that I can recall,” I answer. “I’m all ears if you want to tell me about him now, though.”
“Like me, he was special. I won’t get into what he could do, but everyone brushed him off, told him he was insane, and that he needed to repent. I don’t think I have to explain to you what that means in the community.”
“No, Selah, you don’t,” I sympathetically reply.
“When we were twelve, he couldn’t take the punishments anymore. It not only physically affected him, but it emotionally destroyed him. He thought he was evil, and that since nobody could help him or didn’t care to try and help him understand his demons, the best course of action would be to end his life.”
“Oh, Selah. I’m so sorry,” I say, tears streaming down my face.
“Like Easton, he could do extraordinary things. But he was put on the backburner, and as he emotionally declined, he was metaphorically put in the basement… he was shunned. That’s what Easton has to look forward to in the future if hedoesn’t have those who love him, have patience with him, and understand what he can do. Do you want that for him, Roxy?”
“Absolutely not,” I snap, wiping the stray tears off my cheeks. That story was tragic and disheartening. We have to do everything we can to keep Easton with us.
“Then you understand why we can’t treat Kinsley with kid gloves, Roxy. She needs a reality check; she needs to know what her son’s future holds if she doesn’t put him first and foremost. Fuck her ex if he makes her choose between him, his station in life, and her son’s welfare.”
A man’s throat clears in the background and I turn around in my seat and see Butcher standing there, his arms crossed across his muscular chest. “If y’all can’t make her see reason, let me know and I’ll take care of it.”
“Oh, shit,” I whisper. Butcher’s way of taking care of things usually involves blood and carnage. “We’ve got this, Butcher.”
“See that you do because I have a feeling she’d rather have you ladies deal with it than me and my brothers,” he responds. “I won’t have one of ours end up like my woman’s childhood friend. Got me?”
“Got you,” I tell him then mentally prepare myself for whatever fall out happens from this situation.
I pray with everything inside of me that Kinsley listens, absorbs, and puts her kid above all else. Because if not—well, I’m not sure things will end with a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for her and her ex-boyfriend.
If anything, they could be pushing up daisies.
The club puts family above all else—nothing and nobody will ever have the influence to detour them from that conviction. It’s soldered into their souls.
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
Saber
I’ve noticedthat Python has his son with him more often than not lately, and it has me wondering if Kinsley is pulling back. I’m aware of the issue she has with Easton and him being special, but still, a mother’s love is all-consuming, infinite, and when they have a baby as young as Easton is, they’re usually spending loads of time together and bonding. I’m not sure what this says about the future and what is going on in her head but it has me curious. Roxy and I are walking to our house from the infirmary and my attention is on my brother so I miss the root sticking out of the ground and trip on it.
“Dammit,” I mutter, righting myself after the stumble.
“What has your mind so preoccupied?” Roxy asks, scanning me over to make sure I’m alright, even though I didn’t actually eat dirt. “It’s not like you to be unobservant and clumsy.”
“Python is taking Kinsley’s distance personally. As if it’s his fault she’s not spending time with Easton because his bloodline is what passed down the gene for gifts. I’m worried about him,”I tell her. “He’s neglecting work, calling in and taking personal paid time, and the brothers are picking up his slack around here because he’s even put his club duties on the backburner.”
“Are people complaining? If they are, you need to shut that shit down because he’s going through a lot between Easton’s diagnosis and Kinsley’s mind being on other things. He needs some time to figure things out, Weston. His entire world has been upended.”
“Nobody’s complaining,” I confirm, “but everyone is worried and we’re trying to figure out a way to make things easier on both of them but so far, we’re coming up blank.”
“All y’all can do is be there for him,” she says. “There are times when someone needs to find their way without interference. He’ll come to you if he needs you.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” I say, shrugging my shoulders. “I’m sure you’ve noticed most of us keep our personal issues close to the chest and are closed off to everyone. Most of us had horrible, traumatic childhoods that taught us to be independent and take care of shit on our own. Even after all of these years together as brothers, learning to trust one another, that’s something most of us haven’t been able to break.”
“I’m the same way, Weston. You’re the only one that knows every dirty detail about me. I trust the ladies to an extent, but there are things from the past that I want to keep to myself. I also like to take care of my own issues, not because help wouldn’t be welcome, but for most of my adult life, I haven’t had anyone I could depend on other than myself,” she acknowledges.
Those words are like a knife to the chest because I’m the reason she was lonely and didn’t have anyone at her back. “I’m sorry,Foxy. So damn sorry. I made a mess of things back then, didn’t I?”
“We both did,” she confirms, reaching out and twining our pinky fingers together like she used to do when we were kids, yearning for some sort of touch. “We were young and our communication skills sucked.”
A smile spreads across my face as I state, “That they did. I was full of anger back then that I didn’t take the time out to see things from your point of view. It’s my biggest regret in life.”
