Page 43 of Broken Discipline
A dull ringing filled my head. The twins begged to give me a hug goodbye, but Ramona scooped them up in her hands, taking them to her green hatchback. When she slid into the driver’s seat, she finally looked at me.
Her eyes were full of tears, like it hurt her to leave, just as much as sheneededto do this. And I knew, then, that there was no way I could make her stay. She had to run.
And I had to chase her.
CHAPTER 10
Ramona
Oakmont was full of trees covered in stringy Spanish moss with branches that hung over the road. Old, abandoned cars littered the shadowy lawns. A few people stood right outside their manufactured homes, smoking cigarettes, blankly staring at our car. A dog barked at us, his nose poking through the tall blades of grass.
“Where are we going, Mama?” Leon asked.
“Look at that!” Larkin giggled. “It’s a cute doggy!”
“This is where I grew up,” I said.
The twins giggled to each other while I checked the rearview mirror; the road was empty. Emptiness filled my stomach, but I shook it off. I had left the Carter Compound for agoodreason. It wasn’t about commitment. It was because Finn was dangerous; he had killed Bruce to get to me. I couldn’t trust a man like that around my kids.
But that was a lie.
We pulled into a parking lot, tension weighing down my shoulders like a boulder.The Rawwas in bold letters above the door. The light pink building had darker patches of salmon as if Bunny had tried to cover up stains but hadn’t gotten the exact color she needed. It fit her style perfectly.
The three of us got out, leaving our suitcases in the trunk. I held their hands as we entered. Inside, the walls were painted black, and a deep crack ran down the back wall by the lap dance bench. Short booths lined each side, and round tables were scattered throughout the floor. Nothing had changed.
Bunny waved a hand in front of her customer’s face to get him to stop talking, then she came around the side of the bar counter. She dropped to her knees in front of the twins.
“You kiddos want to watch some TV?” she asked.
“What about video games?” Leon asked.
“I don’t know about that. But maybe I can find something,” Bunny winked. She motioned for us to follow her. “Come on.”
To the side of the bar, there was a small enclosed staircase that led to the second floor, Bunny’s living space. It was a large open area with a small bathroom in the corner. A television flickered on, and Bunny fumbled with the remote to find a kid-friendly streaming service. A giant king bed was in the middle of the room, and a fold-out couch was against the wall. I had slept on that couch for years, until I married Bruce.
Once the two of them were settled by the television, Bunny and I headed downstairs. She opened the pass-through panel for the bar counter, then adjusted the crop top over her chest.
“Do I want to know?” she asked.
I didn’t know what to say. Explaining that my new husband had killed my old husband was the kind of thing that might make Bunny freak out and cause a riot.
“We got into a fight,” I said, which was technically true. “I guess I needed space.”
“Mmhmm,” Bunny said. “Because running away has always worked out so well for you.”
I rolled my eyes. “You said to visit, didn’t you?” I said, lifting my shoulders. “You need any waitresses or bar-backs?”
“Back from Fairview and already working?” she asked. “I canalwaysuse your help. Blister has been asking about you.”
Pins and needles prickled my legs. Did Blister know that Finn had killed his men?
“He’s still here?” I asked.
“Of course. This is one of the best places for him to work.”
I bit my bottom lip, then shifted my stance. “You got any bikinis I could borrow?” I asked.
Her jaw dropped. She must’ve been surprised that I hadn’t kept the millions she had given me.
