Page 18 of Bounty

I take a sip of my wine, trying to forget how scared I was when the bombs went off.

Jude sighs, rolling his eyes like my reality inconveniences him.

“I wanted to enjoy our Christmas dinner first, but I can see you’re going to be difficult. So let’s cut to the chase. You’rewelcome here again because I said so,” Jude decrees, like the arrogant fucking king he thinks he is, then takes a bite of some chicken. He leisurely sips his wine, as if that small morsel of information is justification enough.

“Because you said so?”

“Yeah, Wisteria Jean, because I fucking say so,” he growls with finality.

I set my cloth napkin on my table and stand up. “In that case, it was nice to see you all again. I’m leaving.”

Before I can even step away from the table, Cain grabs my wrist.

“Baby girl, please stay,” he implores me. “Jude, I think we need to share more than that…”

“My father has been in a coma for a year. When I took over for him, I decided it was time for you to come back home,” Jude says.

“I’m sorry about Father Mannix…but that still doesn’t explain the bombs. Or why these two were stalking me. Or why I’m not safe. Colin said those people that bombed the house are part of the reason I needed to come back here–they’re after me.”

“I think we need to explain it from the beginning and tell Wisteria about her mother.” Cain gives me a tense look, as if he’s preparing himself for something bad. His eyes dart to Colin, who then looks at Jude.

Whatever silent conversation they’re having, it doesn’t bode well for me. The fact that they kepteverythingfrom me irritates me.

“What does my mother have to do with it—she was dead long before Aunt Norma and I were kicked out.” Thinking of losing my mother and leaving the only home I ever had only adds to the uncomfortably irritating feeling wrapping around my limbs, pushing it way down my throat.

“Your mom wasn’t who she said she was,” Jude answers me.

I wait for him to elaborate, but he just sits there, assessing me as if he was trying to think of a way to deliver the big, bad secret they were all keeping from me.

“I think I should pick it up from here,” Cain interrupts. “Do you remember coming here as a toddler, Wisteria?”

“Not really. Mom told me later we were fleeing her abusive ex boyfriend and that Aunt Norma came with us. We only had our backpacks. Y’all took us in, no questions asked. We stayed with Cain and his family until they had his little sister, and then we moved to our own little house nearby.”

“Did you ever notice she never had any baby pictures of you?” he asked in a leading way.

“No…” I think back to my childhood. Now that he mentions it, I never saw pictures of me as a baby. All of my pictures and memories in the scrapbooks we made were from The Farm.

“That’s because she wasn’t your biological mother. She was a long term plant from a rival gang, The Skulls, who also have a stake in the gun trade. They knew Father Mannix had a sweet spot for single moms, and that he’d let you both stay if she showed up with a bruised face and a kid in tow. Her orders were to get close to him, get information on shipments and how we ran. What we were selling to who and when. Our run routes. She threatened to expose us and our entire operation,” Jude continues.

“W-what?” That can’t be true. They have to be lying. She had to be my mother…because Norma was my aunt... “But what about my aunt?”

“Norma wasn’t your aunt,” Jude confirmed. “She was Crystal’s real sister though. The DNA test my father did after Crystal passed confirmed it.”

“He DNA tested them?”

“Of course. Your mom died right around the time he realized she was leaking information, and he got a DNA sample from herthen. He asked me to get samples from you and Norma. The only reason my dad let you two stay on the farm after everything came to light was because Norma came to him on her own and confessed before he confronted her, saying she wanted out of her gang and was willing to play double agent,” Jude explained.

I sat there in stunned silence. My mom wasn’t my actual mom. And my aunt, who I've grieved for months, wasn’t my aunt. The only family I’ve ever known was a complete lie. The guys are quiet, watching me from their seats. Colin takes my hand, and his warmth seeps through my fingers.

After taking several moments to absorb everything Jude revealed, I ask, “Okay so why are you all of a sudden interested in me?”

“The Skulls tried to take some of our clients a couple years ago. We’ve been fighting with them, and they tried to assassinate Father Mannix. That’s why he’s in a coma. For some reason, they’re coming after you. We think it’s because Norma had something they needed, and they think you have it.” Colin finally gives me the missing piece.

So there’s a group of dangerous people out there, and they’re after me for something I’m not even sure exists…seems like my shitty life keeps getting shittier every day.

“And we aren’t ‘suddenly interested’ in you, Wisteria Jean. We’ve always been into you,” Cain says with a surety I’m sure he’s faking. Because if he was being truthful, they wouldn’t have ghosted me.

“Oh yeah, you three were so into me. So then why did all my letters go unanswered? How come none of you ever came to find me if I was in so much danger? Why did you all ghost me?” I need to know.

---