Page 15 of Bear Strength

I hit the pillow with my fist angrily, knowing well that it won’t make any difference. What’s done is done. Now, I need to make Dominick’s stay with them as short as possible. And, just keep out of their way afterwards.

Figuring there is no point in lying in bed if I’m not sleeping, I get up and head over to the kitchen. I make myself some coffee, and a bowl of porridge for Dominick. Neither of us are fans, but he’s grounded. That includes eating foods that are good for him, even if he doesn’t like them.

I drink my coffee on the go, picking up stray items of clothing that couldn’t find their own way to the hamper, toys andbooks, too. At 6:30, I knock on his door. It takes him a while to even stir at the noise, so I go over and sit on the edge of his bed. His face is buried in the pillow, his back slowly rising then falling. I almost feel bad waking him up. But, I remember what he did, and I shake him gently.

“Hey, Dom?” I call. “Come on. It’s breakfast time. We need to get going soon.”

“No… mom… where…” he murmurs, hiding his head under the blankets.

I pull them forcefully off of him, and his eyes immediately pop open.

“Mom…” he whines again.

“Come on,” I repeat, walking out of the room.

To my surprise, he comes downstairs in 5 minutes, dressed. He glances at the clock on the kitchen wall. The look of puzzlement and confusion washes over his still drowsy face.

“Why so early?” he wonders, covering his mouth as he yawns. “Didn’t Mason say he’ll pick me up at 8?”

“You’re not going with that man,” I reply calmly, placing the bowl on the table. “I’m driving you, remember?”

He frowns, but doesn’t say anything.

“So, we need to get going well before 8,” I explain.

He takes only a few bites of the porridge, claiming he’s not hungry. Instead, he grabs a banana, so I let it go. I’ve got other cares on my mind today. If he doesn’t want more breakfast, so be it. He’s not a baby. Sometimes, I need to remind myself of that. He needs to be allowed to make his own mistakes, but it’s so gosh darn hard to let him.

“You ready?” I ask him around 7:30.

We both head over to the car, and he explains where I need to drive. He’s silent during the ride, but that’s not unusual for him.

“Try to end it as soon as you can, OK?” I ask him, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter than I usually do.

I’m jumpy and on edge, and I know exactly why. But, I want those bikers to see that my boy has someone who will look out for him, no matter what. I’m scared, and I can feel my heart in my heels, urging me turn the car around and just tell them to go fuck themselves with their plan, but I know I can’t. Dominick needs to learn his lesson. And, apparently, it’s not a good idea to tell those guys to go fuck themselves.

We get there before 8. I get out of the car first, Dominick quickly after. I scan the place as we walk over to the door. It’s an old house, but with promise. If someone renovated it, it could be a real gem. But, none of the people I see there look interested in interior design. Harley bikes are parked to the side, dripping trails of motor oil leading all the way to the doors. Like a breadcrumb trail. So they wouldn’t lose their bikes, I suppose. I want to chuckle to myself, but I suppress the desire.

My hand firmly grips Dom’s shoulder, as I feel the burning gazes of those around us. Do they even know why we’re here? Dom seems more at ease. In a way, that makes me glad. He’s the one who will need to stay here, after all.

We reach the door, but before I can reach for the handle, I hear a voice behind us.

“Hey, lady! Can I help you?”

I turn around. The voice belongs to a young man, maybe not even twenty. He’s only wearing a pair of jeans. His upper body is naked and covered in tattoos. He’s scrawny, but muscular. I try to focus on his face, even though he’s too far away for me to see him properly.

“I’m looking for Mason,” I say, as confidently as I can.

He grins looking at the guy next to him, then whispers something to him. They both stare at me again, and chuckle loudly. I swallow heavily, feeling my hands getting clammy.These are the people I need to leave my kid with? Is this a fucking joke?

At that moment, I’m determined to leave and never come back. Mason can really go fuck himself. I take Dominick by the hand, his is cold but dry, and I turn to leave, but the sound of the opening door stops me.

“You’re early,” I hear the voice that makes my heart skip a beat, as I turn around. I know my cheeks are burning red, but I won’t be made fun of. “I like that. But, wasn’t I supposed to send someone for the kid?”

At the sound of those words, Dominick lets go of my hand. I feel my fingers trembling, deserted like that, in thin air, but I see he’s not afraid. My boy is not afraid.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you or anyone here to be driving my child,” I speak slowly, trying to sound dignified and full of self-confidence. Whether I actually managed to do that, is a whole different affair. “These bikes are way too dangerous for a child. So, I’ll be driving him here and back home, when you’re done.”

I feel his stare on me, like I’m naked. I want him to stop looking at me that way, but I don’t say anything. I just endure it.

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