Page 14 of Deserter

“Help her,” I sobbed. “I need to help her!”

In the seconds it took Wolverine to realize he needed to keep him outside, Angel had already shoved his way in through the door.

He dropped to his knees beside me with a roar. “Mary, no!” His hands gently slapped at her cheeks before hurriedly untying the scarf around her throat and tossing it aside.

It was no use.

My old man had been waiting for her; knew that I wouldn’t be home until late. One of her cream-colored heels was still dangling halfway off her foot. He’d ambushed her at the door the second she walked in.

Watching Angel try to piece my ma back together ripped my heart to ribbons, and I shakily offered her body up to him. He snatched her from my grasp and held her to his chest, weeping and apologizing to her.

Wolverine nodded to me as I approached him, knowing that what I was about to ask him to do was outside of the club’s norm. They’d cover for each other, but I wasn’t sure that extended to citizens like me.

Instead of asking me why I’d called his entire club in, he surprised me by pulling me into a rough hug. “It’s alright, kid. We’ll take care of this and trust me when I say that your old man will pay for this.”

I looked up at him with a clenched jaw and nodded, trying to find the right words. He frowned. “What the fuck happened to your throat?”

I instinctively brought my hand up to my neck, but it came away clean. “I don’t know?”

“Son, you’ve got bruises running from your chin down to your collar bone and you’re telling me that you don’t know what happened?”

Realizing what he meant, I took a deep breath. “Come with me.”

We left Angel on the floor and walked into the kitchen. Wolverine let out a low whistle when he saw my old man’s body next to a toppled over chair.

“I took care of it… sir.”

He kicked the bottom of my old man’s boot and looked at me in awe. “You sure as fuck did. Jesus, Jamie.”

“I didn’t want to call you, but I didn’t know what else to do. I know I’m not a member of the club and if you think I should fuck off and take the heat, I understand.” I felt helpless, waiting for this biker to determine my fate.

“You took out a man I considered a brother.”

I dropped my chin to my chest and stared at the bloody carpet at my feet. Wolverine surprised me again when he spat on Donald’s corpse and clapped me on the shoulder. “A brother who fuckin’ cheated me and the rest of my brothers. Look, we don’t allow prospects to break the law and you are way beyond that, son. So, not a member of my club? As far as I’m concerned, you just fuckin’ earned your three-piece.”

I started to argue that I wasn’t capable of committing a murder for the club until my brain reminded me that I’d done just that.

I was only a sophomore in high school, and I’d become a murderer and an orphan in the same day. I hadn’t even lost my virginity yet.

“I—”

“You’ll sleep on it and we’ll put it to a vote tomorrow. I gotta get you and Angel the fuck outta here right now though. Come on.”

After battling Angel to let her go, Wolverine drove us back to the clubhouse while several bikers stayed behind to clean the house. I didn’t ask what they were going to do with my mother; I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

I moved as if I was underwater; sluggish and out of it. Angel immediately disappeared behind the bar while Wolverine steered me through their den. A naked woman was down on her knees, sucking one biker off while another pounded into her from behind.

I’d often wondered what went on behind these doors when kids weren’t around and now that I was seeing it in person, I couldn’t even appreciate it because my mind was fucked.

Wolverine had told me on the drive that it was normal to feel sad and even a little guilty over what I’d done. I’d stared out the window and nodded along, wondering how to ever admit the truth.

Taking his life was the best high I’d ever had. I’d gotten hard, watching him fight for his next breath, all while knowing that I was in complete control. Obviously, I was sick in the head because I wanted to do it again.

Maybe I was more like my old man than even I knew.

Wolverine led me into a small room. “You’ll just be in here for now until we can get you something permanent. Try to get some sleep and you can give me your decision in the morning. Whatever you decide to do, the club will support.”

I stripped out of my bloody clothes and stepped into the small bathroom to shower. As the hot water sprayed my body, I thought back to my conversation with John. It had only been a few hours, but it may as well have been a lifetime.

---