Page 111 of Protector

She nodded slowly, waiting on me to elaborate. When I stayed silent, she sighed, “And what is it you do exactly, Mama, that you can afford to pay for cars and college?”

I met Kate at the front door and led her back to the couch. “You’re gonna want to sit down for this, Katydid. How familiar are you both with the Silent Phoenix Motorcycle Club?”

They both shook their heads, and I laughed while trying to decide how to best explain the club. “Well, they don’t exactly advertise themselves. They’re more of a one-percenter MC. Um, this is harder than I thought it would be. They’re one of the most powerful clubs in this region, and have made quite a few enemies over the years doing what they do…”

Enemies that were now coming after them.

“What is it that they ‘do’ exactly?” Kate quietly asked, the color draining from her face.

I picked at the cotton guts protruding from one of Dakota’s mangled pillows, pushing the batting back in. “There’s, uh, there’s drug and weapons trafficking…for starters.”

Kate’s eyebrows raised, but she quickly channeled her expression into one of indifference before asking, “And what is your role in this—business?”

It was probably the same expression she used when counseling unstable clients.

Deciding there was no salvaging it, I plucked a wad of cotton from the pillow and began shredding it in my lap to keep my fingers busy. “I’m—I’m married to the President and founder, okay?”

Kate’s mouth hung open, and I knew I’d pushed my luck. Instead of alleviating her worries, I’d managed to make things worse.

“Mama, why did you come here?” Dakota’s voice wobbled as she slumped back against the couch cushions.

“I came here to help you. I know what you’re facing in charges, and we have the means to make it go away.” I reached for her hand only for her to jerk it from my grasp.

“Why is this ‘club’ so willing to help me? They don’t know anything about me.”

My mouth flooded with saliva. “Because you’re important to me.”

Because you’re important to your father.

Dakota stood up and walked over to the door. “Well, it’s been lovely, but I’m gonna have to ask you to leave now. Like right now, now.”

“Don’t push me away, Dakota. Let me help you,” I begged.

“I’ve managed just fine on my own for the last decade, I can handle it. Plus, I’d rather use a more legal means to deal with my problems. Go.” She pointed toward the door.

I pushed down my grief, knowing I needed to warn her about the badge that she’d been spending time with. Somebody within the department was working with our enemies, I was sure of it.

With traitors around every corner, leaving them ignorant was no longer an option. “Kota-Bear, a word of advice? If you want this to be over quickly, quit talking to cops. It’s only making it worse.”

As I climbed into my car, it struck me how much damage had been done. I’d never understood my mother’s obsession with taking my children; never imagined the lengths she’d go to get them.

Now, my daughters regarded me with little more than contempt, and I realized what she’d wanted all along—me, left completely alone in this world as punishment for choosing Jamie.

Never mind that she’d stolen the money, my daughters were now solely focused on what my affiliation to Silent Phoenix would mean for them.

The time I’d lost with them was gone forever, and just like that, the tiny flame of hope in my chest flickered out.

* * *

“Celia, you believe this shit? They sent the badges in to tear up Cap’s superhero magazines. Man, fuck that. I say we pump ‘em all full of lead—”

There was so much to unpack that it was hard to even know where to start. In the six years Rick had been with us, I’d found it was better to intervene quickly when he went off on one of his tangents. Otherwise, things got completely out of hand. “You want to go after the cops… and shoot them. I can’t see how that could backfire.”

“It only backfires if the gun’s pointed the wrong way… kinda like that time you shot me.” He grinned and waved his fingers in the air like he was Yosemite Sam.

“Rick,” I said slowly. “I didn’t shoot you… I stabbed you. There’s a difference, you know.”

He dropped onto the porch swing beside me with a laugh. “It’s Little Ricky, Celia. We been over this. And yeah, see, I tell people you shot me because it seems more badass. But we got bigger fish to throw in the bush right now. Cap is in serious shit.”

---