Page 11 of Greased

“They made a sick game out of us; find the one who could scream the loudest.”

A lone tear drops down my cheek. I didn’t think I had anything left in me, but never in my wildest dreams could I have expected this.

Mum rubs a hand over a scar on her arm and my face pales. She always told me it was from a motorbike accident but it is clear that was just a lie. One I am actually grateful she hid from me.

“One day, we heard shots from outside. I was terrified. I closed my eyes and huddled in on myself just waiting for it to end. Waiting for it to be my turn. When a hand landed on my arm, I thought my day had finally come. But the same hand lifted my face up.”

She turns to look at my father, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tight.

“It was your Dad.”

My heart clenches as I look at the two of them. The grateful look on my Mum’s face. The raw devastation but shared relief on my father’s.

“I couldn’t believe it when I unlocked the cage and found your mother. She was, and still is, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life.”

A tear drips down my father’s face as they hold their gaze for a moment longer before looking at Rhodes and I.

“From that moment on, I knew my purpose in life. For twenty years we have been infiltrating sex trafficking rings all over the United States. We have saved hundreds of women.”

I nod as I wipe the tears from my eyes. Even while feeling such anguish over the callous acts my parents have survived, I can’t help but feel proud. Proud that they overcame something so horrendous. That still to this day, my father and his gang is able to fight against something so unbearable.

The realisation that my father is a part of a gang still hasn’t left my mind though. Not just part of, butruns. As I look at the man, it makes sense though. The way he is dressed and that air of authority he seems to radiate gives it away.

The bodyguards are fairly obvious now too.

We all stay silent for a few minutes. Or has it been hours? I don’t really know. Time feels weird as I slowly process everything. Trying to organise it in my brain somehow. To go through the motions of just how catastrophic the entire situation is.

“Do either of you have any questions?” My father finally says, breaking the silence.

I have hundreds of them. Thousands. But one comes to the forefront of my mind.

“How does all of this relate to me losing my memories?” I do my best to not try to take away the severity of my parents situation from them but it feels like I fail.

My father nods though in understanding.

“We were so excited when you and Rhodes were born. The entire club was. Not only were we blessed with a pregnancy but twins.

“You were both perfect. Scarlett, you came first.” My father chuckles as he looks at me. “From the moment you took your first breath, you had this sheer determination. You were so strong. This light about you.”

He looks over to Rhodes, “And my boy, from moment one, you adored your sister. You were fiercely protective of everything. You had this crease in between your eyes as you looked out at the world.”

My Mum chuckles as she looks at Rhodes and I, “My light and my warrior.”

“As you were first born Scarlett, it was always written that you would one day take over from me.”

I blanch as my gaze snaps to my father. “Excuse me?”

He nods his head, “You are my heir Scarlett. Destined to take over The Thunderbirds when I retire.”

I snort, “You are joking right? Please tell me you are joking.”

The last bit comes out pleading.They can’t be serious right now. From the look on both my parents' faces, they are deadly serious.

“It's true,” my mother says with a nod.

I sit back in my chair as I process exactly what I’m saying. It feels like everything I had been told of my world flashes before my eyes. Here I was struggling with the fact that in only two months I would be graduating high school and would need to work out what thefuck my plan was. Did I want to go to university? Take a gap year and travel? Stay at my cafe job?

Taking on the roll as heir to a fucking gang certainly wasn’t on the list. Shit, it didn't even enter my realm of possibilities.

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