Page 191 of Savage Brothers MC: Tennessee Chapter

How do I tell Ryan to call my brother anything…?I wouldn’t in his place.

“He’s a monster!He hit you, Rory!”Ryan cries and I hate that he saw that.In the week that he’s been here, I’ve tried to shield him.I truly have.

I’ve also failed.When my brother goes off, there’s not much I can do.My hand goes up to my cheek in memory.It’s still tender, there’s a cut on it from the ring that my brother wears, but at least the swelling has gone down.I knew the hit was coming.He wanted Ryan to come eat dinner downstairs at the table while King was holding a small gathering.I knew that would be a disaster and I knew that if I had tried, Ryan would have been the one punished.So, I didn’t take Ryan down.Instead, I made sure he’d be in bed by seven and when King came to collect us… I told him there was no way, that Ryan felt bad and went to bed.I thought it would be safe.I knew what would happen, but I thought Ryan would be protected.I don’t have kids, I worked as a teacher, I should have known Ryan would be watching from the bed, but I thought he was asleep.I was wrong.Ryan saw my brother hit me—not once, but several times.He saw andheardmy brother threaten me.That upset him, and he’s held that in, but hearing that he’s supposed to call my brother father tonight at our dinner?That’s what has him upset the most.I don’t know how to convince him—especially when I don’t really want to convince him.

“Let’s just try to get through this, okay?”

“Daddy should have been here by now, Rory.He’s always here by now,” Ryan whispers, his body trembling under my hand as I adjust his tie.

A tie.

Ryan is dressed in a suit with tie and cufflinks.He’s barely old enough to go to school.He shouldn’t be forced to wear a suit to dinner.A suit maybe to a wedding—if he’s a ring bearer or it’s family he cares about.He shouldn’t wear a suit to eat dinner with a monster.He shouldn’t be trembling and beginning to realize his dad isn’t coming for him either…

“Ryan, it will be okay,” I whisper lamely, because I don’t know what else to say.I hold him, squatting down so we’re more at eye level.The tight white dress I have on that has an overlay of puffed, hand-stitched roses over it, stretches like a glove that’s a little too tight.I’m gaining weight.I am hiding my pregnancy as best I can, but I’m gaining weight.Soon, I won’t be able to hide it.Soon, King will have something else besides Ryan to use against me.I have to get free somehowand soon.I have to do it for me, for Ryan and for my unborn baby.I have to do it and when I do it this time, I have to be smarter.I have to keep my head down and not fall for any of my brother’s tricks.He’s twisted and he enjoys them and they come in ways you can’t prepare for, but I can do it this time.

I have to.

There are too many counting on me now…

* * *

“You look beautiful tonight, Rory,”my brother says as we walk into the large formal dining room with a glass table the size of an entire twelve by twelve room.There are thick cushioned white chairs surrounding it, too many to take time to count, because if I do that I have to take my eyes off of my brother and I’m not about to do that.

He rises and meets us, reaching out and taking my hand.He brings it to his lips and kisses the back of it like he’s greeting someone precious.Bile rises up in my throat, but I do my best to swallow it down.I empty my mind of all thoughts… save one.

Just get through tonight.

It repeats over and over in my head as if it’s being screamed and I hold onto it, because that’s all I can do.

“Ryan you look very nice tonight.You will eat beside me,” my brother declares.

“Want to eat beside Rory,” Ryan argues bravely, even though his voice trembles.

“I’ll be just across the table,” I whisper quietly.Then, I look at my brother, because I can feel his anger gather around us like a storm cloud waiting for the perfect moment to release.“He’s just nervous, King.He needs time to get to know you.”

King frowns, but doesn’t say anything.We take our places.King at the head of the table, Ryan to his left and for some reason I’m three chairs down from King’s right.The three chairs between us don’t have people sitting in them, there are no place settings, they are just empty.This is King sending a message that I don’t belong at his table.I’m merely being tolerated because of Ryan.I could deal with that, I’d rejoice in it—if it wasn’t for worrying about Ryan.

“Ryan, how do you like your new bedroom?”he asks.Ryan has a room attached to mine that looks like something out of a magazine, staged for the perfect little boy.It’s cold.It’s impersonal and Ryan hates it.Instead, he slips in and sleeps with me every night.He hides under the mounds of covers and holds onto me.I’m grateful for that, because I find those moments holding him, are the only ones that make me feel strong enough to get us free.Those moments give me reason to face my brother’s wrath and finally, those moments remind me that Ryan and my child are innocent and need me to be stronger.

“Answer my brother, Ryan,” I caution him, when Ryan looks at him mutinously.I’m trying to put out a spark before the whole thing catches fire.

Who knew I’d be the cause of the whole inferno?

“You do not interfere when I’m talking to my son, Rory!”King growls, his façade of control cracking at once.His hand comes down slamming against the glass of the table.It’s a miracle that it doesn’t shatter.I flinch at the noise, emitting a gasp before I can stop myself.

“You’re not my father!”Ryan screams.“You’re a monster and I hate you!I want my daddy!”he cries.

Panic thrusts through my body like the speed of a bullet.This is bad and I know it’s going to be bad.I had no idea justhowbad it is until King stands up and stomps over to Ryan.His hand wraps around Ryan’s arm and he pulls him up so roughly that Ryan cries out in pain.King backhands Ryan just as I make it to them.

“King!No!”

“I won’t have the boy talking back to me!He’ll learn or by God, I’ll make it so he can’t mouth off to me again!”He goes to slap Ryan again, and I twist to reach between them.His hit connects with my arm and though I don’t stop him completely, I do enough that he turns loose of Ryan and twists my arm.

“No!”I cry.

“Do not try to get between me and my child, Rory!”He growls.

“I’m not your child!”Ryan cries, his body trembling.

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