Page 16 of Finn

“Be careful. This guy is a slimy fuck,” Kadon says.

We all get up, and they all talk a bit, but my head is spinning.

Am I just too new to this to understand exactly what the plan is, or am I gonna lose the girl before I even have her?

6

Mia

I look at the suitcases waiting to be wheeled out to my car. I’m leaving for Vegas today, and the only ones who know are Finn and me. My parents are going to go ballistic, but I don’t care anymore. After talking with them, I have more questions than answers. I feel like everything in my life is a lie. There were no answers. Only more questions.

I walk into my mother’s house, and she comes rushing from the kitchen. “Mia, thank goodness,” she cries, reaching out to hug me.

I’ve never stepped away from the affection my mother shows me, but right now, I can’t even handle her near me. Her face drops as I step out of the way, and she crosses her arms. I do the same, and we stare at each other, neither wanting to be the first to speak.

She sighs, shaking her head. “I’m sure you have questions,” she says.

I give a bitter laugh, running my hands through my hair. I compose myself and turn my angry eyes toward her. “No more lies. Nothing fits together, and I need to know the truth.”

She nods and walks over to pick up her phone. My eyebrows dip as I look at her. “I’m calling your father,” she whispers.

“Which one?” I hiss.

Her eyes widen, and a look of anger crosses her face. She’s crazy if she thinks I can control my mouth or my anger at this point. I’ve had too much time to think, and she’s the only one with the answers.

“Your father is on his way. Let’s wait for him,” she says, moving to the kitchen.

I follow behind, my body beginning to shake with anger. “Why? Why can’t you ever talk to me without him? Do you need your stories to line up?”

She spins around, and her eyes narrow as she looks at me. “We have no stories.”

My laugh is hollow as I sit down at the table. “Oh really? So, Porter Lawson, a member of the Shattered Souls MC, isn’t my real father? You didn’t lie to me my entire life, creating a story that cut out one of the main characters?”

“I did everything for you, Mia. Every decision I’ve ever made. Every consequence I’ve ever faced. Every pain I’ve ever felt. Every tear I’ve shed. It’s all been for you. To make sure you have the life you deserve,” she angrily says.

“Was he a bad man? A bad father? Did he hurt you? Did you feel desperate to run?” I whisper, searching her watery eyes.

“Yes.”

I spin around to see my father dropping his briefcase to the floor. He walks over to my mom and kisses her gently, and for the first time in my life, I see it as manipulation, not love.

“Mom, is that true?” I ask, ignoring what my father just said.

She peeks at him, and I notice his slight nod. What the fuck?

“Yes, it’s true,” she whispers.

My stomach twists as I think of what she must’ve gone through, but the very small grin on my father’s face makes me wonder if I’m still being lied to.

I take a deep breath and nod. “I want to know exactly what happened.”

“Porter is a bad man. You and your mother needed to be safe, and I provided that without question. There’s nothing else to know,” my father says, wrapping his arm around my mom.

“Why?” I ask.

“Why what?” he asks, dipping his brows.

I stand up and pace the kitchen. The anger slowly turning to rage. I’m not getting answers. I’m getting dismissed.

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