Page 35 of Bart (Hades Rejects MC)
“You’re right I should have; I was just...hell Pops...I was trying to keep you from reliving that shit. I wanted to close that chapter for good for both of us, I never wanted those wounds opened again for anything. Neither of us had any clue I’d run smack dab into that mess. I was supposed to deal with the arms shipment business, not with...not with her.” I can’t say her name; after what she did she doesn’t even warrant that much from me.
“Well tonight she called, she wanted to know where her money was. Bart have you been paying her off this whole damn time? Why?” Fuck, of course, she’d demand more money, I’d already given her thousands to disappear again, she’d promised; guess I knew how much that was worth now.
“Who?! Damn it, who are you two talking about? Bart is there, was there...someone else while you were in Italy?” She looks like she might shatter at the thought of me with someone else, shaking my head and pulling her to me to reassure her that’s not it. Before I can get the words out though, Pops jumps in.
“Heavens no Bliss, it’s his mother, Diana. She’s apparently been hiding out with some of her old friends in Italy since she left us. She’s also been swindling my son out of thousands over the last couple of years. You can’t help her son, no matter what you think, she’s always going to be...well her.” He won’t call her what she is, what she’s always been, even though she chose him over Jack all those years ago.
“I don’t think she’s ever going to change Pops; I was just trying to keep her from hurting you more than she already has.” When she’d first seen me in Italy, she’d tried the whole motherly routine on me, I actually fell for it at first. It didn’t take long for her true colors to come out, for her to begin blackmailing me for money.
“I’m confused; wouldn’t you want to see your mother? Didn’t she leave because she couldn’t handle your sister's death? Where is your sympathy for her?” I didn’t want to say the words, the ones that might mean the end of what we just started, but they come out of my mouth none the less.
“Because Bliss she’s a whore, she’s always been a whore, and she’ll always be a whore.” I want to take the words back, but my anger when it comes to my mother has gotten the best of me. “She only chose my father because and I quote, “He was going places, and I got knocked up.” She didn’t love him; she didn’t love me or my sister. She went back to her pimp in Italy when she left us.”
“You mean she’s a whore like me, like I’ll always be, she can’t nor can I be redeemed is what you’re saying?!” By the time she’s finished she’s yelling at me, I’m shaking my head at her.
“Baby, no, you’re nothing like her, you are all the things she’s not. You were never a whore; you were forced to do things by a man who should have been protecting you. I’ll never see you as a whore. Even now there is a pureness about you, it’s your heart, you have such an enormous heart, never compare yourself to her.” She’s no longer pulling away from me, but searching my face for the truth, she must see it because she relaxes against me.
“Bart is right honey. Diana, well she had her good moments, but she was never the wifely/motherly type. I thought if I could make her happy she’d become more than what she was when we met. I fell in love with a dream that never really existed. As for giving her any more money, the answer is no, absolutely not. I already told her Bank of Castor is closed to her for good, that our divorce was final years ago. Don’t beat yourself up son, she used to fool me for months at a time to get what she wanted, and then she would go right back to her old behavior.”
“Yeah, I know Pops, the first year I tried to help her; I set her up in a house and paid her bills. She sold everything in the house, invited every cockroach in Italy to live with her, then demanded I give her money or she’d call you. There was no way I was letting her get her claws in you again, no matter what you say, you still have a soft spot for her. I couldn’t let that happen. Before I left, I had the crew over there remove her and her roaches from the house. I was done, guess she wasn’t. I’m sorry Pops, I really am; I should have told you.” I’ve been holding Bliss to me, afraid if I let her go she’ll run away, or disappear, but she’s curled into my body and fallen asleep. Looking up at Pops, he notices at the same time I do; she was just wide awake yelling at me, and now she’s out cold.
“Do you think something is wrong? She was just wide awake, should we take her to the hospital?” Pops shakes his head, helps me lay her down on the couch and motions for me to follow him into the dining room.
“The adrenaline rush finally crashed, hopefully she can sleep peacefully. I should have waited until tomorrow to talk about your mother, we should have celebrated Bliss being home first. Again that woman has ruined something good for us, I’m sorry you had to deal with her at all son. I tried to make it so you only saw the good in her, and maybe that was my downfall, you should have known the truth.” He looks tired and worn out, and I blame myself for that. I should have prepared him for this, damn it to hell.
“I probably wouldn’t have listened; let’s be honest, I’m a hard headed bastard. I take after my father.” Lightening the mood is just what we needed, Pops pulls me in for a bear hug and a slap on the back.
“Damn right you are! So tell me the truth, how do you think she’s really doing?” Explaining, without going into details that I had to help her pull herself together at the hotel, and that since then she seemed like her old self, but that there was no telling in the end. We sat at the table talking and shooting beers back for hours. Holland called to check on Bliss; he sounded out of sorts, but wouldn’t go into details when I asked him what was up. Instead of waiting for Jessie to call, I called her, but she let me know Matt had already told her Bliss was safe. Guess those two were getting cozy, not so sure about how Bliss was going to feel about that when she found out. Shortly before midnight I checked on Bliss, she was starting to toss and turn so I brush my fingertips across her forehead soothingly and she calmed down. Deciding there was no way I was sleeping that far from her, I picked her up and carried her into my room, hoping she wouldn’t be pissed when she woke up in my bed. I wished Pops a good night and crawled in bed with the only woman who owned my heart, praying she would be alright come morning.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
BLISS
Where am I and how did I get here, are the first two questions that pop in my head as I’m waking up. I can’t remember everything; it’s like a blur in my mind. Things seem jumbled together, I remember a drive to the hotel room, but everything after is kind of fuzzy. The bed doesn’t feel like Jacks so I’m not back at his warehouse, I feel a warm body next to mine. Am I still in the hotel room with whoever Jack took me to? I dread opening my eyes, to see who is lying next to me.
“You can open your eyes, I know you’re awake beautiful, and whatever nonsense you have working in that pretty little brain of yours, just stop now.” My body instantly relaxes at his voice, my rock, my other half, I sigh in relief. How did I get here though? That’s when it all comes back to me, the murders, the shower, coming home, and finding out that Bart's mother was a whore. Peeping my eyes open I see him smiling at me, my heart does a little flip, and the dimples in his cheek make me melt into a puddle.
