Page 13 of Unruly Defender
“Now I can see who the dog belongs to,” Clemente grumbles.“What’s the deal between you and the president of Unruly Defenders MC?”
“I don’t believe that’s any of your business.Please, Clemente, I think we have something more important to discuss than Henley.”
Clemente stares at me and I can see it in his eyes, he’s not going to let this go.
I huff and grumble, “Fine.He’s Maggie’s son and was released from prison a few days ago.I’ve been working for Maggie ever since I left my father’s house the day of my mother’s funeral.I was devastated and had nowhere to go and she found me on the beach, completely upset.She offered me her home and a job.And no, there’s nothing going on between me and Henley other than him owning the estate I work in.Or so it seems, because I didn’t know that little detail either until a few days ago.Henley owns the estate, so Maggie isn’t my boss, he is.Again, there’s nothing going on between us.We agreed to be friends, nothing sexual.And I only agreed because Maggie told me he could use a friend.”
“Smart, hooking her convict son up with money,” Clemente mutters.
The wine almost sloshes over my glass as I dash up and get in his face.“You take that back.Maggie isn’t like that.She’s a sweet woman who was there for me when I needed someone and has been there ever since without asking for one damn thing in return.So, yes, if she asks me to be a friend to her son, who has been betrayed by those who he trusted, then yes, I sure as hell will be there for him.”
Clemente doesn’t seem impressed by my outburst at all.He’s as calm as the sea before a storm.
“Those who betrayed him are the ones who want him dead, Gracy.He’s dangerous and wrapped in things I don’t want you anywhere near.If I knew you were in trouble I would have come.You should have reached out to me or to my father.I would have opened up my home for you too.”There is no warmth in his voice, a hint of anger, maybe.Though, I don’t feel as if it’s aimed at me, more at the circumstances he’s only now became aware of.
“I couldn’t think, Clemente.I wasn’t in my right mind the day of the funeral.Then my father arranged some guy for me to fuck to get my mind off my mother’s death and I lost it.I ran away and found myself walking down the beach until I was so tired I had to sit down.I was lucky Maggie found me when she was walking Finn.”
“That piece of scum isn’t your father,” Clemente hisses through his teeth.“Spencer is a disgrace and shouldn’t have been anywhere near you or your mother.”
My shoulders sag and I take a seat between the pillows, Clemente sits down next to me.Both of us are wrapped in silence as we both sip our wine.
“The day my father heard the news about the death of your mother is when he had his first heart attack,” Clemente states and my head swings toward him but he’s staring at the horizon.“As you might know your mother and my father went to the same school growing up.They were in love but our world works differently.My father wanted to escape his responsibilities and run away with your mother.My grandfather found out about their plan and instantly moved back to Italy.”
“I know about the sudden move of your father, and,” I gasp and do a little headcount.“You’re telling me my mother was pregnant with me when your father left the US?”
“He didn’t know she was pregnant at the time.If he knew, he would have found a way to get back.But in our world, we have arranged marriages to forge bonds to expand the familia.He knew about the woman he needed to marry; it was arranged when he was fourteen years old.It messed up his future with your mother because when his arranged wife became of age, they would be wed.It’s also the reason why I was born.The presentation of the bloody sheets.The whole take the virgin bride, wedding night.I don’t think I would have been born otherwise.My father had enough respect for the familia but his responsibilities toward his wife and the familia ended that night.My grandfather died six years later, that’s the day our father became the head of the family and moved back with me to the US.Like I said, our world functions differently and marriages aren’t forged out of love, but my father only ever loved one woman.”
I grab the bottle of wine and give both our glasses a refill.“What happened to your mom?You mentioned your dad taking you back to the US, did she stay in Italy?”
He gives me a sad smile.“She died giving birth to me.”
I lean against him and place my head on his shoulder.“I’m so sorry.”
“Did you know your mother was forced to marry the asshole who pretended to be your father?Seems our families didn’t differ a lot when it came to arranged marriages.”
My head whips up and I stare at him.All of this sounds insane and yet at the same time it all falls into place.The fights they had regularly, the things they used to throw at each other.And when I look into Clemente’s eyes and recognize his familiar eyes I also see when I stare in the mirror...I know he speaks the truth.Not to mention the way my mother used to react when she left to visit her friend.
“Did...does...my father.Shit.I should probably be calling him Spencer now.Did...did Spencer know I’m not his biological daughter?Was he aware about your father and my mother, about me?”I ask.
“From what my father told me, Spencer should have known since she was pregnant when my dad left.When my father couldn’t stay away from your mother, he arranged to accidentally run into her and they stayed in close contact until she died.”
“I remember that, you and I were there too.It was one of the rare times I saw my mother smile her radiant smile.I still can’t believe she killed herself.I mean, she could have gotten a divorce, right?She wanted to, she already moved out of the house to create some distance because of all the fighting.If your father and my mother...sorry, I’m thinking in fairytales.”
“When Spencer found out she was seeing my father behind his back he tried to forbid her from seeing him, even if they weren’t living together anymore.There’s a lot more at stake here than just people in love, ripped apart and both married, only to find each other after all those years, Gracy.There are companies involved.A status to uphold and a whole lot of money thrown into the mix and that’s where things get dangerous.”
“Again with the danger,” I mutter and lean back to take another sip of my wine.
Clemente leans back too and both of us watch the sunset as darkness wraps around us.There’s so much more to say and talk about but there’s a lot already running through my head I need to process.Besides, the wine is taking the edge off and I don’t think this is a good time to be sober, though it’s not a good time to get drunk either.
The mere thought of knowing who my biological father is, my mother’s past, and my father...Spencer’s reaction.I need more wine to let this settle and process.Come morning I will be able to wrap my head around it.Before he heads home Clemente and I decide to have dinner later this week.
I should head home too but I’ve had three glasses of wine and I shouldn’t be driving.So, I decide to stay here instead.I shoot Henley a text to tell him I’ll drop Finn off tomorrow morning.I open another bottle of wine and decide to have one more drink before going below deck to fix something to eat.
