Page 54 of Crash and Burn
26
Marley
We spendthe next few days hanging out around the house. We talk, play board games, and watch movies, enjoying our time away from the chaoticness of the clubhouse. I love being at the clubhouse and around everyone, but being away and having the chance to really get to know Rascal has been amazing. I know the real challenge will be when we go back and he’s around the temptation of the cut bunnies. I trust Rascal. It’s that bitch Trix I don’t trust. I’ve decided I’ll put her ass in place if and when I need to. As long as Rascal really wants a relationship with me that is.
“You really love it out here, don’t you?” Minx sits in the chair next to me.
I take in the scenery. “It’s extremely peaceful out here. I haven’t had peaceful in years.”
“I hate the circumstances that brought us here, but I’m glad you don’t hate it here. How are you doing? About Chains and everything?”
“Honestly, I hurt pretty bad. Aside from Tink, he was my first friend in the clubhouse,” I tell her.
“He was a good kid. He would have been a perfect addition to the MC.”
“He was so excited to get patched in. The club was his life.” My eyes well with tears.
“It’s not the way any of us wanted him to get his patch, but he without a doubt earned it.” She pauses for a beat. “We should start a memorial wall in the clubhouse. A wall with pictures of fallen brothers.”
“I think that’s a great idea,” I say.
“We can talk to Prez about it when we go home.”
“If he’s your dad, why do you call him Prez?”
She shrugs her shoulders. “I grew up around the club, with everyone always calling him Prez. It became a habit calling him that. I usually only call him Pops when no one else is around.”
“That makes sense. What was it like growing up around all of it?”
“It was like having tons of brothers and uncles around all the time. For the longest time, Rivet and I were the only girls around. We could have gotten away with murder around all those men.” Minx laughs. “The MC has always been one big family and that always showed.”
“That’s about the complete opposite of my childhood,” I admit.
“What was yours like?”
“It was always just me and my mom. We lived in California my whole life, but moved around quite a bit. She worked two or three jobs just for us to get by, but always managed to be there for class parties and field trips,” I tell her.
“Your dad wasn’t around?”
“Up until recently, I didn’t know who my dad was.”
“Until recently?” Her eyebrows furrow.
“Apparently, Niko knew my mom way back when and he thinks he’s my father.”
“Niko, as in the Sovietnik of the Orlov Bratva?”
“Yup, that’s the one,” I deadpan.
“Wow, didn’t see that coming.”
“Neither did I.” I let out a humorless laugh. We fall into a silence after that.
“Knock, knock,” Rascal says from behind us. I turn around to him standing in the doorway. “You ladies doin’ alright?”
“Great.” I smile. “Just having some girl time.”
“That’s good to hear. Raze said something about a Fall Festival with a carnival happening this weekend,” Rascal tells us.
