Page 14 of Brew
But it’s Nova’s eyes that are haunting. Blue, like Brew’s are and almost desolate somehow, like they’ve seen too much —Dylan.She did say that, right? Brew’s real name is Dylan? It suits him.
The worst part of all? The relief I felt when he told me she wasn’t his girl.
Having a teenager isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Before we escaped, Olive was homeschooled, just like all the children in the compound where we lived.
To say that Olive loves going to a public school never ceases to amaze me. She’s resilient and makes friends easily.
When I left her with Amber, I never wanted to drag anyone into my mess. I knew the people who lent me money weren’t good, and I was almost trafficked as a result when I couldn’t rustle up the funds quick enough to pay them back. The truth is; I fled to try and get the money elsewhere, leading them away from Olive and Amber. If they knew about either one of them, they’d hurt them just to prove a point. That’s what men with no souls do. It will haunt me for the rest of my life, leaving my child. Not knowing if I’d see her again once those men caught up with me. I’m grateful every day that it was the MC that caught up with me first.
Sometimes I think about the journey I’ve led in my short lifetime so far on this earth, and it blows my mind. You could say I know how to survive. I may not be tough like Amber, but I’m a fighter. I will stand up for what I believe in, and others if they’re in need. When Amber punched my sister wife, Jude, in the faceall those years ago, she was brave. She wasn’t letting Jude stand in the way of our freedom, and it’s the sole reason we were able to escape. I can’t even believe that used to be my life.
That I was so deeply, terribly unhappy but unable to leave. Steven, like most men in a church like ours, ruled everything. I didn’t have permission to do anything or go anywhere. While I was lucky that Steven never laid a hand on me, Amber wasn’t so lucky. That bastard Vincent deserves all he gets, and I hope he rots in Hell, along with Steven. He may not have gone to the lengths Vincent went to in order to keep the organization running, but he was a big part of it. He could’ve walked away, but he chose greed, money and sex over everything we held dear.
As I watch my daughter now, setting up the props for the show tomorrow night, I feel a sense of calm that only washes over me from time to time.You’re doing okay,I tell myself.Really.
My phone chimes, and I glance down at it.
Luna
Lunch tomorrow? Muso’s?
Muso’s is Hustler’s swanky cafe in the French Quarter. He and Audrina, Nevada the Tail Gunner’s mom, run it together. They also have an adorable daughter, Aubrey Mae, who I babysit from time to time. I always wanted more kids. A bunch of them. Being a mom came naturally to me, and while I’m not too old to have them at thirty-five, I can’t see it happening.
Me
I’d love to. What’s the occasion?
Luna
We don’t need an excuse to stuff our faces
Me
I’ll see you there, 1 o’clock?
Luna
Sounds like a plan
I’ve become close friends with Luna, well, with all of the women at the club. They’re a great bunch of girls, even if I don’t hang out as much as I’d like to. Times are tough, with paying back the money to the club, rent, food, and school fees. The boys pay me well, but I’m struggling on a one-parent income. I’d love to buy the things that Olive needs without having to worry, but that just isn’t reality. I’ve been circling some weekend jobs that I could do short term, just to try and get ahead, but it would mean Olive being home alone, which I don’t like even though she’s fourteen, or her hanging out with Amber and Bronco all weekend. I’ve spent the last year since being reunited, making it up to her any which way I can.
Her happiness is paramount. Mine? Not so much. It’s irrelevant. After what this child has been through, I owe it to her to give her a good life.
And that’s what I strive for every single day.
CHAPTER
FIVE
Brew
Me
Get over here, Nova showed up
I glance up at my cousin, hardly able to believe that she’s here. She looks terrible, and I’m angry. Really fucking angry. How could she get out of jail and not say anything?
It may have only been for sixty days, but still.
