Bounty

8. Wisteria

Chapter Eight

WISTERIA

I hate to say it, but Jude’s home is perfect. It’s a lodge built from rustic wood that looks like something you’d see on one of those home-buying reality TV shows. The decor, unlike the man himself, is cozy, with throw blankets, a huge fireplace, brass fixtures, and warm colors. Just like all the dream homes I scrapbooked in the magazines my momma, aunt, and I read together when I was growing up.

“One day, girlie, we’ll have a kitchen just like this one,” she said, cutting out the picture of the giant kitchen island with the marble counters. The gray, white, and black swirled together, with little gold flecks.

I shake the memory away, reminding myself to keep my wits about me. These men abandoned me, didn’t contact me for years, almost got me blown to bits, and think they can force me to stay here.

The only reason I set foot in this house was to find out what’s going on. If they won’t give me answers, they better be ready to lock me up—I’m not staying here unless they tell me everything.

Jude walks me through the front, all the way to the kitchen. It’s the most gorgeous room in his home so far. It has a chic farm-house vibe, with all white cabinets, pendant lighting, a double oven and eight burner stove, and a giant island in the center set with several dishes of food. Roasted chicken with root vegetables. String beans. Buttery biscuits. A fancy salad, even a lasagna.

I doubt Jude made any of this. He probably has a housekeeper like his father did when we were growing up.

The eat-in dining room is set for four and we serve ourselves before taking a seat. Jude sits across from me, and his proximity makes me feel trapped. Every time I look up, I see him staring back at me with the same cold, empty eyes he had six years ago. Honestly, being with the three of them again makes me feel sick to my stomach. I have no solitude to eat because I can’t stop thinking about why I’m here.

What could have possibly changed to make me welcomed here again, after clearly being told I was never allowed back?

“Are you feeling okay?” Colin asks me.

“Yeah, you barely touched your food,” Cain adds, gesturing toward my full plate.

Are they fucking serious right now? Do they think we can all just sit here and play house after what’s happened?

“No, I’m not okay. My aunt died, and since she was my only family, I’m alone. I got fired from my job before Cain abducted me. I’m being forced to sit at a table with three men who acted like I didn’t exist for the past six years for some mysterious reason they won’t share. You forced me back to a place I was excommunicated from. And I almost got blown up—almost died .”

I take a sip of my wine, trying to forget how scared I was when the bombs went off.

Jude sighs, rolling his eyes like my reality inconveniences him.

“I wanted to enjoy our Christmas dinner first, but I can see you’re going to be difficult. So let’s cut to the chase. You’re welcome here again because I said so,” Jude decrees, like the arrogant fucking king he thinks he is, then takes a bite of some chicken. He leisurely sips his wine, as if that small morsel of information is justification enough.

“Because you said so?”

“Yeah, Wisteria Jean, because I fucking say so,” he growls with finality.

I set my cloth napkin on my table and stand up. “In that case, it was nice to see you all again. I’m leaving.”

Before I can even step away from the table, Cain grabs my wrist.

“Baby girl, please stay,” he implores me. “Jude, I think we need to share more than that…”

“My father has been in a coma for a year. When I took over for him, I decided it was time for you to come back home,” Jude says.

“I’m sorry about Father Mannix…but that still doesn’t explain the bombs. Or why these two were stalking me. Or why I’m not safe. Colin said those people that bombed the house are part of the reason I needed to come back here–they’re after me.”

“I think we need to explain it from the beginning and tell Wisteria about her mother.” Cain gives me a tense look, as if he’s preparing himself for something bad. His eyes dart to Colin, who then looks at Jude.

Whatever silent conversation they’re having, it doesn’t bode well for me. The fact that they kept everything from me irritates me.

“What does my mother have to do with it—she was dead long before Aunt Norma and I were kicked out.” Thinking of losing my mother and leaving the only home I ever had only adds to the uncomfortably irritating feeling wrapping around my limbs, pushing it way down my throat.

“Your mom wasn’t who she said she was,” Jude answers me.

I wait for him to elaborate, but he just sits there, assessing me as if he was trying to think of a way to deliver the big, bad secret they were all keeping from me.

“I think I should pick it up from here,” Cain interrupts. “Do you remember coming here as a toddler, Wisteria?”

“Not really. Mom told me later we were fleeing her abusive ex boyfriend and that Aunt Norma came with us. We only had our backpacks. Y’all took us in, no questions asked. We stayed with Cain and his family until they had his little sister, and then we moved to our own little house nearby.”

“Did you ever notice she never had any baby pictures of you?” he asked in a leading way.

“No…” I think back to my childhood. Now that he mentions it, I never saw pictures of me as a baby. All of my pictures and memories in the scrapbooks we made were from The Farm.

“That’s because she wasn’t your biological mother. She was a long term plant from a rival gang, The Skulls, who also have a stake in the gun trade. They knew Father Mannix had a sweet spot for single moms, and that he’d let you both stay if she showed up with a bruised face and a kid in tow. Her orders were to get close to him, get information on shipments and how we ran. What we were selling to who and when. Our run routes. She threatened to expose us and our entire operation,” Jude continues.

“W-what?” That can’t be true. They have to be lying. She had to be my mother…because Norma was my aunt... “But what about my aunt?”

“Norma wasn’t your aunt,” Jude confirmed. “She was Crystal’s real sister though. The DNA test my father did after Crystal passed confirmed it.”

“He DNA tested them?”

“Of course. Your mom died right around the time he realized she was leaking information, and he got a DNA sample from her then. He asked me to get samples from you and Norma. The only reason my dad let you two stay on the farm after everything came to light was because Norma came to him on her own and confessed before he confronted her, saying she wanted out of her gang and was willing to play double agent,” Jude explained.

I sat there in stunned silence. My mom wasn’t my actual mom. And my aunt, who I've grieved for months, wasn’t my aunt. The only family I’ve ever known was a complete lie. The guys are quiet, watching me from their seats. Colin takes my hand, and his warmth seeps through my fingers.

After taking several moments to absorb everything Jude revealed, I ask, “Okay so why are you all of a sudden interested in me?”

“The Skulls tried to take some of our clients a couple years ago. We’ve been fighting with them, and they tried to assassinate Father Mannix. That’s why he’s in a coma. For some reason, they’re coming after you. We think it’s because Norma had something they needed, and they think you have it.” Colin finally gives me the missing piece.

So there’s a group of dangerous people out there, and they’re after me for something I’m not even sure exists…seems like my shitty life keeps getting shittier every day.

“And we aren’t ‘suddenly interested’ in you, Wisteria Jean. We’ve always been into you,” Cain says with a surety I’m sure he’s faking. Because if he was being truthful, they wouldn’t have ghosted me.

“Oh yeah, you three were so into me. So then why did all my letters go unanswered? How come none of you ever came to find me if I was in so much danger? Why did you all ghost me?” I need to know.

“Colin and I didn’t agree with Father Mannix’s decision. But there wasn’t much we could do about it. Jude said going to find you or keeping in contact would only put a bigger target on your back. It would piss his dad off and The Skulls could possibly intercept the correspondence and find you.” Cain’s words sound painful, and I almost feel like he was telling the truth.

“Once a couple years passed, we started looking for you. It took some time to find you, but for the past three years, we knew where you were. We kept an eye on you, little flower. We just wanted you to be safe and lead a good life, even if it couldn’t be with us,” Colin added.

Cain nods in agreement, while Jude stays silent, as if he’s saying speak for yourselves . I’m not surprised he didn’t keep up with me. He didn’t like having me around much anyway.

“I made the decision to bring you back so we can figure out what they’re looking for, and then take their whole organization out. Once and for all,” Jude says.

So Jude only brought me back because I fit into his plans. Not because I was unsafe, or alone. Not because Harvest Farms is my home and he wanted to right his father’s mistake. Figures.

I stand again, leaning on the table for support, the evening’s mass revelations making me weak. “I need some space. Where can I lay down?”

“We have more things to discuss, sister,” Jude comments, as if he didn’t even hear me. “Things we need to do to ensure your safety.”

Tears stream down my cheeks from anger and frustration. “Tough shit, Jude. You can’t always get what you want.” Hopefully he isn’t so far up his own ass that he doesn’t get the double meaning.

I want to slam my hands on the table and scream at them all for hurting me. For not fighting for me. For letting me leave. But most of all, I want to rage at them for letting me think I meant something to them. I obviously don’t.

But instead of yelling, I take the high route and leave. Distance will give me time to put myself back together again and mull over what they said.

I almost make it out of the dining room before Jude’s haughty, snide voice says, “I never said you were welcome to any of the rooms. Come back to the table, thistle.”

Whirling around, I open my mouth, only to be cut off by Colin.

“Jude, knock it the fuck off!” he growls, getting up from the table. He leaned across it, facing off with him. “You’re upsetting her, and I’m not going to stand by and let you treat her that way.”

Jude rolled his eyes, not bothered by my tears at all. “You know this is important. It’s not something we can put off.”

“It can wait a few hours while she rests,” Cain mediates. “Baby girl, don’t leave the house until we’ve all sat and talked again. You’re more than welcome to sleep in my room.”

He takes my hand and leads me out of the room. I glance over my shoulder, and see an uncharacteristic rage on Jude’s face before a mask of calm indifference slams into place.

My eyes must be faulty. Jude would have to care to be angry, and he’s made it clear he’s never given a fuck about me.