Chapter 17
When I first entered the basement, there was a foul odor in the air, but the Rebels didn’t seem fazed, while I struggled to breathe.
Although I only left home two months ago, it seemed longer once I laid eyes on Gideon. Seeing him chained to the chair and looking helpless fueled something in me. It felt as if every nerve in my body had come to life.
When the anger coursing through me reached its peak, the stench in the room no longer bothered me—it became all about revenge.
“I know what I want to use.”
“Aight, what tickles your fancy? It’s a go as soon as you’re ready.”
I blinked slowly, looked at Arrow, and said, “I want to use your bow and arrow .”
He grinned, licked his lips, and bobbed his head.
There was something about taking Gideon down using Arrow’s means of justice. I was about to tear him up, while also rubbing it in his face that his stepbrother had been to a place he had declared as his. Gideon used to promise that he would kill me before he let another man have me, yet here we were. Another man had been all over me and basically raising his son, and it would be me walking out of here alive versus him.
With that thought in mind, I, too, couldn’t keep the grin off my face.
“Aight, look.” Arrow stepped behind me to arm me with the bow. “Keep your back straight and your eye on your target?—”
“You won’t get away with this. I promise you, you will pay for whatever happens to me.” Gideon looked me up and down.
My body stiffened, and Arrow straightened to his full height.
“Don’t talk to her. No matter what kind of shit hits the fan, it will never touch her. That’s the difference between me and you. Protecting Cecilia and Hendrix are my first priority. I will always fall on the sword for them. See, you only think about yourself and what benefits you. We are not the same. Shut up and let her work in peace.”
Arrow’s front was pressed against my back, so I felt the vibration of his every word.
We were in a room full of men, and I only felt him. The way he would go to war for me wasn’t missed, and I was blessed. Gideon hated the position he was in, and it showed all over his face. That man had always had the upper hand with me, and it was mostly because everyone he ever came in contact with was afraid of him, but not Arrow. It was so sexy how a man I used to be so afraid of, cowered in front of the man I was sure God had made for me.
With a confidence Gideon had never witnessed… I ignored him and listened to Arrow as he showed me what to do.
“I’m ready.”
Arrow went back to instructing me on how to properly operate his tools.
“Aight, let it fly.”
“Before I do… I want to say something.” I looked at Arrow over my shoulder, and he nodded. “When we first met, I knew that you were my everything while I was only a pawn in whatever game you were playing. For years, in the beginning, I did whatever I could to make you see that with me, you had a home, but after a while, I realized that I wasn’t the problem. It had always been you.
“At home, you should have protected me, but you turned me into your enemy and shut me out. I could deal with a lot, but when it came to my son, and you thought you were about to extend your treatment to him, you had another thing coming. I was the best to you, and you shit on me at every turn. But I want to thank you because had it not been for you, me and my son wouldn’t know the greatness that is Helix Miller. I think it’s funny that your stepdaddy named my son after his uncle, but it’s clear that God had a plan, so it’s only right that we execute it… Right?”
Gideon opened his mouth and I released the arrow, hitting him right in the stomach.
His body jolted, and it caused me to jump. I smiled and held out my hand for Arrow to hand me another arrow. As soon as it was in place, I let it go. We did this three more times before Arrow took the bow from me.
I wasn’t ready to be done, but I let him do whatever he felt was best.
“Aight. Is there anything you would like to say to your father-in-law before he’s out of here for good?” Arrow asked, and I shrugged.
“Nope. He’s about to go right where he belongs. Seeing them riddled with arrows is all the satisfaction I need.”
“Bet. Take her back and let’s get this shit done. We been down here too long. I’m sleepy.”
Before I allowed myself to be removed, I grabbed a paddle from the table and smacked Gideon across his face.
Knowing this would be the last time I saw him, a tear fell, and I didn’t bother wiping it. My terrorizer was finally getting what he deserved. That was a feeling I couldn’t put into words, so all I could do was cry. Arrow pulled me into his chest, and I broke down.
He kissed the top of my head and my ear.
“I’m not crying because?—”
“I got you, baby girl. This reaction to one chapter ending and another beginning is natural. Go be with the only great thing that came out of this situation.”
I sniffed and nodded. “Right, okay.” I looked up at him, and he wiped my eyes. “Make them suffer.”
Snoopy placed his hand on my shoulder and led the way out of the basement.
Once we made it to the top of the stairs, I bent at the waist, put my hands on my knees, and sobbed in a way I hadn’t before. Seven years was a long time to know misery, but I survived them. Unfortunately, there were a lot of women who wouldn’t see the victory I did, so my tears were for them as well.
Once I got myself together, I went to Arrow’s room and collected my baby from Jalanea.
“Hey, sleepy head.”
I turned at the sound of Arrow’s voice and stretched.
“Hey, what time is it?” I looked at the clock, but the red numbers were unclear.
Arrow chuckled. “I see crying yourself to sleep don’ crusted your eyes over. It’s nine thirty-two.”
I popped up and immediately grabbed my head.
Arrow pushed a water bottle into my hand and aspirin in the other. With a nod, I thanked him. Last night had been tough. I truly believed that Gideon would be the cause of my death one day, so to know that he was no more had taken its toll.
My head felt like I was swimming underwater.
“I did not mean to sleep that long. Let me freshen up, and I’ll make breakfast.” I started to climb from the bed, but Arrow stopped me and sat on the edge.
“Before all of that, I needed to speak with you about something that happened last night.”
I shook my head and closed my eyes.
“We don’t have to talk about that. The details aren’t necessary. Just know I appreciate you guys. I don’t condone violence, but sometimes, that is the only way to get things done.”
Arrow laughed and produced a folder.
He held it out for me, and instead of taking it, I simply looked at it. When I didn’t move toward taking it, Arrow set it on the bed and opened it. He took out three packets and laid them out next to each other. I had no idea what I was looking at, so I took two aspirins and set the water bottle on the nightstand.
Once my hands were clear, I looked at the title of the packet closest to me and gasped.
“I wanted to make sure you and Hendrix were always taken care of. Before you came in last night, I had Gideon sign a few documents. It was imperative to me that you control the narrative of your life. I want you here with me until I take my final breath, but that is a choice you deserve to make. The house, cars, and whatever assets are now yours. He signed over his rights to Hendrix, so his mother can’t fight you with custody. All of his illegal dealings have fallen in her lap, so once the laws catch up with her, she’ll be in jail. Harming women is against Rebels’ code, and this was the kindest thing we could do for her. Between his five bank accounts, there was eight point five million dollars that is waiting for you in an offshore account?—”
I held up my hand so he could stop talking.
“Eight point five…” I looked at Arrow and probably looked crazy as hell. “That’s a lot of money.”
He chuckled. “It is but it’s yours. I figured you wouldn’t want the house, so you could sell it and put the money up for Hendrix.”
I shivered because no one had ever looked out for me the way Arrow and his club had.
There were so many emotions flowing through me, but the loudest one was gratitude. I flipped through the pages and couldn’t believe my eyes. The entire time I was with Gideon, I never had gum to my name, let alone a house, car, or money. However, Arrow made sure that before a permanent decision was made that when it was all said and done, my son and I would be okay. My heart would never be the same after encountering this man.
I let the packets fall from my hands, and I jumped into Arrow’s arms.
“Thank you so much!” I hugged his neck, and the tears were back.
“No need to thank me. I was simply making sure that you got everything back in blood. My mother was a domestic violence victim that didn’t get the chance you’re getting.” I pulled back to look at him. Although he chuckled, there was no humor in it. “Like Gideon, my father never protected his queen. The women in the streets held more priority than his wife. When my mother confronted Nicky about sleeping with her husband, Nicky ran to my father and let him know that she didn’t appreciate it and that he needed to do something, or she would leave him. Two weeks later, my father gunned down my mother in cold blood all because his sidepiece said she didn’t want to deal with alimony and child support. Nicky actually deserves death but stripping her of her role in the community and being sent to jail will do what I can’t. Luckily, Boss was out of the house, and my father let me go with him because had I had to live with the woman that was responsible for my mother’s death… I’m more than ten thousand percent sure she wouldn’t still be alive today.”
“Oh my gosh. Why are people so evil?” I wasn’t expecting a response, but Arrow shrugged anyway. “I thought she was horrible to me, but her spirit is just black. Over the years, she let me know that I wasn’t good enough for her baby boy, but we both know it was him who wasn’t good enough.”
Arrow nodded and kissed the side of my neck.
I felt terrible for him and Boss because losing a parent in that manner stuck with a person. We sat there on the bed, with me in his lap, for a while. Holding him healed a part of me because, although I couldn’t bring his mother back, I knew he needed this.
The grip he had around my waist let me know just how much.
He pulled back and said, “Anyway. Since you are officially free… I’m taking you and the boy on a trip.”
“A trip? Where, and what about the shop? Just because things have changed with me doesn’t mean the wrap orders have suddenly disappeared.”
“I think I’m gon’ give Snoopy a raise and promote him to manager. He been holding it down, and he deserves, for some of the things he does in private, to receive some recognition. Plus, he about to move up, so I figured the timing was perfect.”
I grinned, and Arrow pushed me off him.
Laughter bubbled up, and I cracked up. Arrow swore up and down he was this hard no non-sense kind of guy, but to me, he was the total opposite. Giving Snoopy a raise and promotion just solidified that for me. When Arrow stood, I jumped up and hopped on his back.
He carried me to the bathroom and deposited me onto the bathroom counter.
“You’re a good man, Helix. Do you know that?”
He smirked. “I’m aight. Now hurry up so we can discuss where you want to go. Do you have a passport?”
“No. Gideon never took me places, so he said I didn’t need one.”
Arrow clenched his teeth but nodded.
There were so many places I wanted to explore, but I knew better than to get my hopes up when it came to my husband. Arrow didn’t like my answer, but it was my truth. However, in just a short time, he had done more for me than I received in seven years, so to me, there was a reason to smile. I tugged on his beard and kissed his lips. My heart was so full, and I still couldn’t believe how blessed I was.
Every day wouldn’t be perfect, but this man was perfect for me.
“Cool. We’ll start the process to handle that. We’ll stay stateside this time, but I’m going to get you out of the country at some point.”
“Sounds good to me.”
He leaned forward and kissed the side of my mouth.
“Aight. Now, handle that ’cause you’re about to burn all my little bit of facial hair I got left.”
I gasped, covered my mouth, and pushed Arrow away from me. Every time I wanted to see the amazing man in him, he turned around and showed me just how irritating he could be. He blew me a kiss as he left the bathroom, and I flipped him off.
I hadn’t addressed his comment about him wanting me to stay, but I knew without a shadow of doubt that I was where I belonged.