5. Chapter Five
T urns out my name isn’t Scarlett Smith. I should have seen it coming but fuck, I didn’t expect them to stoop that low. To the point of changing my identity that greatly.
I push away the hot chook roll. The normally delicious meal now tastes like ash in my mouth. I force myself to swallow the mouthful I had just taken.
I sit there for a moment in complete disbelief. They aren't kidding are they? This isn't some bullshit episode of pranked? No this is real life.
I look up at them, raising an eyebrow, “Enlighten me then. What is my actual name? For God’s sake let it not be some bullshit like Karen.”
Knowing my luck today, that would be my name.
“The only thing we changed is your last name. Your name is Scarlett Crux.”
I frown, damn. That's actually not that bad. Thank God. It’s actually kind of cool.
“So why did my name have to be changed? I need a start to finish explanation. None of these half truths.”
My father sighs as he sets down his roll. Clearly he isn’t turned off his food like I am. Rhodes certainly isn’t. The guy is on his third round.
I keep my eyes on my father as I wait for something. I watch as he collects himself. This cool kind of persona coming over him. He eventually looks up at me, resigned.
“My father – your grandfather – was the previous president of The Thunderbirds. Originally they started out as a motorcycle club. But my father wasn’t happy with just rolling around on bikes and running the couple of small businesses he had. He wanted more.”
My eyes widen and my mouth drops. What. The. Fuck.
He nods and continues, “At first it was things like selling drugs, weapons and laundering. But it was never enough. He was greedy. Eventually the opportunity fell into his lap to step into the prostitution game. Once he had a taste, he became hungrier.
“I wish I could say that’s where he stopped but I can’t.” He looks up at me and a raw pain fills his gaze.
I know that whatever he is about to tell me will change the entire trajectory of my life. I can feel it in the air. This kind of live static. An omen for what’s to come.
I hold my breath waiting for the inevitable bomb that is about to drop. My father looks to my mother. Her eyes are glazed over slightly, tears blur her irises as she looks back at him and nods in resignation.
He looks back at me, directly in my eyes as he delivers the brutal blow, “He sunk his teeth into the skin trade. ”
I gasp, sitting up straighter as I look between both my parents in complete disbelief. Anger floods my system, threatening to boil over. Nausea clenches my stomach as a million and one images float through my mind.
I shake my head, “No.” I manage to gasp out but it’s only a whisper.
Tears stream down my mother’s face as she nods. If I had tears left to cry, I know they would be flooding down my face, but there’s none left. Nothing but gut-wrenching grief.
“My twin brother, Clinton grew up to be exactly like my father. Nothing but a ruthless savage. He was in his element with the trafficking rings. He ran them like a fucking ring master at a circus.”
I shiver at the image. My entire being fills with hatred for a man I don’t know. Or alas don’t remember.
“There was a standoff one day against us and a rival gang. We had already been climbing the ranks for years. We were involved with international organisations like the Bratva and the Cartels. Other gangs were envious and there was always someone who wanted to take down the big guys. My father was killed during this skirmish. I was next in line to take over. His heir.
“Clinton hated it. We had never gotten along, him and I. He was always jealous. The hatred only grew when I took over. The love my father and Clinton shared for the rings was never shared with me. I hate them. They make me sick.”
Relief fills me hearing the clear animosity he has for them and their… activities.
“Together with the majority of the leadership, we stopped all activity with the skin trade. Clinton was furious. There was a situation and he left. We completely cleaned the club out. Anyone that wanted to be a part of that shit was removed.”
I can’t help but shiver at the word removed . Even though I agree wholeheartedly with whatever underlying meaning and actions that word has doesn’t mean it doesnt give me the fucking heebie-jeebies.
“Things were good for a couple of months. We still kept our toes in drugs, weapons and other side businesses. One of the guys got word of a new club that had begun taking women off the street and selling them to high rollers. A couple of the guys and I began investigating them. At every turn just as we got a new lead, a road block came up. For months we tried tracking them until, eventually, we got an in.”
My father shakes his head, the ghosts of his past haunting him to this day. He lifts his head up but instead of looking at me, he looks at Mum. They communicate something between each other.
“It’s okay, Ren. They need to know. They deserve to know the full truth.”
I look sharply between the both of them as if I can read their secrets off their face alone. I feel my heart as it starts to race.
My father stays silent as he fights with himself. It’s my Mum that breaks the silence.
“I was taken off the streets one night when I was walking home from work. I had just moved to Los Angeles for a gap year. I thought I would do some travelling before coming home and working out what I wanted to do with my life. I didn’t hear the car as it pulled up behind me. I barely felt the needle as it stabbed into the back of my neck.”
I gasp, covering my mouth as I look at her in disbelief.
She swallows roughly as she looks between Rhodes and I. I don’t turn my head to gauge his reaction to the revelation but I see his hands grip the table, his knuckles turning white in my periphery.
“I woke up in a cage. It wasn’t even big enough for me to stretch out completely. I was stripped bare of all of my belongings. Left in just my underwear. Men would come around and occasionally give us stale bread and cups of water. Just enough to survive.
“Once a day we were taken to relieve ourselves. Then thrown straight back into the cage. They held me and twenty other women for months. Not once did any of us see the light of day.
“They made a sick game out of us; find the one who could scream the loudest.”
A lone tear drops down my cheek. I didn’t think I had anything left in me, but never in my wildest dreams could I have expected this.
Mum rubs a hand over a scar on her arm and my face pales. She always told me it was from a motorbike accident but it is clear that was just a lie. One I am actually grateful she hid from me.
“One day, we heard shots from outside. I was terrified. I closed my eyes and huddled in on myself just waiting for it to end. Waiting for it to be my turn. When a hand landed on my arm, I thought my day had finally come. But the same hand lifted my face up.”
She turns to look at my father, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tight.
“It was your Dad.”
My heart clenches as I look at the two of them. The grateful look on my Mum’s face. The raw devastation but shared relief on my father’s .
“I couldn’t believe it when I unlocked the cage and found your mother. She was, and still is, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life.”
A tear drips down my father’s face as they hold their gaze for a moment longer before looking at Rhodes and I.
“From that moment on, I knew my purpose in life. For twenty years we have been infiltrating sex trafficking rings all over the United States. We have saved hundreds of women.”
I nod as I wipe the tears from my eyes. Even while feeling such anguish over the callous acts my parents have survived, I can’t help but feel proud. Proud that they overcame something so horrendous. That still to this day, my father and his gang is able to fight against something so unbearable.
The realisation that my father is a part of a gang still hasn’t left my mind though. Not just part of, but runs . As I look at the man, it makes sense though. The way he is dressed and that air of authority he seems to radiate gives it away.
The bodyguards are fairly obvious now too.
We all stay silent for a few minutes. Or has it been hours? I don’t really know. Time feels weird as I slowly process everything. Trying to organise it in my brain somehow. To go through the motions of just how catastrophic the entire situation is.
“Do either of you have any questions?” My father finally says, breaking the silence.
I have hundreds of them. Thousands. But one comes to the forefront of my mind .
“How does all of this relate to me losing my memories?” I do my best to not try to take away the severity of my parents situation from them but it feels like I fail.
My father nods though in understanding.
“We were so excited when you and Rhodes were born. The entire club was. Not only were we blessed with a pregnancy but twins.
“You were both perfect. Scarlett, you came first.” My father chuckles as he looks at me. “From the moment you took your first breath, you had this sheer determination. You were so strong. This light about you.”
He looks over to Rhodes, “And my boy, from moment one, you adored your sister. You were fiercely protective of everything. You had this crease in between your eyes as you looked out at the world.”
My Mum chuckles as she looks at Rhodes and I, “My light and my warrior.”
“As you were first born Scarlett, it was always written that you would one day take over from me.”
I blanch as my gaze snaps to my father. “Excuse me?”
He nods his head, “You are my heir Scarlett. Destined to take over The Thunderbirds when I retire.”
I snort, “You are joking right? Please tell me you are joking.”
The last bit comes out pleading.They can’t be serious right now. From the look on both my parents' faces, they are deadly serious.
“It's true,” my mother says with a nod.
I sit back in my chair as I process exactly what I’m saying. It feels like everything I had been told of my world flashes before my eyes. Here I was struggling with the fact that in only two months I would be graduating high school and would need to work out what the fuck my plan was. Did I want to go to university? Take a gap year and travel? Stay at my cafe job?
Taking on the roll as heir to a fucking gang certainly wasn’t on the list. Shit, it didn't even enter my realm of possibilities.
But here we are.
Eventually I nod, “Okay. Yep. So what happened next?” I ask. My brain already feeling fried but if we are going to lay it all out, we might as well do it right now.
“From the moment you were ready, I began training both you and Rhodes. I never wanted either of you to be left in the dark or deceived when it came to what was expected of either of you.”
I can’t help but snort at the audacity but it doesn’t phase or stop my father. He knows my feelings on the matter are justified.
“We had planned a massive party for your joint eighth birthday. The entire club was invited. I don’t think I had ever seen either of you so happy before. Everything was going great until a bunch of vans pulled up.”
My fathers fists tighten where they are held together on the table in front of him.
“We tried to collect all of you kids and hide you back in the clubhouse. But you never shied away from a fight, Scarlett. Other organisations were mad I had a female heir. Demanded that Rhodes take your spot but I disagreed. Just like me, the first born is the heir. We see it in royals so why couldn't you be mine?”
He demands, slamming his fist on the table. He collects himself quickly as he looks up at me in apology. I nod my head in understanding.
“They found you. The Scorpions. The club my fucking brother created.”
My eyes widen and I feel my stomach clench. Words evade me completely.
“We tried for a week to find you. I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t stop trying to find you. On the seventh day of you being gone from us, we eventually got a lead.”
He gulps, “When we found you, you were completely unrecognisable. You had been beaten beyond recognition. If you were left for another twenty four hours, it would have been too late.”
I stay stock still as I look directly at my father. My brain swims, a heavy ache setting in right behind my eyes. Absently, I trail my hand over one of the scars on my side. A wound I was told was from the car accident I was in.
There was never a car accident.
I was taken as a child. Beaten by my uncle. Left for dead. My childhood was stolen from me. Everything I knew ripped from me.
I push myself up from my chair. I hear it crash down behind me but the time for caring is gone. Long fucking gone.
I turn from the table. I hear voices behind me but they are drowned out from the whooshing I hear.
I feel like I’m underwater. Drowning. Unable to breathe.
I eventually come to, starting as I look out over the now pitch black ocean. Waves only lightened by the full moon.
I don’t know how long I’ve been out here.
I turn sharply as I hear the sand crunching behind me. My father walks towards me. His hair is messy, like he has spent the last however long running his hands through it.
“Your mum said I would be able to find you here.”
I nod, unable to trust myself to speak right now. I don’t know if I would even be able to form the words.
My father sits down beside me, bringing his knees up and laying his arms over them.
“I wish that I could make this all better for you. I never wanted this life for you. I didn’t even want this life for myself. When I found your mother it was like the world finally made sense to me. That I was given a purpose, a reason to fight. That was made even more prominent when you and your brother arrived.”
He shakes his head as he turns to look at me, “If I could have protected you both from this life, I would have. I should have packed us up the moment I found out your mother was pregnant. Escaped to here. Built a life far away from the darkness.
“It is something I will regret every day for the rest of my life.”
I nod my head. Yet I can’t help but feel like his regret is misplaced. Uncalled for.
“You didn't know all of this was going to happen. It's not your fault,” I say, my voice rough and broken.
“It's every parent's first responsibility to protect their children. I failed you Scarlett. You were mine to protect and I allowed them to take you. Allowed them to destroy my little girl. ”
I shake my head, “It wasn't your fault. It's theirs. They saw me as some kind of bargaining chip.”
He shakes his head. I know he disagrees with me but I can’t help but see the otherside. I can see in his eyes just how hard this entire situation has been for him. I refuse to play the victim. Pull the ‘poor me’ card and allow myself to be walked over again and again.
That's not who I am. I refuse to be seen in that light. Be seen as weak.
I am a woman. I am strong.
“What happened after I was taken?” I ask. My voice is still meek but I don’t bother to strengthen it just yet. Allowing myself to grieve a little bit more for that little girl.
My father sighs before rubbing his hands over his face.
“We rushed you to our doctor but we knew it would be too much for him to handle. Your mother knew a doctor back here in Australia, someone that we could trust. An old family friend who she knew would be able to save your life. The doctor was able to stabilise you enough for the flight. It was touch and go but you and your mother landed here safely."
“From the moment I watched the plane taxiing down the runway, I knew neither of you would be returning to us for a long time. I formulated a plan and ran it past your mother. It killed me to do so but the only thing I could see was your body, black and blue, huddled in a corner barely breathing. I had to protect you. It was the only way I could see to protect you.”
He looks down at the ground like he is unable to look at me directly.
“I faked you and your mother’s deaths.”
I nod my head, having come to the same conclusion .
“The entire club was devastated. I was devastated. While I stayed in touch with your mother in regards to your condition, it felt like you had truly died. When you finally woke up and we found out you had lost all of your memories, we thought we had made the right decision in keeping you away. We didn't want to put the burden of this life back on your shoulders. But we also didn't want it to be forever. The end goal was to always bring our families back together when the time was right.”
“And the time is right, now?” I question.
He nods his head, “Yes,” he pauses and chuckles, “well I hope it is.”
“What happens now?” I ask.
“No one except myself and your Mum know that you are actually alive. And now your brother. If it is okay with you, I want to bring you home.”
“Home?” I ask.
“Los Angeles. Or more specifically, Rydell. We are in one of the smaller suburbs outside of the city.”
I look at him curiously as my head spins at the thought of going to LA. A place I have wanted to visit for the longest time. Was it a part of my subconscious that was drawn there? Like a small part of me knew that is where I was from.
All along I thought I was Aussie through and through. Little did I know that I am actually American.
I instantly question my accent.
“Why don’t I have an accent like you and Rhodes?”
My father chuckles, “I think that's one of the things that was lost along with your memories. Your mother said that you had a bit of trouble speaking the first few days after you woke up. ”
I nod.
“I don’t really understand it but I think you just adapted to what was around you.”
I nod again, his explanation making sense to me at least.
“What will be expected of me?”
“That is all up to you Scarlett. I would love for you to consider coming back into the fold. Your brother is my current heir but we both discussed what my wants are. I want you to retake your spot again as my heir.”
I sigh having already come to the same realisation that that is what he had probably wanted. I sit for a moment as I think about it.
The idea doesn't turn me off as much as I thought it would. It terrifies me, sure. But the thought of helping women. Doing good in this world even while I still have to lead in sin, doesn't turn me off completely. It feels like the good might outweigh the bad.
Not only that but I’ll get to be with my family. I’ll get to know them again. Reform bonds that I have craved for the longest time. That I have grieved.
“You don’t have to decide right away. This is a lot to take in. We have already bombarded you today. I want you to take this next couple of weeks to make your decision.”
I nod my head, I can handle that.
My father stands up, dusting the sand off his pants. He holds out a hand and I take it, allowing him to help me up.
“Come on, I promised your mother I would find you and bring you home. "
“I fought every single day to bring you home. For the last 10 years, that’s all I’ve done. I knew I wouldn’t be able to rest until I was able to bring you and your Mum home.”
“Home.” I confirm.
“It's time, Scar. This was always the plan, we just didn’t know what that timeline would look like.”