12. They Came for Mom
CHAPTER 12
THEY CAME FOR MOM
Nisa
I wake up from a long, restful sleep. I'm not sure what kind of medicine Leo brought me last night, but it did the trick. I figured when I woke up, I would feel fuzzy, but I remember everything that happened. I remember him coming in here when he heard me moaning. I remember him getting upset that I wanted to suffer on my own and finally I remember the tortured look on his face when I told him he didn't act like he cares about me.
I know Leo cares about me and whatever Hugh made him promise is more than I can live with. My brother is gone. Why shouldn't I be allowed to be with who I want to be with.
I swing my legs out of the bed and slowly stand on the textured wood floor. Everything about this place feels like home. A home that I want to get back to. I lean my head back and listen to the laughter and talking that is floating around the clubhouse. Even when they are doing shit I know I have no business being around these group of misfits have always felt like family. I always want to be around them. If I was Leo's woman, I'd be able to be here as often as I want. I'd get to hear this laughter and feel the warmth of having this family.
A loud buzzing catches my attention and I turn to look at the small amount of belongings that I have with me. It's my phone. I dread picking it up, but when I turn it over so I can see the display, my mother's smiling face appears.
She's probably sick with worry. I feel so bad for doing this to her. I should have just gone back home last night instead of coming here with Leo. I quickly answer the phone and am ready to hear my mother ream me out for making her worry.
"Momma?" I answer, and tense up, waiting for the yelling to start.
"Nisa? Is that you, baby?"
"Yeah, momma..." something is off. The dread in my gut turns from not wanting to get yelled at to a more intense anxiety that comes along with knowing that something truly devastating is about to happen. "What's the matter? What's wrong?"
"Oh Nisa baby, they destroyed everything. What is going on? Why are they doing this? All Daddy and Hugh things are gone. The house is gone. I barely made it out. Please talk to me. They left a note at the neighbors' house for you. I can't do this again, Nisa. I can't..." My mother's voice cracks, as she scream sobs at me through the phone line.
He went for my mother.
The fucking bastard went after my mother and I can't do anything about it but go back to him.
"Hold on Momma, go to the neighbor's house, I'm coming right now." My mother has been through too much. First losing my father, then Hugh, now it's the house. She's been through enough. I can't be the reason her heart keeps getting broken.
I quickly throw on my shoes and try to run out of the room but my head decided that right then was the perfect time to start up a drum line. The anxiety must have triggered another headache. My mother rarely cries and to hear her like this can only mean that whatever happened was terrible. I place a hand on the wall and close my eyes trying to force the pain away.
"Nisa? You good?" Tella asks as I wobble my way into the main area.
"Yes." I hiss out, but even the act of air pushing through my teeth is enough to set off a fresh round of pain through my head.
"Nah sweetheart, you're fucked up right now. We need to get you back in bed." Tella tries to turn me around and push me back to the bedroom, but I rip myself out of my arms.
"No! Get off of me! I can't stay here. Not now. I needed you all back then now it's too late! It's fucking too late!" My chest feels like there is a five ton weight pressing down on it. I squeeze my eyes shut and try to take in a deep breath but I can only get a small sip of air.
When I open, my eyes again a small audience is around me. Tella, Spike, Lash and Doc.
"Nisa, is it your head? I can get you more medication, but you have to tell me what's going on?" Doc says and pull away from him too. I have to get out of here now. I take off as best I can toward the door. It seems so far away but it could be because every step I take it feels as if my feet are sinking into the ground. I finally get to the door and the prospect moves out of my way when I scream at him.
"Nisa! Don't you take another fucking step!" Leo roars out, his words vibrating through my body with dominance. I stop moving just as he asks and I hear his heavy boots stomping in my direction. "What the fuck are you doing? You're not going any fucking where." He turns me around and the swinging motion causes me to wobble again on my feet. I fall into his chest and curl my fingers against the hard muscle there.
"Leo, you have to let me go. You don't understand." I hear my own voice wavering and can feel the tears streaking down my face. He has to let me go deal with this.
"What the fuck don't I understand? You better tell me something right the fuck now." He snaps at me and when I don't say another word he wraps his massive hands onto my shoulders and gives me a bone wracking shake. "Fucking tell me, Nisa!"
His chest is pumping up in down quickly with each breath. I can see the panic clear on his face and the worry brewing in his eyes.
"For fucks sake, please, just tell me." He slides his hand up from my shoulders and up on to the sides of my neck. His words much less forceful this time.
I can't tell him, as much as I want to. I will not be responsible for any of Hugh's brothers getting hurt. I won't do it.
"I need to get home. Momma... something happened to my mom." I say, trying to keep things as vague as possible, maybe it's not as bad as she's making it seem.
Leo leans back slightly, his eyebrows kissing as he glares at me. "Creed, let's ride." He calls out to his brothers and instantly everyone is up and walking to the door. A sea of bikers all in there, kutte's and gear hustling out the door.
"No, wait, don't make them come. I don't even know what happened." I'm overwhelmed by the sudden and absolute outpouring of support coming from a group of men that don't even know what is going on.
"Then I guess we are all going to find out together. Let's get moving." Leo grabs my hand and tugs me behind him as we walk out the door.