Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Meeting the Mom (Again)
N ova felt scared when Linc parked his huge motorcycle in the old, cracked driveway. She also felt ashamed. Ashamed that this was her mother’s house.
The gutters so clogged up that little trees were growing out of them. The house dirty, in need of a good power washing. The grass overgrown. All things that Nick could have done before he went missing. Things Nick would never do. Things her mother pretended wasn’t a big deal at all.
As far as the gut sinking feeling of fear Nova had—that was because of Linc. Her mother never liked Linc at all. It was one of the few times her mother showed care, concern, and one of the few times that Nova felt like a rebellious teenager. Climbing out of her bedroom window, carefully walking down the roof to an old trellis that was now rotten and half missing. Working her way down that trellis and running through the yard to her version of freedom.
To be with Linc. To chase that young love. To feel those butterfly teen love feelings.
Linc grabbed Nova’s hand. “You’re safe with me. Always.”
The worst part was that Nova knew her mother was and always would be totally weak. She was an alcoholic. She had zero direction and purpose in life. The woman chose to live in pain and live in a bottle. Yet that notion of being Nova’s mother weighed so much on her.
Nova knocked on the door and waited. She heard her mother jump off the couch and run to the door. She tore it open with force. The look in her eyes…
“Nova,” her mother said. Then her mother looked at Linc. “Lincoln?”
“Gail,” Linc said in a deep voice.
“Holy shit look at you.” Nova’s mother’s eyes grew wider by the second. “You’re… huge. And you’re… one of those …”
She nodded to the leather cut.
Nova’s mother looked at Nova. “Is this…?”
“It’s the only choice, Mom,” Nova said.
Her mother scoffed, then turned and walked away. Linc touched Nova’s back and they entered the house. Nova felt embarrassed by the way the house smelled. That dried beer smell. Dusty and dirty. A touch of mold. The garbage not taken out, so a slight rotting food smell. Stale cigarette smoke that painted the walls and ceilings.
Nova’s mother lit a cigarette and poured herself a cup of coffee. She didn’t offer any to Nova or Linc. That was because Nova’s mother couldn’t afford to.
“Look at this,” Nova’s mother said. She grabbed a letter off the dining room table. “They’re shutting the electric off! Can you believe this? I’m going through a crisis and this is how they treat me! I told them my son is missing. They didn’t even care!”
“Gail, I’m going to find Nick,” Linc said.
“I can’t believe you, Nova,” her mother said, ignoring Linc. “I can’t believe it. You said you had it under control. That you hired someone. Right? You hired this motorcycle club? To do what?”
“To find Nick!” Nova yelled.
Her mother stepped toward her and Linc stepped right into the path.
“Don’t you dare think about touching her, Gail,” Linc growled.
“Who the fuck do you think you are? You’re a criminal. A gangster.”
“Call the police then,” Linc said. “Tell them your son is missing. Go ahead. See how that works out for him. Where the fuck do you think he is, Gail? He’s on the streets somewhere. Probably burned out. High. Broke. Losing himself. That’s what you created for him here.”
“Fuck you, Lincoln. You corrupted my daughter back then and you’re doing it again now.”
“Yeah, that’s right,” Linc said. “Your daughter is the most beautiful soul I’ve ever encountered in my entire life. And you’re just fucking evil.”
Nova’s jaw almost hit the floor. Linc moved out of the way and she saw her mother’s face. Bright red. Her bottom lip trembling. Tears in her eyes. Nova kept a stern face.
“What the fuck, Gail,” Linc said. “Three months behind on the electric bill. No wonder they’re going to turn it off.”
“You don’t know what it’s like here, Lincoln,” Nova’s mother said.
“I guess not,” Linc said. He reached into his pocket and began counting cash. He put it on the table. “There. Get to the bank, deposit this, and pay the fucking bill. Stop drinking for an hour to act like an adult, okay?”
Linc then pointed at Nova’s mother.
“What?” Nova’s mother snapped.
“If you take even one dollar of this cash and spend it elsewhere, you’ll never see your son again.”
Nova’s mother whimpered.
She looked at Nova. “Listen to him. Did you hear what he said? He probably kidnapped Nick! Just to get to you, Nova!”
“Shut up, Mom,” Nova snapped.
Her mother gasped louder.
“Gail, pay the electric bill,” Linc ordered. “And you know what? Here…” Linc put more money on the table. “There. Deposit the cash and then hit the liquor store. My treat.” Linc curled his lip. “I’m going to find Nick. I promised your daughter that. And I’ll never break a promise to Nova.”
Nova’s mother nodded. Slightly relieved.
But of course she is , Nova thought. She just got fresh cash for more booze.
Her mother looked at the cash and her eyes lit up like a child on Christmas morning.
“I’m going to go call the electric company right now,” Nova’s mother said. “Let them know I have the cash and it’ll be taken care of.”
“Why not just go to the bank now, Gail?” Linc asked.
“Because she’s drunk,” Nova said. “She has to sober up first to drive.”
Nova’s mother didn’t respond. She simply looked away. For Nova, she did the one thing that just felt right in that moment.
She took off running for her old bedroom.
Regret punched her in the stomach as her reaction to her old bedroom was the same as the last time. Her bedroom dirty and dusty and smelly and full of stuff. This time though she had Linc right behind her. He shut the door and Nova turned around.
“Holy shit,” Linc said. “I remember this room very well.” He smirked. “And I remember that bed too. Remember the first time I—”
“Shut up,” Nova snapped.
Her voice crackled. Linc reached for her and pulled her close for a hug. A few stray tears escaped Nova’s eyes. Linc stood tall, powerful and strong, holding her. Touching her hair. Making her feel safe in a place that never ever made her feel safe.
“She’ll never change,” Nova whispered.
“You already knew that, darling.”
“You scared her, Linc.”
“I don’t care either. She needed to be put in her place.”
Nova lifted her gaze. “I keep telling myself I just want to find my brother and be done with this. That’s not going to happen, Linc.”
“We’re going to find Nick. And if he’s that messed up, I’ll beat the hell out of him. Smarten him up.”
“My mother won’t allow it.”
Linc touched Nova’s face. “Then let it go, Nova. Fuck. You’ve been carrying this for years. Your mother. Your brother. This fucking house. Just let it all go.”
“To do what? Collapse?”
“Sometimes it happens. You’ve done nothing wrong. You can’t give your happiness to someone who turns it into their personal tragedy and then wants more.”
Tears fell from Nova’s eyes freely now. Linc’s thumbs were there to swipe them along her cheeks.
“I see that crack in the window is still there,” Linc said.
Nova laughed. “You were always too strong for your own good.”
“I threw the smallest rock I could find.”
“That was a good night, Linc.”
“That was a great night,” Linc said.
That was the night he… and I… the first time… Nova thought.
“Hey,” Linc whispered. “You’ve never left my heart, darling. What happened between us…”
“I know, Linc. I get it. You thought I’d be off doing bigger and better things. But look at me.”
“That’s not it, Nova. It’s not about bigger and better things. You deserve a happy and good life. I didn’t want you near the club. That’s your decision to make. You should be writing, Nova. Writing all the words and books you dream of. Not chasing around food orders for a couple bucks and scrambling to keep the lights on here for your mother.”
“You think I don’t know that?”
“I’m here to tell you it ends now. Right now. Once we get your brother back here safe, your cute, curvy ass is going to be chained to a desk and you’re going to write a book. Then you’re going to sell that book, become filthy rich, and maybe you can be my sugar mama.”
Nova laughed. “Linc…”
“I’m not kidding, Nova. Stare into my eyes, darling. I never stopped loving you. There will never be another person in my life that matters as much as you do. Fucking hell, Novaleigh, I love you.”
Nova grabbed at Linc’s leather cut and smiled.
“I love you too, Lincoln.”
They shared a kiss in Nova’s old bedroom that held a million memories. Then Linc took Nova by the hand and led the way downstairs and out of the old house to go make a million more memories. Nova felt like she was floating.
Linc, however, knew just how quick this life could go from being romantic and calm to deadly.