Chapter Four.
Hallie
“Anything?” I asked King, as he frowned at his laptop.
“No. This woman is good, but she’ll slip up.”
“I want her, King. And I want Shane to realise I have her and watch him panic. Shane will go down for what he did,” I hissed.
“Hallie, I understand and am working hard,” King said, reaching out and squeezing my hand. “Never doubted your innocence, babe.”
“That’s because you never liked Shane,” I retorted and laughed.
“Proved me right though, didn’t he? Spineless coward.”
“Yeah. Shane certainly did. Jeez, I should have listened to you.”
“Yup. Listening now, girl, aren’t ya? We can’t get those five years back or what they did to you, but we can move forward.” King wrapped an arm around me, and I leaned into his shoulder.
“King, I want this done and to move on.”
“You ain’t alone. Shane hurt you badly, and I lost you because of him. You’re no longer the kid I grew up with,” King stated with sadness.
“You miss the old me? You told me I was weak.” I let the confusion leak into my voice.
“Hallie, I miss your soft parts. Who wouldn’t love your new version, but there are bits I miss.
Your ready laughter, sense of humour, the way you trusted, the zest for life, the rose-coloured glasses.
Hallie, the old version of you was sweet and adorable.
Ain’t no possibility that this you would be accused of that… ” King waved his hands up and down me.
“Well, being stabbed in the back by the fiancé you loved does that.” I held King’s eyes. “He also needs to pay for her.”
King’s face saddened. He knew who I meant, whom I couldn’t voice. He nodded. “Oh, he’ll pay in blood for her.”
A smile crossed my lips. “Let’s go out. We need fresh air. Leave the searches to continue running.”
“Sure. There’s a nice park across the road.”
“Could you sound any creepier?” I demanded as King got up.
He laughed, and I shook my head. Sometimes he drove me up the wall!
“Why don’t you leave?” a male voice demanded. Turning, we found ourselves opposite the young man who’d been with Rascal when we confronted him.
“Because I want justice.”
“You don’t deserve it. You stabbed him.”
“Jinx, right? Look, Jinx, Shane’s a liar and damn good at it.
You think you know him; you don’t. Shane managed to turn everyone against me, including my family.
I had alibis, and because they’d have proved him false, they disappeared.
Now the truth is coming out. I’ve got a shark for a lawyer who won’t stop digging.
I’d advise you to tell your club president to throw Shane out.
They don’t want to be linked to this scandal,” I said.
Not a shred of doubt flickered in the kid’s eyes. Poor sap, Jinx truly believed Shane’s lies. Oh well, I warned him.
“Never mind. The State Attorney General is involved now. We brought him in; we handed the entire case over. Would a guilty person do that? Warn Shane; his days are numbered,” I hissed.
“This time he’ll give us that cunt’s name or go down himself for her.
I have to admit, I can’t wait to see what he does. ”
With that, we turned and walked away.
“I feel sorry for that kid. Shane would sacrifice Jinx, and he won’t even notice it coming.”
“That’s Jinx’s choice, Hallie. It’s impossible to deny you’ve not been vocal about this. If Hellfire MC wants to burn with him—let them.”
I nodded as King threw an arm over my shoulder, and we kept on walking. I wasn’t letting Shane or anyone ruin my day.
Famous last words. I swear that sometimes the universe had it in for me. Waiting in the hotel parking lot were my parents and brothers.
I climbed out of King’s convertible, crossed my arms, and held their stares. If they expected the old me, they were in for a shock.
King immediately moved and took my back.
“Can we talk?” Mom asked.
“Nope. I’ve nothing to say to you.”
King snorted, and Mom sent him a reproving look. “Kingston, this isn’t amusing.”
“Nah, it’s not. It wasn’t funny five years ago when you called Hallie a murdering bitch either.”
Mom and Dad squirmed. “We want to talk.”
“The moment for that was five years ago whilst getting arrested and dragged away. You didn’t support me then, and I don’t want your bullshit apology,” I seethed.
“Hallie, we made a mistake!” Dad exclaimed. “We’re only human!”
“So was I! Where were you when I was terrified and hurting? Did you stand by the daughter you raised me to be, or believe I was the bitch Shane portrayed?”
“Shane identified you!” Mom cried.
“And did that sound like me?” I shouted in.
“Could the daughter that you brought up have lifted a knife and stabbed the man she loved for no reason? Did you even question Shane’s version of the truth?
No, you jumped on the bandwagon and condemned me.
You didn’t want a daughter back then; you don’t get to change the narrative to suit yourselves. ”
Mom moved away, wringing her hands in distress.
“Hallie…”
“What, Mark?” I spun on my eldest brother.
“What shit are you going to offer me? Because I haven’t forgotten what you said.
About not wanting a psychotic bitch like me near your family.
I was your sister!” I screeched. “And you kicked me without a second glance. I was the kid who you picked up when I scraped my knee, when bullies picked on me, you protected me. Remember that crap? Compare that pain to how you believed precious Shane Morris and decided I was capable of hurting him. Fuck, you were all aware I couldn’t even stand to hurt a spider, and I was terrified of them! ”
Mark could not meet my eyes.
I turned to Andy. “Same to you. What was it that you said? Ah, yeah, you didn’t want a woman like me to be your kids’ aunt.
Well, you got your wish; I don’t want fuck-all to do with any of you.
You’re faithless, unworthy scum. Trust me, I know exactly who my family is.
Uncle, Grandpa and King. They believed when everyone else condemned me.
That’s on you; you’ve got to live with that. ”
“We’re eager to make things up to you,” Mom said, reaching out. I backed straight into King as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
“You think you can erase what happened to me? Tell me, can you prevent me from being strip-searched and having my ass checked for drugs? Can you make me forget the hurt of your words? How about ignoring my tears and pleas and denouncing me in the newspapers and media? No? Okay, could you stop me being pinned down on behalf of Shane and having my face carved up as a reminder to keep my mouth shut?”
I snorted. They all looked horrified.
“What about the three suicide attempts? Can you remove them from my memory? Or the bitch that wanted me to fuck her, and I took beatings for refusing her. Can you remove my five near-rapes from my mind? Or how about being kicked so hard in my stomach that I miscarried my baby?”
Mom gasped loudly at that, and a hand flew to her mouth.
“I was six months pregnant. My daughter was perfectly formed, and she’d have been beautiful.
She breathed for thirty seconds before dying.
And those thirty seconds were all I needed to understand what it was to be a mother.
You bought into Shane’s lies and killed your own granddaughter.
You took the stand against me and told the judge to lock me up forever.
Oh, that went down well! My own parents not even believing I was innocent. ”
Mom’s eyes filled with tears. “Hallie, you’re so full of bitterness.”
“Wow, I wonder why. If you came here expecting to find that pathetic waste of space I was, forget it. She’s gone.
I killed her and buried her with my daughter’s death.
This is what arose from those ashes. I’m stronger than I ever was and I fuckin’ hate all of you.
If you died tomorrow, I’d dance on your grave.
That’s what you said to me, right, Andy?
Because your best buddy couldn’t possibly lie! ”
“We’ve got company,” King murmured.
I turned my head and saw Shane standing there with several of his club brothers. He looked shocked.
“You were pregnant,” he said.
“She’s better off dead than having you as her father. I can only imagine how you’d have fucked her life up.”
“No.” Shane shook his head in denial.
“Yes. Whoever that bitch was that you protected, she caused this. You both killed my unborn child.”
“I had a daughter,” Shane said, sounding broken.
“The fuck you did. She was mine. After what you did to me, you were nothing to us,” I yelled.
“No, I don’t believe you; this is just another lie!” Shane snapped. He straightened, grief fading.
“You’d know, because you’re such a skilled liar,” I retorted. “What did I ever do to you?”
“You tried to kill me!” Shane roared.
“Fuckin’ liar. Why are you sticking to this shit?
I’ve two witnesses; I’ve some of the missing footage.
When the rest of the missing evidence is discovered—you’re going down, and I’ll fuckin’ destroy you!
I’ll laugh when the judge finds you guilty.
Shane, I’ll fuckin’ dance on your grave.
I’ve got contacts now; everything that happened to me in prison is going to happen to you. That’s a goddamn promise.”
“You’re insane. Totally and completed whacked. You and I both know it was you. Stand there all you want, acting innocent, Hallie. You forget I looked you in the eyes as you stabbed me.”
“If you say so. I can’t wait to break you,” I hissed.
“Yeah, well, I’m counting the days for the DA to re-arrest you. And this time, I’ll guarantee you stay there! Sending me death threats won’t make me change the truth.”
“Death is too good for you, Shane. I want to see you suffer. Have you understand the fear I suffered, watch you lose everything important to you.”
“Hallie, you’re insane!” Shane yelled.
“You made me that way! You and that goddamn bitch you’re covering for. Who is she, Shane? Was she worth it?” I shouted.
“There was no one, Hallie, just you. You won’t gaslight me into admitting anything else!” Shane roared.