Chapter 20
Rose
I groan as the constant knocking on the door wakes me from my deep slumber, the night shift I’ve just done as my first shift back already taking me out, while Cage’s smell hits my senses instantly.
Okay, so sue me, I stole his shirt before he could wake up this morning.
I seem to sleep better in them if I’m honest, and with working nights, I struggle as it is, and am I surprised that Doc was my supervisor last night? Not one fricking bit.
He spent the night trying to talk to me while flitting between the ER and the Ped’s department, but the man is still on my shit list, and he knows it.
He set me up with his married brother, then continued to lie to me every single day about Cage actually being a part of the club, and watched as I put him before my career.
All the little stutters when he brought Cage up, nearly giving him away as a brother.
Like I said, the man is on my shit list and thankfully I only have three more nights to ignore him before I continue my course with the pediatric cardiology doctor, Dr. Marshal, who, according to Sally, once he’s worked with me, it’s very likely he will want to keep me and train me in-house, so fingers crossed.
The knocking intensifies, and I huff as I climb out of bed.
I’ve had four hours of sleep, that is it, and I’m due back at the hospital at eight tonight, so whoever this is, better have a really good reason for waking me.
I stomp through my apartment, my eyes still a little blurry from sleep, before I reach my front door, the banging intensifying.
How did they even get past the front entrance door? Unless it’s a neighbor dying…
“It better be a neighbor dying...” I mumble.
I fling the door open with anger before I come face to face with, what looks like a prostitute, to be honest.
Sandy blonde hair straightened, face full of makeup, a tiny pink dress that is actually netted on both sides, showing a lot of skin, while wearing stripper heels.
The girl can’t be more than twenty, maybe twenty-one, but it’s the eyes I recognize, ones so much like…My husband's.
Damn, I’m never going to get used to that, am I? Husband?
The girl curls her lip at me, looking at my attire – her brother's tee – before she sneers, “Sleeping in, are we?”
I raise a brow and reply, “Well, yeah, I’ve just worked a thirteen-hour nightshift.”
The girl pauses for a moment, like she didn’t realize I worked before she composes herself again and demands, “Do you know who I am?”
Is she serious right now?
“Uh, sweetheart, I don’t know if you are aware, but you came knocking on my door,” I remind her, and embarrassment shines off her, and I confirm, “But if going by the eye color, I’m guessing you’re my husband’s little sister.”
Selena, I think that is what Cage called her. He also mentioned he can’t stand the girl she’s become.
Selena scoffs, “Husband? You’re living in cuckoo land! My brother is married to Elsie, his high school sweetheart!”
Oh great, so he wasn’t lying about his sister being up his ex-wife’s ass.
I sigh as I grip my door, tempted to shut it in her face but instead I state, “Actually, he isn’t and don’t stand here and try to pretend I don’t know they didn’t actually have a relationship in high school and that Elsie lied about being pregnant just so she can get your brothers patch.
A patch by the way before you accuse me, I had no idea even existed just like I had no idea Cage had me sign a marriage license nine months ago,” Selena’s eyes widen in shock.
I nod and admit, “Yeah and as soon as I was told he was married, or well, everyone thought he was still married to Elsie I left. Only for Dirty to then blab about where I was three months later because I accepted a date with a sleaze not knowing he was a sleaze and Cage admitted I was in fact married to him.”
Selena blinks then blinks again before she mumbles, “That uh, that’s a lot.”
“No shit,” I mutter in return as I eye the knife in her hand, and sigh, “Let me guess, you came to threaten me to stay away from your brother because Elsie is completely heartbroken, or will be heartbroken if she doesn’t know yet that your brother chose me?”
Selena looks at the knife as she bites her bottom lip hard, and I ask, “Are you going to tell your brother about this, or should I?” and she looks at me with wide eyes before I nod to the camera that wasn’t there before I left for New York and mention, “Dirty is most likely watching.”
“Shit,” she whispers, and I nod.
“Honestly, I thought maybe you would have looked around for cameras first before threatening me you know, with you being a club brat and all,” I mention, and she rolls her eyes at me.
I should technically be scared right now, she does have a knife, but all I see is a girl wanting to fit in and a woman taking advantage of it.
“Why are you so hell bent on allowing Elsie in your life if this is what she gets you to do?” I ask as I lean against the door frame and cross my arms over my chest, and Selena winces.
Yeah, I’m not stupid. Elsie has clearly heard through the grapevine that I’m seeing her ex-husband, but clearly not knowing they aren’t married anymore, by the shock Selena had going on, and she’s sent his little sister to do her bidding.
“Because everyone uses me,” Selena whispers, and I give her a hard truth as I state, “So is Elsie, Selena,” and she looks at me.
I give her a sad smile and whisper, “She’s latched onto you because she wants your brother and it is mean and horrible but this right here, I doubt this is you, it can’t be, I mean, your brother is a lying asshole but he’s still a pretty decent person.
Meaning you’ve got to be as well, you’ve got the same parents and all that. ”
“I want to scream at you, to tell you that you’re wrong.” She chokes, and I sigh as I push off the door frame before I take the fragile girl in my arms.
Selena drops the knife and hugs me back tighter, and she sobs, “I’m sorry….” and I hold her tighter.
She’s lost, doesn’t have any decent friends because of her affiliation with the club, and now, because of her so-called friendship with Elsie, she’s gone down a dark path and cut most of the brothers out.
“Come inside,” I say as I gently wrap my arm around her and bring her inside, and she leans her head on my shoulder. I guide her into my apartment, shutting the door behind us before guiding her to my couch and taking a seat and I ask, “Can I have your phone?”
She sniffles as she hands it over, and I smile before she whispers, “Are you going to leave my brother?”
I sigh and admit, “I don’t know. He broke my trust and lied to me, and honestly, even though I know his marriage to Elsie was more of a lie, an obligation, I still feel like I broke a marriage.”
“You didn’t, though. Please don’t leave my brother,” she whispers, and I smirk and remind her, “You came here to threaten me to leave your brother.”
She gives me a tight smile and admits, “I was wrong, you’re actually really sweet.”
I chuckle and reply, “I kind of have to be, I work with kids,” and she grins before leaning her head on my shoulder, opening up her contacts on her phone before finding her dad's name.
I press on it and put the phone to my ear as it rings, and just when I think it’s going to go to voicemail, someone picks up and snaps, “What now, Selena?”
I clear my throat at the wince Selena gives. I’m guessing he doesn’t like her calls anymore, which probably helped Elsie get more into her head.
“It isn’t Selena, it, uh, well…,” I stammer, not knowing how to introduce myself, and Selena gives me a raised brow, and I groan, “It’s Rose, your son's… wife.”
Butch is quiet for a moment before he says, “You don’t sound so convincing there, Rose,” and I snort a reply, “Would you if you had found out your boyfriend lied about being married, then married you behind your back?”
Butch chuckles and asks, “Your dad never told you about how I got my wife, did he?”
“Uh, no, I think my dad is trying to make sure I don’t dislike the MC because, shockingly, along with my sister and Mama, they love Cage. And right now, I’m not sure if you are aware of this, but you are not my father’s favorite person.”
He huffs, “I know, I messed up. He gave me an ear full and mentioned I should give him space, something about not wanting to kill his friend and get on the brothers’ bad side,” and I hum because yeah, that sounds about right before he asks, “So what can I do for you, little Rose, and why do you have my daughter's phone?”
Selena’s tears fall, and I give her a sad smile before I admit, “Your daughter is here with me, and I was calling to see if you’ll come pick her up and see if you can help her leave town for a little while.”
“Why?!” he demands tensely, and Selena’s mouth parts, clearly shocked at her father’s reaction, and I admit, “Because she needs time away from the club and away from Elsie, who is in her head. She uh, look, you can’t have a go at her, she feels bad as it is.”
I grip Selena’s hand with support as Butch demands, “What did she do?!”
I clear my throat and admit, “She showed up banging on my door with a knife to threaten me to leave her brother, but again, you cannot and you will not have a go at her. You will treat her like she is fragile and see that she has been manipulated by a woman you wanted to be kept around. Oh and while you’re at it, explain to your son why you wanted her to stay around before you lose him. ”
He’s quiet after I finish my rant, while Selena looks at me wide-eyed, but I shrug. Someone had to tell the man he was messing up left, right, and center.
“I can see why my son loves you,” he finally says, and I snort, but he continues, “No, he does. He has fought for your relationship for months, and I’m proud to have you as my daughter-in-law.”
“I’m not telling my dad to forgive you,” I instantly state, and he laughs before he sighs and asks, “Is Selena okay?”
“She is just shaken up a little. I have some of my sister's sweats here that she’ll fit into because her clothes aren’t really travel appropriate,” I give her a wince and she smiles sadly, “But I think you should help her leave now, before Elsie can get into her head again.”
“I’ll be half an hour, and get ready for my wife, she’s been begging to meet you,” he replies before hanging up, and I huff.
Selena giggles, “You’re about to be grilled,” and I nod. Yep, I am, and we both know it isn’t going to be about my intentions with her son, but more like whether or not I’m going to leave him.
“Okay,” I say and I lean us back, “we have roughly half an hour until your dad gets here, and to get you dressed, why don’t you tell me all about Cage’s childhood and how he really got his road name Stone because he told me it was because he is hard as a stone, but I’m sensing a fib.”
Selena laughs before she begins to explain all about him hitting a nun when he was nine, and I smile throughout all of his childhood memories, my heart melting at some of them. I try to envision our life if we stayed together, envisioning any kids we may have turning out like him.
Can I do it? Can I forgive and forget and move on?
Or were we always doomed from the beginning?