31
EVERLY
I’ve been a nervous wreck since the Devil’s Knights tried to run us off the road last night and Rowan can tell. He’s given me some space to work through my feelings, and I appreciate it. I don’t blame him for any of this, but I’m getting sick and tired of the Devil’s Knights, my mother, and Russel.
Part of me just wants to reach out to Laura and ask her why she’s trying to ruin my life. I highly doubt that she would have an honest answer for me, though. The woman doesn’t have an honest bone in her body, and she’s never been kind to me. Why would she start now?
I’m so glad my dad finally got away from her. Who knows what she could have turned him into if she’d had more time with him. She tarnishes and she corrupts.
It’s the middle of the day and Rowan is in the garage working on his bike. He’s been babying it since he put it through the ringer last night. Aside from multiple scratches to its side, it’s otherwise in good shape. Rowan is just checking everything over to make sure it’s still road worthy.
I grab my phone from the counter and dial Nicole’s number. I haven’t called her in a few days, only texted, and I know she’s worried about what happened yesterday. She answers on the second ring.
“Hey, best friend. What’s going on?”
I sigh. “I’m just stressed out and needed to talk to you.”
“That’s what I’m here for. How are you feeling today?”
“I’m not upset, but I just want this all to be over with. I just want to be happy with Ro and Hazel,” I groan.
“You will have that, Everly,” she assures me. “This is just a bump in the road.”
“I wish my mother was an actual bump in the road,” I gripe.
“No shit,” she chuckles. “Then we could run her over and call it a day.”
My phone vibrates in my hand, and I pull it away from my ear to look at the screen. My jaw clenches when I see who texted me. As if my thoughts conjured her, my mother’s name is clear as day on the screen. I take a deep, steadying breath and then swipe open her message.
Laura: Everly, I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m going to such extremes to get custody of your daughter. If you want answers, meet me at 546 Billshire Ave in one hour. Come alone.
Is she fucking for real? I know that I was just thinking about going to see her, but this seems too good to be true, right?
Like what are the odds that she’s actually going to talk to me and be honest about her reasoning?
Do I even care what her reasoning is? She can’t just swoop in and try to take my child from me.
She wasn’t even a good parent to me. My mind is reeling as another text comes through.
Laura: I shouldn’t even give you answers because you’ve been such an ungrateful daughter. I should just take your child and move far away so you can never see her again and you can’t taint her future.
This bitch. I shouldn’t let her goad me like this, but I’m fucking petty.
Everly: Shut the fuck up. You wouldn’t know a good mother if one hit you in the face. I’ll be there in one hour.
I shouldn’t have agreed, but I need to know what this bitch has to say. I don’t know what she thinks she could say that would make me understand her logic.
“Everly?” Nicole yells from the phone, making me jump. I forgot that she was on the line.
I hold it back up to my ear. “Fuck, sorry. You’re not going to believe who just texted me and wants to meet up.”
“Your mom? No! Are you actually thinking about meeting up with her?”
“Yes! I told you; I just want to end this. I don’t think I can talk any sense into her, but maybe I can get her to back off.”
“I don’t know, Everly. Maybe you should talk to Rowan about this.”
“I don’t want him to stop me from going,” I tell her. “I promise I’ll call him if anything feels wrong.”
“Okay,” she concedes. “But if I don’t hear from you in two hours, I’m calling him myself.”
“Yes, Nic,” I grumble. “I love you and I’ll call you when I find out what she wants.”
“Just be careful! I love you.”
“I will!”
I end the call and open up my navigation app to type in the address on my phone. It’s in Charlotte and will take me forty-five minutes to get there. I need to get out of the house without Rowan noticing me in the next five minutes so I can get on the road and make it there in an hour.
I go to Hazel’s room and check on her. She’s still sleeping, and Rowan took her baby monitor out into the garage so that I could have a moment to cool off. She’s safe and Rowan will take good care of her while I’m gone.
My SUV is on the street since Rowan is working on his bike in the garage, so I sneak out the front door, closing it and locking it as quietly as possible. The soft sounds of rock music is wafting from the open garage door, and it helps to muffle the sound of my footsteps.
This is all pointless if Rowan goes inside and finds out that I’m gone too early.
I know that I don’t have to worry about him finding me if I need help because we share our location with each other.
All he has to do is check the app and he’ll be able to find me.
Which isn’t a bad thing in this situation.
He’s going to be so pissed at me, though.
I unlock my Telluride and slide into the driver’s seat, starting the engine with a wince and hoping he won’t hear it. When he doesn’t make an appearance from the garage, I feel like I’m in the clear. I shift my car into drive and slowly pull away from the house and toward Charlotte.
My drive to Charlotte is nerve wracking, to say the least. I keep waiting for Rowan to call me freaking out.
I’m worried about leaving Hazel, no matter how safe she is with Rowan.
I keep thinking that Nicole is going to tell Rowan what I’m doing.
I’m second guessing myself that this could be a trap and I’ve played right into her hand.
I don’t know what I’ll do if that’s the case.
What kind of trap would my mother lay, though?
She wants custody of my child. She doesn’t want me dead. Right?
My GPS tells me to turn right and then my destination is on the left. In front of me is an abandoned business with a dilapidated parking lot. My mother’s black Audi SUV is sitting in the middle of the lot.
I swallow down my nerves and pull in front of her, not willing to park right beside her. I can see her in the front seat, but the second row of her vehicle has tinted windows, so I can’t see if anyone is inside or not.
She doesn’t move to get out, so I reach for my handle and push my door open. I slide out of my vehicle and move to stand in front of it, waiting for her to get out. She finally opens her door and moves to join me.
She looks like her normally put together self. She’s wearing a pair of black slacks, a gray cardigan over a black camisole, and flats are on her feet. Her hair is styled in a perfect sleek bob, and her makeup is perfectly in place.
She’s everything that I’m not, but for the first time ever, that thought doesn’t pain me. Rowan has shown me what it is to be truly loved for who you are. He appreciates every curve and flaw that I have as much as he loves the things I love about myself.
“I didn’t think that you would show,” she murmurs as she stops in front of me, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I have so many other things I’d rather be doing today, but you piqued my interest,” I tell her. “Why are you doing this? My daughter is perfectly healthy, happy and safe.”
“Hazel is anything but safe with a bunch of criminal bikers,” Laura sneers.
“You know nothing about Hazel, and you know nothing about my life!”
She chuckles. “I know that you’ve already spread your legs for that biker thug, and I know it’s only a matter of time before he dumps you and moves on to the next whore, probably leaving you with another bastard child.”
My hand snaps out, closing around her throat and thrusting her against her SUV. “Do not speak of them that way,” I growl.
“Don’t worry, dear. I’ll take care of the thug for you,” she chokes out around my grip.
My brow furrows. What the hell does that mean?
Before I can ask, I hear the rumble of a motorcycle.
I turn and watch as Rowan’s bike turns onto the street, nearly spinning out as a vehicle chases him.
My heart leaps into my throat as the black SUV gains speed, coming along Rowan’s side and slamming into him.
I let out an inhuman noise as Rowan’s bike falls to the ground and drags him along with it.
I release my mom’s throat and run to him, disregarding the black SUV and my mother.
I hear the screech of tires and the sound of more motorcycles as I reach him.
I look up and see more Sovereign Sons members pull onto the street.
I drop to my knees, the concrete biting into my skin and check Rowan’s pulse.
It’s strong, but his body is beat up. His left side is covered in cuts and road rash.
His leg is pinned beneath his bike. I try to push it up, but it doesn’t budge.
I’m vaguely aware of men yelling, but I only have eyes for Rowan.
“Please, don’t leave me,” I choke out as I stroke the hair out of his face. “I’m so fucking sorry. Please!”
A hand on my back makes me swing around and land a slap on Axel’s face. He’s shocked for a moment but then turns around to call for help.
“It’s okay, Everly,” he murmurs softly. “I just want to help him, okay?”
I nod my head numbly and watch on as Axel and Cane haul Rowan’s bike off him.
I sob as I see the cuts on his leg. They lift Rowan and take him toward my SUV, I run after them, opening the back for them.
They lay him down and Axel tells me to get inside.
He hops in the driver’s seat and rushes us toward the hospital.
The whole way there all I can think about is how my decision just hurt the man I love and that I hope he’s going to forgive me.