Taking a deep breath, I got up from my chair, placed my coffee cup in the sink, turned to Savage and said, “Fuck him. I’m nobody’s golden daughter.”
“Hey!” Savage said, quickly covering Hailey’s ears. “Language, woman.”
Heading for the common room, I said, “Let’s go. I need some fresh air.”
Savage had just pulled into a parking spot next to the park when I unbuckled my seat belt. It was a pretty drive from the compound. Exactly twenty minutes from gates to town. I saw no markers, nothing to tell me where it was, where I was exactly. The town was small but had all the conveniences that I could see.
Sliding out of the SUV, I walked around to where Savage was taking Hailey out of her car seat. “So what’s the name of this town?”
“Purgatory.”
“Fitting,” I muttered. “You need any help?”
“Nope,” Savage replied, putting Hailey in her stroller. Grabbing for her diaper bag, he closed the door and started walking towards the park.
Finding a seat, I watched as Savage put Hailey in a toddler swing and lightly pushed her. He truly was a good uncle. Devoted, he genuinely cared for his niece.
He had made a complete one-eighty since he stopped drinking. I knew he still mourned the death of his sister but now that he had someone to focus on, I knew he was going to be okay.
Death was a funny thing. Some people mourned for the rest of their lives, unable to let go of the grief that bombarded them when they lost a loved one. Some went through stages, eventually finding some semblance of a life they had before, others just moved on, never forgetting but refuse to let death win. I wasn’t sure which one Savage was but seeing him with Hailey, I figured he was the second one. He’d gone through his stages and now he was ready to move on.
I wish I could.
I wasn’t any of them. I was the one who wanted revenge. Until I had it, I was never going to let it go. I still haven’t really mourned my mother. I couldn’t. Not until I knew that fucker was dead. He would be, someday. Until then, I was going to wait. I needed to be sure that when I finally let her go, his ass was dead and buried.
I thought coming to help Reaper with the club and Savage, I might learn where he was but no one knew. Hearing what he failed to do the night Kitty died, just put another nail in his coffin.
Another thing I had to make him pay for.
Toxic wasn’t anything to write home about. He was just the man who married my mother and made her life a living hell. That was it. If I could change that fact, I would.
I’d never hated anyone as much as I hated him.
“Jessie.”
Turning, I gasped seeing the tall brute of a man. “Solomon?”
Looking around I spotted Remi and Reaper walking slowly along a path. I should have known. I knew that fucker wouldn’t let me leave the clubhouse without someone following me. What I didn’t expect was to see Solomon or him wearing a Golden Skulls cut.
Steeling myself, I asked, “You hear to babysit me?”
“No.”
That was Solomon. Never one for conversations. I was about three years old when Toxic brought Solomon to us. My mother was livid, refusing to take care of another woman’s child but Toxic wouldn’t hear it. She got slapped around several times that night until she agreed. Solomon lived with us until we were about twelve, when Toxic came one night and moved him to the clubhouse.
I missed him. Never knowing what happened to him.
I had heard rumors but I didn’t believe them.
“I missed you.”
“Me too.”
“He killed my mom.”
“He killed my sister.”
“Sorry I left you alone with him. I couldn’t stay any longer.”