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“Mrs Simms waded in and told the papers and media about the highly intelligent child she’d once taught and showed his I.Q. scores. Earle was within genius range. Now, he was a bumbling kid, dumber than an ox. Mrs Simms did a lot of damage to D. J. and called him out for the coward he was. She rightfully pointed out that if he’d kept his mouth shut, he’d have been rescued the next day and not been imprisoned longer.
“In the meantime, the other victims, Earle and Buck, had no idea what was happening around them. Loretta admitted to the murders, as did Sandie and Cletus. They were going down for life. D. J., as an adult, could rebuild his life. But Earle and Buck were housed in a home with nobody to care for them, and Earle’s bright spark had been diminished.”
“Tell me somebody stepped up,” Grace begged.
“Mrs Simms fought the courts for custody of Earle. Then she went after me. D. J. wanted nothing to do with me because I was a child of rape, a reminder of what he’d suffered. I feel for D. J., but I hate what he did to my uncle. Earle missed his chance to be the genius he could have been. All that intelligence faded under blows and kicks to his head. Finally, Mrs Simms got us both and stood her ground. She refused to move, held her chin up high, and taught me and Earle how to.
“Earle was oblivious to the hatred and dislike. All Earle knew was Mrs Simms and his nephew loved him. He gave evidence against his family from behind a closed screen and helped send them down. Yet, I was highly conscious of others’ remarks. They’d not say it in front of Mrs Simms because she’d rip them a new one. But they didn’t care if they voiced shit to me. I despised that town as much as it hated me. I never saw D. J. while growing up. But his legitimate kids found me when I was ten. They were older and made it clear I was nothing to them.
“Then, one day, just after graduation, I came home and discovered Mrs Simms dead. She’d had a heart attack, and the only mother I ever knew was gone. Earle and I buried her with a wreath made in her nickname, which only we called her: Simmy. It was our version of ‘Mom.’ And then we discovered that she’d left nearly everything to Earle to ensure his care until the end of his days. I tried to get Earle to move away, but he loved the town.
“At sixteen, I was tall and muscled, not as much as I am now, but I’d a footballer frame, so I was intimidating. I picked a good home for Earle and made it very clear what would happen should anything harm or hurt him. They’ve looked after Earle since he entered there twenty-four years ago,” I explained.
Grace was nodding. “So they should. Your town is disgusting. No wonder you changed your name. Your maternal family should be horsewhipped!”
“Yeah. But that call just now. That was the care home. Earle had a recent fall. Nobody thought anything of it, but they called the doctor and checked him over. Today, he had a stroke. I have to go immediately. I’m all he has,” I explained.
Grace leapt to her feet.
“You are not going alone, Savage.”
“I can’t ask you to come,” I said.
“You’re not asking. I’d love to meet Earle, and this is my chance.”
“What about the kids?” I asked.
“They’ll join us. I’m guessing we’re flying? Driving will take too long. Let me go pack, and you look at air tickets. Obviously, I’ll pay mine and the girls. Don’t worry about that,” Grace stated.
“All you gotta do is pack, Grace,” Drake announced from the doorway. “Phoe’s cleared the jet, and we’ll be taking that. And Savage won’t be alone; Apache, Texas, Gauntlet, Jett, Gunner, and I are also coming. Let that fuckin’ town kick off while we’re there!”
“They don’t have to,” I said, shaking my head.
“Ain’t you learned? No brother walks by himself,” Drake replied. He turned to Grace. “Go pack for several days. We have the club card if we need more while out there.”
Grace peered at me and Drake before walking over, hugging me tightly, and then darting from the room.
“Now tell me there ain’t shit happening.” Drake laughed as I scowled.
“Gotta pack,” I muttered.
“Nobody walks alone,” Drake said firmly, and I looked up at my president and nodded. “We’ll be your alibi if you need it. This time, if Earle passes, you clean up the stuff you have to and then put that fuckin’ one-horse town in your rearview mirror. You never look back again, only forward. You’ve been given a chance at beauty; do not lose it.”
“Be a fool to,” I agreed. “Never saw myself with a family.”
“Don’t think any of us did. Certainly not me, and then a woman with sixteen kids blew my life up. Sixteen children. Don’t know which one of us was crazier, me or her. Now we have eighteen. Grandkids will be popping soon, and I’m not sure I’m ready to be a dad still, let alone a grandpa.”
I laughed at Drake’s discomfort. “You’ll be the best, wanna know why?”
“Yeah.”
“Because you had Axel. You’ll be a grandpa to every fuckin’ kid born in this club—to the Hellions. You’ll be Grandpa Drake, just like he’s Grandpa Axel, and you will both be legends.”
“Know what, Savage, never had my doubts about you. Did worry if you couldn’t see past the dark. Glad to see you finally walking in the light,” Drake said with a nod.
“Being in the light feels good. But that sun won’t shine until I get revenge for Earle. Kept my temper for years out of respect for my uncle. Now I’m going to clean my boots in their blood,” I promised.
Drake gazed at me and nodded.
