Axel arches his brow with a frown. "How are you gonna handle her? Give her a job." He asks with a roll of his eyes and shakes his head. I turn to look at him, staring him down. Don't let him win, I don't have the patience for him, not today.
"Go to hell Axel." I say simple as I grab the bottle from Digger's hand with a little resistance. Axel grunts and shakes his head.
"Dakota, I want to offer a truce and a partnership. To join the club and the ranch." I have to look at him with a bland look. You're joking, right? Of all nights to be testing my patience, today is not a day to be testing me. I'm likely to kill the asshole.
"And why do you believe that we need to join forces?" I ask, mostly sarcastically as I take another drink, sending him a harsh look. Test me, I fucking dare you. His face draws up, pinched, Angel gives him a look before offering me a worried glance as she touches his forearm.
"Axel, why don't we come back, it looks like she has a lot going on right about now, I'm sure she doesn't need us piling onto it." He doesn't heed her warming, I can't lie and say that I'm not happy about that. I want, no need to fight something.
"Don't get snippy with me, it's a good business move, you'll even have an excuse to play executioner, you seem to like to do that." He stands with a sneer as he rounds the couch making me glare, my shoulders slamming back.
"And that's supposed to mean what?" There's a clear threat in my tone as I set the glass bottle down, maybe a bit too harshly.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about, that god-damn clinic. Do you even care to remember?" He snarled, my eyes flashed, memories slammed into my head as I cross the floor in two strides and swing, my chest heaving.
"Don't. You have no right to talk about shit you know nothing about." I know exactly what day he's talking about, what clinic to. That day is one of the few that weigh on me, that make me question everything about myself. It wasn't my fault. No matter how many times I tell myself that, I'll always blame myself. You were raped, it was Ectopic, there was a rupture, that's all. I didn't have a choice in the matter, it was a bad situation I was hoping didn't come about.
I didn't think I needed plan B... I thought it stopped soon enough. Axel stares at me as I glare down at him, my form shaking. The group went quiet, deadly silent, everyone knows something is being worked out, something that has been brewing for a long long time. "Shit I don't know? Really? You're skanky ass had me drive you an hour and a half away to that damn clinic, to not tarnish your name or the ranch." He's mad I had him drive me to the doctors to get an emergency surgery...
I can't help it as my mind goes dark and I pin him to the floor, driving my fist into his jaw. "Fuck you! You don't know a damn thing Axel." I swing again nailing him as arms wrap around me, pulling me off of him, Digger holding me back as Snake pulls him up away from me, back towards the wall.
"Axel, don't go there." Snake knew we took a trip, but not exactly what, I feel Digger tense as he holds me back.
"Don't tell me what to do, the town should know what a whore you are, killing your baby." He snarls, I know he's hurting, lashing out on me, but that doesn't stop the pain that slams into me. I would've loved them even if I knew their father raped me.
"Would you want your rapist's kid? Huh? For fucks sake Axel, listen for once in your goddamn life!" Digger silences the group everyone stills even me, my stomach tightening as I close my eyes. I knew this was gonna come up sooner or later.
"What?" He asks, stunned, as he stares at me the dark seething shadows in his eyes stop moving for once, his gaze isn't full of malice. The small gasps that fall from the girls now sitting on the couch holding onto one another make me sneer as I turn and push from Digger. I need a drink. "No one... No one talked... Not about that." Axel mutters quietly like he's figuring something out. I hear Digger scoff, he's clearly had enough, he's not afraid to right things.
"No one talked because her rapist was handled that night." The culminations of tonight all hit me at once, the truth that's being shared tonight is only a minor distraction from the real troubles. We needed to get it out sooner or later.
"Who... Who did it?" He asked lowly, his brows furrowed, clearly everyone is interested in that matter.
"Knuckles." I answer lowly in return as I grab the bottle and chug it, the burn in the pit of my stomach steadying me. "And for your information... It wasn't an abortion, it was an emergency Keyhole surgery... My tube ruptured twenty minutes out... I know you remember me screaming in your damn truck." I'll never forget the pain, the distress, it sucked. Far worse than being shot in my opinion. I chose a doctor away from town, so people couldn't talk, I needed to know what was happening.
Papa... Poor Papa supported me in every decision I made. He didn't question me when I said I wanted to keep the baby, just said we'd figure something out. But we didn't have to. In my seventh week I started getting pains, terrible aches that'd appear in the middle of the night, but they'd stop during the day. I took some leave, came home and talked on the phone with the office. I made an appointment. With how bad things hurt, and the previous symptoms that popped up, I didn't dare drive.
It's a good thing too. "But...Why didn't you say something? Tell me?" Digger is looking at me, his features drawn as he listens.
"The more you talk... the more things get out... the more questions asked. If people knew I was raped... imagine the cases opened, questions asked about your uncle. That's a demon I'm not letting live..." He's dead, forever, there's not a damn thing I'm going to say more on the matter. Axel looks down as his mind works.
"You've been protecting me... the club... the town." He said quietly as I stare at him, the understanding in his deep green eyes makes give a slow nod. "Shit... Dakota I'm so-" I hold my hand up as I stare at him.
"I don't want apologies... I want actions. We'll join forces, work the finer details out later." It sounds stupid to partner with him, but at the end of the day, he's right, it'll be safer to join forces, more cover, more secrecy. The town can't go corrupt again if I'm fighting back. I hate to admit it, but he makes sense in this one moment.
He pauses like he was ready to say something before giving a nod, his hand wipes at his split lip. Steel is in his eyes as he watches me. "Actions you'll get, I'm ready for war." I shake my head slowly as I stare at him.
"No... You need to be ready for politics. I'm the executioner in this partnership." Someone will have to look after the land if things go south quickly. His brows shoot up as his mouth drops open in astonishment, regret fills his eyes, knowing he's called me the same thing.
"Dakota... No, I get it now-" I cut him off, the steel in my eyes burns brightly, the forge in my soul is burning brighter than ever. There isn't a damn thing that's going to extinguish it either.
"No... this is personal, the bitch is mine. You just keep clean of the mess and keep distracting the ones who get too close." My words are cryptic, just how I need to stay. Things will get hairy but before they do, I'll make damn sure they get bloody. This bitch will be praying she never met me, never even heard my damn name. The thought makes me take a large drink, the burning in my belly not even touching the pain that numbs my soul. I feel dead.
"What happened?" Digger asks making me turn to him, I want to hide the pain, to bury it deep down for now. I need to be a Marine for Papa... I can be a daughter later. The pain festers more as I shake my head, I don't think I can dig into the wound right now. I know I can't let my walls fall, let my facade slip away. I can cry into my pillow later. Or for that matter I can just cry on Digger later. If he can still stomach me after that is.
I can't manage to find the words before my radio clicks to life. "Kode, we got a squad car rolling in hot, what's the order?" Max's voice breaks the rising tension for a brief moment. I take a deep breath as I remove my radio.
"Just hang back and keep tight, I'll let you know." I don't know if the Sheriff is gonna kick up a fuss about Papa's wishes. He's not leaving this property. I know questions will be asked if he leaves the grounds, too many to be risking right now.
"Heard loud and clear." The radio clicks off shortly after and I set the bottle down.
"Squad car? Little Lady, what's going on?" I have to move away from him, to keep space between us. The second he wraps his arms around me, I'm breaking down and right now, that's not an option.
"Papa's dead, the Sheriff is here to handle some things." I don't think I've seen a room still and freeze as quickly as I have this one. My hand touches the door as I turn to Digger, his features crestfallen, a look of pain in his eyes as he stares at me.
"Little Lady...." His soft voice is nearly my undoing as I swallow and shake my head, holding my hand up.
"Cowboy... please... not right now." I can't take it right now. My resolve is already weak, I need to be a heifer, stand strong for the Sheriff. Be a Marine damnit! Papa asked for that and that's what he's going to get. Sarah's hand raises to her mouth as her eyes water, Angel physically winces and I have to turn. A Marine, you promised him. If I stay inside a minute longer, I'll break down, scream and cry as is I'm not strong enough to keep this front up.
"Dakota? What's this about?" I step outside to be greeted by the Sheriff and the Chief Coroner, confused expressions mar their features.
"Papa had an accident up on Fortune, got bucked off and trapped. He didn't make it." I struggle out earning a look between the pair, Carl, the Chief sighs and shakes his head, his wrinkled features marred.
"Girly..." Carl has known my family for years, good friends of Uncle Gary. Oh how the times pass.
"I need a death certificate." I step down the stairs to meet them halfway and push my hands into my pockets. I hate that I have to lie about Papa and Fortune.
"Kota, that's not protocol..." Daniel warns as he leans against the banister.
"I don't care, you know Papa, you know what he wanted. I'm here to make sure he doesn't leave this property." He shakes his head with a sigh.
"Carl needs to perform an autopsy." He says trying to gain leverage; I'm sure he has questions, I'm sure they all will. But not a damn one will be answered.
"Do I have to get Mr. Lowe on the phone? Or down here? You know his will, I'm the executor of estate, including this matter."