Rose
We arrive at the hotel room and I step towards the door, but suddenly it swings open and Lucas stares at me from inside.
"Rose!" Lucas pulls me in and puts both his hands on my cheeks, looking up and down my body. His arms are ripped off my face.
Damn, Ryder beat me to it.
"Hands off." Ryder states, walking in and putting an arm around my shoulders and leading me to the couch.
We walk through a bunch of the men, definitely not all of them, but most of the ones I trained.
Aww, they missed me.
I wave into the crowd and smile, a genuine smile, until we reach the chair and sit. This feels like home. I'm back.
Ethan appears in front of us, resting on the chair across from us along with Lucas as the men who don't fit on the furniture, stand behind them and wherever else they can fit, all staring at me.
Ryder stands up slowly and I watch him. He urges me to get up too and I do, looking at him confused. The room gradually becomes quiet.
He puts his hand in mine and lifts our arms up to the ceiling.
"We got her back!" The men erupt in cheers and my smile grows wide.
I guess they like me now. I guess I'm kind of happy.
Ryder lets our arms fall and pulls me in for a quick kiss.
I laugh, as the contagious atmosphere infects me.
"Ok, ok guys. I'm sure you all have tons of questions. Let's talk." I say, sitting down. Ryder follows.
"Not really." Ethan says.
I look to him and chuckle.
He still hates me, nice to know someone hasn't changed.
"Says the guy who couldn't sleep last night." Lucas remarks. The guys start laughing.
"Shut up, Lucas."
My eyebrows lift and I scoff.
"You're all talk, Ethan. Just say you missed me." I flash him a teeth filled grin and put my head on Ryder's chest.
He sighs.
"Let me be serious... I'm sorry. Ryder told us about what you did for us and what you come from. What I said before was wrong, I fucked up and I respect you." Ethan says, looking in my eyes.
I sit up.
"I knew you weren't that bad. It's cool, I get it. You still owe me training sessions, though. I'll pay you back then." I reassure him.
He smirks.
"We'll see."
"Alright, who next?" Ryder asks, putting a hand on my knee.
I chuckle, shaking my head.
He's so annoying.
"We're all thankful to you, Rose. You're perfect next to our leader." Lucas adds.
"Of cours-" I'm cut off by the sudden knocking at the door.
"I got it." Ethan says, jogging to the entrance. We wait, as he opens it and tenses up.
"Rose, your parents are here." He steps back and lets my mother and father in.
I stare, almost dumbfounded, as they walk towards Ryder and I.
Ryder gestures for the guys on the couch to move, and they do, leaving space for the two people I don't know how to feel about.
"Can you get rid of all your men? This is a private conversation." My father asks, holding my mother's hand as they sit on the now empty couch.
Ryder nods and sends Lucas and Ethan a look and they begin leading the men out the room, shutting the door behind them.
"There are things I'm sure you're confused about and now that you know what happened, we're here to explain." He says. My mother agrees next to him.
"When did you find out about dad?" I stare at my mom.
She seems taken aback but quickly composes herself.
"Your dad called me soon after we had run away and told me everything. Your dad said that everything was a mistake and he wanted me to know the Busken had found us so we had to hide. That's how we ended up here." She explains.
"The Busken wanted you dead, Rose, because you were a huge threat to their power after they realized they couldn't control you. You ran away and they saw you had gained a mind of your own. Your dad helped to hide us and reassured the Busken that this was only teenage rebellion. He saved us and kept us from harm." She looks over at my father and gives him a smiles before turning back to me.
"But the moment Caleb found you, he had to put back on the mask of an abusive father and it hurt him. It wasn't right what he did to you but with the Busken spies, he thought it was better if you were injured than dead. All those years of watching over us from a distance and keeping the Busken off our track. The Busken either wanted you dead or married, so they would have control either way, because if you were dead Caleb would've been the heir, and with you alive, the marriage could let them have an influence and also control over our group, and so when you came back the choice was clear." She continues.
"The Busken wanted you to hate us, and us to hate you, so that you could be easily manipulated by him. He didn't count on you being so strong." My father adds.
Ryder grabs onto my hand and I try to control my breathing.
It's ok. Just keep it together.
I squeeze his hand.
"Why did you treat me like shit when we lived together?" My voice shakes.
She swallows.
"I had... fallen into a depression. As selfish as it sounds, those three years I couldn't do anything. I didn't want to. When I would want to do something with you, I'd be reminded that your father was all alone with the sharks, and I was there with you, it felt wrong. I drowned myself in alcohol and tried to ignore the pain. I knew you were hurting but I just... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Rose. All I want now is to build our family again." She tears up and I watch her, becoming numb.
She ignored me for 3 years because she felt guilty? Bullshit. That's what it is.
"Did you think that I would be okay with it? That this story would erase everything I went through? Fuck you, mom. I have no respect for a woman stuck in her self pity. You want me to be all buddy buddy with you now? No way. Dad's explanation eases my pain but yours, adds to it." I see her face crumple as tears flow from her eyes.
"Rose didn't deserve it. You decided her feelings were less important than yours, so you left your daughter, who had just run away from everything she called home, to fend for herself. You're not a mother, you're a woman in love with a man she happened to have a baby with." Ryder is tense to the side of me, glaring at my mother.
"I know but I'm still willing to fight for our family. I made sure anything that could destroy it again, was out of our way, and I'll keep waiting for the day we can be just like before."
With her statement, something clears up. My eyes widen as I realize.
"You killed David. You were the one who shot him." Ryder states.
She nods.
"I had to, he had done too much to us. Seeing him put that gun to your head, I just couldn't anymore. He didn't deserve to live." She seems to space out.
That's the least she could do.
"Which leads us to the reason we decided to come here today and talk to you now." My dad speaks up.
I look to him.
"We're disbanding the mafia, your mother and I are going to live our lives the way we've always wanted to. We're here to offer you your rightful title as heir. If you don't want it, then we'll just break up the group and go." He says.
What? They can't.
"Too many people need this group, if you disband it, the members will starve and become homeless. You can't just leave them, they'll die." I try to explain.
"That's not our problem anymore, we've given up too much for this organization. If you want to help them, that's on you. I'm sorry to put this pressure on you." He gets up and my mother follows.
"Hey!" Ryder shouts, picking himself up and I do too.
"No, wait, you can't just trap me here with that responsibility. You can't push me in a prison again!" They walk to the door and open it. I stand, waiting for a response. Anything.
"We'll keep in contact. Take care of her.Don't make it too easy for us to find you next time by renting out a whole hotel again." My dad tells Ryder, ignoring me.
"Go to hell." Ryder snarls, glaring at him.
"Dad!" I shout, as the little happiness I gained, drains from my system.
He looks at me.
"Remember Rose, it's your choice."
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2.53M
6/30/19
Woah guys the dramas started again
Love yall
Ciao.