Trouble Novel – Ain’t no way I was letting my prick husband put his hands on my boy. So I ran. Back to the motorcycle club I grew up in. Back to my president dad. “Can I help you, ma’am?” a young prospect asked as I approached the club. “Tell Heartbeat Trouble’s here.” I was met by not just my dad, but his vice president and another man I’d never seen before. Dad, who had been staring me down, slowly removed his sunglasses and squinted at my boy Web.
His eyes pointedly took in every bruise and cut he could see. Then his gaze landed on Web and the black eye I’d treated in the bathroom of some poor gas station. My father went still. “Who did it?” he asked, pulling me closer so he could inspect my face at eye level. I swallowed hard. “He’s… Web’s father.” “You should’ve called, Trouble,” Dad said quietly. “I know, Dad.” Shame crawled up my throat. “I was too ashamed. You raised me better than that, and I… I stayed.” Dad’s jaw clenched hard. “You got out. That’s all that matters now.” “And you’re not going back.
The club protects its own.” My throat closed instantly. Screw him. Screw him for sounding gentle. But I knew I was finally home. —— “Web! Come on, baby, we have to go.” “Momma, what about Spider? We can’t leave him here.” My frustration was high, my gasket blown, but I didn’t want to take it out on my boy. So I took a deep breath and tried to collect myself before moving again. After my nerves settled, I turned to Web. Spider was a huge part of our lives-the first pet Web had ever had-but traveling for hours with a dog wasn’t exactly appealing.
The stopping, the shitting, the pissing. “Momma, please.” Full. Blown. Pout. This kid definitely knew how to play me like a fiddle. “Fine. Quickly, grab his mess. Leave the food-we’ll buy more on the way. And hurry up, Web!” This was the day. After years of back-and-forth, abuse, and neglect… this was the day. No more would I stand around pretending our life was peachy keen. You can hit me, and I’ll fight you until I die, but the second you put your hands on my baby? Screw you. I’d never knocked anyone clean out before, but I definitely had this time.
The skillet was there, and he’d turned toward Web, who was beating on his back and begging him to leave me alone. Begging him not to hurt me. When he turned and backhanded my boy-his boy-I saw red. And for the first time in my life, I wanted blood on my hands. The skillet was there, so I swung it. He went down hard and stayed there. I spared one glance to make sure he was still breathing before I started packing. Ain’t no way I was letting any prick put their hands on my boy. At first, a hotel seemed like the thing to do. A safe place to calm down. But no. I knew Judd. He’d find me like he had every other time I’d worked up the courage to leave.
And the next beating would hurt worse than the last one. Just like every one before it. Because no matter what I did, no matter how hard I fought back, his punches always landed harder than mine ever could. Once Web was strapped into his car seat, Spider happily sitting beside him, I backed out of the driveway and left that piece of mess behind. If I could help it, he’d never see me or Web again. On the drive, I called the clinic I’d been working at for the last eight years to let them know I wouldn’t be in for a while.
That I’d call in a favor and get them coverage as soon as I could. Honestly, I didn’t care. The nurses there were fully equipped to handle any emergencies that could arise. Crazy enough, things hadn’t always been so bleak. So hostile. So violent. Judd used to be different, or at least he pretended to be. He did such a good job masking the darkness inside of him that I never noticed when the smiles that used to be soft and loving turned into glares of disdain, and the hands that once held me gently became fists of steel.
Things that used to enamor him to me became things he dissected and turned into faults that I could never correct.