I glance at him, confused.
“What are you talking about?”
“I bet you never did tell your boys the truth,” Stone says.
“Lies!” Mouth screams.
I glance over at Charm. “Do you know what this is about?”
“Not at all.”
“See…what you didn’t tell them was that the man who shot your father was more than a random man on heroine. He was the man your mother had an affair with. Your real father. Your real father was the black man who shot your old man. He wasn’t high, he was getting revenge, because your fake father wouldn’t let him have you.”
“No. That’s not true,” Mouth defends. The defeat in his eyes and the loss of conviction say the opposite.
My jaw drops. “You fucking hypocrite.”
“I’m not the mistakes my mother made! I was going to make damn sure you didn’t do the same,” Mouth growls.
“See, this is why we’re going to deliver you to the front door of your new friends. I’m sure white power will love to know they’ve had a snake in their fucking grass all this time. We’re going to bargain or they’ll never see their precious little princes again,” Stone says.
“Oh please…they’re ready to die for their cause, unlike you cowards,” Mouth responds.
Stone’s head snaps back as if he’d been punched. “Seems like he still has too much fight in him, Wizard.”
“Oh, I’ll shut him up, believe me.” Wizard stalks over and cocks back his fist. When he slams his hand into Mouth’s jaw, the sickening crack echo’s through the room.
My father’s strangled cry hurts my heart. I know he earned this, but it still aches. I’m part black. No wonder I was so into D’Rose. My head is reeling from the lies I’ve been told. He hated himself so much, he wanted to turn us into an extension of that animosity. I glance at my brother and see he looks as lost as I feel. Did we ever even know this man?
Stone turns his attention to us. “You boys know what has to happen next, right?”
I nod my head.
“You going to be able to stomach that?” Stone asks.
“Club first,” I say.
“Charm?”
“I’m not sure I even know the person I’m looking at right now. No wonder he had us with a Spanish mother. I guess you figured she’d account for the tan and dark hair if we came out on that spectrum. I always wondered why you only hated black people. God, you preach about pride and honesty, and you’re nothing more than a sad ass liar, hating his own genetic make-up. You put us through hell, and damn near ruined Echo’s relationship for what? To feed some sick need inside of you?” Charm steps forward and spits at his feet. “This time, I’m the one disowning you. I’m ashamed today. I love you, but I hate what you decided to stand for and what you did to not just us, but the club you brought us up to love.”
I glance at the man in front of me, knowing this is the last time I’ll see him alive. “I’m sorry you let one aspect of your life ruin everything else. I can’t blame Mom for leaving you with the way you treated her, and how you warped our minds.” I shake my head. “Despite it all, I want you to know I don’t hate you. You showed me what that emotion can do to a person. I’m going to go on, marry D’Rose, have children, and never give you another thought.”
His eyes burn into me.
I step back. “I’m done here, Stone. You need me for anything else?”
“Nope,” Stone answers. “Little brother can tell us what we need to know.”
I walk out of the shed and into the clubhouse, scanning the crowd for D’Rose. My chest is tight and my eyes are burning from the effort to hold back the tears forming. I just said good-bye to the man who raised me. Misguided, broken, and horribly flawed, he was the only Dad I’ll ever know. I spot her playing pool with Wrench. I move up behind her and place a hand on her hip.
She looks up with a smile that fades quickly. “Thanks for the game, Wrench,” she says, setting down her pool stick.
I pull her to my side and guide her outside.
“What do you need?” she whispers.
“A good memory to replace the one I just gained.”