Walk the Line (Kings of Chaos 5)

The topic shifts and I grab one of the deli sandwiches on the display in the center of the table.

“There are drinks in the cooler too,” Ruth says gesturing toward the white and blue square beside us.

“Thanks.” I snag a bottled of water and listen, soaking up all the information they’re providing like a sponge.

“So, Calla gets out of jail next year,” Blue says quietly.

“Shit,” Ruth, Dixie Rose, and Nevada say at the same time.

“I’m sorry, who?” I glance around the table at the sympathetic expressions.

“My sister, Bolton’s biological mother.”

“Satan’s spawn,” Ruth mumbles.

“My sister has problems. She’s an addict who never put Bolton first. Always acting out, getting into trouble, and running to my father, God rest his soul, to bail her out. Our sibling rivalry is somewhat of a legend around the club. I never wanted anything more than to be friends, but she wasn’t interested in that.”

“That’s the nice version. She’s a raging cunt who’s always been spiteful, jealous, and hateful. Somewhere along the line, she took a wrong turn and never got on track. She took all her failures, disappointments and mistakes out on Blue with the help of her enabling mom.”

“They had their reasons,” Blue says quietly.

“Yeah, really shitty ones,” Dixie Rose says.

‘I’m sorry, it couldn’t have been an easy thing to go through,” I whisper.

“It wasn’t, but that’s all over, and I refuse to go back. Hearing she’ll be coming home was a shock to the system. I’d put it on the backburner, you know. Then I get this letter in the mail from her.”

“Oh I have to hear this,” Ruth said.

“It wasn’t what you’d think actually. She wants to come back and build a relationship with Bolton—”

“Oh, come on. He has no interested in her after everything she put him through,” Ruth says.

“I know. It’s his choice, though, and I refuse to pressure him one way or another. As much as I love him like my own, she’s his mother.”

“Yeah, but you’re his mom. There’s a wealth of difference in those two things,” Nevada says.

Blue smiles. “You think so?”

“We, know so. What does Shadow say?” Ruth asks.

“Yeah about that,” Blue whispers quietly looking guilty.

“Girl, you didn’t tell him yet?” Dixie clucks her tongue.

“I want to let him enjoy Delphine a little more before I let a storm cloud roll in. He and Bolty. They deserve some family bonding, and I have plenty of time before she shows up.” She shrugs, and Dixie Rose relinquishes her hold on Delphine.

As Blue cuddles the newborn to her chest, I see the fear flash in her dark eyes. Calla must be hell on wheels to shake everyone so much.

“Whatever you need we’re here for you, but you better come clean before he finds out from someone else,” Ruth says.

“I will. I’m going to do it tonight.” She kisses the top of Delphine’s head. “For her sake, I hope she’s ready to make good on everything she wrote me because I’m not letting anything hurt my family or me. She’s had a lifetime worth of second chances. This is her final one as far as I’m concerned.”

“I wouldn’t even give her that. You’re better than me,” Ruth mumbles.

“You know we’re friends when we start airing our dirty laundry in front of you,” Nevada says.

“I think I top you on skeletons in the closet. My ex-husband tried to drown me in our swimming pool. When I escaped, he went on the run, and he hasn’t been seen since.”