Making the Cut (Saving Dallas 2)

I stared at Maddie. I had nothing to say, not a leg to stand on. She was right. I didn’t want to imagine the hell she had been through at my expense.

“You are not my sister, Dallas Knox. You are just some snotty bitch who LLC wanted and couldn’t have.”

“Dammit, Maddie, that’s enough!” Red said, standing up and squaring off with Maddie from across the table.

“What? Oh, you want me to shut up now? Tell our lovely Dallas whose words those were. Tell her how you all used to laugh at her when we got together,” Maddie said, sneering at me. She was enjoying watching me suffer.

“That was before,” Red said in a low voice, not bothering to look at me.

“Before what? Huh? Before Luke offered all of you money to tolerate her?” My eyes shot to the guilty faces around the table. Everyone but Brooklyn, who was staring at Maddie like she had three eyes, found something other than me to look at.

“Bravo,” Brooklyn said clapping and standing up. The fight in Maddie seemed to dissipate, just a little, as Brooklyn got to her feet. Now all eyes were on her. “Good job, you little shit starter. I must say that I am proud of you. Of all the bitches at this table, including you,” Brooklyn said, pointing at Red, “You are the only one who has balls enough to stand up and say something. It doesn’t matter that you are being a selfish, immature little cunt about it all. At least you aren’t going behind her back saying this shit. Sit down and let me tell all of you something.”

Maddie and Red’s asses landed in their chairs without hesitation. The food on the table had grown cold and everyone’s attention was focused on Brooklyn.

“Back in the day, when I was where y’all are now, we didn’t talk about sisters behind their backs. Now, Dallas,” she said, turning in her chair to look at me, “you can’t hold what these girls said about you behind your back against them. They didn’t know you. You are a pretty girl who drew the attention of not only Luke, but every one of their husbands. Ain’t no fucking way I’d let my ol’ man follow you around shopping malls and shit. That’s where a lot of the hostility is coming from. They’re jealous ‘cause you had their man’s attention whether you wanted it or not.” Brooklyn pulled out a cigarette and lit it, not bothering to fan the smoke that circled around her, poisoning each one of us. Hell, maybe I needed one.

“Red, you are the center of this fucked up shit, yet you chose to not share anything with Dallas. Good girl. You don’t do shit your ol’ man don’t tell you to do. I know you told Dallas a long time ago that she didn’t need to take shit off of Maddie, that’s true, but Maddie is your sister. She is family. Dallas is family, but at the time, she wasn’t. Dallas, nobody has to like you or tolerate you. If they do, it’s of their own free will. There ain’t a bitch in this room that’s hurtin for money, so I know that ain’t why they are here. They are here because they love their President and this club and will do what he asks. Once they get to know you and you earn their trust, shit will get better.” Just the feel of Brooklyn’s arm on my shoulder and the softness in her eyes let me know that it would, indeed get better. This was just a stepping stone.

“I ain’t getting in y’all’s family business. That shit is something y’all gonna have to work out,” she said, gesturing between me and Maddie. “But, if you’re gonna be a part of this family, Maddie, and Luke wants Dallas here, then you will respect her. You ain’t got to like her, talk to her or even look at her, but you will respect her or I’ll black your eye. Don’t test my fucking patience either. Me and Dallas are going for a ride, if y’all got anything y’all want to get out of your system, you better do it before we get back. Go get dressed, bitch, I wanna show you my hog.”

I stood, along with the others, and hurried to Luke’s room. I grabbed my cell off of the bed and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind me and hoping no one would hear.

“Hey babe, miss me already?” Luke answered in a jolly voice that I wasn’t expecting.

“Luke, I’m trying to be real patient here. Is there anything else you aren’t telling me?” I asked, trying to stay calm.

“No, babe. I think we have covered it all.” Luke was smiling in the phone and I knew that he knew what had just happened.