Protective (Diamondback MC Second Generation 4)

CRUSH

“You ready to get out ofhere?” My dad is sitting across from me. It’s three days before I’m due to get out, so why he’s wasting his time coming to visit me makes no sense. Sedona and Mom both came with him. Of course, Sedona wasn’t prepared for it and had to go out to the car to grab a jacket. The rules are bullshit, but when you’re in prison with other men who can’t hold their tongue or act like decent human beings, something like shoulders would have them soaring over the deep end.

“More than ready. There a reason y’all even made this trip? Seems a little pointless, if you ask me.” There wasn’t a week that went by that Mom, Dad, and Sedona didn’t come up to see me, as well as the other brothers. Sometimes, it was just to make sure I had a pulse, wanting to know where my head was at. Other times, there were things that needed to be taken care of that were pure business.

“Yeah, but wanted you to be aware before the big day. I know the club is going to have a welcome home party for you. We won’t get a word in edgewise, and after a night of partyin’, I imagine you’re gonna wanna come home. That’s where shit gets tricky.” I watch as Dad rubs his hand down his face. If me coming home is this hard on him, maybe I need to be looking at getting a place of my own or stay at the clubhouse for the time being. I’m sure Rage won’t have an issue setting up a room for me.

“Okay.” If Dad’s trying to get to the meat of this story before the women come back, I’m thinking it needs to happen stat because it won’t be too much longer until they make it back in.

“Shit, I’m fuckin’ this all up. What I’m tryin’ to say is, we took Gigi in. I’m not tellin’ the whole story until you’re out and have time to decompress. Don’t want you pissed as hell when the time has come to finally get my boy home.”

“May wanna wrap this up if you’re doing this before they get back. Ma and Sedona are makin’ their way back.” My shoulders that were once tense when he started this lessen their hold. It’s not like I didn’t ask him to look out for Gigi. Fuck, it was my goddamn idea.

“Fuck, Gigi’s livin’ with us. Your room is still your room, and Sedona is still in hers. Damn grateful she’s stayin’ home and not off findin’ some dipshit to live with. Gigi is in the spare room, moved in the second she hit eighteen, still in school. That’s all to say I wanted you to know. That way, you ain’t blindsided the second you step out of this hellhole,” Dad finishes his statement.

“Got no problem with that, so long as she keeps a wide berth. You know I’m not her biggest fan. Don’t expect me to be buddy-buddy with the girl.” Ma and Sedona come weaving through the other tables. Guess I got lucky when I drew the card. Some prisoners can’t even see their family without a piece of plexi-glass between them. So, when my sister comes barreling towards me, I know I’ve got a matter of seconds to stand up and brace myself for the baby of the family. Ma stops a few feet away, palm going to her chest, right over her heart, a look of happiness and sadness all wrapped into one emotion as I hug Sedona.

“It’s been too damn long. I really hate my work schedule along with college. Tell me again why I’m becoming a doctor?” she asks me. Little turd knows damn good and well that the brains of the family went right to her. There’s no way she couldn’t.

“Because someone needs to be a doctor for all the guys that keep gettin’ torn up, even if it’s their own fault.” I know why she’s upset. When I first went inside, she was able to come with our parents all the time. As the years went on, her college schedule got harder, then add in the fact that she’s interning as a resident to make money, and it’s a wonder Sedona isn’t falling flat on her face right now.

“Fuckin’ idiots, that’s what they are.” She goes to sit down beside Dad while I give Ma a hug.

“It’s been too long.” Ma squeezes me tightly. I choke on a laugh.

“Five days is too long?” I tease her. She slaps my chest before moving to sit down, and I do the same.

“I’ll be glad when I can hug you daily. Thank God you’re not a teenager anymore and I’d have to fight for them, so be prepared for me bugging you for them daily, if not hourly,” Ma announces.

“Thank God. She can bug you for hugs instead of just me and Gigi.” We joke around the entire time they visit, with Dad’s eyes on me, gauging how I’m taking in just how much Gigi is into our family fold. The photos they’ve sent should have been plenty enough to see, but hearing it, that’s another story. Fuck, I know I’m an asshole and there ain’t shit I want to do with her, but I’m not that much of a dick to see her out on her ass with nowhere to go. She’s barely twenty-fuckin-one. A couple years older than her, I was about to start my sentence, but before that, I was livin’ free, something everyone should be able to do without getting fucked by some dick bag douche takin’ what’s not freely given.