Now, I need to go fix dinner, and I have no clue how to do that.
As soon as I park my bike close to the front door of the club, Vin comes outside and straight to me. I stiffen and climb off my bike, sensing that something is wrong.
“Alisha’s mom is here.”
My heart fucking drops. I don’t want my woman to be tainted by that shit anymore. I know she wants to see her mom, but I won’t allow her to be hurt anymore.
“She’s different than I thought she would be,” Vin says.
I meet his gaze. I don’t know what he means by that.
“Just go talk to her, man.”
I intend to do that. I nod, walking past him. I open the door and step inside. After walking past the bar, I go to the living room area.
Alisha’s mom is sitting on the couch. She looks up at me and it hits me like a fucking freight train. Alisha looks just like her mom. Fuck, fuck, fuck! Alisha’s mom shifts in her seat and fiddles with the bottom of her shirt like Alisha always does.
“Hey. You’re Techy?” she says softly, sounding too much like my woman. “How’s my daughter?” She sits forward like she can’t wait to hear my response.
I study her, trying to see if she’s just acting. “She’s good.”
She nods, her eyes lightening. “Good. I’m so glad. She happy?” She scoots closer to the edge, closer to me.
Alisha is happy and I see it every time I look into her eyes. That moment we met until now? It’s a fucking huge difference. Alisha is just Alisha. God, I love that woman.
“You love her.” Alisha’s mom brings me from my thoughts.
The smile I didn’t know I had on my face drops. I nod.
“I’m so horrible,” she whispers, her eyes filling with tears.
I sit on the couch in front of her. I want to hear everything. “Tell me what happened.” I have the sense now that her mom isn’t just a druggie.
She sniffs and wipes under her eyes. She looks at me, a smile playing at her lips. “Alisha was my world. We made cookies together, went shopping together… We did everything together. She was the most beautiful girl in the whole world. People would gravitate to her, and her smile can light the darkest days.” She laughs and looks at me. “She would sing all the time, and I couldn’t believe how good she was for a six-year-old.”
Her smile falls, and I know the shit she’s going to say next is not going to be good.
“My husband yelled at her once because he stepped on her toy. I packed our bags, and I was leaving. He got physical and started hitting me. And then he injected me with heroin.”
She lets out a ragged breath like she is trying not to break into a million pieces. “He never allowed me to come down from my high. I hardly remember anything. I remember men. I remember my husband pumping my veins full. I remember her as she got older, her picking me up off the floor and trying to get me to eat. I never wanted that life or for her to be a part of it, and I felt so worthless because I know she suffered. I was so out of it. I don’t know how I’m alive.”
Fuck.
I never expected that she hadn’t had a choice in the matter. The stupid fucker didn’t want her to leave so he kept her so fucking high she couldn’t.
“I do remember one thing as plain as day. I remember you killing him.”
I don’t say one word, wanting to see her next reaction.
“Thank you. You saved me from hell.” She bursts out crying.
I look up at the ceiling. I can’t fucking take her crying, especially with how much she looks like my woman. So I wrap my arms around her, but she stiffens before sinking into my hug. She cries and cries for at least half an hour. I sense someone walking into the room and see Vin looking at us both. I nod because I get what he was saying earlier.
Another minute or so later, she settles down. “I haven’t had any since he last injected me and that was hours before you guys showed up. I wanted to make sure Alisha is okay, before I left for rehab. I can’t face her like this. I want to be around for her. I want to be her mom again.”
“She will be here when you get back.” I smile at her.
Her eyes fill again. She hangs her head and looks at her hand. “Thank you,” she whispers.
“I will send you to rehab. The best one in Texas. When you get out of the program, I will bring you to Alisha, but only if you do the program.”
She looks up at me in utter shock. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Alisha wants her mom,” I tell her straight out. “Vin, get a prospect to take her to the center for me? I have work to do. Tell Chrystal where I want her sent and that I’m taking care of it.”