Chapter 1
EFFIE
“You dumb biker bitch?”
I do nothing but just stare ahead while I carry on walking. That is all I can do and ignore them. Making sure I don’t let them see how much it hurts me. Never show weakness, that was my father’s saying.
“I wonder if she is easy like the ones my mother sees coming out of that club they own,” a girl’s voice rung out, which made me tense while others laughed.
The girls that came out of the club, which only made me look down to the ground. I knew who they were on about—the club girls. You could tell who they were just by what they wore. They stood out with their revealing outfits and were often on their knees in front of a biker.
The club they are all talking about is the club I was born into, The Aces MC, who have some ties to the town, with some stores darted around the area. They are the legal businesses we have, that is not including what they do behind closed doors.
My father, Butch, runs this charter and away from the main one, which is run by my uncle Bear. Our grandfather’s father was the one who started the club up with only one stationary place to hold all the bikers and when they gained more members, they expanded to this charter.
There have only been two charters created and when my grandfather was ready to pass it over, he handed them both to his sons the president’s job for both charters, and then he passed them onto his sons, which were my father and uncle. The main charter where my uncle Bear stays, he has more authority over my father and has even tried to keep the club like my grandfather had run it before him. All legal, no illegal dealings of any kind.
The only downside is my father hasn’t. He has been dipping into some shady shit over the years and some of it has blown back on the club, like the time someone shot up the club house. Luckly no one was around or even in there, but it was a warning for them.
Being seventeen and a club brat was one thing but being one related to the man who caused more harm was even worse. People know my father, cursed him out many times but since the parents were talking about what is going on around here in their homes, that meant most of their children listened to what was going on. That started the whole bullying the club brat—me.
Many days you would find me in the bathroom, trying to clean up the mess someone had thrown over me or the blood from where something was aimed at me and caused bodily harm. They didn’t care and it showed. When my father found out what they were doing to me, he laughed and told me to grow a pair, bearing in mind, I am a girl, not a biker.
Ever since my mother had left us, not wanting this life, she packed one bag and left a letter stating she was done and had cheated on my father with someone who knew how to look after a woman.
Both my parents were as bad as each other and it showed. When they were young, they met because of their love for drugs and then not long after that they had my brother, who is six years older than me. They became a family. Mum had sworn off drugs and went cold turkey after my brother was born, whereas my father was a dick and stayed on them.
Mum knew what he was like and stayed as long as she could. As all motorcycle clubs, they all have their fair share of warnings—drinking, drugs, club girls and more. Dad would often be out more times than being home until my mum gave him an ultimatum, to stop with all the bullshit and get sober, or she would take Blade and leave him behind.
The man chose her and got clean. That’s all that was told to me about mum and dad. I know there is more to the story, but Blade never told me. He said when I was older, I would hear more, but I never did. All I had was the water down version because after that I came along six years later, and everything only stayed the same for a few years before it all ended shit again.
I have memories of my childhood with them, the places we would go and what they were like as parents. Though I know they argued a lot of the time, I never thought there was anything wrong until it was too late.
Dad went back to his old ways, staying later at the club and even smelling like some of the women who worked there. Club girls were always around but were never allowed in our home because of mum until Mum left, telling me I was now the woman of the house and that she was done with this shit life. I was only eight when she left, not even old enough to be alone.
It broke me knowing I had no one to be there for me since by then my brother was attending the club more to be with dad, leaving me alone with mum.
Dad didn’t even bat an eyelid at the mere mention when he learned mum had gone. The man had turned his back on her and now me.
That day he found out would haunt me till I die. Dad and Blade blamed me for her leaving, telling me I was a waste of space. Something an eight-year-old girl never should hear.
After three weeks, dad throw everything that belonged to mum out and made sure there was nothing for us to remember her by. It all seemed bare.
That was when he changed the rules. All the club brothers were now welcome into our house, but there was one silver lining—no club girls. Well, for a year and then that changed.
Dad never bothered to be a father to me after that, he left me alone. I had to learn how to cope and fast. Everything I learned was from YouTube, even my periods. There was no one around at the time to help me, not even any old ladies or club girls since they thought it wasn’t their job to look after me.
That was one thing our club in this charter was lacking most—old ladies. Mum wasn’t one by a long shot. Dad never declared her as his, which might be why she left like she did. She was a club girl and was frequently hooking up with dad. Mum wanted him all to herself, but it all came to an end that day. The day she left.
As for the other brothers, most were single by choice and others didn’t even bother. They loved the thrill of hooking up with women whenever they wanted. There was no need to settle down.
The crowds that were around the school, was now long gone and I was all alone which brought me back from racing thoughts as I looked around to make sure the close was clear. I knew heading to my corner would be better than hearing more of what everyone thought of me. I was nothing like they say, but everyone has their own assumptions about me.
Usually, I don’t hold back to get home unless it was a trying day and today was just that.
Letting out a breath, I start my walk home which wasn’t far from the school.
The walk doesn’t take me long till I walk up to the house, I once called my home.
Stepping through the iron gates of the club was daunting on times because you never knew who would be outside on lookout, but I was lucky as there seemed to be no one around which meant they were either in a meeting or out for a run.
Taking a breath as I walked up the steps to the house, I knew what to expect. Pushing open the door and walked inside, only to come to halt when I saw the mess. It looked like a tornado had come through. Stuff was disregarded all over the place.
Looking around, I took in everything and knew what would happen soon. My father would be on my case about this. Apparently since I live here, I had to clean up after everyone.
There was no way I was cleaning this shit tip. There were bottles of beer everywhere, some smashed. Food everywhere, it was like they had a food fight which in hindsight could have happened, especially when it came to my brother and his friends.
Shaking my head, I headed up the stairs to my room.
Ever since my father made all the bikers allowed in here, I had to move bedrooms. My old room is now Blade’s best friend’s room, and I now live in the attic.
I sound like a bad version of Cinderella. But I don’t mind it in the attic. There was one thing I loved—my lock. It was something I placed myself since I didn’t want my brother getting into my things.
In my room, I keep my money hidden that I find or earn from my little job at the local general store. My uncle found it for me when he was last here, which was about three years ago. I only work a Saturday for a few hours and that’s only because no one is usually up because of the hangovers they have from the night before.
Once I get closer, I stop abruptly and notice my room ajar.
I had locked it before I left, who would have—
Knowing the answer to that question before I even finished answering it myself, I bolted toward the door and barged through the door, running up the stairs two at a time till I got to the top and stopped dead while dropping my bag to the floor.
My entire room was ransacked. It looked like I had been burgled, except it was my room and nothing else was like this. I know the house was a mess when I got in, but that was all because of the men that come and go here all the time.
My eyes darted around the room till I landed on my nightstand—the drawer was wide open. With instinct I ran over to it and looked through, but there was nothing there.
What the hell?
Where was it?
Rummaging around on the bed, but nothing.
Oh no! Where was it?
Where was my journal?
