Echoes & Ink: Raven by Emily Rose
Chapter Thirty-Two
RAVEN
The next evening
Ifinish my story and take a deep breath as I watch it sink in for everyone. And I do mean everyone. Wolf and Talon shut down the shop early, Sloan’s family cancelled all their appointments, the girls put off final preparations for the bar, and the MC and Rose cleared the clubhouse of anyone not a member.
The clubhouse is the only space big enough for us all to gather, and with the amount of people here, it’s decently full.
Sloan is standing beside me, silent support, with Falcon on the other side. Both refused to be anywhere else. I managed to get through the story without crying, or screaming, but it was tough. I called on every ounce of will power I possess. Now, staring at the shocked faces, I hold on to it even tighter.
“That fucking bitch,” Rose seethes, the first one to say anything. I look at her, and see her face is flushed an angry red. Rose looks at Bullet and snarls, “I want all the details on her, and I want them quick.” When he opens his mouth, she bares her teeth at him. “Don’t give me any of your bullshit, William. None. You get me the information I want, or I find it on my own. No one, and I mean no one, is going to hurt my baby any more. They are not taking that boy away from her. If you fight me on this, I will make sure you live to regret it. Do you understand me?”
Holy shit. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Rose this pissed. Bullet must realize just how serious she is because he scowls at her and snaps, “If you would shut your mouth for two seconds, woman, you would know I’m already on it.”
“Good,” Rose says pointedly before she looks back at me. Her eyes are fierce, and I’m both terrified and elated when she starts walking towards me. When she reaches me, she hauls me to her and holds me tight. “My baby,” she whispers. “You’re so fucking strong, Raven. So fucking strong. I understand your pain; I’ve felt it myself when I lost my little girl. You’re not alone in your grief. We’re here for you.” Then she pulls me back, gets right in my face and growls, “It was not your fault. Do you hear me?” I nod, too scared to do anything else. “Say it back to me,” she orders.
“It’s not my fault,” I whisper.
“Louder.”
“It’s not my fault,” I say in my normal voice.
“No, I want everyone in this clubhouse to hear it,” she snaps. “And I want you to believe it. Believe it so deep you never question it again. That when they try to tear you down, you know they’re wrong. That you honor your little girl’s memory with every bit of strength you have inside you. Now say it.”
“It’s not my fault,” I all but scream, finally, finally allowing myself to believe it.
A cheer riots around the room, and Rose smiles at me. “That’s my baby,” she whispers, pulling me back into her. “I always hoped I would get another baby girl, but it wasn’t meant to be. Instead, I found you. I know any daughter I had would be as strong and crazy as you. Your mama, may she rot in hell, isn’t your mama. She’s the woman who gave birth to you, nothing more. She is not the woman who loves you and thinks of you as her own. That’s me.”
“And me,” Leonora announces, coming to stand with Rose. Her bright blue eyes, so much like Sloan’s, are filled with determination. “You can have two mamas, and I’m always happy to bring in another girl to the family. Especially a woman that is perfect for my son. So whether you like it or not, you have two mamas, and two very loud families.”
I can’t help but laugh, but it’s watery.
“Damn it, another sister,” Asa moans loudly, but is grinning as he winks at me. “Though after the prank you pulled on Sloan with the dildo and lube, you’re the favorite.”
“You just don’t want her to do that shit to you,” Maverick snorts, but he grins. “Just remember I’m the nice brother, and I know all his secrets,” he adds with a nod at Sloan.
I grin and see Sloan rolling his eyes. “Well, I’m not your brother,” he growls at me. “The last thing I feel for you is brotherly.”
Everyone snickers at his announcement, including me. Considering what we did in the shower before we came here, I’m perfectly aware of that.
Ash, Ember, and Piper all walk towards me, and nerves build in my belly. Fuck, this is the part I’m most nervous about. Piper crosses her arms when she stands in front of me. “How could you think we wouldn’t want you around because of this?” she demands.
“You’re crazy if you think this is getting you out of babysitting duty,” Ash adds with a sniff. “If anything, you bought yourself more time.”
My nerves settle. I don’t know why, but their statements make me feel a hell of a lot better than if they coddled me. “I can do that,” I agree. “I thought if you knew the truth, you would think I am a murderer, or I’m not a good person.”
Ember smiles at me. “I think we can safely say that’s not the case. I’m just sorry you felt that way.” Then she pinches me, making me yelp in surprise. “That’s for thinking so little of us and not telling us sooner,” she growls at me. Then she grabs me and hugs me tight. “That’s for being my hero.”
Ash and Piper all join in on the hug and I battle back tears. Damn, I don’t think I’ve cried this much in my entire life.
“I almost told you after what I said at the shop when everything was going on with Ash,” I admit as we all pull away.
“We wondered what the story is,” Ash says quietly. “But I didn’t want to push since it is your story to tell.”
“Though as your friends, this is fair warning not to keep important shit like that from us again,” Piper scolds, but her smile is gentle.
I give a watery chuckle. “Promise,” I agree before I’m pulled back into another group hug again.
“Alright, enough mushy stuff,” Bullet growls, making us pull apart. He looks at me, but I see the softness in his eyes. “We need a plan of attack, and we need to get it hammered down before we leave here.”
Falcon suddenly signs something and Piper starts laughing. We all look at her and then at a grinning Falcon. “He says,” Piper gets out between laughs, “ he has a hammer and he’s ready to nail that bitch’s ass to the wall.”
Everyone starts laughing, and Sloan gives him a fist bump, grinning.
“I like your attitude, kid,” Bullet says with a grin. Then he looks at me and says, “Now let’s prepare for battle.”
* * *
When they said to prepare,they meant it.
Ms. Liscumb filed for Falcon to be removed, but Sloan’s lawyers interceded and were able to get the judge to agree to a trial. They assured me they would prove Falcon is better off with me. That meant Falcon was allowed to stay with me, but he had to submit to all kinds of questions from both sides, and I about lost my mind.
The poor kid has been through so much. Hauled out of class time and time again, not allowed to contact me or Sloan. I had to submit to my own questions, to random drug tests, sobriety tests, and psychological evaluations. It’s been exhausting.
We knew it was coming, the lawyers said as much, but I hadn’t figured it would be this intense. Falcon has been sullen, moody, and just generally angry. Not that I blame him. It didn’t help that we had to get permission for him to spend time with Sloan away from me. That we had to have a court appointed monitor there with them at all times. It was frustrating, and Falcon is over it.
Hell, so is Sloan. The two of us have been tense and on edge for weeks, but he hasn’t faltered. Even when he’s angry and doesn’t want to talk, he’s with me. He’s all but moved in with us at this point. Some nights we just veg and watch a movie before we go to bed, but others, we’re taking out our frustrations in a much more pleasurable manner. The kind that keeps my crazy at bay as much as possible.
Now, the day is finally here. We finally get to plead our case before the judge. The courtroom is packed. Everyone is here. The MC, Sloan’s family, the girls, and even Piper’s parents. They flew in a week ago and refused to leave until the trial’s finished. I’m touched by their show of support.
Hell, I think all the men are terrified. With all of us girls, Leonora, Rose, and Piper’s mother, Alice, there is no telling what we can get into. I’ll never admit it, but there was talk about finding that bitch and making her disappear. Thankfully, common sense prevailed, but probably a good idea not to let the men know about that one.
Falcon and I sit with the lawyers at the table, waiting for the judge to arrive. Falcon is twisting his fingers nervously, and he’s all but bouncing in his chair. On the other side is Ms. Liscumb and a lawyer for her department. Ms. Liscumb gave me a cool smile when she saw me, obviously confident we’ll lose. I gave her a curt nod and took my seat, not wanting to let her see my anger.
Sloan is directly behind me, and as we stand when the judge walks in, I feel him give my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. I straighten my spine and shoulders and empty my mind. No way in hell are they going to win.
“You may be seated,” the bailiff announces. A court interpreter signs for Falcon, who has thankfully learned a hell of a lot more sign language over the past few weeks. It’s the one thing we refused to give up when they tried to tell us what we could do together, and thankfully the judge agreed it was important to continue. “Matter of the state versus Raven Dixon regarding minor Falcon Dixon,” the bailiff tells the judge, giving him the paperwork.
The judge is an older, black man, with a thick mustache and intelligent eyes. “This is in regards to the state feeling that Ms. Dixon is unfit to remain the caregiver of her younger brother, correct?” he asks the state’s lawyer.
“Yes, Your Honor,” he answers.
The judge looks over at us, and says to our lawyer, Henry Everett, “And I assume you are going to tell me you can prove otherwise?”
“Yes, Your Honor,” he said firmly, clearly.
“And the young Mr. Dixon is deaf, am I correct?”
“Yes, Your Honor, though he can read lips and sign relatively well.”
The judge nods, looking back at the files in front of him. “I have to say, counsellors, this whole matter is a bit of an odd one. Is it not the case that it is preferable for a minor to be with family instead of strangers?”
The state lawyer stands. “In most cases, yes, Your Honor. But we have evidence that proves Ms. Dixon should not be the guardian of the child.”
“Hmm, yes, I see that you’ve listed that here,” he hums. “Well, let’s begin and we’ll see where we end up, shall we? Counselor, you have the floor,” he says to the state lawyer.
The next two hours are painful. My entire past is taken out and scrutinized. Pored over with little detail missed. It takes everything in me to not scream that they’re wrong. That they’re trying to twist it to meet their agenda. Falcon is getting stiffer and stiffer with each statement, but I grab his hand and squeeze hard, forcing him to remain still.
We knew this was going to happen. We talked about it, prepared ourselves, but it’s like nothing I could have imagined. Unable to defend myself as they drag me through the mud, calling expert upon expert to try and discredit me. Each one claims I’m unfit, that I have some sort of mental disorder that makes me a compulsive liar. That my past behaviors show I am incapable of being responsible for a minor.
The moment that causes me to almost break is when they mention Melody. Detailing her death. Pulling up her picture and the letter from my case worker. I’m strung so tight, biting my lip so hard I know it will bruise, that Falcon squeezes my hand this time.
Finally, the state lawyer says to the judge, “Your Honor, Ms. Dixon is not fit to care for her brother. She is responsible for the death of her daughter, suffocating her when she was only days old. She turned to drugs and alcohol, she ran away from home, and now she’s associated herself with people who are only fueling her habits and addictions. Mr. Dixon needs a home with stability, and a positive influence. Ms. Liscumb has detailed it all perfectly in her report. She is a dedicated social worker with over thirty years experience. Her record is unblemished and will stand for itself. Thank you, Your Honor.”
He sits down, and the tension in the room is palpable.
The judge peers at the lawyer. “That is quite a presentation, counselor. Counselor for the defence, are you ready?”
Henry stands, ever confident. “Yes, Your Honor.”
“Let’s get to it, and then I’ll speak with Mr. Dixon,” he says.
Henry nods. Anxiety shoots through me at this new information, but Henry warned us it might happen. Henry begins our side, and it’s immediately clear why he’s so high in demand.
He’s that fucking good. He shows proof of my hair follicle and drug screening tests to prove I don’t use drugs. He provides proof of my zero level alcohol sobriety tests. Then he begins to call the character witnesses. He calls Sloan to the stand, then Wolf and Talon as my employers. Talon being a war hero, you can see the respect he commands. Then, to my surprise, Henry calls Bullet to the stand. To see him sitting in that witness box, cut proudly on display, makes me smile.
“And how do you know Ms. Dixon, Mr. Fox?”
I see Bullet frown at the use of his legal name, but thankfully doesn’t mention it. “I met her at the tattoo shop,” he answers.
“And your impression?”
“That she was a crazy broad, but she knew her stuff,” he answers, making me smile.
As he continues through the testimonies, the tension inside me eases just a little bit. By the time they get to Melody though, the tension is back in full force. “I would like to call Raven Dixon to the stand so she can tell her story.”
I take a deep breath as I stand. Here we go.