Konrad by LeAnn Ashers
12
Etta
The second theyare back in the house, we sprint to the bus. I am so confused and hurt. My worst nightmare was right in front of me.
I can’t believe that this is happening.
Lynn is standing at the door when we run in, looking just as horrified as I am because I know she saw who was there.
“Etta, I can’t believe it.” She is shaking her head side to side, just as floored as I am. I sit in the first seat I can find, trying not to have a panic attack.
“What the fuck is happening?” Shaylin asks.
“That was Etta’s ex-husband and our mother together.” I can hear the gasps from everyone, especially Lani.
Everyone knows my story and Lynn’s. We have not been shy with what happened to us and our story because we have used it to help others.
Shaylin tears off of the bus first at a full fucking sprint, River right behind her. One by one they jump off the bus like their butts are on fire.
Lynn looks at me, confused, but we follow. Shaylin kicks in the front door without a second thought and the girls follow in.
Lynn grips my hand as we walk inside of the front door, and right on the couch is Michael, my mother on her knees in front of him.
He pushes her off and he takes in the sight of the group of girls in front of him until his eyes settle on me.
I am not the same eighteen-year-old girl who left him. His eyes widen when he takes me in before they turn mean—the same look I’m used to.
Shaylin steps in front of me. “Get them!” she yells and she charges straight for Michael, punching him square in the face.
River goes straight for my mother, dragging her by her hair along the floor before she starts beating the ever-loving shit out of her, tearing out her hair by the roots.
I can’t do anything but watch this happen. Bell and Adeline are hugging me and Lynn.
He tried to kill me with the set-up. He is Mr. Thompson. That’s how the principal got in with the cult.
Shaylin smashes his face into the coffee table. Kayla kicks him on the back at the same time.
Michael yells loudly before he stands up, pushing Shaylin off and onto her ass, but she quickly gets up. He looks at me dead in the face, his face showing his hatred for me. “I am going to come for you, Jezebel, watch your back.” He backs away until he runs out of the door, one of the prospects on his ass to catch him.
He just threatened me. I knew he had it out for me, but hearing it, knowing it, is different.
He has been here under our noses all of this fucking time, right here!
My mother screams from the ground. “Don’t leave me, baby!” she yells, like he’s going to come back for her, but he doesn’t. The prospect does come back and he doesn’t return with Michael.
Amelia holds my hand. “I think it’s time we call in the guys.”
We all stand around in the house. I don’t call Konrad—I have Lynn do it for me because I know I will break down if I talk to him right now because he is my safe place.
The wait for them to show up is so long. I can’t believe Michael was here. I have had nightmares so many times of coming face to face with him again.
Konrad
The second Lynnand not Etta called me, I knew something was horribly wrong. All I heard was the name Michael and I was out of the door.
I met up with the guys along the way. I was at the compound waiting for her to be brought back home.
Driving along the road, we see a house that is completely trashed and I shake my head, knowing that these girls are the reason for that.
I pull to a stop in front of the bus and I see all of the girls standing inside a small house.
I run up to the door, the guys on my ass, to see what the fuck is going on. Etta is standing closest to the door and she looks absolutely devastated.
Vinny stops dead in his tracks, looking at the woman on the ground. “Mom?” he says and Trey hisses, looking at Etta and Lynn, who are deathly pale.
Etta looks at me and then at the ground. That shit kills me. “We were trashing this house when they walked outside. It was Michael and my mom together. The girls ran in here and beat Michael.” She stops, swallowing hard, looking down at the woman who gave birth to her. “He got away, he threatened me and said he will be back for me.”
I can see the fear in her eyes, which she doesn’t show often. “Angel.” I slowly make my way to her and pull her to my chest, holding her tightly.
I can see that this has fucked with her. I pull her head back, smoothing her hair out of her face. “I love you, baby. You are safe with me, always.” I kiss her forehead. She closes her eyes and I can feel her physically relax in my arms.
Lynn sniffs beside me, staring at her mom. I pull her to me too and tuck both girls in my arms.
Their mom is crying on the floor, not crying for her life but crying for Michael who left her.
I shake my head at the disgusting display.
Tristan runs in the door and Lynn jumps at the sight. “Who has Michaela?” she asks.
He pulls her straight to him, holding her tight. “My dad is with her. I came for you.”
I smile at the display and Trey scowls, but I think he just lost another one. Shaylin drags up their mother by her hair and onto her knees so she is facing the room.
She looks at Etta and Lynn. I want to rip her fucking eyes out of her sockets. How fucking dare she? She is disgusting for the way she has treated her kids.
“Etta, don’t let them kill me,” she pleads, holding her hands up like she’s begging her.
Etta steps out of my arms, going to her mother. She grips her face, hard, pulling it up until she is looking up at her. “You do not speak to me. I could kill you myself but I won’t. That’s going to be left up to someone else. You are nothing, you are a piece of shit who only cared about herself.”
I am so proud of her. She does not flinch. Her words are true and I know she means every bit of it.
She pulls herself from Etta’s grip, glaring at her. “How dare you speak to me this way! I am your mother and you will help me!” she screeches before she turns her eyes to Lynn. “My sweet daughter, come help me please. I was good to you.”
Lynn shakes her head no. “You married me when I was fourteen years old to a man that was over twice my age. You are not my mother. You let others hurt me, didn’t protect me. You gave birth to me, but that’s it.”
She looks to Etta again. That’s all it takes for me.
I step up to her, gripping her by her hair hard. “You will not look to her again or I will rip your eyes from their sockets and make you eat them. Do you understand me?” I growl at her. I have so much anger, it’s taking everything in me not to follow through on my threat.
I let her go and she falls to the ground crying. “Please, Vinny, help your momma. I beg you, son.”
Lani takes over. “You do not speak to him either. You think I don’t know what you have done, bitch? Did you know she loved when her kids were hurt and she watched it happen?” Lani tells the room, her face red with anger.
Etta closes her eyes and Lynn looks to the ground, giving me all of the confirmation I needed.
“Shaylin, you can handle this?” I ask. She doesn’t deserve to live her life anymore.
We hear a sharp cry from the back of the house. We all look at each other in shock because it sounds like a small baby.
Etta runs to the back of the house. I follow her with Lynn. She pushes open a bedroom door and right in the crib is a newborn baby.
Fuck me.
Lynn pushes her way through and reaches inside of the crib for the baby. My first thought is, he doesn’t look great. The diaper he’s wearing is so old that it’s hanging to his feet.
Tristan starts rummaging through the drawers and gets out a diaper. Together the both of them work to get him taken care of.
Etta puts her arm around my back and Lynn snuggles the now clean baby. We walk back into the living room.
“Well you found him,” their mom deadpans like it’s no big deal.
Lynn is angry. “He’s in horrible shape, he hasn’t been bathed and he hasn’t been properly fed. How could you do this?”
She shrugs her shoulders. “I didn’t want him, I wasn’t going to let him starve. I raised you guys. I didn’t have help. That’s why I was here—to get Michael to help me raise him.”
She looks to Etta like it’s all her fault her plans didn’t follow through. Lynn looks at me then at the baby. “I will raise him as my own. He’s my brother.”
“I will help you, anytime.” Etta walks to her and stares down at him. Vinny joins them and takes him from Lynn. “I guess we have a baby brother. We’ll do it together.”
“Well, isn’t this beautiful. You’re taking my son from me!” Etta’s mother screeches and tries to get up.
Shaylin punches her in the mouth. “Why don’t you shut the fuck up? You’re ruining the moment, bitch. “
I am ready to get out of here, take Etta now and get away from her. “Shaylin, can you handle this?” I know this is a lot to ask her.
Amelia and Chrystal step up. “We will take care of it. Get them home,” Chrystal says and Tristan helps Lynn with the baby and I help Etta.
As they both walk out and don’t look back, we can hear screams coming from the house.