Daisy was Larry’s mom.
She was young and pretty. She had kind green eyes, long red hair, and a shy smile. She liked to read fashion magazines and sew her own clothes.
Titus was Larry’s stepfather.
He was big, strong, mean, and dumb. He liked to drink cheap tequila and beat his wife.
Because Daisy had no friends, and was a master at hiding her bruises, there was no way for people to know that Titus beat his wife silly.
But P.J. knew.
He knew because he had seen those bruises…from far away and only once, but P.J. had seen them.
And he knew because Larry had told him. Larry told P.J. that one day when he was big enough and strong enough that he was going to kill Titus.
Larry had told his mother that she should leave that bastard, drunken, beast of a husband.
But Daisy had been afraid.
Daisy with her kind eyes, flaming red hair and warm smile used to twist that gold ring on her left hand as though it was a shackle that bound and chained her. She used to make that same nervous motion that Juliet was making now.
Daisy was always twisting that ring.
And taking those beatings.
Then one day as Daisy was making dinner, Titus went after Larry.
And Daisy went after Titus.
When Titus raised his meaty fist to punch Larry’s teeth out, Daisy grabbed the large pot of boiling pasta water, got between her son and her husband, and threw the scalding pot directly into Titus’s face. Then Daisy had raised that heavy pot high up in the air and brought it down on that sonofabitch’s head. Afraid of what Titus would do when he regained consciousness, Daisy and Larry left everything behind and ran out the door. Because they had nothing but the clothes on their back, and nowhere else to go, Larry had convinced his mother to go to the HSMC for help. Mother and son had waited in the woods all night until the garage opened, then Larry took his mother by the hand and introduced her to Prosper Worthington.
After hearing their story, Prosper sent a couple of his boys to retrieve Larry and Daisy’s things. He also sent a couple of different club members, men who had been groomed to the job, to deliver a very strong message to Titus about what happens to assholes who beat their women. Titus received a solid beating and then was given one hour to get his bloodied, broken body out of town. He was warned heavily never to contact or look for Daisy and Larry again. Then, courtesy of the Hells Saints Brotherhood, Larry and his mother were given a first class, one way ticket to wherever they wanted to go.
Now, as P.J watched Juliet twist at a ring that wasn’t there, a piece of the puzzle fell into place. There had been a husband, and whether Juliet was still married to the guy or not? She was still afraid of him.
It was just about an hour later that Juliet began to make her way slowly to the edge of the party. The plan was to sit down out of the way for another few minutes and make sure everyone was happily occupied. Then she would steal away through the woods, go home, curl up, and watch a classic movie on TMC.
The afternoon was cool, grey clouds hung heavy in the sky and there was a pleasant crispness in the air. The leaves had begun to turn and drop in earnest now and cover the carpet of dying grass. Juliet sat down on the wooden bench. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine that instead of winter, spring was on its way. She imagined that the sunshine that warmed her face had come to melt the ice and snow away. That underneath the dull brown landscape, sleeping flowers were getting ready to sprout up from the ground reborn. Their long green stems giving way to fragrant petals that would dance lively in the warm winds, grateful for another chance to bloom. She could feel the wind play with her hair and the tension leave her shoulders.
Juliet pulled the wool shawl tightly around her and felt herself begin to relax. The murmuring of conversation, the soft music, and the warm sun on her face all worked together to lullaby Juliet into a deeply restful sense of peace. She had begun to enjoy this brief respite when she lost the sun, and the loud crackle of leaves sounded out like a firecracker in the night.
Juliet’s eyes flew open, and there he was, big and hulking.
P.J. McCabe was standing in front of her and blocking out the light.
“Hey.” Juliet greeted him with hesitation.
“Hey yourself.” He sat down next to her without invitation. His thigh pressed against hers as he pushed himself into the small space.
Juliet couldn’t help but let out a yelp as his body crowded her in.
P.J. ignored the small noise and relaxed his back against the bench. His arms folded like a pretzel to cradle his head; his long legs stretched out. “So, nice party, huh? Figure we should use the time to get to know each other better. I mean we’re neighbors, right? And that’s what parties are for.”
“You’ve been talking to Layla.” Juliet tried and failed to shift her body away from his.
“Nope. Haven’t seen her in
